The Way

                   5th Sunday of Easter

                  A cycle

 

 

 

In these Sundays following Easter we get a glimpse in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles of the very early history of the Church. Today we see that the Church was growing and that disciples were being drawn from both the Jewish and gentile populations. The Hellenists referred to were drawn from the large Greek Jewish community living in Palestine.

 

We also see that from the first the Apostles preached a "social gospel." We know that they shared their goods and possessions and distributed them among the needy converts. In today's reading we see that the duty of providing for the needs of the poor was growing too large for the Apostles to handle themselves. And so, they went to the Christian community and asked them to select "seven reputable men" to take on the role of caring for the poor. Initially, they were to "serve at table," to see that the food was distributed equitably. Our word deacon originally meant to serve at table.

 

This reading is especially important for all of us. We can broaden the expression, "serve at table," and say simply that the community was being asked to nominate from its ranks those whose role it would be "to serve." As Catholics we often fall into the "they" syndrome. How often do we say, "they ought to do something about it," or "why don't they deal with this or that problem." It's as if we're apart from the Church and always looking for someone else to do the work.

 

Don’t we literally expect the Pope to work miracles? Won't we expect him to wear himself out with travel and appearances all over the world just as his predecessors did? Sometimes we complain that bishops and priests have all the authority, and some of us even want a piece of that authority. Yet there is so much work to be done by all of us. 

 

In today's gospel Jesus is also telling us that we have to assume responsibility. In less than two weeks we will celebrate the feast of the Ascension and in today's reading Jesus is preparing the disciples for the time when He will leave. Actually, today’s reading from the fourteenth chapter of the gospel of St. John takes place at the conclusion of the Last Supper. Jesus has just washed the feet of the Apostles as a sign that they must do the same for those in their care. He has celebrated the feast of Passover with them and instituted the Eucharist. Judas has left the room on his mission of betrayal and Jesus gives a kind of farewell address to the remaining eleven.

 

Aware of his imminent Passion, Death, and Resurrection, he tells them that he is going away. “Do not let your hearts be troubled….Where I am going you know the way.” But Thomas protests,

 

Master, we do not know where you are going;

How can we know the way?

 

This is the place where Jesus utters the famous words, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” Throughout this discourse Jesus makes it clear that the way to our place in Heaven is himself. 

 

Very often we will hear people today speak of a “personal” relationship with Jesus. But what is a personal relationship with Jesus or how can we achieve it? Perhaps the best method is to focus on the words and deeds of Jesus himself. His words and his deeds are our example. He never cared for himself but cared for others, and eventually gave his life for all of us. Right before the words in our gospel today, Jesus told the Apostles assembled at the Last Supper,

 

“A new commandment I give you, that you love one another: that as I have loved you, you also love one another.”

 

The way to have a personal relationship with Jesus is not to hide ourselves in our room and meditate but to serve those who have been entrusted to our care. Indeed, we cannot have a personal relationship with Jesus if we have failed to mend our own personal affairs. Our religion is not separate from the rest of our lives. I recall a young woman telling me that she spent so much time caring for her teenage daughter that she did not have that much time to devote to prayer and bible study. She did not realize that by devoting herself to the care of her daughter, she was carrying out the Lord’s commandment. She thought of herself as somehow deficient or unworthy but she truly had a personal relationship with the Lord.

 

In today’s second reading St. Peter talks about the stone that the builder’s rejected that would become the cornerstone of a great edifice. How many of us think of ourselves as unworthy and incapable of doing the Lord’s work, while doing it day after day in our own lives. 

 

In the nineteenth century a humble French priest was regarded as so inept by his superiors that he was assigned one of the poorest and worst parishes in France. His subsequent career and achievements were so remarkable that the Church would later canonize him as St. John Vianney, and make him the patron saint of all priests. In Canada over a hundred years ago a humble young man was allowed to become a Holy Cross brother over the objection of some of his superiors. His learning and education was so deficient that he was assigned to be the doorman of the monastery. A few years ago he was canonized as St. Andre Besette, the only member of the Holy Cross order ever to be canonized. 

 

We are not all meant to be mystics or canonized saints but we all have our own vocation: what Peter calls a royal priesthood. It is the same vocation as those early deacons, a life of service to our neighbors.

###

Note: Image of St. Andre Besette

Reading 1.Acts 6: 1-7

Reading II. 1 Peter 2: 4-9

Gospel. John 14: 1-12 (the way, the truth, and the life).

Love One Another

                   5th Sunday of Easter

                  C cycle

 

 

In today's first reading we continue to follow Paul and Barnabas on their missionary journey. After meeting opposition in the Jewish community in Antioch, a seaport in what is now Turkey, they decided to take their message to the Gentiles or non-Jews. In fact Paul now realizes that the mission of the Jews has always been to bring the God of Israel to the Gentiles. 

 

It's hard for us to understand the need for this missionary activity. We do not realize  how much fear ruled the world in which Paul and Barnabas traveled. When we read of Greek and Roman philosophers and poets, we fail to realize that they were few and far between. For the most part the Gentiles were consumed by fear of the gods. Here's a few examples.

 

In the ancient world families had to produce heirs to carry on the worship of the ancestral gods. Superstition led people to attribute any bad luck to a failure to properly carry out the rites and sacrifices for the dead family gods. Women, therefore, were little more than child bearing machines. If they couldn't bear children, Roman law required that their husbands divorce them. In most cases the very idea of love between husband and wife was unimaginable. Girls as young as 12 were given in marriage to men much older. If a woman bore a daughter, her husband could order her to kill the infant girl and try again. Infanticide was a common practice among the Romans.

 

Sacrifices were continually offered to idols in order to appease the gods. These were not harmless practices. Plague, famine, every stroke of bad luck were believed to be caused by some god who had been angered by failure to follow the proper rituals. This fear still persists. I recall reading a letter from a young missionary nurse in Thailand who reported how fear of the gods could ruin the life of an entire family. Even today when a child becomes ill, a poor family will not seek medical help but will offer up a chicken to the gods. When the child's condition worsens, they then offer their cow only to find that doesn't work either. The child dies anyway but now the family faces financial ruin and starvation.

 

Of course, we know of other civilizations where human sacrifice was the accepted way to appease the gods. In today's gospel reading we have something new. The scene is at the Last Supper where Jesus predicts his own sacrifice for us. He says to the Apostles,

 

      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.

 

This command to the Apostles will have a profound influence in the ancient world. The Christians like their Jewish brethren cannot practice abortion or infanticide. They must welcome their children and love them, even their daughters. In fact, many of the conversions in the early Church occurred because pagan men could not find pagan wives. They married Christian girls who brought their husbands to the faith as so many still do today.

 

In a well-known passage St. Paul tells husbands to love their wives. We don't realize after 2000 years of Christianity how shocking or abnormal this must have appeared in the ancient world. After all, what does love mean? Jesus gave us plenty of examples. At the Last Supper He stooped to wash the feet of his disciples. No self respecting Gentile would ever consider serving his wife in this manner. The next day He gave his life on the Cross as an example to us. From that day on every Christian man and woman had the responsibility to lay down his or her life for each other.

 

We are going to see over the next few weeks that this love was intended to extend beyond our own family, village, tribe, and nation. In today's gospel Jesus did not ask us to love Him, He commanded us to love one another. It's sad to think how little progress we've made in the last 2000 years. All the fears and horrors that Paul and Barnabas found in the ancient world still exist today. We only have to pick up today's newspaper to see the evidence. 

 

Today's second reading is from the Book of Revelation. St. John had a vision, a dream of "a new heaven and a new earth." God, he says, will be with his people.

 

      He will wipe every tear from their eyes,

      and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain,

      for the old order has passed away.

 

Today, more than ever it seems like just a dream. But what can we do? How does it help to give up on faith, hope, or charity? We have our command, our marching orders. There is nothing stopping us from embarking on our own missionary journey. Maybe we don't have the gift of preaching but we can give a good example to our neighbors. "Paul and Barnabas opened the door of faith to the Gentiles." We can open the door so that Love can walk right in. 

 

      This is how all will know that you are my disciples,

      if you have love for one another.

###

Reading 1. Acts 14: 21-27

Reading II. Revelation 21: 1-5a

Gospel. John 13:31-33a, 34-35 (love one another).

Fruits of the Spirit

                   5th Sunday of Easter

                  B cycle

 

 

In the three Sundays following Easter the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles has mainly followed the activity of Peter. However, the first reading this week introduces the Apostle Paul. In today’s reading we hear that after his conversion on the road to Damascus, Paul returned to Jerusalem to join the disciples of the Lord but did not receive a warm reception.

 

Because of his past activity as a persecutor of the Church, the disciples “were all afraid of him” and did not believe that he was a true disciple. Only after Barnabas introduced Paul to the apostles and told them of all that Paul had done, did the apostles welcome him into their midst. Paul had seen the Risen Lord, spoken to Him, and “spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.” The fruits or results of Paul’s conversion were obvious.

 

Today’s gospel is also about bearing good fruit or getting good results. Jesus compares Himself to a vine.

 

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 may bear more fruit.

 

So, just as in the case of St. Paul it is not just a matter of saying we believe in Jesus, we must show the results. Jesus says that He and His Spirit will be in His followers and that we will bear fruit even if sometimes we don’t seem to realize it. What are the fruits of the spirit of God? It is clear that Jesus is not talking about grapes, or apples or oranges. In his letter to the Galatians, St. Paul gave a partial list.

 

But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

 

Our tradition has expanded the list a little. Charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity.

 

To get a better idea, let’s just consider the opposites. Are we uncharitable? Do we lack joy, or fail to find joy in our lives or the lives of others? Do we possess inner peace, or are we full of anxiety? Are we impatient or easily fly off the handle? Do we fail to exhibit kindness or goodness to others? Are we generous not just with our money but with our time and compassion? Do we sometimes fail to be gentle with even those we love the most? Are we unfaithful? Can others rely on us to keep our word? Has popular culture made us insensitive to immodesty? Rather than self-control do we put the gratification of our selves and our desires ahead of everything else? Finally, do we lack chastity in thought, word and deed?

 

It is not easy to bear such good fruit and we all need help, even if it involves a constant pruning or cutting back on the things that can easily consume our lives. But if we can exhibit the fruit of the Holy Spirit even to a small degree, we can be sure that Jesus is working in us. It might be hard to remember Paul’s whole list but in today’s second reading, Saint John sums it up in one word: Love.

 

And his commandment is this;

We should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,

And love one another just as he commanded us.

Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them,

And the way we know that he remains in us

Is from the Spirit he gave us.

 

###

Reading 1. Acts 9: 26-31

Reading II. 1 John 3: 18-24

Gospel. John 15: 1-8 (the Vine and the Branches)

The Way, the Truth, and the Life

                   5th Sunday of Easter

                  A cycle

 

 

 

In these Sundays following Easter we get a glimpse in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles of the very early history of the Church. Today we see that the Church was growing and that disciples were being drawn from both the Jewish and gentile populations. The Hellenists referred to were drawn from the large Greek Jewish community living in Palestine.

 

We also see that from the first the Apostles preached a "social gospel." We know that they shared their goods and possessions and distributed them among the needy converts. In today's reading we see that the duty of providing for the needs of the poor was growing too large for the Apostles to handle themselves. And so, they went to the Christian community and asked them to select "seven reputable men" to take on the role of caring for the poor. Initially, they were to "serve at table," to see that the food was distributed equitably. Our word deacon originally meant to serve at table.

 

This reading is especially important for all of us. We can broaden the expression, "serve at table," and say simply that the community was being asked to nominate from its ranks those whose role it would be "to serve." As Catholics we often fall into the "they" syndrome. How often do we say, "they ought to do something about it," or "why don't they deal with this or that problem." It's as if we're apart from the Church and always looking for someone else to do the work.

 

Don’t we literally expect the Pope to work miracles? Won't we expect him to wear himself out with travel and appearances all over the world just as his predecessors did? Sometimes we complain that bishops and priests have all the authority, and some of us even want a piece of that authority. Yet there is so much work to be done by all of us. 

 

In today's gospel Jesus is also telling us that we have to assume responsibility. In less than two weeks we will celebrate the feast of the Ascension and in today's reading Jesus is preparing the disciples for the time when He will leave. Actually, today’s reading from the fourteenth chapter of the gospel of St. John takes place at the conclusion of the Last Supper. Jesus has just washed the feet of the Apostles as a sign that they must do the same for those in their care. He has celebrated the feast of Passover with them and instituted the Eucharist. Judas has left the room on his mission of betrayal and Jesus gives a kind of farewell address to the remaining eleven.

 

Aware of his imminent Passion, Death, and Resurrection, he tells them that he is going away. “Do not let your hearts be troubled….Where I am going you know the way.” But Thomas protests,

 

Master, we do not know where you are going;

How can we know the way?

 

This is the place where Jesus utters the famous words, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” Throughout this discourse Jesus makes it clear that the way to our place in Heaven is himself. 

 

Very often we will hear people today speak of a “personal” relationship with Jesus. But what is a personal relationship with Jesus or how can we achieve it? Perhaps the best method is to focus on the words and deeds of Jesus himself. His words and his deeds are our example. He never cared for himself but cared for others, and eventually gave his life for all of us. Right before the words in our gospel today, Jesus told the Apostles assembled at the Last Supper,

 

“A new commandment I give you, that you love one another: that as I have loved you, you also love one another.”

 

The way to have a personal relationship with Jesus is not to hide ourselves in our room and meditate but to serve those who have been entrusted to our care. Indeed, we cannot have a personal relationship with Jesus if we have failed to mend our own personal affairs. Our religion is not separate from the rest of our lives. I recall a young woman telling me that she spent so much time caring for her teenage daughter that she did not have that much time to devote to prayer and bible study. She did not realize that by devoting herself to the care of her daughter, she was carrying out the Lord’s commandment. She thought of herself as somehow deficient or unworthy but she truly had a personal relationship with the Lord.

 

In today’s second reading St. Peter talks about the stone that the builder’s rejected that would become the cornerstone of a great edifice. How many of us think of ourselves as unworthy and incapable of doing the Lord’s work, while doing it day after day in our own lives. 

 

In the nineteenth century a humble French priest was regarded as so inept by his superiors that he was assigned one of the poorest and worst parishes in France. His subsequent career and achievements were so remarkable that the Church would later canonize him as St. John Vianney, and make him the patron saint of all priests. In Canada over a hundred years ago a humble young man was allowed to become a Holy Cross brother over the objection of some of his superiors. His learning and education was so deficient that he was assigned to be the doorman of the monastery. A few years ago he was canonized as St. Andre Besette, the only member of the Holy Cross order ever to be canonized. * 

 

We are not all meant to be mystics or canonized saints but we all have our own vocation, what Peter calls a royal priesthood. It is the same vocation as those early deacons, a life of service to our neighbor.

###

*Note: Image of St. Andre Besette as Brother Andre.

Reading 1.Acts 6: 1-7

Reading II. 1 Peter 2: 4-9

Gospel. John 14: 1-12 (the way, the truth, and the life).

The Fruit of the Spirit

                       5th Sunday of Easter *

                   

 

 

In the three Sundays following Easter the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles has mainly followed the activity of Peter. However, the first reading this week introduces the Apostle Paul. In today’s reading we hear that after his conversion on the road to Damascus, Paul returned to Jerusalem to join the disciples of the Lord but did not receive a warm reception.

 

Because of his past activity as a persecutor of the Church, the disciples “were all afraid of him” and did not believe that he was a true disciple. Only after Barnabas introduced Paul to the apostles and told them of all that Paul had done, did the apostles welcome him into their midst. Paul had seen the Risen Lord, spoken to Him, and “spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.” The fruits or results of Paul’s conversion were obvious.

 

Today’s gospel is also about bearing good fruit or getting good results. Jesus compares Himself to a vine.

 

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 may bear more fruit.

 

So, just as in the case of St. Paul it is not just a matter of saying we believe in Jesus, we must show the results. Jesus says that He and His Spirit will be in His followers and that we will bear fruit even if sometimes we don’t seem to realize it. What are the fruits of the spirit of God? It is clear that Jesus is not talking about grapes, or apples or oranges. In his letter to the Galatians, St. Paul gave a partial list.

 

But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

 

Our tradition has expanded the list a little. Charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity.

 

To get a better idea, let’s just consider the opposites. Are we uncharitable? Do we lack joy, or fail to find joy in our lives or the lives of others? Do we possess inner peace, or are we full of anxiety? Are we impatient or easily fly off the handle? Do we fail to exhibit kindness or goodness to others? Are we generous not just with our money but with our time and compassion? Do we sometimes fail to be gentle with even those we love the most? Are we unfaithful? Can others rely on us to keep our word? Has popular culture made us insensitive to immodesty? Rather than self-control do we put the gratification of our selves and our desires ahead of everything else? Finally, do we lack chastity in thought, word and deed?

 

It is not easy to bear such good fruit and we all need help, even if it involves a constant pruning or cutting back on the things that can easily consume our lives. But if we can exhibit the fruit of the Holy Spirit even to a small degree, we can be sure that Jesus is working in us. It might be hard to remember Paul’s whole list but in today’s second reading, Saint John sums it up in one word: Love.

 

And his commandment is this;

We should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,

And love one another just as he commanded us.

Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them,

And the way we know that he remains in us

Is from the Spirit he gave us.

 

###

*Note: This reflection on the readings for this coming Sunday is published early because I will be offline for the next few weeks.

Reading 1. Acts 9: 26-31

Reading II. 1 John 3: 18-24

Gospel. John 15: 1-8 (the Vine and the Branches)

The Way, the Truth, and the Life

                                    5th Sunday of Easter

                                   

St. Andre Besette

In these Sundays following Easter we get a glimpse in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles of the very early history of the Church. Today we see that the Church was growing and that disciples were being drawn from both the Jewish and gentile populations. The Hellenists referred to were drawn from the large Greek Jewish community living in Palestine.

We also see that from the first the Apostles preached a "social gospel." We know that they shared their goods and possessions and distributed them among the needy converts. In today's reading we see that the duty of providing for the needs of the poor was growing too large for the Apostles to handle themselves. And so, they went to the Christian community and asked them to select "seven reputable men" to take on the role of caring for the poor. Initially, they were to "serve at table," to see that the food was distributed equitably. Our word deacon originally meant to serve at table.

This reading is especially important for all of us. We can broaden the expression, "serve at table," and say simply that the community was being asked to nominate from its ranks those whose role it would be "to serve." As Catholics we often fall into the "they" syndrome. How often do we say, "they ought to do something about it," or "why don't they deal with this or that problem." It's as if we're apart from the Church and always looking for someone else to do the work.

Don’t we literally expect the Pope to work miracles? Won't we expect him to wear himself out with travel and appearances all over the world just as his predecessors did? Sometimes we complain that bishops and priests have all the authority, and some of us even want a piece of that authority. Yet there is so much work to be done by all of us. 

In today's gospel Jesus is also telling us that we have to assume responsibility. In less than two weeks we will celebrate the feast of the Ascension and in today's reading Jesus is preparing the disciples for the time when He will leave. Actually, today’s reading from the fourteenth chapter of the gospel of St. John takes place at the conclusion of the Last Supper. Jesus has just washed the feet of the Apostles as a sign that they must do the same for those in their care. He has celebrated the feast of Passover with them and instituted the Eucharist. Judas has left the room on his mission of betrayal and Jesus gives a kind of farewell address to the remaining eleven.

Aware of his imminent Passion, Death, and Resurrection, he tells them that he is going away. “Do not let your hearts be troubled….Where I am going you know the way.” But Thomas protests,

Master, we do not know where you are going;

How can we know the way?

This is the place where Jesus utters the famous words, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” Throughout this discourse Jesus makes it clear that the way to our place in Heaven is himself. 

Very often we will hear people today speak of a “personal” relationship with Jesus. But what is a personal relationship with Jesus or how can we achieve it? Perhaps the best method is to focus on the words and deeds of Jesus himself. His words and his deeds are our example. He never cared for himself but cared for others, and eventually gave his life for all of us. Right before the words in our gospel today, Jesus told the Apostles assembled at the Last Supper,

“A new commandment I give you, that you love one another: that as I have loved you, you also love one another.”

The way to have a personal relationship with Jesus is not to hide ourselves in our room and meditate but to serve those who have been entrusted to our care. Indeed, we cannot have a personal relationship with Jesus if we have failed to mend our own personal affairs. Our religion is not separate from the rest of our lives. I recall a young woman telling me that she spent so much time caring for her teenage daughter that she did not have that much time to devote to prayer and bible study. She did not realize that by devoting herself to the care of her daughter, she was carrying out the Lord’s commandment. She thought of herself as somehow deficient or unworthy but she truly had a personal relationship with the Lord.

In today’s second reading St. Peter talks about the stone that the builder’s rejected that would become the cornerstone of a great edifice. How many of us think of ourselves as unworthy and incapable of doing the Lord’s work, while doing it day after day in our own lives. 

In the nineteenth century a humble French priest was regarded as so inept by his superiors that he was assigned one of the poorest and worst parishes in France. His subsequent career and achievements were so remarkable that the Church would later canonize him as St. John Vianney, and make him the patron saint of all priests, In Canada over a hundred years ago a humble young man was allowed to become a Holy Cross brother over the objection of some of his superiors. His learning and education was so deficient that he was assigned to be the doorman of the monastery. A few years ago he was canonized as St. Andre Besette, the only member of the Holy Cross order ever to be canonized. 

We are not all meant to be mystics or canonized saints but we all have our own vocation: 

what Peter calls a royal priesthood. It is the same vocation as those early deacons, a life of service to our neighbor.

###

Reading 1.Acts 6: 1-7

Reading II. 1 Peter 2: 4-9

Gospel. John 14: 1-12 (the way, the truth, and the life).

The Vine and the Branches

                                    5th Sunday of Easter

                                    

In the three Sundays following Easter the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles has mainly followed the activity of Peter. However, the first reading this week introduces the Apostle Paul. In today’s reading we hear that after his conversion on the road to Damascus, Paul returned to Jerusalem to join the disciples of the Lord but did not receive a warm reception.

Because of his past activity as a persecutor of the Church, the disciples “were all afraid of him” and did not believe that he was a true disciple. Only after Barnabas introduced Paul to the apostles and told them of all that Paul had done, did the apostles welcome him into their midst. Paul had seen the Risen Lord, spoken to Him, and “spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.” The fruits or results of Paul’s conversion were obvious.

Today’s gospel is also about bearing good fruit or getting good results. Jesus compares Himself to a vine.

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 may bear more fruit.

So, just as in the case of St. Paul it is not just a matter of saying we believe in Jesus, we must show the results. Jesus says that He and His Spirit will be in His followers and that we will bear fruit even if sometimes we don’t seem to realize it. What are the fruits of the spirit of God? It is clear that Jesus is not talking about grapes, or apples or oranges. In his letter to the Galatians, St. Paul gave a partial list.

But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Our tradition has expanded the list a little. Charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity.

To get a better idea, let’s just consider the opposites. Are we uncharitable? Do we lack joy, or fail to find joy in our lives or the lives of others? Do we possess inner peace, or are we full of anxiety? Are we impatient or easily fly off the handle? Do we fail to exhibit kindness or goodness to others? Are we generous not just with our money but with our time and compassion? Do we sometimes fail to be gentle with even those we love the most? Are we unfaithful? Can others rely on us to keep our word? Has popular culture made us insensitive to immodesty? Rather than self-control do we put the gratification of our selves and our desires ahead of everything else? Finally, do we lack chastity in thought, word and deed?

It is not easy to bear such good fruit and we all need help, even if it involves a constant pruning or cutting back on the things that can easily consume our lives. But if we can exhibit the fruit of the Holy Spirit even to a small degree, we can be sure that Jesus is working in us. It might be hard to remember Paul’s whole list but in today’s second reading, Saint John sums it up in one word: Love.

And his commandment is this;

We should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,

And love one another just as he commanded us.

Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them,

And the way we know that he remains in us

Is from the Spirit he gave us.

###

Reading 1. Acts 9: 26-31

Reading II. 1 John 3: 18-24

Gospel. John 15: 1-8 (the Vine and the Branches)