Feast of Pentecost: Gospel 

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." 

· That Jesus appeared on the first day of the week is one of the basis for our celebration of the Lord’s Day on Sunday, the first day, in contrast to the Jewish Sabbath which is the seventh day.

· The theology in the Gospel of John the Evangelist has a different focus than the other three Gospels. For him it is important to connect the central mysteries of the Paschal Mystery. These are: institution of the Eucharist (the Last Supper/Holy Thursday), the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus (Good Friday/Easter), the Gift of the Holy Spirit.

·    That the doors were closed and yet Jesus appeared in bodily form shows that the resurrected body is different from the ordinary human body. It has the same qualities but not limited by space and time.

· Why do you think Jesus initiates his Easter appearance to the Apostles with the greeting of Peace and ends with the forgiveness of sins? If you had denied the Lord, fled in fear, abandoned him at the time of his greatest need for support, would you be initially excited at his return or would you be expecting a strong reprimand or rejection? Anticipating this fear, Jesus reassures them of his forgiveness and love. How often have we experienced the same fear but received instead Jesus’ loving mercy and forgiveness?

·    Peace comes as a result of something else: relationship with Jesus. The greater the relationship, the greater is the peace. What is your relationship with Jesus at this point? What was it a year ago?

             The peace Jesus gives them is the grace of repentance and salvation.            

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. 

· They probably thought they were seeing a ghost. Jesus had to reassure them that he was truly risen and alive. How often has God had to reassure us on our journey?

· It was his suffering and death that has freed them of their sins and has brought them true reconciliation and peace with God.

· Though risen, the marks on his body remain visible so that they know it is the same Jesus.  He will carry these brand marks into heaven to be with him forever.

The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. (Jesus) said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." 

· Look up the Great Commission in Mt 28:18-20, or Mk 16:15-18.

· What Jesus said to the Apostles, he says to each of us. How have we fulfilled this in our lives so far?

· Have we personalized and accepted this commission of Jesus?

And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.

· One of the symbols of the Holy Spirit is that of breath. As God in the first creation breathed the breath of life into Adam and Eve, so now in the second creation Jesus breathes the life of the Spirit into the Apostles.

· You have been confirmed and empowered with the same gift of the Holy Spirit. To what extent are we conscious of the presence and lead of the Spirit in our daily lives?

Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

· Though God has forgiven our sins, do we still hold on to them by not forgiving ourselves? Do we still hold others in bondage by not asking their forgiveness and forgiving them?

· How do you apply this Gospel message to your life today?

In the Second Eucharistic Prayer at Mass, the priest prays: "We humbly ask you (Father) to make them holy by the power of your Spirit, that they may become the Body and Blood of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at whose command we celebrate these mysteries." This is called the "epiclesis", it is the invocation of the Holy Spirit over the elements of bread and wine. We believe that these elements become the Body and Blood of Jesus by the coming of the Holy Spirit and the words of Jesus. Just as the Son of God became Man in the womb of Mary by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit, so bread and wine are transubstantiated as the Body and Blood of Jesus, true God and true Man. The words of the invocation is accompanied by the imposition of the hands of the priest over the bread and wine. 

Here is the reflection of Pope St. John Paul II: “In the sacrifice of the Son of Man the Holy Spirit is present and active…. The same Christ Jesus in his own humanity opened himself totally to this action…[which] from suffering enables salvific love to spring forth” (Dominum et Vivificantem. 40).

Be attentive to these words next time you participate in Mass and give thanks to the Father through Jesus in the Spirit for the gift of Eucharist.

  Jesus refers to the Spirit as the fountain from which living water flows. On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and exclaimed, “Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as scripture says, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from within him.’” He said this in reference to the Spirit that those who came to believe in him were to receive. There was, of course, no Spirit yet, because Jesus had not yet been glorified." (Jn 7:37-39)  As water cleanses, as water refreshes dry land, as water quenches our thirst, as water renews the life of a plant, so the Holy Spirit is given to us to cleanse, refresh, renew and fulfill the life we received in Baptism. 

Here is a reflection of Pope Francis on this theme. "Man is like a traveler who, crossing the deserts of life, has a thirst for living water, gushing and fresh, capable of quenching his deep desire for light, love, beauty and peace... The living water that is the Holy Spirit quenches our lives because it tells us that we are loved by God as His children, that we can love God as his children, and that by his grace we can live as children of God, as did Jesus." Invite the Holy Spirit to cleanse, refresh, renew and transform you today so that you can live more freely and fully in the life God shares with you, so that you can truly be fully alive in God.

Jesus calls the promised Holy Spirit, our Advocate, who will stand by our side defending us, as he is the Spirit of truth. In another context Jesus said that we don't have to worry what to say in times of trials, but the Spirit will give us the words to say. It is comforting to know that we are not alone, that God is living with us, in us and guiding our journey to him.

Here is what Pope Francis said about this title of the Holy Spirit. "All of us, particularly at times of difficulty like those we are presently experiencing due to the pandemic, look for consolation. Often, though, we turn only to earthly comforts, ephemeral comforts that quickly fade. Today, Jesus offers us heavenly comfort, the Holy Spirit…In Jesus’ day, advocates did not do what they do today: rather than speaking in the place of defendants, they simply stood next to them and suggested arguments they could use in their own defense. That is what the Paraclete does…He does not take our place but defends us from the deceits of evil by inspiring thoughts and feelings.”

Not only should this be a constant comfort to us, but it should bring us an inner joy, which is a fruit of the Spirit. Thank you, my Advocate and Comforter, my Defender and the source of my life. Help me to be more attentive to your presence and grace.

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Homily Solemnity of the Ascension

Reading 1: The author, Luke, begins by referring to his first book, which we know as the Gospel of Luke. The focus of the Gospel was all that Jesus did and taught until the Ascension. The Acts begin with the same event, the Ascension, and the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise to send the Holy Spirit to guide the Apostles and the Church. Luke connects the Ascension with Jesus’ resurrection and the coming of the Spirit.

Then on the day of his ascension, Jesus gave the Apostles their final and foundational mandate. “You will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” The Apostles still did not fully understand what Jesus was saying. So he further explained to them. “When the Holy Spirit comes you will receive power and you will be my witnesses throughout the world.”

How important is being baptized with the Holy Spirit, receiving his anointing power? Significant enough for this to be the last statement Jesus makes to the Apostles before he returns to the Father.

It reflects Jesus’ personal experience in his life as the God-Man. After his public commitment to the Father in being baptized, accepting his mission as Savior of the world, the Father confirmed Jesus’ yes and poured upon him the fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit with signs and wonders as his credentials.

So now, the Apostles are to go forth to witness the message of salvation through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus with the coming of the Holy Spirit, but also with the second coming of Jesus at the end of time

Gospel: In the first reading we heard Luke’s account of the Ascension of Jesus as found in the Acts of the Apostles. Now, we hear of his account in the Gospel narrative. Jesus first reminds them of what had been written in the Old Testament about the Messiah. He must suffer, die, and rise on the third day. He came to call people to repentance, so that through his death and resurrection sins are forgiven. This is the message they are to witness and preach.

And again, as he said at the Last Supper, Jesus reminds them of the coming of the Holy Spirit who will come upon them, anoint them and empower them. Then he departs from them. They returned to Jerusalem joyfully going to the Temple to praise God.

What is the difference between this scene and that of Jesus’ pre-resurrection appearance on Easter? On Easter they were hiding behind closed doors in the Upper Room, fearful for their lives and ashamed of their lack of courage. Now, having seen and been in the risen Lord’s presence for forty days, they are changed men. They are no longer afraid for their lives but waiting expectedly for the coming of the Holy Spirit. They are eager to witness the Good News of salvation in the power of the Holy Spirit. The risen Jesus has changed their lives. They had many encounters with Jesus but the one that sealed their relationship and their conviction and resolve to be his witnesses was encountering the risen Lord, who is True God and True Man.

Reading 2: Three main ideas are given to us. First, the initial part of the reading says “Christ…entered heaven itself, that he might now appear before God on our behalf.” The second, Jesus’ first coming was to take away sin. But he will “appear a second time, not to take away sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him.” Third, because of Jesus we now can approach the throne of God with confidence, for we have been washed by the blood of the Lamb. God’s promises are true.

It was necessary for Jesus to ascend to the Father for two reasons. One to send the Holy Spirit who continues and completes the plan of God. Second to come again in glory as Lord of Lord and King of Kings. We are in this in-between time, called to hold unwaveringly to our confession and to witness boldly in the power of the Spirit the love of God for each of us.

Have you been baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire? This is what John the Baptist preached:  "I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire." (Mt 3:11) One of the symbols of the Holy Spirit is fire. When the Spirit descended upon those in the Upper Room on Pentecost, "There appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the holy Spirit." (Acts 2:3-4)

What is the meaning of this symbol? The fire is a sign of the presence of God. Recall the experience of Moses' encounter with I AM in the burning bush. Or the column of fire which accompanied the Israelites during their exodus journey. The fire is symbol of the passion a person has for after hearing the Word of God explained. Recall the experience of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus on Easter. "“Were not our hearts burning [within us] while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?" (Lk 24:32) Fire is a symbol of purification. The Spirit comes to purify us from the obstacles that prevent us from growing in holiness and in witnessing about Jesus to others. Again, I ask: have you been baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire?

Feast of the Ascension Gospel C

Jesus said to his disciples: “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.

· Jesus presents in summary the core message they are to preach with its central teaching: his death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins.

· Because they are witnesses of this salvific event, they are to tell others. How do we witness the impact in our lives of Jesus’ death and resurrection resulting in the forgiveness of our sins?

· In what ways have you experienced God’s love and mercy through the forgiveness of sins over the last month? Have you witnessed that to anyone?

And behold I am sending the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

· He is referring to the coming of the Holy Spirit upon them in power. This conclusion of the Gospel of Luke will tie in with the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles that Luke also wrote.

· Do you recognize the role of the Holy Spirit in your own lives and the call to witness to others?

Then he led them out as far as Bethany, raised his hands, and blessed them. As he blessed them he parted from them and was taken up to heaven. 

· Bethany is on the Mt of Olives across from Jerusalem. It is outside of the village of Martha, Mary and Lazarus.

· A fuller picture of the Ascension is found in the first chapter of Acts. Reread it.

They did him homage and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they were continually in the temple praising God.

· Luke began his Gospel with the appearance of the Angel Gabriel to Zechariah in the Temple in Jerusalem. He ends his Gospel with the Disciples praising God in the Temple.

· What is God’s message to you as you reflect on this passage? 

 One of the symbols of the Holy Spirit used in the Scriptures and by artists is that of a dove. Noah sent a dove out to determine if it was safe to exit the Ark after the flood. When the dove returned with an olive branch in its beak, it was a sign of a new beginning. When Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan, a dove was seen descending upon Jesus. It too was a sign of the new ministry which Jesus was sent to accomplish. The dove was a witness to John, confirming that Jesus was the promised Messiah. The dove, coming upon Jesus, was a confirmation of the Father's words to Jesus: "You are my beloved Son in whom my favor rests." Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit as the Christ and led Jesus to fulfill the plan of the Father.

In Baptism we do not see a dove, but in faith believe that the Spirit of God has given  us a new beginning as an adopted son or daughter of God, anointing us with the gifts for sanctification. In Confirmation, we do see a dove, but in faith believe that we have been sealed and anointed by the Holy Spirit as a witness of Jesus Christ. Like Jesus, we are called to live in the Spirit and follow the lead of the Spirit.

Artists have depicted the three persons of the Blessed Trinity by showing the Father as an older man, the Son in his humanity and the Spirit as a dove. For instance when they depicted the Annunciation, they sometimes show not only Mary and the Angel but a dove in flight. For Mary was to conceive the Messiah by the "overshadowing of the Holy Spirit."  

 NOVENA TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

May 26-June 4

First Day Holy Spirit, Lord of light, from your clear celestial height, your pure beaming radiance give. Come, Holy Spirit, come.

Let us pray

O God who has taught the hearts of your faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit; grant that by the gift of the same Spirit we may be always truly wise and ever rejoice in his consolations. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Second Day Come, O Father of the poor, Come with treasures which endure, Come, O light of all that live. Come, Holy Spirit, come

Let us pray

O Holy Spirit, father of the poor, come fill my poverty-stricken soul out of the plenty of your eternal riches. Warn me, I beg, of every opportunity in my daily round of duty, to lay up treasures where no thief approaches nor moth corrupts, that I may enjoy them together with you forever. Amen.

Third Day You of all consoler’s best, visiting the troubled breast, refreshing peace bestow.  Come, Holy Spirit, come.

Let us pray

O Divine Consoler, and of all Comforters the best, to you do we come in trouble and distress. Do, in the all-powerful name of Jesus, our Redeemer, and out of love for Mary, our sorrowful Mother and your chaste Spouse, come to our assistance and comfort us in all our trials and tribulations. Amen

Fourth Day You in toil are comfort sweet, Pleasant coolness in the heat, Solace in the midst of woe. Come, Holy Spirit, come.

Let us pray

O God, who gives the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, grant to your people the effect of their pious prayers, that on those to whom you have given grace, you may also bestow peace. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen

Fifth Day Light immortal, light divine, Visit these hearts of yours. And our inmost being fill. Come, Holy Spirit, come.

Let us pray

May the Paraclete, who proceeds from you, enlighten our minds, we beseech, O Lord; and even as your Son has promised, may he lead us into all truth. Amen.

Sixth Day If you take your grace away, nothing pure in man will stay; all his good is turned to ill. Come, Holy Spirit, come.

Let us pray

Send down, we ask, O Lord, your Holy Spirit in his might, to the merciful purifying of our hearts and to our sure deliverance from all danger. Who lives and reigns world without end. Amen

Seventh Day Heal our wounds, our strength renew; on our dryness pour your dew; Wash the stains of guilt away. Come, Holy Spirit, come.

Let us pray

Burn up, O Lord, the stains of our hearts in the fire of the Holy Spirit; that chaste of body and clean of heart, our service may be well pleasing to you. Who lives and reigns world without end. Amen.

Eighth Day Bend the stubborn heart and will, Melt the frozen, warm the chill, Guide the steps that go astray. Come, Holy Spirit, come.

Let us pray

Holy Spirit, Spirit of Truth, come into our hearts; give to all peoples the brightness of your light, that they may be well pleasing to you in unity of faith. Amen

Ninth Day On those who evermore, confess and adore you, in your sevenfold gift descend.  Give them comfort when they die Give them life with you on high, Give them joys which never end. Come, Holy Spirit, come.

Let us pray

Send down upon us, we ask, O Lord, the Holy Spirit, that, inspired and encouraged by him, we may comply with the duties of our state, carry our daily crosses patiently, and grow daily in Christian perfection. Grant us, we beseech through the same Divine Spirit, the intentions of this novena or what is most conducive to our eternal salvation and your glory. Amen

 As we prepare to celebrate the Solemnity of Pentecost, our focus is on the promised gift of the Holy Spirit, whom we received when we were baptized and again when we were confirmed. As we can reflect on Jesus' different titles--Lord, Messiah, Savior, Bread of Life, etc--so we need to reflect on some of the different titles of the Holy Spirit. Like Jesus who is both God and Man, the Holy Spirit is God. One of his titles found in the Scriptures is "ruah", the breath of God, the source of our life breath and the source of sharing in the Divine Life of God. We read in Genesis 2:7: "The LORD God formed the man out of the dust of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being."  We take the breath in our lungs for granted. Yet it is the Holy Spirit who sustains us in existence. Thank you, Breath of God! The same is true when we are reborn in the waters of baptism. Again, God breathed his own divine life into us and we became Temples of the Holy Spirt. Thank you, Breath of God. We honor both of these gifts of the Spirit by taking care of our body and by remaining in union with God, free from serious sin. Spend some time today, reflecting on this title of the Holy Spirit and the implications in your life.

 Jesus said: "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command  you....I have called you friends, because I have told  you everything I  have heard from my Father. It was not  you who chose me, but I who chose you." (Jn 13-15) Have  you reflected on this fact? Jesus calls us his friends. He, who is Lord and God, our Creator and Savior, invites us into a relationship of friendship. On his part he sacrificed his life so that we may have life. He chose to share his divine life with  us, so that we may be with him forever in glory. His friendship is a gift, which betters us. How do we respond so that this is not a one-way friendship, but mutual, though never equal? We do so, when in gratitude we keep his commandments; when we love in return, him and others as he has loved us. Friendship is a choice. We accept and cherish his friendship and seek to be his friend in return, to do what pleases him. Friends spend time with each other, sharing their lives, with the other as always the focus. Some friendships last; others are temporary. Jesus desires an eternal, lasting friendship with us. Do we?

 Jesus said: "I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete." (Jn 15:11)

What is this joy of the Lord? It is not a feeling nor an emotion that is here one moment but gone the next. It is more lasting. It is a gift, a grace, the fruit of living in the Spirit. The source of this joy is Jesus, his life within us, which we share because of his great love for us. The greater our awareness of his presence within us, the greater our joy should be. The fullness of this life of joy will be realized when we are one in God forever in glory. St. Paul encouraged this when he said: "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say, rejoice." Nehemiah, the prophet, captured the resulting effect of this joy: "Joy in the Lord is your strength." 

We Christians are called to be people of great joy because we know that we have been saved by the blood of the Lord, reconciled and adopted as sons and daughters of God. We share in God's life now, so that we can share in his life eternally.  Does this joy radiate in and through  us to others? Can others see our joy and therefore ask the source of our joy? What kind of witness are we of all that God has done in our lives? If authentic love is a distinctive sign of a true disciple of  Jesus Christ, isn't joy equally such a sign? We don't have to force a smile. We have reason to smile, namely, all that God has and is doing in our lives. 

Homily Sixth Sunday of Easter Year C

Reading 1: As the Word of God through the ministry of Paul and Barnabas spread among the Gentiles who are baptized, some of the Judaizers came from Jerusalem and began to sow doubt in the community of believers concerning the authenticity of Paul’s ministry. These Judaizers insisted that the Gentiles need to be circumcised and follow the Mosaic laws to be saved.

Not knowing who was right, the community decided to send Paul and Barnabas with others to Jerusalem to the Apostles for clarification. This is the initial awareness of the authority of the Apostles over the life and teaching of the Church.

After hearing about how God blessed the ministry of Paul and Barnabas to the Gentiles with signs and wonders, the apostolic leadership made a profound statement and decision. First of all, they said: “It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and us.” In other words, after prayer and much discussion The Holy Spirit inspired them with the answer. This fulfills what Jesus taught the Apostles at the Last Supper: “I will send you the Holy Spirit. He will teach and guide you to the truth.” We will come back to this in the Gospel.

What was the truth? That baptism not circumcision was necessary for salvation. Following the Mosaic Law was not required any longer. The only requirement was the turning away from their former pagan practices. What will happen if we followed the practice of the Apostles, namely invoking and following the guidance of the Holy Spirit in major decisions?

Reading 2: During this post Resurrection times the Church keeps before us the life that God invites us to enter into now and after death. She presents to us another vision of life in heaven. The image of the new, holy city of Jerusalem is the image of the exultant and victorious Church, the bride of Christ in all its beauty and perfection in eternity. We are that Church now and are called to be in eternity.

The Church is built upon the faithful people of the Old Testament, the prophets, the Apostles and all the baptized who have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb in baptism and the sacrament of Reconciliation.  In the center of this is the Father and Jesus, the Lamb, whose glorified life is the light of the city.

Gospel: We continue to read John’s narrative of the Last Supper in which Jesus gave a number of teachings as part of his last will and testimony. He speaks repeatedly of the centrality of love as a sign of our union with him and as a sign of our discipleship. He speaks of the need to keep his word because we love him. He teaches us the parable of the vine and the branches, reminding us that the Father loves us and as we love and keep his word, God will dwell in us and we in him.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches what later the Apostles will better understand and act upon. The Father and the Son will send the Holy Spirit. As our Advocate, helper, and intercessor, the Spirit will teach us everything concerning the truth revealed by God. Then Jesus reminds them that the peace he gives them is not a greeting but the fruit of salvation which brings life.

He tells them he is going away but will come back. He is referring not only to his upcoming death and resurrection, but also to his ascension and his second coming in glory.

His final teaching in the reading deals with the mystery of his Incarnation, being both God and Man. As God, he is one with the Father. In his humanity, the Father is greater than him, because for a time he emptied himself of his divinity in order to embrace our humanity and do the will of the Father, even to the death on the cross. It is only after the Resurrection and Pentecost and the ensuing years that the Church began to unpack these mysteries and acknowledge them fulfilled.

 
"Remain in me as I remain in you." These words of Jesus are comforting to us. How do we remain in him and he in us? Through the sharing in his divine life, which makes us his adopted sons and daughters. On his part,  Jesus sustains us in his divine life through the Sacraments, especially Eucharist and Reconciliation. How do we sustain this life in us? When we choose to do what will help us to remain in him. Here are the reflections of Pope Francis: "To remain in Jesus, and this is the hardest of all, means to do what Jesus did. To have the same attitude as Jesus....To do good, to help others, to pray to the Father, to care for the sick, to help the poor, to have the joy of the Holy Spirit." Maybe the one phrase that sums it up is to love others as Jesus loves us and in doing so we are loving Jesus. We are keeping his commands. It is only by his grace can we remain in him. At the same time, it is only by selfishness and seeking what is not pleasing to him that we separate ourselves from him. His life will not flow in us. He will not remain in us.

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 Sixth Sunday of Easter Gospel C

Jesus said to his disciples: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.

· There are four things Jesus is reminding us of: 1) He loves us first;  2) Love is responded to by doing what the other has asked us to do; 3) As we act thus on the word of Jesus, we will experience the Father’s love for us in response; 4) this is experienced by the indwelling presence of God, which is a sharing in his own divine life.

· Does our life at this point reflect this teaching of Jesus? If not, what will we do to love him more by keeping his word?

Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.

· Jesus shows us the consequences of not acting on his word in love. It amounts to rejecting him and the Father.

· Thus his word needs to be taken seriously. 

“I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you. 

· This is the second time during the Last Supper that Jesus speaks about the Holy Spirit to the Apostles.

· Again, he calls the Holy Spirit an Advocate. Jesus is our first advocate in the sense that he intercedes for us before the throne of the Father. Later on in John the Holy Spirit is a teacher, a witness to Jesus, and a prosecutor of the world.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. 

· This peace is more than a greeting. It is a gift of salvation leading to right relationship with God.

Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe.”

· Later, he will explain that his going will be for their benefit. First, he must go in order to send the Holy Spirit upon them. Second, he goes to prepare a place for them. 

· His first going away is his death on the cross; his return is the resurrection. The second going away is his Ascension; he will return in his second coming.

· When Jesus says that the Father is greater than him, he is referring to his humanity not his divinity. Because he says in other places that the Father and he were one.

· Again, a key theme in John’s Gospel is the need to believe in Jesus as the one sent by the Father as our Lord and Savior. To believe him is to embrace his word as the truth which will lead to eternal life.

 Jesus told the apostles and us: "Peace I leave with  you, my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you." (Jn 14:27) What is this peace? Jesus says that his peace is different from the peace the world gives? What is the difference? The peace of the world is dependent on others and on things, both of which are undependable. Here today and gone tomorrow.  How long has the world been looking for peace and to no avail.  All we have to do is look at the news and see there is no peace in the world or among people that lasts. On the other hand, the peace Jesus gives depends on his love for us, which is faithful, true and enduring. It is an inner reality that comes from relationship with God and is not dependent on circumstances around us.. It is "the peace that surpasses all understanding" as Paul tells us. This peace is a foretaste of the eternal life we will experience in heaven with God. "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. And death shall be no more.. And neither mourning, nor crying out, nor grief shall be anymore." (Rev. 21:4) We don't have to wait for it. Jesus gives it to us. It is a fruit of the Spirit's presence and life within us. We don't have to chase after this peace. We have to embrace and enter into the life that Jesus gives us, a sharing in his own divine life.

 In one sense, Jesus makes it easy for us to experience his presence. He said: "Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him." (John 14:24) When we are obedient to Jesus' command to love as he has loved us, then the infinite enters into our lives in a new and transforming way. Simple. Not really. Because of the root of sin in our lives, it is hard to love others as Jesus has loved us. Yet, this is the key to his indwelling presence within us. Our spiritual journey is moving from the darkness of selfishness into the light of selflessness. The bridge is love. Not just any love. The agape love of Jesus, which seeks what is truly best for us and others. It is the love of the cross, where we lay down our life for another, not looking to receive anything in return. It is the obedience to the will of God in the present moment, namely, love this person as you have been loved by God. Pray for the grace to obey the word of God. Then act on that grace out of love of God and the other. This love doesn't happen overnight or automatically. It comes through much discipline and obedience to God's word. The lives of the saints attest to this.

 From Ash Wednesday to the Tridium, our focus is on the death and resurrection of Jesus, Our Lord and Savior. We culminate our Lenten journey on Easter Sunday, when we celebrate Jesus' impact on our lives by renewing our Baptismal promises. From Easter to Pentecost, our focus is on the Holy Spirit, who Jesus promised to send to sanctify, anoint, empower and mission us as disciple/witnesses. During this time we need to be praying for a fuller release of the gifts of the Spirit, given to us in Baptism and Confirmation. "Come, Holy Spirit, come in a fresh new way into my life." Let the life of the early Church, seen in the Acts of the Apostles be our reading and focus during this time. We culminate our Easter journey by celebrating the coming of the Holy Spirit. Having been renewed by the Spirit, we need to be more attentive to the grace moments that God provides us to witness and exercise the various gifts of the Spirit. These gifts are given to us for the up building of the Body of Christ, his people.

 Each day of our lives God has divine appointments for us to keep. Many of us are so busy with our own agenda that we miss those grace moments. They are not interruptions but opportunities to be Christ to another person. This is our mission as a disciple/witness. What would have happened if Peter and John walked passed the man begging at the Temple gate, as so many other people did? Here was an opportunity for the Good News of salvation to be proclaimed in signs and words. Because they were opened to the move of the Holy Spirit, they stopped and did what God wanted them to do in the moment. We need to pray every day, asking God to enable us to be attentive to the divine appointments he may have for us. It may be a phone call; it may be an act of love to another person; it may be taking time and actually praying for a person when they ask us to. God calls us to be instruments of his love to others through these divine appointments. Be attentive. Be open. Be responsive.

Homily: Fifth Sunday of Easter Year C

Reading 1: Paul and Barnabas were signaled out by the Holy Spirit to go to the Gentile world to preach the good news of salvation in Jesus, the Risen Lord. Our reading is about the end of that first journey and their return to Antioch, Syria, where it began.

It says in the first part that they went to Antioch, Greece to bid farewell to the house church established there. What they said to the believers can be said to us today. Paul and Barnabas exhorted them to persevere in their faith in Jesus Christ. “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”

As the twelve apostles appointed deacons to take care of the needs of the people, so Paul and Barnabas appoint elders (priests) to continue the pasturing of the community as the disciples leave.

Then they returned to Antioch, Syria and related to the community that sent them how the Gentiles responded to the proclamation of the truth. And the Church gave glory to God.

Why were Paul and Barnabas so effective? They followed the lead of the Holy Spirit. They proclaimed the truth in the power of the Holy Spirit. They acted in love and not for selfish gain.

Reading 2: We are given in the Book of Revelation what we will experience if we persevere in faith, if we endure the suffering because of the name of Jesus, if we follow the lead of the Holy Spirit, if we love others as Jesus has loved us. What is that? To be with God forever in glory.

What does this look like? We will be in the new heaven and new earth; we will be the bride of Christ, adorned for her husband; we will be fully in the presence of God as his redeemed and glorified people. There God will wipe away every tear. There will be no more sadness, death or mourning, no more pain, because the old has passed and the new is eternal. This is the promise God has made and God has fulfilled in the lives of those who are with him now.

There is great joy and anticipation for our coming into the eternal kingdom where the glorified ones are glorifying God with songs, and shouts, with worship and praise. Are you excited?

Gospel: We are at the Last Supper. Jesus has washed the feet of the disciples, given them an example of service they needed to imitate. Then he gave Judas a last chance to desist from his intention to betray Jesus. But Judas was determine no matter what.

And now Jesus focuses on the eleven. In John’s Gospel the Last Super was an opportunity for Jesus to leave them his Last Will and Testament. He already showed them the example service. He will speak of the coming and role of the Holy Spirit; he will speak of the need for them to be one with him and with each other, as he is one with the Father; he will tell them that his departure, namely his death, will bring them sadness, but his resurrection will bring them joy. For he goes to prepare a place for them.

Our present Gospel selection speaks of two other subjects that Jesus left with them. First, that his death on the cross will give God glory and the Father will in turn raise Jesus up, revealing Jesus’ glory as Lord and Savior. The apostles had already heard Jesus talk about glorifying God and they heard the Father’s voice saying he will glorify Jesus soon.

The way Jesus will glorify God is the same way we are called to glorify him. Jesus chose to do the will of God, obediently even to the death of the cross. When we seek to do the will of God in all circumstances we are glorifying God. In so doing we are acknowledging that he is God and we are his creatures.

The second way Jesus glorified the Father was that he did the will of God out of love, not obligation or fear. He had an agape love for the Father. He gave his total self to the Father in all he did in his humanity. He tells the disciples and us, “As I have loved you, you must love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, your love for one another.” Paul and Barnabas lived this out in their missionary outreach. The saints in heaven are with God because they gave glory to God on earth by doing his will in love in spite of their hardships.  This is our call, to glorify God by doing his will, loving one another as he has loved us.

 When we want to ask God for something, it is on our timing. But when we want to hear from the Lord, it is on his timing. Many times it is hard to wait on the Lord. We would want a quick response. The fact is we are in control only of our own request; we are not in control of God's response. He is God and we are not. We know this but we still wonder why the answer is slow coming. Maybe God is really waiting upon us to be in the right frame of mind to receive his answer. It may not be what we want to hear, but it is the best for us in God's eternal plan for us. God's delay may be because we are not ready. The answer is yes, but not yet. In all this process, God is calling us to surrender to him: to his timing and to his answer. It is not the answer that is most important to God. It is our relationship with him. Will this draw us closer to him or not? Be still and know that he is God.. Wait upon the Lord with confidence in his desire for the best for you.

 Fifth Sunday of Easter Gospel C

When Judas had left them, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and God will glorify him at once.

· Why does Jesus wait until the departure of Judas to betray him before Jesus speaks of his glorifying the Father? Could it be because the glory of God can't be seen in the darkness but only in the light of truth?

· What is the glorification that Jesus is referring to? His embracing of the will of the Father, even to the death of the cross. This is his glory and he does this, so that the Father may be glorified. As Jesus gave glory to the Father by doing his will even to the death on the cross for our salvation, the Father in turn glorified Jesus by raising him up from the dead and seated him at his right hand in heaven.

· What can we do to give glory to the Father?  Someone has said: "I am the glory of God." When we do the will of God in our lives, then we reflect the glory of God. 

· What has God promised us that in turn will bring us glory?

My children, I will be with you only a little while longer.

· Jesus is referring to his upcoming death as well as his return to the Father at the Ascension.

· What do you think the Apostles felt on hearing these words? What would have been your feelings?

 I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

· Why would Jesus make love at the heart of his relationship with us and our relationship with each other?

· Jesus literally gave his life so that we may have life. Does our love for others reflect Christ’s love for us?

· Is our love concrete and evident or is it theoretical and intentional?

St. John Eudes once said: "I am the glory of God." Can I relate with that and proclaim the same truth? This reflects a similar statement by St. Ireneaus: "The glory of God is man fully alive, but the life of man  is the vision of God." Jesus said: "I came that they may have life, life to the fullest." Ponder on the truth these sayings are proclaiming. God created us in his own image and likeness. Jesus redeemed us so that we can reflect the glory of God as we share his divine life. The more we are growing in relationship with God, the more his life becomes our life, then his glory is manifested in and through us. We are the glory of God by his grace and love. We grow in his life and become more fully alive by his grace and love. But when we cooperate and embrace the gift of his life, living in it in love, then the glory of God becomes a visible reality to others. Repeating often "I am the glory of God." may enable the truth to be embraced and lived.

 Jesus said: "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." (Mt. 16:25) Life is a paradox. It is a mystery we must learn to embrace. The key to this paradox is Jesus. Life is a gift from God. It is not my possession. The moment I try to possess the gift  outside of God is the moment I begin to lose the place of God in my life. My human life is here today and gone tomorrow. But the life that God gives us beyond our human life, namely a share in God's own divine life, will last forever, as long as I live in, for and with God. This is the life of which Jesus said: "I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) My human life I can feel; the life of God within me is perceived only in faith. Both are gifts to be treasured and responded to according to the plan of the Giver. What is that plan? Live in God and God will live in us. Apart from him all we do has no positive eternal benefit. The gift is from God. The choice of response is ours.

"Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and ask him more directly to give you joy, peace, and a pure heart. Purity of heart means a heart where God is the center of your attention. Take a simple sentence like “The Lord is my shepherd there is nothing I shall want,” and repeat that quietly during the day until the truth of it enters the center of your being. You will always continue to have feelings of depression, anger, and restlessness, but when God dwells in the center of the storm, the storm is less frightening and you can live with trust that in the midst of all of the darkness you will be led to a place of joy and peace." (Henri Nouwen)

The Lord is our Shepherd. But to what extent do I believe and live in that reality? With all that is happening in our daily life, it is so easy to forget that the Lord is with us and within us. He is with us to lead us. But we must learn to be be aware of his leadership and follow him. He will lead us through the darkness and through the struggles of life. If we keep our eyes on him and follow him, we will be safe. If we take our eyes off him, it will be easy for us to go astray and get lost. He calls us by name, for each of us is important to him. The Gospel for this Sunday will be about Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Listen to it, reflect on it, live it.

During Pilate's interrogation of Jesus, Jesus made this revealing statement: "I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice." Pilate's response was: "What is the truth?" Earlier Jesus told the Apostles: "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life." The truth is Jesus, true God and true Man! Accepting and believing in the real person of Jesus, opens us to the further mystery of the Father and the Holy Spirit and the plan of God for our salvation. As we embrace the truth of who Jesus is, "the truth will set us free." There are many truths, but only  one Truth. It is in times of prayer and reflection that we will be able to draw from the well of the Truth, without depleting the source. With Paul we can say as we gaze and reflect on the Truth: "At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known." Only in eternity in the presence of God will we have a fuller understanding of the Truth. But the journey begins when we have that transforming encounter with Jesus, the Truth.

Homily: Fourth Sunday of Easter Year C

Reading 1: “They were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.” Why? They just got themselves thrown out of town. They have experienced persecution and rejection. They experienced violent abuse. How can they still be filled with joy and the Holy Spirit? What was the source—besides the Holy Spirit—of this joy? The message they preached, they believed and lived. But more, the person of Jesus Christ.

They were convicted of the Father’s love for them and the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit.  They were committed disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. They were doing what God told them to do. Their focus was not the persecutions or rejections, but on doing the will of God who chose them and sent them.

Are we filled with joy and the Holy Spirit right now? During this past week? Is it possible that our focus has not been on our relationship with God, on doing the will of God consciously? Is it possible that we allowed ourselves to be so caught up with just getting through the day but forgot about the real purpose of our existence?

God was the center of their lives. Like Jesus, his will was their food. Does God want us to be filled with joy and the Holy Spirit? What needs to change and be done?

Reading 2: Who are these before the throne of God? Men and women from every place, time and culture, who in their life-time were filled with an inner joy and peace and the Holy Spirit. They survived the great period of trials and persecutions for their faith was in Jesus Christ. They kept their eyes on the Lord and his promises. They made choices that would bring them in right order with the will of God for them. They entrusted themselves to the Lord and longed for the joy of being in the Lord’s presence forever.

Were they any different from you or me? They were born, lived and died. They struggled, suffered, sinned. But the reason they are now at peace is that they came to the truth that set them free, the light that dispel the darkness, the path that leads to eternal life. They experienced Jesus and his saving message. They believed and embraced him and it. Everything from that point was measured against this relationship and reality.

Gospel: Do we want to be filled with joy and the Holy Spirit? Then follow the Lord Jesus, our Shepherd. Listen and be attentive to his voice in the silence of our hearts. Make him the reason why we do or not do something.

We have been given to Jesus by the Father. Nothing can snatch us from his hand. But I can choose not to follow him, listen to him. I can choose to leave him and focus on something else. But if I remain with and in him, then he promises eternal life with him.

This was the same message Paul and Barnabas preached, the same message those who washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb heard and acted on. It is the same message we hear. Do we want to be filled with joy and the Holy Spirit? The plan is clear. All we have to do is act on it. True, it is not easy. But we have the lives and witness of the countless number of people who are celebrating with God in eternity. They are interceding for us before the throne of God. 

 Have you ever felt a deep loneliness? If you have, did you ask the Lord what was this loneliness within you? Sometimes we try to fill this feeling with temporary fixes. But the loneliness comes back. Is it possible that God is permitting you to experience this emptiness for a reason? St. Augustine confronted this hole in his heart by coming to the truth. "My soul is restless until it rests in you, my God." Only God can fill this sense of loneliness. What appears to us to be a pain, my in reality be a grace, calling us into a deeper intimacy with God.  We may be afraid of this intimacy with God because of our many sins. But God is not thwarted by our sins. He forgives them, so that we may be one with and in him. It will not happen overnight. It will entail dying to what is not of God and surrendering ourselves into the hands of the Lord's love. As long as the lover is away from the beloved, there is a sense of loneliness. But it the mutual love between them that enables them to wait for the day of union once more. 

Fourth Sunday of Easter Gospel C

Jesus said: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

· Sheep become accustom to the voice of the shepherd and respond to his call. They don’t respond to the voice of a stranger. How in tune are we to the voice of Jesus within us? Can we distinguish his voice from that of others? Do we follow him?

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.

· Jesus desires to share his life with us. How desirous are we of that life? How protective are we of that life? Do we really believe that even when we die, we will live in him because of this divine life we share?

No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand.

· There is one thing that can separate us from God. That is sin. Sin is not something from the outside but from within. It is our choice to sin or not to sin.

· The evil one can tempt us, but doesn’t snatch us away from the hand of God. We choose to remain with God or choose to separate ourselves through sin.

· Jesus gives us life. It is up to us to remain in that life with him or to squander the gift for something much lesser and lasting only for a short moment.

 The Father and I are one.”

· As long as we follow the voice of the Shepherd, as long as we live in his life, we will be one with the Father and the Son. This is the will of God. What is our will?

· Be attentive this week to the way you listen to the voice of Jesus. Be conscious of the divine life within you and resist the attempts to draw you away from the Lord.

 As we look at the situations of the world around us, we may sometimes wonder does God really care. How can there be so much destruction, disregard for human life, so much injustice, so much poverty and pain? Does God really care? Maybe the question is not does God really care, but do we really care? From the beginning God created all things good, including human beings. Then, came sin into the world at the will of human beings. God cared enough to promise to restore human beings back to the order of grace. Human beings continued to sin. God cared enough to become man, to give his life as a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the world. He was falsely condemned to the cruelest of all deaths, crucifixion. He rose  from the dead and gave us a chance for a new start. God indeed cares. Do we care is the real question. If we choose to follow the way of the Lord, then we care. If we choose to follow the way of the world, flesh and devil, then we do not care. If we expect to continue our journey outside of relationship with God, why should we expect him to fix our mess. He cares enough to offer us the grace of repentance and restoration. He has not abandoned us. But have we abandoned God by choosing sin over him? As an individual I cannot change the world, but I can change myself in grateful response to God's loving care for me.

 “The Kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). What does this mean? Listen to a reflection from Pope Francis:  “The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness”. How blessed are we to have God's presence within us! We are Temples of the Spirit. We are never alone or unloved. God is within us, sharing his divine life with us. Yet, it is like breathing. We take it for granted. Where will we be without the breath of life? Who will we be without the presence of God within  us? 

Acknowledging Jesus' presence within us, we have to ask ourselves to what extent is he the center of our lives? He is within us by grace but other things that are not of him are also in our hearts. How much attention do we pay to Jesus in comparison to these other things? The answer may tell us what really is important in our lives. What we would like to be most important may not be in reality. Take time to be attentive to the presence of the Lord within for when we die it is this presence that will determine our eternity.