Tag Archives: Easter Season

“Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying: “Holy Father, I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.” 

In the beginning of this segment we hear “Jesus prayed saying: “Holy Father, I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one …”  It seems incredible but this came true.  Today, we believe because of “their word” which was written down in the Gospels, the Book of Acts and the Epistles for us to read today. 

Jesus continued “so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you”.  We can make today’s Gospel profound and deep, even difficult to understand, or we can try to understand it as Jesus said it.  Jesus, throughout his life, preached a message of love and care for one another, especially the poor and the unwanted.  Jesus wanted the love that he and his Father shared for us too. 

Unfortunately, that is not the gospel that we so often live today.  We avoid the reality that evil exists in the world, the evil that opposes the love the Father and Son want to share with us.  This is evident in the violence we see in the world today.  From the war in the Ukraine to oppression in countries like China, Afghanistan, The Sudan, and many other nations, to the recent killing of others because they are different than us, to the killing of innocent children because evil exists.  There is evil in the world, but we don’t like to acknowledge it because it is unnerving and forces us examine our own sin. 

In the United States, our rugged American individualism also gets in the way.  We live in a society where consumption regardless of the impact on others, or the earth, is the norm.  Others become secondary to what we want or think that we need.  Public leaders can claim to be devout Catholics and yet support laws and ideologies that are in direct conflict with Church teaching.  What we think or want for ourselves seems to be all that matters. 

We can criticize these leaders, or we can remember how Jesus handled the mob of righteous leaders who brought the woman caught in adultery to demand that she be stoned to death.  We’ll never know what Jesus wrote in the ground, or if it was just his words ‘Let the one without sin cast the first stone’, but he made them look into their own lives because none of them were without sin.  And the same is true for us today.  We must examine our own lives for the times we have failed to follow Christ and seek forgiveness for ourselves, then pray for our leaders and those around us. 

So how do we get back to the true love that Jesus wanted for us?  Pope Francis gave us a roadmap on how to do this when he said, “We must restore hope to young people, help the old, be open to the future, spread love.  Be poor among the poor.  We need to include the excluded and preach peace.” 

How do we give hope to young people, spread love and include the excluded?  We start by following Jesus’ command to love others even if we disagree with them and despite what they say or do is wrong to our beliefs.  We pray and care for those who need our support and live by example so others will see that God loves them through our actions.  When we live a Christian life, the world will hate us and try to control and destroy us.  That has been so evident these past two years. 

Bishop Barron recently wrote “The “world” is that collectivity of persons, institutions, armies, and nations predicated upon the loss of friendship with God. That network will hate the followers of Jesus because it cannot frighten them, and its success depends upon fear.  Jesus is about to be swallowed up by the forces of the world, but he is not held captive or entranced by them, because he does not live in himself—and hence in fear—but rather in the Father, the power that conquers the world.” 

Does the world frighten us or pressure us from speaking out when we see injustice?  Are we afraid that we will lose our job or a promotion because of our Catholic faith?  Are we afraid to confront our sin?  Are we willing to acknowledge that evil exits and holds extreme power in the world? 

At the end of each mass, we pray the Prayer to St Michael the Archangel to defend us in battle against evil and the snares of the devil and all the evil spirits prowling about the world seeking the ruin of souls.  We are in a battle for our spiritual lives and the spiritual lives of those around us.  We need to live like it. 

Jesus prayed for his disciples and us, that we would love each other as he and his Father love each other.  Jesus prayed that we would be one in Christ as an example to the world of love for others in spite of our differences, shortcomings and failures. 

Lord Jesus, help us to love others like you love them, so that we may be one with you. 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us ““I have told you this so that you may not fall away.”  Jesus had a great concern for his disciples and for all of us today.  He was warning us that others would hate us and mistreat us if we truly followed him. 

Jesus was concerned that we would turn away from our faith when trials, persecution, failures, and disappointments happen to us.  Jesus was giving the disciples encouragement that the Holy Spirit would remind them what he taught them and teach them new things as well as give them strength and courage to preach the Risen Lord. 

Jesus wanted them to know what to expect so they would continue to build the Church here on earth.  The Holy Spirit of truth emboldened the disciples to preach and endure mistreatment for the sake of the Gospel. 

This is exactly what happened.  When the disciples were expelled from the synagogues, they continued to preach with fervor and built the church with Peter as the leader.  It was not easy.  The Apostles endured beatings, jail and attempts on their lives but them continued to build the church, preaching the Gospel that Jesus taught them. 

Father Richard Rohr recently wrote

Throughout the history of Christianity, it would seem Jesus’ teaching has had little impact, except among people who surrendered to great love and great suffering.  Could this be the real core of the Gospel?  (And here I think of Mother Teresa of Calcutta.)  Such people experience God rather than merely have disconnected ideas about God.  We need practice-based religion that teaches us how to connect with the Infinite in ways that actually change us from our finite perspectives. 

We must rediscover what St. Francis of Assisi called the “marrow of the Gospel.”  In the year 1205, Jesus spoke to Francis through the San Damiano cross: “Francis, rebuild my church, for you see it is falling into ruin.”  

It is the Marrow of the Gospel that St Francis talked about that gives us the ability to focus on the needs of others and rebuild the Church.  We do this by helping those around us.  We happily drive those who need a ride to the doctor, sit with the lonely, provide food to those who are hungry, and speak out when we see unjust treatment of others. 

If God has little impact in our lives, if we are disconnected and practice our Christianity in a ho hum method, we will never change the world around us.  If we have a practice-based religion like Fr Richard described, we can and will change those around us by our example.  This is what Jesus called us to do.  The Holy Spirit is with us even today to help us surrender our lives to God’s great love and give us strength and courage to tell others about our Risen Lord. 

Lord, help us to truly follow you and make us instruments of your Love that we might share our Risen Lord with the world around us. 

In today’s Gospel Jesus tells us to “Love one another as I have loved you.”

Love. 

It’s a strange word.  We use it in so many different ways.  We say, “I love you” to our spouse, our children, our siblings, and parents.  Bet we also say, “I love ice cream”.  We say, “I love a certain TV show”.  We say, “I love a movie star (insert any name) whom I’ve never met”.  And then we say, “I love you Grandma”. 

With such a wide spectrum of uses for the word Love, they all can’t mean the same thing.  Americans have basically two words, love and like, however we usually use the word love to describe liking something. 

Many countries have multiple words for love that have a very specific meaning for different levels of love.  The Greeks had up to nine words for different levels of love.  Based on the word used, a person knew the level of love the speaker meant. 

One level is love of self.  We all dislike the person who is arrogant and overbearing, the person who is completely self-centered and critical of everyone else.  Many people think that Love of Self is wrong, but a person must love themselves in a positive way to be able to love others.  A person must have the peace that God gives within their hearts to share God’s love with others.  People who hate themselves or think poorly of themselves generally have a negative attitude toward and about other people. 

The other eight words the Greek language uses define different levels of love towards others.  The Greeks used “Agape” to describe God’s love.  But what is God’s love? 

Cyril of Alexandria gives us some insight when he wrote

“I give you a new commandment, said Jesus: love one another.”  But how, we might ask, could he call this commandment new? 

Through Moses, he had said to the people of old: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 

Notice what follows. He was not content simply to say, “I give you a new commandment: love one another.” 

He showed the novelty of his command and how far the love he enjoined surpassed the old conception of mutual love by going on immediately to add: “Love one another as I have loved you.”

To understand how we should love others; we must comprehend how Jesus loved us.  Jesus loved us so much that he willingly suffered the pain and agony of scourging and crucifixion on a cross.  His passion and suffering such a terrible death, to give his life for us to save us from sin, was so that we might have eternal life with him in Heaven.  This is a love that I don’t know how to describe. 

When Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you.” he was teaching a completely new concept to the Disciples and to us today. 

John Pilch tells us

“Other farewell addresses in the Bible and other ancient literature usually exhort the survivors, the “children,” to practice moral virtue or to remain obedient to the Law.  Jesus’ farewell address lays down a “love command” which is described as “new.”  “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another” 

“What is evident in all these passages is that love is extended only to other members of the inner circle, the community, and not to those outside.  “By this everyone [else, outside] will know that you are my disciples [insiders], if you have love for one another” 

This example of mutual love among insiders should be a stirring example to all outsiders. 

God’s covenantal love is spontaneous, unmotivated, directed to sinners and others unworthy of love. Israel experienced this love of old in Deuteronomy.  In Jesus’ death and resurrection, God’s love is known in a totally new dimension. 

A new command to love others, everyone, as I have loved you!  This same love is mentioned in the second reading from Revelation, “I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race.  He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God.” 

God promised to always be with us as our God.  Since God is love, then this supreme Love will always be with us for us to share with everyone we meet. 

That is not easy to do when people are mean and hateful to us.  But Jesus said that others will know that we are his disciples if we have love for one another.  Sharing God’s love will become even more critical in the coming days when people may try to disrupt mass and attack Catholics for our faith.  The early Christians were persecuted and many of them were martyred for their love for God.  They followed Jesus’ example of quiet, patient suffering for their faith.  We must do the same. 

This is the real mission of the Church.  The eighty-nine young people confirmed here at St Joseph’s yesterday are empowered by the Holy Spirit to love one another and to take God’s love to the world.  And we must join them and follow Jesus’ command to love each other as Jesus loved us. 

How do I love the dirty unkept person on the street corner begging for food?  How do I love the person spreading hate and gossip at work?  How do I love the neighbor who lets their dog run all over our yard when we have asked them not to do that?  How do I love the family member who always gets on my nerves? 

The world is hungry for love.  They have sought it in wealth, success, power, and fame; yet nothing seems to satisfy.  When we have God’s love within us it flows out to those around us.  Our love for each other is a witness of God’s love that will make the world want what we have.  

Jesus taught us how to lead others to him: “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”  Jesus us a new command, “Love one another as I have loved you.”  The question we must ask ourselves is “Do I love others as Jesus loves me?” 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks Peter if he loves him three times, once for each time Peter betrayed Jesus during his trial and passion.  Then Jesus said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 

Jesus said to Peter: “Someone else will lead you to where you do not want to go.”  Do you ever feel that someone is leading you where you do not want to go in life? 

It made me think about the events in my life that I would prefer never happened, the journeys that I did not want to experience.  I’m sure that you have some of those too.  Even when we are young, things happen to us that make us question Why. 

Why did I develop cancer at 35? 

Why did my child die at 16? 

Why was my brother killed in the line of duty at 22? 

Why was my job terminated and we lost everything? 

Why did my best friend have a stroke in her sixties and will never recover? 

Why?  Why God?  Why? 

We all experience pain and suffering in our lives.  Like Peter, each of us must walk a path where we do not want to go.  While your path is different from mine, both are similar; we walk the through the trials and suffering that living brings to us. 

When terrible things happen to people who are not Christians, it is devastating.  Their whole world collapses in around them and they sink into the depths of despair and hopelessness.  Some will turn to drugs or alcohol, others will be angry with everyone, some will dive into the depths of despair that they will commit suicide thinking it will solve all their pain and suffering. 

When these things happen to Christians, it is still devastating but we have the Hope of the Resurrection to get us through it.  Jesus suffered severe pain and agony through the trials of his Passion.  Jesus did not want to walk the journey of his Passion.  In the garden he prayed “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will.” 

When we think about the pain and agony that Jesus suffered on his journey to Calvary for our sake, the trials and suffering on our journey of life are insignificant by comparison.  That does not mean our lives are any less painful but gives us strength and hope to overcome them. 

During this past Lent at the Second Station in the Stations of the Cross, Jesus puts the trials in our journey in life into perspective:

“This cross, this chuck of wood is what my Father chose for me.  

The crosses you must bear are largely products of your daily life.  And yet my Father chose them, too, for you.  Receive them from his hands. 

Take heart my other self, I will not let your burdens grow one ounce too heavy for your strength.” 

Jesus said he would not let our burdens grow one ounce too heavy for the strength we have each day.  Sometimes it seems that the suffering in our lives is overwhelming.  Jesus will give us the strength to survive. 

Many of the Saints of the Church have shown great patience and endurance through the many trials of life.  Saint Joseph the Worker, whom we honor today, and for whom our parish is named, had more trials than most people. 

First, Joseph finds out that his betrothed is pregnant.  Then he flees to another country to protect his family from death.  Living in a country where one does not speak the language or know the customs had to be extremely difficult.  Joseph must begin a business as a carpenter to provide for his family.  They had to struggle in the beginning to make ends meet. 

Then Joseph moves his family back to their homeland to start a business all over again.  Patiently enduring each set back and trial that living brings to him, Joseph takes it all in stride because his faith is in God.  Joseph knows that God will protect his family and provide for their needs. 

St Joseph is a great example for us as to how to live our lives, patiently enduring each setback, patiently enduring each “Why?” in our life. 

After Peter professed his love for Jesus three times, Jesus said to Peter, “Follow me.”  Peter followed Jesus and it was the turning point for the Church.  He led the other disciples to teach multitudes of people to believe in Christ and the Church grew in great numbers. 

Jesus calls us to Follow Him too.  We follow the Jesus who rose from the dead.  We have Hope because of his Resurrection and triumph over death. 

We teach those around us about Jesus by how we live our lives as the daily trials and burdens of life bombard us.  Like St Joseph, our faith in God helps us overcome the suffering and struggles of daily life. 

Our life journey continues to present us with events we prefer not to experience.  These are products of our daily lives.  Some of these events are because of bad decisions we made in the past.  Other events are the same that everyone experiences at some point. 

Jesus knew that his passion and death were only the beginning.  His resurrection that we celebrate during this Easter Season is victory over death and all the suffering of the world.  Jesus followed his Father’s will he calls us to do the same. 

When overcome by daily events, it’s difficult to remember that we are living our lives for an eternal reward with our Lord.  Jesus said he will give us the strength to overcome these daily events in our lives, and by doing so to show others that Jesus gives us hope even in our daily suffering. 

Then Jesus said to Peter “Follow Me.”  Jesus calls us too, “Follow Me.” 

Will we?