May 27, 2018

Feast of Most Holy Trinity Deuteronomy 4: 32-34, 39 40; Romans 8: 14-17, Matthew 28: 16-20 There are so many mysteries that are just that, mysteries. We would like to know and understand them. Many times brilliant people, after much research lead us to discovering much more of these individual mysteries. When we look at Christianity, the greatest dogma is the mystery of the Holy Trinity. Now in religion, mystery means a “supernatural fact revealed by God which in itself transcends the power of human reasoning.” (Catholic Culture) The amazing fact is that today’s feast did not come into existence until 1073 when Pope Alexander II declared that every day of the liturgical year was devoted to the honor and adoration of the Sacred Trinity. With the advent of the Arian heresy, which denied the fullness of the divinity of Jesus, a special Mass in honor of the Holy Trinity began to be incorporated into the Liturgical Calendar. Continuing back in history, we can see that devotion to the Trinity: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit has been around since the beginning. St. Augustine, talked much about the Trinity in his sermons and writings. “In those days Christians made the sign of the cross (Redemption) with three fingers (Trinity) on their foreheads. The words “in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost were added later. In the third century, Tertullian said, “In all our undertakings—when we enter a place or leave it; before we dress; before we bathe; when we take our meals; when we light the lamps in the evening; before we retire at night; when we sit down to read; before each new task — we trace the sign of the cross on our foreheads.” What an admirable custom this was…I don’t do this but what an inspiration this custom would add to anyone’s devotion to Our Lord. This brings us to the question of the meaning of this feast today for each individual believing in God. How am I worshiping my God today? Do I spend time with specific devotions? Are these many or just a few scattered throughout the day? Am I more concerned with saying the words or concentrating on the meaning? Do I do these devotion/prayers just to finish them or to realize the presence and the love of God? Today’s readings help us put the devotion of the Trinity in a powerful perspective. The Israelites had been led by Moses away from their slavery in Egypt. They had witnessed, first hand God’s love for them. They knew they were special and that God was with them but this didn’t last too long. They started to complain. This is a common phenomena. Each of us do this, especially when things are not going our way, or we are upset, or frustrated or lonely or feeling left out…we complain. We just want everything for ourselves…it’s about me…not about others. So the Israelites believed that God had abandoned them and they made a golden calf. Moses returned from prayer at Mt. Sinai bringing with him the first set of the Ten Commandments, signs of God’s love and commitment. He smashed the tablets, crushed them put the ashes in the water and forced the people to drink. He goes back up the mountain at God’s invitation and comes back with a second set of stone tablets. The first were made by God, the second by Moses. Today’s reading emphasizes God’s loving attributes. The questions He asks are awesome for each of us to reflect on: “Did anything so great ever happen before? Was it ever heard of? Did a people ever hear the voice of God speaking from the midst of fire, as you did, and live? Or did any god venture to go and take a nation for Himself from the midst of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, with strong hand and outstretched arms, and by great terrors, all of which the Lord, your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?” Have I ever stopped to review my life and see how present God has been? How He has ‘rescued’ me from so many catastrophes that I create? Moses continues, “This is why you must now know, and fix in your heart, that the Lord is God in the heavens above and on earth below, and that there is no other. You must keep His statutes and commandments that I enjoin on you today….” Do I do this or do I feel that I deserve all this? Paul takes in all this in; the special eighth chapter of Romans details what it means to be a Christian, and urges us to rejoice in the Lord. We are so special, Paul bestows a blessing on the community of faith, invoking the bounty that comes from each person of the Holy Trinity. And look what awaits us if we believe and follow the commandments. “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with Him so that we many also be glorified with HIm.” The Trinity is not a thing. It is a divine relationship. It is the mystery of God in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is the relationship of love. Love needs to be shared, we just can’t keep love locked up in our hearts. John 3: 16 explains it all, “ For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal live.” And the next two verses we seldom hear “For God did not sent His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in Him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” And God needs us to bring this about. The gospel from Matthew contains the very last words of Jesus. He gives a mission that is universal. We are to make disciples…we do this by being people who make a difference. Whenever a person sees love, care, forgiveness, mercy in me, they are seeing the love relationship of God. Whenever they see our kindness and consideration they realize they are important and they are, Jesus told us this and lived this. And Jesus said, “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” — HIs very last words. He is helping you and me to live this…do I ask for His help? Connections, the newsletter of ideas and images for preaching the Sunday Gospel says, “May todays solemnity of the Holy Trinity open our minds to a new awareness of God’s loving presence in every broken and torn pierce of our lives; may we imitate God in the person of Jesus by taking up His Gospel of reconciliation and justice; may we embrace and be embraced by God’s Spirit of love and mercy inspiring us to bring God’s hope and compassion to all.” So I reflect on: • What difference does belief in the Trinity make in my life? • Do people see the relationship of love that the Trinity has for each other in my life? • How do I experience the Holy Spirit connecting me to the Father, Jesus, and other people? • How is the Trinity part of my prayer life? • When I say the word ‘God’, whom do I mean? • Who are the most loving people I know? What qualities do they have that I might foster in myself? Sacred Space 2018 states: “Lord, you terrify me with this command: Go and teach all nations. You were talking to eleven men without education, money, or influence, in a despised province of the Roman Empire. But they obeyed You because they knew You were with them. And today Christians are the largest body of believers on this planet. Today’s preaching is different. We are educated, sometimes too well. It is harder than ever to make our voice heard. Yet , through us, Your word goes out potentially to all nations, and You are still with us.How do we make disciples now? How do we reach all nations? In what ways do I teach others to follow Jesus?

May 20, 2018

Pentecost Sunday Acts 2: 1-11; Galatians 5: 16-25; John 15: 26-27; 16: 12-15 I got a surprise phone call from a dear priest friend in California earlier this week. We had been on many vacations together, including the Holy Land. It was wonderful reconnecting and remembering. I invited him down to visit and he said, ‘You know I have a real fearful time thinking of the hurricanes and nor’easter’s that devastate Virginia. He thought we got these all the time. I said, well I have a problem with the land shaking underneath me in your California earthquakes, a state I’ve never visited. So much for the elements…but I thought about today’s feast and the description of Pentecost: “And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the enter house in which they were. Then 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 and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.” Now the noise that came from the sky as a driving wind probably didn’t have the force or the strength of a hurricane but the “breathe” of the Holy Spirt changed the lives of all of those present. I look at myself today and connect the coming of the Holy Spirit to my life as a Christian. I have been changed. No way could I have accomplished the work of the priesthood, the work of being a Christian, all these years without God, without the specific work of the Holy Spirit. The apostles lives were changed immediately, the ‘new Christians’ lives were changed. They acknowledged God’s presence, God’s love, God leading them to be witnesses…to be Jesus’ love and actions in their world. I am called to do the same. Each Christian is called to do the same. How am I doing? One may ask, ‘How can little old me, be called on to do the Lord’s work?’ Well, Jesus set it up that way. It had been planned centuries ago when Isaiah began prophesying about the Messiah in chapters six to twelve. I like to point to the eleventh chapter where Isaiah details the ‘Rule of Immanuel’. “But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord (piety), and His delight shall be the fear of the Lord.” From Jesse, David’s father, will arise a ‘new shoot’, the messianic King. Isaiah is describing what has been traditionally known as the ‘Gifts of the Holy Spirit’. This is the traditional list of these gifts: Wisdom, understanding, right judgment, courage, knowledge, reverence, wonder and awe (which we use to call)’ fear of the Lord.’ Paul tells us in the last verse of today’s passage from Galatians “If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.” Every person has been given the Spirit as guide and the Spirit gifts us. All a person should do is to look in their background to see how these gifts have been shown and lived by special people. - Look at the wisdom people who have graced our lives. They say the right words, they have influenced, guided and redirected, if needed, along our way to make us conscious of ‘being right’ people - The understanding people are those we can always talk to when advice is needed or even more importantly, when we need someone who knows how to listen well. They respected us and how important that is. - People with right judgement are the ones who know the right thing to do when we are ‘hung up’ with uncertainties. - People with courage are examples of not letting fear control them but will concentrate on doing the right thing no matter what and helping us in the same way. The Spirit gives them a confidence to share with us. - People with knowledge know ‘me’. I am a person, a special person who they treasure and help with solutions to keep me on the path of my dreams - People with reverence remind us that nothing is worth doing unless we do in accord to God’s wants. It’s not about me, it’s about living God’s love and sharing it. - People with wonder and awe show us that there is nothing to fear in God. He is all powerful, and at the same time all-love and caring. How could He treat ‘little old me’ as someone special and awesome? The point of this list of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is that we have been recipients of each and every one of them in huge amounts. But, just as importantly we have shared these same gifts to so many along the way. Hopefully we realized this as we went through the list…maybe we were not aware of this before we looked at the list, maybe we were. The importance is that we shared…which mean that we cared…which means that we realized that we are special to God. This is the only way we can share and care by being aware that we are loved and that the Holy Spirit continually gifts each person so they can be Jesus. The wonders of this first Pentecost is that Jesus appears in the locked room quietly. He didn’t bang down the doors. How often God comes so quietly in our lives. He’s there with all His love and help. Jesus said on this first Pentecost, “Peace be with you” and He gave them peace and sent then out with the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit to give peace and love, caring and forgiveness, compassion and kindness to those in need. Connections, The newsletter of ideas and images for preaching the Sunday Gospel states, “…like Peter, filled with the Spirit of God, proclaims for the first time the love of God in the midst of this disparate collection of nationalities gathered in Jerusalem. That same Spirit empowers us to put aside our fears, our doubts, our inadequacies to become God’s agents of peace and reconciliation in our own time and place. The Hebrew word for spirit, ruah, refers to the movement of air, not only as wind but also as life-giving breath It is that ruah that transforms us and re-creates us in that unique and mysterious love that binds God the Father and God the Son and binds us to God and to one another. That same Spirit continues to ‘blow’ through today’s Church to give life and direction to our mission and ministry to preach the Gospel to every nation, to proclaim forgiveness and reconciliation in God’s name, to immerse all of humanity into the life and love of God manifested in Jesus’ resurrection.” So I reflect on: • I look in my life and see how the Holy Spirit has helped me in concrete ways. • How have I experienced the Holy Spirit? With gentleness? With power and noise? • With consuming fire? What experience stands out for me? • When have I felt powerful? When have I felt I was acting with the power of the Holy Spirit? • What gifts of the Holy Spirit do I recognize in myself? How have I used those gifts? Which gift would I like to better minister? • How has the Spirit guided me? Sacred Space 2018 shares: “The disciples are baptized in the Holy Spirit. This is a new birth and a new baptism. The regenerative power of the Spirit makes it possible for us to become children of God. With this new birth, we become a new creation, formed by the same Spirit of God that moved over the world in the opening lines of Genesis when ‘the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep.’ What is it that blinds me to the reality of what I read about Pentecost? What makes me refuse to acknowledge that it can happen to me just as it did to the apostles? That, within my unworthy self, there is a temple in which the Spirit adores without ceasing? Lord, is it a fear that by accepting Your greatness at the center of myself, great things will be asked of me? Is it possible, that in my desire to avoid pain, I also deprive myself of experiencing joy?”

May 13, 2018

Bulletin May 13, 2018 Ascension of the Lord Acts 1: 1-11; Ephesians 1: 17-23; Mark 16: 15-20 We have journeyed through Lent. Most feel they could have spent more time on Lenten resolutions along with spending more time in prayer. Many have walked away from Lent feeling that there was ‘something lacking’ in their approach. ‘I could have…I wish I had…I feel bad that I let other ‘things’ hinder my getting closer to the Lord.’ Actually, our Lent was exactly what the Apostles experienced. They had been following Jesus for a better part of three years. I’m sure some went back and forth from their ‘day job’ to hear and be with this astounding preacher and healer. They had grown through their encounters that Jesus was ‘more than special. Did they all believe that He was the Messiah? Probably. Did they know what the Messiah of the prophets would be like? Maybe. Were they able to fit together a concrete image of the Messiah as God had shared? I do not believe so; if they did, they would not have run away and hidden in the Upper Room from the High Priest’s death squads. In a word they were lost, and so desperately wanted to be found. They returned to Galilee and their previous lives after the death of Jesus, wondering what all this meant. Then Jesus came and appeared to them and their ‘Resurrection faith was born.’ Jesus’ words are critical to the meaning of the Resurrection appearances. Luke 24: 36- 43 . ”Jesus stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. Then He said to them ‘Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at My hands and my feet, that it is I Myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.’ … While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed,,,” another translation for this last line is “They were still unconvinced, still wondering, for it seemed too good to be true.” They really wanted to believe that Jesus was alive and present but they had mentally prepared themselves for disappointment. John 20: 19-20 shares, “Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ When He said this , He showed them His hands and His side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.” This peace is not just the absence of discord or wars. It has so many positive implications suggesting a most important and most powerful state of well being…one where one is being fully accepted…of being totally in the right place at the right time. This is only given by God since it reflects the knowing and feeling of God’s love! SO THE QUESTION to the Apostles and to each person is what are we going to do about this? And Jesus adds again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so I send you…” We are being sent! Is there a question as to what Jesus is saying? Is there doubt with what we should be about? Today’s Gospel sets us straight, “Jesus said to His disciples: ‘Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick and they will recover.” Now the demons to be cast out are not those featured in melodramatic stories of exorcism but everyday ones of dissension, anger, distrust, hatred, getting even. In Scripture demons are always portrayed as agents of chaos who are in constant conflict with the world of peace and love God created. Also venomous serpents and poisonous drink is taken symbolically. Faith is a journey. In the time of Jesus, travellers had to be on the lookout for poisonous serpents hidden along the roadways and also the poisons that were found in stagnant waters and wells. We are called to bring peace and love; kindness and compassion; healing and comfort which heals anger, resentment and the like. So the question remains, how am I to live the glorified Jesus each moment of each day? The Benedictine priest and scripture scholar, Fr. Demetrius Dumm from Latrobe, PA who taught me during my sabbatical at Notre Dame says this in his masterpiece, Flowers in the Desert, A Spirituality of the Bible: “Jesus has promised to be with us until the end and He has given us His Spirit to guide and encourage us on the different journey of faith. There are many ways by which we can draw upon the strength of that divine presence but one that is often overlooked is the very helpful way of quiet, contemplative prayer. We should by all means engage in public and communal prayer, especially the formal, liturgical prayer of the Church, and many have benefited also from more informal, charismatic prayer. But we need also to engage in fervent and regular private, personal prayer. An ancient and truly effective form of personal prayer is the prayer of the quiet. This simply means setting aside twenty minutes or half an hour once a day to sit quietly and be totally attentive to the Lord. Of course, there will be distractions but we must not be discouraged. The success of the prayer really does not consist in eliminating all distractions but rather in the loving effort to make the time available and to do one’s best to be attentive. If thoughts of urgent needs come to mind, one simply lays them quietly before the Lord in the sure knowledge that nothing more practical can be done at that moment. Some recommend the use of a mantra, such as the name of Jesus to recall one’s attention gently to the presence of the Lord. If this helps, all well and good, but the most important consideration here is not technique but simple faithfulness to the practice of this prayer. If our human friends are pleased and honored when we make time for them in our busy schedules, we can assume that God is even more pleased and will use this opportunity to change us in the ways that seem best to Him. It will seem, of course, that this is all a waste of precious time that could be spent better in some good work…God works in subtle and quiet ways to achieve His mighty purposes… It is impossible to put limits on what might happen in such an encounter between a sincere and generous person and an all-loving God.The least that can happen is that one will be gradually changed. The Lord will truly speak in that silence and the one who hears Him will become more confident, calmer, more able to be patient with others, more sensitive, more able to put aside illusions and face the truth, more able to cope with problems, he will be less angry and frustrated, less fearful, especially less fearful of death. But most of all, one will be refreshed and strengthened for love and service. And all of this will help to bring about that painful conversion by which we participate in the Passion of Jesus and prepare for own wonderful homecoming.” If we are called to be Jesus in our lives, we need to take time to be with Jesus in a relationship of friendship and mentoring. So I reflect on: • When have I felt abandoned and frightened? Who or what pulled me out of those feelings? When have I had to leave someone or something? • When have I felt empowered with the gifts of wisdom and insight to know God clearly? • What price am I willing to pay to know God? Sacred Space 2018 states: “What do we proclaim? The good news. To whom? The whole of creation. And what is the good news? Is it a bundle of complicated doctrine that pulls us into arguments with people? Holy Spirit, show me the simplicity and beauty of the good news. Jesus says that, in His name, miraculous things will happen. How do I feel about this part of His message in the verses Am I comfortable—or not—with the idea of wonders still happening today?”

May 6, 2018

Bulletin  6th Sunday of Easter B Acts 10: 25-26, 34-35, 44-48; 1 John 4: 7-10; John 15: 9-17 I have a friend from my New York days who would categorize the people close to him. He would say: this is the person I grew up with, this is the person I was in school with, this was my play buddy, this is my friend, this is my close friend, this is my best friend, then I think the highest classification was, this is my very special friend. We all have friends, and we have some sort of ‘hierarchy in classifying them.’ Some we would go on vacation with, some we would invite to dinner, some we call when we need someone special, some are friends for life. Some when we or they move away, we lose track of and seldom see again. - Today Jesus is classifying each one of us. “As the Father loves Me so I love you…” - He tells us that we have responsibilities, “Remain in my love. If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love…” - He then elevates this to a higher level, “This is My Commandment: love one another as I love you.” - Then He inserts Himself in the syllogism, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” - He then gives a specific, permanent message,”You are My Friends if you do what I command you.” - SO WE CONCLUDE….You are the Father’s friend, I am the Father’s friend. You are Jesus’ friend, I am Jesus’ friend, You are the Holy Spirit’s friend, I am the Holy Spirit’s friend. This is NOT a DEBATABLE ISSUE! The devil certainly doesn’t want us to hear this. He places doubt in each of our minds. He distracts us from our desire for Heaven. And Jesus is telling us today this FACT: We are God’s friends. And God does not lie. Jesus never lied. The Spirit is gracing us each moment to proceed on the path to Heaven. So What Am I Doing With This ? I go to the readings to find direction on the journey to Heaven. Peter had received an apparition telling him, “There are three men here looking for you…accompany them without hesitation, because I have sent them.” Peter asked the men why they came to see him. They answered,’Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and Godfearing man, respected by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear what you have to say.” Peter went and “…Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and falling at his feet, paid him homage. Peter, however, raised him up, saying, ‘Get up. I myself am also a human being.” Now the earliest Christian communities were made up almost exclusively of Jews who had accepted Jesus. So many of them continued to go to the synagogue services on the Sabbath and then gather on Sunday for ‘the breaking of the bread’. They continue to observe Jewish laws and custom while celebrating the Eucharist in their homes. ( Acts 2:46). They still felt a great deal of antagonism toward the Gentiles but it was becoming obvious now that God had chosen the Gentiles too. Peter ‘put this all together’ after the vision and being summoned to Cornelius’ house. St. Luke, the author of Acts was a convert from paganism. He realized the importance of opening up of this new church community to the whole world. And he tells of the coming of the Spirit on Cornelius and this assembly and Peter baptized them. Peter says, “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather in every nation whoever fears Him and acts uprightly is acceptable to Him.” As we hear God’s commands today to remain in His love by keeping His command to ‘love one another’, we can see that all are included. We are directed to view each person as God’s friend, just as God views us. This is a ‘goal commandment’, we work on this each day, trying to be Jesus’ love to those we meet and spread this out to all by our good works and our prayers. This is a call from God, this is God’s command. John in the second reading is echoing his famous passage found in 3:16 of his Gospel, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.” In todays passage he clarifies this by saying, “God sent His only Son into the world so that we might have life through Him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but He loved us and sent His Son as expiation for our sins.” So I reflect on how I am responding to those in my life? Am I working on being ‘love’ each day? Am I caught up too often with the ‘world, the flesh and the devil?’ Jesus laid down His life for me. Jesus laid His life down for each and every person everywhere, of all times. God just loves each and everyone all the time, because God is love. How am I doing on loving everyone? Living the Word has a wonderful summation of today’s message from the Lord. Is it easy to love as Jesus did? “This sounds simple, but asks much of us. If I’m most honest, I must admit that I do show partiality, especially when someone has ‘done me dirt,’ as my Aunt Sophia would say. It’s hard enough to love the people I like. It’s harder to love those I don’t like or who hurt me. But giving in to our understandable partialities can blind us to the surprising presence of God’s Holy Spirit where we least expect it. Peter invited his hearers to overcome their partialities: ‘Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit even as we have?’ It would have been hard to answer yes. Pope Francis often calls us beyond our partialities and to soften our rigidity. Preaching on February 6, 2017, he said: ‘Instead of opening their heart to the gift, [The Pharisees]…sought refuge in the rigidity of the Commandments, which they had multiplied up to five hundred or more. They did not know how to receive the gift— and the gift is only received with freedom—and these rigid characters were afraid of the freedom that God gives us: they were afraid of love.’ Loving like Jesus will free us to find the Spirit where we least expect. By living His command to love, we receive the gift of God’s unconditional love. We become more loving and less partial ourselves.” So I reflect on: • Whom do I find it difficult to love? Have I ever asked myself why? Am I holding some grudge against them? Can I pray for them? This is the first step to loving. • When has God’s unconditional love for me softened my heart and freed me to love? • I take time to reflect on my deep friendships and pray about Jesus words, ‘I have called you friends’. And what about those I have refused to love? • I reflect on the experiences when God’s love has liberated me to build bridges to others. What did Jesus teach me? How hard was it for me to listen to Him? Sacred Space 2018 states: “Joy is not an obvious emotion to associate with keeping God’s commandments! Yet, by keeping the greatest of all the commandments, we will give and receive that love that the Jesuit, Teilhard de Chardin, described as ‘the most universal, the most tremendous and the most mystical of cosmic forces. Love is the primal and universal psychic energy. Love is a sacred reserve of energy; it is like the blood of spiritual evolution.’ With Teilhard, I pray ‘Glorious Christ, You whose divine influence is active at the very heart of matter, and at the dazzling center where the innumerable fibers of the multiple meet; You whose power is as implacable as the world and as warm as life…You whose hands imprison the stars; You are the first and the last, the living and the dead and the risen again; it is to You to whom our being cries out a desire as vast as the universe: in truth You are our Lord and our God! Amen.”

April 29, 2018

5th Sunday of Easter B Acts 9: 26-31 John 3: 18-24; John 15: 1-8 After Easter Sunday we hear different faith stories from the Acts of the Apostles. We see how many of them realized that God was present in their lives at every moment. They didn’t have to bear the burden of being Jesus’ disciples alone. They had received the gift of the Holy Spirit. They were graced with God’s love, enthusiasm, and constant help in spreading the love story of Jesus. They knew that they were loved and had this mission to share. Do I do the same? There is an interesting series on Netflix on the life and times of Queen Elizabeth II of England. It tells how her father King George VI died after a long battle with cancer, and Elizabeth succeeded him. She tells her grandmother how inadequate and unprepared she was and totally terrified that the people would not accept her. This dignified, elderly queen told her granddaughter that to be a king or queen is about service, service that is centered in God. She said that her role was “To give ordinary people an ideal to strive towards, an example of nobility and duty to raise them from their wretched lives. Monarchy is a calling from God. That is why you are crowned in an abbey, not a government building; why you are anointed, not appointed. It’s an archbishop that puts the crown on your head, not a minister or public servant. Which means that you are answerable to God in your duty, not the public.” Isn’t this what Jesus is telling us in His address to the apostles at the Last Supper, the scene of today’s gospel? It doesn’t matter what our position is: whether we are a queen or a poor farmer, or work in a factory; whether we are a teacher, a priest, retired or incapacitated, our lives are meant to display the love and goodness of God. Do they? Today’s readings help us with living as Jesus needs us to live the true Christian life. The first reading centers on Saul arriving in Jerusalem right after his stunning conversion. The apostles and disciples obviously were afraid. Here was a person who was a learned scholar and yet was the ‘take charge’ person at the stoning death of Stephen, the first person that the community had chosen to be a deacon. How else would they react. Paul had been on the ‘payroll’ of the chief priests and was commissioned to bring back to Jerusalem anyone who belonged to the ‘Way’, the early name of Christians. Now we have a lesser known person step in and help, Barnabas. Now Barnabas’ name means ‘son of encouragement’ . I wonder how much encouragement I am to people who come to me? Do I treat each person as being sent by God and as one who has a need? Do I realize it doesn’t matter who or what that person is? God has confidence in me and gives me the necessary grace to help that person. This is what ‘the grace of the Holy Spirit’ means. Well, Barnabas gave great encouragement to Saul/Paul and made it his responsibility to turn Paul into a great preacher and defender of the faith. It was the Holy Spirit that was the continual driving force within the Church. It is the Holy Spirit who is the driving force within me and each Christian to be ‘Jesus’ daily as we live our lives. It is so interesting in the Gospel of John that the only explicitly named commandment is we are all called to “love one another.” We see that in John 13:34-35, “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.” Also is John 15:12-14, “This is My commandment: love one another as I love you. 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.” In the second reading John states, “Children let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.” (1 John 3: 18), If I continue to respond to the Spirit’s grace and keep God’s commandments, I can be confident that I will receive whatever I ask from God. This is so true in my life. Countless people in sharing their faith stories and in how they have witnessed to Jesus, have confirmed this over and over again. “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does He prunes so that it bears more fruit.” I am not a gardener. I tell people that I have received three cactus plants in my life; the first two died because I ‘occasionally’ watered them. The last one I have never watered, just put it by the window and it thrives. But I appreciate this example of Jesus. All I have to do is to “remain in Me," remain in Jesus. This Greek verb,’meme’, is frequently translated ‘remain’ or dwell, and we will see in Sacred Space 2018 they translate it as ‘abide’. Living the Word summarizes this passage so beautifully saying that it “…has significant theological import in the Gospel. In John 1:32-33, the Spirit descends on Jesus and remains with Him. The disciples are to remain with Jesus (8:31). Jesus’ ministry and even incarnation can be summarized as His remaining with us. And as today’s Gospel states clearly, the disciple who remains in Jesus can bear much fruit (15:5). The Johannine community understood that remaining in Jesus characterized an intimate, enduring, reciprocal relationship between Jesus and the Spirit, Jesus and the disciples, and Jesus and the Father.” Now this is not automatic. I have responsibilities myself to continue growing in the Spirit. I have to take time to read Scriptures, especially the Gospels. I should not just read them, but take time and reflect on what I am reading and STOP frequently just to mull over the words and see what the Spirit is telling me. So I am to read and reflect on them. These help me to prune away the baggage in my life. This includes the dead branches of negative habits, relationships, compulsions, addictions and so much more. This takes courage but I’m never alone; the Spirit’s presence and graces are always there just waiting for my invitation. It is important for me to learn to not only be compassionate to others but to learn to be compassionate to myself. I must learn to forgive myself and to acknowledge my mistakes, work on them and let them go. LET GO AND LET GOD is so important. Am I giving God a chance? So I reflect on: • How do I invite Jesus’ words to ‘remain’ in me and make a difference? • Do I take time each evening to look back at the day and to ‘re-observe’ my actions and interactions with others? Did I see God present? Was I God’s presence to others? • The Easter season is about Jesus’ Resurrection and the transformation of my life in Jesus; how am I doing with this? • What are some of the bad habits I have to prune out of my life so that I can be a more productive Christian? • Do I have a lot of ‘unproductive branches’, that do not bear fruit? Are their many areas I am just living for myself and not others? Sacred Space 2018 states: “Dear Jesus, You seem to love that little word abide. You use it eight times here! Let me love it too. Your abiding is steady; You are constantly at home with me. You don’t drift off or grow bored, as I do. Teach me this art of abiding. I need to learn that I don’t have to be always on the go. Grapes mature simply by being on the vine; they don’t have to work to blossom and ripen. The same is true for me. Simply being with You is enough.”