Decision at Jerusalem

                       6th Sunday of Easter

                      C cycle

 

 

Last Sunday we saw that Paul and Barnabas had achieved some success in their mission to the Gentiles. We were told that they "had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles." However, we see in today's reading from the Acts of the Apostles that an important obstacle has arisen. Jewish converts to Christianity were insisting that Gentile converts undergo the rite of circumcision in order to be saved. In other words, the Gentiles would have to become Jewish before becoming Christian.

 

Our reading today tells us that this news caused such dissension and debate that Paul and Barnabas were chosen to go to Jerusalem and get the opinion of the Apostles. Today's reading jumps over the meeting in Jerusalem, which some have called the first Council of the Church. It just gives us the end result. If we read chapter 15 of the Acts of the Apostles, we will see that there was quite a discussion on the matter of circumcision. Apparently it took the intervention of the two most respected Apostles, Peter and James, to decide the issue.

 

It seems clear that even after receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Peter did not fully understand that Jesus had come to save all, whether Jew or Gentile. Only afterwards did Peter's encounter with the Roman centurion, Cornelius, lead him to see the light.

 

       Now I really understand that God is not a respecter of persons, but in every nation he who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.

 

Peter's conversion to this point of view makes him side with Paul in the great debate at the council. James, the Bishop of Jerusalem, comes up with a workable compromise by suggesting that the Gentiles only observe some basic principles that Gentile converts to Judaism had always observed. Of course they could not eat food tainted with idol worship. Of course, they could not eat meat tainted with blood since blood, the source of life, belonged only to God.  Of course, they could not practice incest or marry a close relative. But on the subject of circumcision, the message was clear. This is what the council meant when it said to the "brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia,"

 

       It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us

       not to place any burden on you beyond these necessities...

 

It is hard to overestimate the importance of this decision. Not only does it open the way for the Gentiles, it also brings Christianity to a new level, the level which our Lord intended all along. Circumcision was the mark of a Jew. However, not every Jew who was circumcised turned out to be in our Lord's words, "a true son of Abraham." If you did not obey the will of God or if your life made a mockery of his commandments, were you really a Jew? Remember the parable where a father asked his two sons to go work in his vineyard. The first son said yes, but failed to show up. The second refused but eventually thought better of it and went to the vineyard. Our Lord asked, "which one did the will of the father?"

 

Today's gospel shows that the same principle holds true for Christians. In His discourse to the Apostles at the Last Supper Jesus 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.

 

Just being born a Christian does not make one a true son of the Father. Even Baptism only opens the door of faith. Even today there are some who echo the words of those Jewish converts in Antioch when they argue that "outside the Church, there is no salvation." The saying is true but the real question is, "Who is in the Church?" For example, what about the billions of Chinese who had never heard the name of Jesus but who honored their father and mother and who were steadfastly devoted to their children? Using Peter's definition are they inside or outside the Church?

 

We know that like the Angel, Clarence, in Frank Capra's film, "It's a Wonderful Life," we all have to earn our wings. Charles Borromeo was the son of a wealthy and powerful Roman family who became a Cardinal of the Church at the age of 24 because of his influential relatives. He was one of the great intellects of his day and played a leading role in reforming the Church during the Protestant Reformation. But it was only when as Bishop of Milan, he personally risked his life by ministering to the sick and dying during a great plague that he became St. Charles Borromeo.

 

Sometimes I think that people have the wrong idea of ecumenicism. Some think that if people would only give up or water down some of their beliefs, they could reach a common ground. Unfortunately, we've seen believers in every faith try this approach only to wind up believing in nothing. The more a Jew is a true son of Abraham, the more a Moslem is a true follower of Allah, and the more a Christian keeps the word of the Lord, the more chance they will have to meet together in that beautiful heavenly city that St. John describes in today's second reading.

 

If we all practiced our faith, we might even see benefits here and now.

 

       Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.

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Reading 1. Acts 15:1-2, 22-29

Reading II. Revelation 21: 10-14, 22-23

Gospel. John 14:23-29 (going to the Father).

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.

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Reading 1. Acts 14: 21-27

Reading II. Revelation 21: 1-5a

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

The Good Shepherd

                                      4th Sunday of Easter

                                   

In the Sundays after Easter the readings usually give us testimony or witness to the Resurrection of the Lord. Two Sundays ago we had the touching account of doubting Thomas. Last Sunday, we heard about the appearance of the Risen Lord to the disciples at the shore of the Sea of Galilee. 

In today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Peter stands up in front of a congregation much like ours and proceeds to discuss the implications of the Resurrection.

“Let the whole house of Israel know for certain

That God has made both Lord and Christ

This Jesus whom you crucified.”

One way for us to understand the word of God is to try and put ourselves in the picture whenever we hear the word proclaimed. Although Peter is speaking to the congregation of Jews in front of him, we should consider that he is also speaking to us. He died for all of us and He was raised from the dead for all of us as Peter reminds us:

“For the promise is made to you and your children

And to all those far off,

Whomever the Lord our God will call.”

The word "call" should remind us of today’s gospel about the Good Shepherd. “The sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” What does it mean to hear the voice of the Lord? Most of us are never going to experience a mystical one-on-one calling. Maybe we should rather focus on what Jesus actually said and did as recorded in our Scriptures. Where was our shepherd leading us? 

We know that he was a healer of both body and soul and he continually urged us to follow his example. He told us to love one another and our neighbor as ourselves. In a famous chapter in the Gospel of St. Matthew, he told us that whenever we fed the hungry, or clothed the naked, or visited the sick, we were doing it for Him. 

Today is often called Good Shepherd Sunday. The responsorial psalm is taken from Psalm 23: “the Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want." But in a way Jesus asks us to follow his example and not just be sheep but shepherds to the little flock entrusted to our own care. Today is Mother’s Day and there can be no better example of good shepherds in our midst than our own mothers. When we were young, we knew this instinctively. We followed our mother’s advice and guidance and went to them for shelter and protection. Little did we realize how much they suffered and bore so that we might live and prosper. 

In today’s second reading Peter again speaks of those who have been called to follow the example of Christ. The words especially apply to all mothers.

For to this you have been called,

Because Christ also suffered for you.

Leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps.

All over the world today mothers are suffering for their children both young and old. We don’t often think of women as shepherds but the words that Peter spoke of Jesus could apply to most mothers. When they are insulted, they return no insult. When they suffer, they do not threaten. They patiently bear their children’s faults and imperfections in the hope that they might find happiness. And when their children go astray, they pray for them, search for them, and hope for their safe return.

###

Reading 1.Acts 2: 14a, 36-41

Reading II. 1 Peter 2: 20b-25

Gospel. John 10: 1-10 (good shepherd)

Feed My Sheep

                   3rd Sunday of Easter

                  C cycle

 

 

 

Today's three readings all deal with manifestations of the Risen Christ although in different ways. In the Acts of the Apostles we have an historical account of the first efforts of the Apostles to bring the message of Jesus to the world. In today's gospel we have another appearance of the Risen Lord to the Apostles--this time in Galilee on the shores of the Sea of Tiberias. Finally, the second reading from the Book of Revelation presents us with a prophetic vision of the Risen Christ at the Heavenly Altar.

 

In the first reading we find that the Apostles have been brought before the Jewish leaders for violating their command to stop teaching in the name of Jesus. Peter and the other Apostles explain why they cannot stop teaching, why they must show by their words and deeds the Risen Lord to the world. "We must obey God rather than men." Once again they bear witness to the Resurrection and its meaning.

 

      The God of our ancestors raised Jesus,

      though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree.

      God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior

      to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.

 

Today's reading skips over the immediate reaction of the members of the Sanhedrin to these shocking words. They are furious and want to slay the apostles but a very wise man, Gamaliel, urges them to proceed with more caution. He tells the assembly that if the apostles are not from God, their movement will soon falter and die. However, if they are of God nothing that men can do will stop them. In fact, opposing them might mean opposing God himself. So time or providence will tell. The leaders follow Gamaliel's advice and let the Apostles off with only a flogging and a warning "to stop teaching in the name of Jesus."

 

But how could they after they had experienced the Risen Lord and received His Spirit? Today's gospel gives us St. John's account of the third appearance of Jesus to the Apostles at the shore of Lake Tiberias in Galilee. Remember that when our Lord appeared to Mary Magdalene on the first Easter Sunday, He told her to tell the Apostles to return to Galilee. Well, here they are back where they started from. He had called them from their fishing boats at the start of His career, and now they return to them. 

 

After a night of fruitless effort a stranger appears on the shore at dawn and asks them if they've had any luck. When they answer, "No," He tells them to cast their nets in again and the result is incredible--the famous "miraculous draught of fish." They then realize that the stranger is the Lord and Peter, impetuous as always, jumps into the water and swims to shore. The others finally bring the heavily laden boat in and they all sit down to breakfast with Jesus. Apparently He had made a fire and was cooking. For breakfast He gave them bread and fish in the same way that He had fed the multitude.

 

Readers of this part of John's gospel have seen all sorts of sacred symbolism. However, I would like to focus on the conversation between Jesus and Peter after the meal was over. Peter gets his chance to atone for denying the Lord three times. Three times our Lord asks  "do you love Me?" Each time when Peter answers "Yes, Lord," Jesus diverts or redirects his love. "Feed my lambs." "Tend my sheep." "Feed my sheep." Jesus had called Himself  "the Good Shepherd" and now He turns over the shepherd's staff to Peter. *

 

He is also turning something over to us. There is an old story about a man who loved mankind in general but hated every man he ever met. Sadly, there are many people whose so-called love for Jesus gets in the way of their love for their neighbor. Jesus is telling Peter and us that it can't work that way. Christians cannot sacrifice their children to the gods. Christians cannot let their neighbor go hungry or homeless. In the early days of the Church the pagans marveled not just at miraculous healings but at the behavior of ordinary Christians.

 

For example, when plagues would strike Roman cities, the citizens would flee leaving behind the sick and the dying to fend for themselves. Often, only the Christians would stay behind to care not only for their own brethren but for the pagans as well. Sometimes  basic nursing care was all that it took to restore the sick to health. This love for neighbor marked the Christians out as different and was a major factor in the growth of the early Church.

 

In the weeks after Easter the second reading is taken from the "Book of Revelation." There we hear of St. John's vision of the Risen Christ, the Lamb of God, sitting at a throne or "heavenly altar" and receiving praise and thanksgiving from "every creature in heaven and on earth." It is the scene of the last days when the sheep will be separated from the goats. It is the time when Jesus will ask us, "Do you love me?"

 

      St. Matthew depicts this same scene in his gospel. There, in chapter 25 our Lord, the king, is welcoming the just into the kingdom and praising them for their faithful service to Him. But they fail to understand:

 

      Lord, when did we see thee hungry, and feed thee; or thirsty, and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger, and take thee in; or naked, and clothe thee? Or when did we see thee sick, or in prison, and come to thee?

 

      Amen I say to you, as long as you did it for one of these, the least of my brethern, you did it for Me. ###

Reading 1. Acts 5: 27b-32

Reading II. Revelation 5: 11-14

Gospel. John 21: 1-19 (Feed my sheep).

Image: Feed my Sheep. The risen Christ hands the shepherd's staff to Peter. Stained glass window in Assumption church, Fairfield, CT.