Jn 20:19-23 Pentecost: Happy Birthday Church

Pentecost Sunday
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On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked,...Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you."  ...And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.  Whose sins you forgive are forgiven..."

Happy Birthday to you.  Today we celebrate the Church's birthday, and as we all know, the Church does not consist of brick and mortar but of flesh and blood - billions of people, living on earth and in heaven.   

On this day, the most intimate followers of Jesus received the gift of the Holy Spirit and went straight to work, evangelizing strange civilizations and baptizing even stranger people in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  With the help of the Holy Spirit, millions of people converted and the course of world history forever changed.  All the glory and honor goes to God. 

What a difference the Holy Spirit has made in our lives and in the lives of so many others!

Now most of us have little difficulty in giving credit to the Holy Spirit for countless blessings received, countless inspirations conceived and countless decisions arranged.  But I believe most of us may have forgotten to give credit to the Holy Spirit where credit is most desired:  in bringing about unity.

It's no longer I who live in me.  One of the most difficult things in life is not being able to be someone else.  I am I and you are you and together you and I are we.  But the truth of the matter is:  I will never be able to be you. 

Sure, I can cry with you, laugh with you, hug you, understand you, and even love you, but I will never be able to be you.  And if I decide to try, I risk ruining my life.

When people come into my office and tell me their problems, I can understand them and even relate to them.  But when it comes to what they are going through...I cannot go through them.  I cannot penetrate them.  I can only imagine what they are going through, for there is a wall that separates me from all others. 

So watch out, especially if you are a parent who is eager to live through their kid.  You are on a collision course with your child, for you were never meant to be in your child!   Parents should guide their kids, help their kids, encourage their kids and support their kids, but they should never attempt to live through them.

We were never meant to be someone else. 

UNTIL TODAY...

With the gift of the Holy Spirit, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" (cf. Gal 2:20). 

I can be another person!  I can be another Christ!  I can enter into communion with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Everything that is His can be mine and vice-versa.  Every word I speak and every act I commit can be through Him, with Him and in Him.  My life can be lived through Him, with Him and in Him.  Even my death can be experienced through Him, with Him and in Him. 

For this reason, the Church is known as the mystical body of Christ.  Sure, it is made up of billions of members, but it remains one body.  The Church is not simply a corporation.  It is the incarnation of Him.  

Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and do the first thing the Lord commanded His Apostles to do:  Whose sins you forgive are forgiven.

To live in Christ means to love.  To love means to forgive.  It's that simple. 

The temptation has always been to be someone we are not.  The challenge today, and since the time of Pentecost, is to be the one we were always meant to be, since the very beginning of time.

Happy Birthday Church!

JN 21:20-25 A Prelude to Pentecost

 
Saturday of the Seventh Week of Easter
By: Jennifer Burgin
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Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved, the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper and had said, “Master, who is the one who will betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus said to him, “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow me.”

Today marks a transition point in the liturgical calendar. This is the last weekend of the Easter Season as we prepare for the celebration of Pentecost Sunday.  Next week we return to Ordinary time as the scripture passages refocus on Jesus' public ministry.

As we close our celebration, Saint Augustine reminds us of the meaning of Easter:  "The season before Easter signified troubles in which we live here and now, while the time after Easter which we are celebrating at present signifies the happiness that will be ours in the future. What we commemorate before Easter is what we experience in this life; what we celebrate after Easter points to something we do not yet possess....now the fast is over and we devote the present season to praise."

What concern is it of yours?   Have you ever known someone who attempted to meddle in your affairs?  Perhaps a friend, a co-worker or a family member?  We may feel uncomfortable telling anyone our plans much less explain why.  The same goes with Our Lord.  When Peter questions him about the fate of the beloved disciple, and if he will live or die before the parousia (Second Coming), Jesus' answer is frankly none of your business.

We may feel hate and resentment toward meddlesome people:  the knick pickers, the naysayers, the judgmental folks, and those who question us non-stop.  If it comes to a person's safety and welfare, then yes, it is important to get into their business.  However, many times people only want to hear the latest gossip.  Their "concern" is not heartfelt.

Compassionate concern   I just finished reading the riveting memoir titled No Place to Hide:  A Brain Surgeon's Long Journey Home from the Iraq War.  Dr. Lee Warren, a now retired U.S. Air Force military neurosurgeon, spent 4 months in 2005 serving in a tent hospital on Balad Air Base.  Every day he experienced mortar attacks and bombings.  He witnessed horrific injuries and mass casualties.  His medical training taught him to help all the injured, regardless if an American soldier, Iraqi civilian or Al Qaeda terrorist. The idea of love the enemy hit very hard.  Why should he be concerned about keeping the enemy alive? It's hard to imagine limited blood supplies, surgical instruments, and medical staff saving the life of a terrorist so filled with hate and jealousy toward America.  

In an email letter sent to his family and friends, Major Warren wrote:

"I understand the sensitivities of church and state and all that, I really do.  But don't you think that our Founding Father's ethics and belief systems have something to do with the fact that 230 years later we are still the kindest and most compassionate nation on earth, even to people who are trying to kill us?"

Major Warren often turned to prayer in a resilient effort to find peace amidst fear, sadness, and tragedy of war. He worried about his own life.  Would he survive to see his children again? Would the nightmares ever stop? A military chaplain gave him some valuable advice:  Pray more, worry less, and let God do the rest.

Follow the Lord   The first and second readings link the ministries of Peter and Paul in a meaningful way.  Both Apostles followed the Lord knowing all too well the job would be difficult, even dangerous at times. Paul remained chained in prison for two years but still welcomed those who wanted to hear the message of God's Kingdom.  Not even imprisonment stopped him from spreading the Truth of Jesus Christ.

We can follow the Lord with the same zeal as the early apostles.  We have the benefit of the Holy Spirit to ignite the flame of Christ's love within us.  Furthermore, we have the whole body of the Church as our fortress, our shield, and our centralizing force.  The Church may be in a constant battle with those who think her ways are archaic, fighting wars against the culture of death and religious persecution.  However, the Church will never back down and never give up!  

The following lyrics from Peter, Paul & Mary's song

River Jordan resonate a special meaning as we prepare for Pentecost:

"I wanted to know if life had a purpose
And what it all means in the end
In the silence I listened to voices inside me
And they told me again and again

There is only one river, there is only one sea
And it flows through you, and it flows through me
There is only one people, we are one and the same
We are all one spirit, we are all one name
We are the father, mother, daughter and son
From the dawn of creation, we are one, we are one, we are one."

 

We are all one blood, one body in Christ.  Be compassionately concerned for one another.  Allow the Holy Spirit to transform each of us into passionate evangelizers of the faith.  Follow Our Lord and never forget Christ's infinite love for all of humanity.

Come, Holy Spirit, and dwell inside our hearts.  Amen.

 

This meditation was written by Jennifer Burgin, a convert to Catholicism and active in liturgical ministry at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Richardson, TX.  Please follow her blog: Jennifer's Spectrum of Spirituality.

Jn 21:15-19 Call of Duty

Friday of the Seventh Week of Easter
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[Jesus] said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?"  Simon Peter answered him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "...Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to...go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will...lead you where you do not want to go."

Going Places.  From all accounts, the Holy Father's trip to Israel, Palestine and Jordan was a tremendous success.  Where internationally known diplomats failed to leave their mark, the Holy Father left his mark at every street corner he visited.  Who can forget the unscheduled stop (and prayer) he made at the ugly security wall that separates Israel from the West Bank?  Or the scheduled stop and prayer at the wailing wall in Jerusalem?  No one.  In many ways, both visits were unprecedented.

And then the Holy Father did something very risky.  He said,
"In this, the birthplace of the Prince of Peace, I wish to invite you, President Mahmoud Abbas, together with President Shimon Peres, to join me in heartfelt prayer to God for the gift of peace.  I offer my home in the Vatican as a place for this encounter of prayer."

The two men accepted and will go to the Vatican this coming Sunday.    

Do you love me more than these?  There are plenty of political pundits who believe the Holy Father went too far in his faith (and hopes) and that his prayer gathering will do nothing to solve the entrenched differences between two ancient people who hate each other with a passion.  But the Holy Father is a man of God, who truly believes in prayer; a lesson we should all learn.  And as he walked across a delicate tightrope during his Holy Land visit, he is now doing the next best thing:  asking others to walk it with him. 

A man of God is an acrobat.  He walks along a very fine line.  For him, there is only one way, one truth, and one life.  There is only one God, and He must remain above all other things.

Call of Duty.  The Lord asked Peter three times if he loved Him.  All three times Peter responded:  "You know that I love you."  The Lord replied (three times), "Get to work."  

Where much is given, much is expected. 

When you were a child.  Oh, how great life is when you are a child. After all, a child can come and go whenever he/she wants. They can tell their parents where they want to go, what they want to do and when they want to do it.  Why?  Because they have zero responsibilities. 

"Why are you going to the Mall?", asked one mom to her child.  "Because I don't need to do the dishes, clean my room, wash my clothes, fix the sink, water the grass, take someone to piano lessons, ballet lessons and soccer practice!  That's why!", replied the child (not really!).  But you know what I mean.  ZERO responsibilities!

Call of Duty.  In today's Gospel passage, the Lord is calling Peter to be the leader of His group.  This is not a coronation.  It is not an honor or a privilege.  This is a call to active duty. 

Have you answered the call lately?  All of us have been called, regardless of our title or position.  Moms, dads, politicians, doctors, etc...  We have all been called to active duty.  This is not an honor or a privilege.  It is not "our chance" to finally get some respect and be served!  No!  This is our calling...to serve others, and it is our vocation.

History is made by those who serve.  Let's just pray and hope they all belong to Christ's army and His plan of salvation.

Jn 17:20-26 Together Forever

Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter
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Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying, "I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me."

Emphasizing Unity.  It's hard to ignore Christ's intense prayer for unity; that is, unity within themselves, among the disciples and with Him.  Over and over again He repeats Himself.  At first He prays for them, "...that they may all be one, as you Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us."  Then He prays for each one of them, "I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one."  Finally He pray for "...the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them."

The Lord's petitions for us are intense and personal, exactly what we would expect from an intimate, holy and loving relationship. 

As you all know, the Catechism of the Catholic Church is divided into three parts:  What Catholics believe (CREED); How Catholics pray (CULT); How Catholics live (CODE).  All three are essential ingredients to being a faithful Catholic Christian.  All three touch upon the heart, the mind, and the hands and feet of the Apostle. 

In life, it's not enough to only know what is right and wrong (CREED); you have to form the will to go along with the truth (CODE).  And since we are all sinners and know that nothing good ever comes easy, then we need to pray for God's grace (CULT).

Creed, Cult and Code are important for good Catholic living.  Jesus knew this.  That's why He instructed His disciples, spent a lot of time with them (off campus), and sent them on their way.

St. Paul understood this.  One evening, the Lord stood by him and said, "Take courage.  For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome."

Paul understood what this meant.  It meant his brutal death (decapitation) was eminent. 

Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.  This is today's Responsorial Psalm (cf. Ps 16:1).  Is this some kind of joke?  Really?  How can we be talking about God keeping us safe if He is allowing His best friends to be killed?  So what in the world is going on?  Talk about another contradiction in Scripture, right?  WRONG!   Think.

For God, the only thing that is of any importance to Him is that we remain united to Him in heart, mind and, yes, body.  Remain in me, as I also remain in you...Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you...

Wherever God is, there I want to be.  If that means nailed to a Cross, then let it be.  If it means hell, then let it be.  Wherever He is, I want to be.  United: Heart. Mind. Body.  United: Creed. Cult. Code.  United: The Lord and I.

"Keep me safe, O God" can only mean one thing:  Never separate me from you.

Jn 17:11-19 Divine Progress and Human Regress

Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter

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By Benedict Augustine

“I speak this in the world
so that they may share my joy completely.
I gave them your word, and the world hated them,
because they do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
I do not ask that you take them out of the world
but that you keep them from the Evil One."

So much of the drama contained in Jesus and Paul's prayer over the disciples sounds strange to the modern ear. Back then, they anticipated horrible persecution, alienation, and a near impossible set of tasks to accomplish.  Now, most religious communities seem quite at peace with secular authorities, equipped with a wide array of tools to spread the gospel in peace. Back then, the disciples really had to give up everything to spread the gospel: their livelihood, their homes, their families. Now, most Christians do well to take a little out of their abundance and entrust their money to professionals who do the dirty work in downtrodden areas. Back then, the disciples had no choice to but love one another, for they truly had no one else and would likely be killed if they tried work alone. Now, people can seek others who agree with them and found their own churches, or they may just worship alone without the burden of other people—Sartre's individualist aphorism, “Hell is other people,” comes to mind.

This drastic change from the Church's beginning to the Church today prompts an important question: has the world become a nicer place, or have we become more jaded and complacent? As with all big questions, the answer lies somewhere in the middle. In many ways, the world actually has become a nicer place. Modern constitutions that grant us so many freedoms today (freedom of speech, the right to vote, the freedom to possess private property, etc.) did not exist in the past, and these freedoms have enabled our societies to grow and prosper in a multitude of ways. Science and technology have conferred numerous benefits such extending the average human lifespan, curing pestilence, producing fruitful harvests, expanding communication, speeding up transportation, and allowing mass storage of information. The millennia of experience and human wisdom stored in great works of history and literature have often helped us not repeat the mistakes of the past, and to build a culture that nurtures humanity's potential and discourages militant ideologies from taking hold and breeding destruction.

In light of these developments—which, it must be admitted, exist primarily in certain parts of the world, not all—no one should condemn all modernity as horrible and evil. In fact, much of it can serve the good because much of it springs from the Good, from the Church herself. Although many secularists and atheists would never admit it, Christianity has played a fundamental role in modernizing society in nearly all regards. Modern ideas of morality, politics, literature, art, history, and even science all originate from Christian principles. If anyone doubts this, they can look at the other great civilizations not based on Christian principles, like those in Asia, Africa, or the Americas, and witness how they stagnated and declined while Western civilizations continued to progress into modernity.

However, as the Old Testament—particularly the book of Judges—teaches quite thoroughly with the nation of Israel, good fortune, especially material good fortune, will lead to corruption. Like the suffering of the Jews in the Wilderness, and in the Promised Land, the suffering of earlier Christians, through persecution, plague, or famine, often inspired them to heroic lives of faith. They knew where their salvation lay, and they knew that one could not detach from the Church without suffering at the hands of the “Evil One.” All to often, the comfortable Christians of today make the mistake of trading their God for idols, their cross for the couch, and reality for fantasy. Instead of understanding themselves as inheritors of Truth, they now consider themselves creators of Truth, and thus live a Lie. While this transition into decadence does not immediately result in chaos, it does lead to a steady descent of culture and morality, leading formerly free individuals to an enslaved collective. 

One can make the analogy of taking Christianity out of society to take Christ out of Christmas. The joy, warmth, leisure, and charity that accompanied Jesus’ birth have now degenerated into stress, bitterness, toil, and selfishness of ritualized consumerism. More and more people now celebrate Black Friday much greater fervor than they do for Christmas. On one of the most holy days of the year, many modern Christians have traded away the true God for the false idols of crass commercialism and despair. If a whole society wants to remove the Church completely, they will soon see the whole year similarly engulfed in this lifeless depressing spirit of the world.

Jesus encourages all disciples to resist this tendency in all human societies, which will grow stronger as faith grows weaker. He Himself will guard them, unless they choose to reject his protection. In a similar way, Paul warns of “savage wolves” who will come from outside and within the Church, which should prompt disciples of all ages to cling to the Truth. The world will change for the better if we decide to do this, and in many ways it has changed for the better, but we cannot let the world replace God. We must give thanks for our blessings and give to those who are in need, ever mindful that “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” By doing this, as well as seeking Truth through faith, we can become one just as Jesus is one with His Father. 

Jn 17:1-11a Summer Time Practice

Memorial of St. Charles Lwanga and companions
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Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come.  Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you...I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world.  Now they know that everything you gave me is from you, because the words you gave to me I have given to them...and everything of mine is yours."

Summer time.  This morning I celebrated our last school mass of the year for our kids at All Saints Catholic School.  I noticed immediately that the kids were not sitting in their usual places.  They had already "moved up" in rank and taken their new seats of "power."  For example, the seventh graders were now sitting where the eighth graders once sat.  Wow!

During these growing years, it's easy to exert one's personal rights and privileges, but we must never forget that responsibility and sacrifice go along with age as well.

Jesus never hesitated to give His Father all the glory.  After all, all that the Lord is comes from the Father.  This truth was never forgotten by the Lord.   Our kids can learn a lot from His incredible example of honesty and humility. 

Yes, summer time is the best time for games and fun, but it's also the ideal time to put into practice all the good things learned throughout the school year.  

And so what have we learned this year?  Is it that working hard earns you an award?  Yes, it does, but awards are just the tip of the iceberg. 
   
The Perfect Attendance Award would be useless unless it signified that people could count on you.  The Perfect Conduct Award would be worthless unless it meant people could trust you.  The Honor Roll Award would be dangerous if it didn't acknowledge the conscience. We don't need more smart people in the world without a good conscience.  The Good Citizen Award would simply be political correctness if the recipient were not a holy person. 

All these awards carefully spell out who the world really needs:  God's presence and love and His peacemakers.  In summary, the world needs Jesus and more Christians. 

Does anyone not read between the awards? 

I told our students this morning, "Wherever you go, whatever trip you take, take with you the Lord.  If you are heading off this summer to Disney World, then make sure you take a picture with Mickey or Daffy or Donald and then look straight through their mask and into their eyes and tell them, "God bless you."  It will shock the hell out of them.

Good job!  Give God all the glory.

Evangelization Time  As we come of age, we get more rights as well as responsibilities.  As we grow in our Christian faith, we are given more graces and more responsibilities.  As we get closer to holiness, we carry a bigger Cross. 

Like St. Charles Lwanga and his companions, St. Paul received helping upon helping of graces from God.  He also received the martyrs crown.  He wasn't the first nor will he be the last.

Jn 16:29-33 Think Long Term

Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter
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Jesus said to his disciples:  "The hour is coming and has arrived when each of you will be scattered to his own home and you will leave me alone.  But I am not alone, because the Father is with me.  I have told you this so that you might have peace in me.  In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world."

The hour is coming...  "Take courage, I have conquered the world."  This is one of the most beautiful Scripture passages in the entire Bible.  And what makes it even more beautiful is when we realize the moment the Lord said it:  right before his betrayal and arrest.   

His reassurance is as mindboggling as His crucifixion.  In fact, it's as Orwellian as Pilate  having written on His cross the inscription:  He conquered the world. 

Huh?  And yet, it is completely true.  He truly conquered the world. 

Where is Roman Empire?  Where are all the emperors?  Where are the Pharisees and scribes and chief priests and elders?  Where is the Sanhedrin?  All gone.

...when you will be shattered.  Think back.  Think back to the time when your faith was shattered, and how you thought your life would be ruined forever.  Think back to that enormous weight upon your shoulders; that sin that was unforgiveable; that curse that was irreversible.  Think back to when your faith in God was gone.

If this hasn't happened, then mark my words:  It will.  It is only a matter of time.

In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.

Difficult moments are crippling and blinding moments where we just can't move or see beyond the present - the moment.  Past experiences should have taught us well.  These are not the times to question our Lord.  These are the times to open the eyes of our heart and push forward.  WE ARE STRONGER THAN WE THINK.  WE WILL NOT JUST SURVIVE.  WE WILL SUCCEED. 

But how?    Faith.  Hope.  Love. 

We need to nourish all three.  We need to take good care of all three, for there will come a time when we will be scattered like lambs.

Assignment.  Think back.  Today is a day for reflection; to think back to when our faith was scattered, nay shattered!  Let's be honest with ourselves so that we can serve the Lord in times of trouble.  It's better this way.  It's better to be brutally honest than soft hearted, especially when it comes to acknowledging God's amazing graces in times of trouble.

It's better to sing a new song (cf. Ps. 68:22a) than to hum that old familiar itune called "doubt" and "vacillation."   

Let us recall what the Lord has done for us and think long term.