4th Sunday of Easter April 21, 2013

Bulletin 4^th Sunday of Easter April 21, 2013

Acts 13:14, 43-52; Revelation 7:9, 14-17; John 10:27-30
I think back to the difficulties I have had in my life. It seems that difficulties are always caused by people. Why is this so? I believe that it’s the gift of free-will with which God has blessed each person. But free will of itself doesn’t hurt or help people; it’s what I do and each person does with their free-will. I feel that it really comes down to the teachings of Jesus; do I follow them or do I think that they are an inconvenience? If I put all of Jesus teachings together and lived my life accordingly, I would be working on being a saint. But where does ‘Satan rear his ugly head’ as I say so often? Satan is the enemy of love…the enemy of God. There is no love in Satan and he works to spread this teaching by any form he can to get inside my head and my heart; in each person’s head and heart. This will happen up to the day of mine and each person’s death.
The Good News of the message of Jesus is that God is with each person, each day and every moment of each person’s life on earth. It doesn’t matter if the person is working on being a saint or going in the opposite direction. And God wants me and each person He ever created to be in heaven. That’s where the battle comes in…the ‘war’ with Satan -- the devil – the enemy --whatever name that is associated with this reality of evil.
What is God’s reaction? Paul says it in the first reading: “For so the Lord has commanded us, ‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles, that you may be an instrument of salvation to the ends of the earth.’” The first sentence today sets the tone, “On the Sabbath (Paul and Barnabas) entered the synagogue…many Jews and worshipers who were converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas who spoke to them and urged them to remain faithful to the grace of God.” We have to remain faithful to God; obviously some wanted it their way which they felt was God’s way. What were they thinking; were they jealous; where they thinking why is Paul including the Gentiles (non-Jews)…doesn’t he know that it is only the Jews that God wants in heaven…all others are not chosen and certainly condemned. And Paul quotes the above verse from Isaiah which was affirmed by Jesus saying this is not true. God wants all people to be with Him in heaven and He provides grace for each person to get there.
The multitude in John’s vision in the second reading from Revelation shows the total international character of heaven. Everyone is included from every race, nation, people, tongue as the promise made to Abraham in Genesis 17:4 testifies: “My covenant with you is this: you are to become the father of a host of nations.” And Genesis continues, “On your part, you and your descendants after you must keep my covenant throughout the ages.” These are the conditions: the Ten Commandments and Jesus triple Law of Love. If I allow myself to let the Holy Spirit’s love flow through me and am open to the Spirit’s grace and help to be a person of love then I am on the path to heaven. In John’s vision it is because the “great multitude…wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands” have suffered and endured and have been proven authentic by Christ that they can stand before God and give glory and honor and praise and love day night without end. He continues “…God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” So am I living according to the law of the Lord or the ‘law of myself’? Do I realize that each day and in every way I am to be the giver of love as best as I can? Or do I say ‘…well look what happened to me…it’s not fair…I’m going to get even and it’s ok.’ That’s me being full of myself and not full of any gift that God has given me or any of His love that comes to me.
The image of the Good Shepherd in John’s Gospel is such a warming and comforting passage for me to reflect on. Here, the sheep (me and all who will listen) hear the shepherd’s voice (Christ’s), recognize it and follow Christ. This image certainly implies intimate knowledge between Jesus and His followers. It also is so forceful in stating that what is needed is trust; it is this unquestioning trust on the part of the followers (sheep) that Jesus says that they will never perish and will be in heaven forever with Him.
‘Connections’ a periodical of ideas and resources for homilists says this, “In the midst of the ‘noise’ of our lives, in the clamor of the expectations made of us, in our mad dash to secure the lifestyles we want (or think we want) for ourselves and our families, the voice of Christ the Good Shepherd ‘speaks’ to us in the depths of our hearts, in the pull of our consciences, in the emptiness of our spirits. It is the voice we hear asking the questions we don’t want to confront, inviting us to places we’d rather no go, warning us of the dangers that lie ahead. To hear the voice of Christ demands that we come out of the soundproof isolation of our own interests and ‘listen’ deliberately and intentionally to the struggling, the poor, and those in crisis. To hear that voice in our ‘noisy’ lives is not easy; to ‘listen’ to His Word requires both attention and intention. But in responding to the voice of the Good Shepherd, we begin to live lives of purpose and meaning; we begin to mend the brokenness of our hearts, we begin to experience ‘resurrection’ in the everyday ‘deaths’ we suffer.”
There is so much to reflect on but the basis is am I living my life with heaven as the only aim? If not, what is interfering? God placed family and friends and people in my life to be helps not hindrances to my path to heaven. Am I paying more attention to them than to the Ten Commandments and Jesus triple Command of Love? So I ask:

• The age old question, what evidence could be produced today to prove that I am a Christian? What evidence might disprove that assumption?
  
• How do I describe my vocation today and where is it leading me?
  
• Does Jesus love me any less when I am weak and fail? Does Jesus love me more when I do what He asks? Why do I put limitations on Jesus’ love?
  

I like how Sacred Space puts all this in the positive; it says, “To hear the voice of Jesus is to be attuned to His Word. We pray in order to become more and more perfectly attuned to His word. … Jesus is drawn to those who hear Him—He brings the nourishing gift of eternal life. He draws His own life from the Father. To follow Him is to be drawn into the mystery of their life. This is what happens, in faith, at the heart of our prayer.”