Fifth Sunday of Easter

Here are the readings for the Fifth Sunday of Easter , April 28, 2013:

Acts of the Apostles 14: 21-27
Psalm 145: 8-13
Revelation 21: 1-5a
John 13: 31-35

 In our "Church Lives" we are deep into the Easter Season- the special time in our liturgical year that overflows with joy and alleluias, finds us reveling in Christ's victory over sin and death, and reading about the powerful expansion of the early Church. Wilting lilies are replaced with fresh new flowers, baptisms and weddings, first communions and confirmations- generally not celebrated during Lent- resume full force! All is wonderful!

And yet.

In our "Real Lives", the joy feels muted and for some, unrecognizable. Factory buildings fall on impoverished workers, innocent people get injured at a marathon, violence and corruption seem to rule the day, while families and individuals struggle with employment or economic or health or marital or addiction or ..... issues.

How can we reconcile this dichotomy?

Let's start with readjusting our vision. We don't have "church lives" and "real lives", we have LIVES, whose various aspects incorporate, integrate and inform each other. And while we live in 2013 with our particular set of hardships -- real, not-to-be-discounted hardships -- these challenges have always been a part of being human. Even in the glow of making many new followers for Jesus, the Acts of the Apostles reported that Peter and Barnabas had to "strengthen[ed] the spirits of the disciples and exhort[ed] them to persevere in the faith." Sharing and believing the Good News does not inoculate us from pain; it may well open our hearts up to more ways to have them broken, in compassion. 

John's vision in the Book of Revelation of a 'new heaven and a new earth' expresses that deep longing we share for all to be made right. The comforting promise of this vision is this:

“Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race.
He will dwell with them and they will be his people
and God himself will always be with them as their God.
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.”

God is not disinterested in our pain, locked away in a golden box, accessible only with special words from worthy people. God lives with us, not only wiping the tears from our eyes, but sighing and crying along with us. Such an audacious assertion?! Not that 'out there', at all: through the gift of Holy Spirit, whose coming we will soon celebrate at Pentecost, God does indeed live with us, within us, empowering us to continue Jesus' mission of reconciliation, healing, forgiveness and love. God is with us in the rescue workers, the mourners, the runners raising money to help the victims, the health care workers, and the friend we turn to for consolation. John's Gospel this Sunday concludes:

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.

Every time we gather for Mass, we come to praise God, the Source of all Love, to offer our triumphs and failures and be nourished by Scripture and the Eucharist. It is not a 'time out' from real life, but possibly the most real time of our lives each week- when we are reminded who we belong to and how we are to live. That's a mighty big task for one person--- which is why we need each other, why we need "the Church" (the Body of Christ) to stay focused on this simple and essential mission statement for our lives: love one another.

Mystagogia continues this Sunday at 10:45am.

Fourth Sunday of Easter

 

Here are the readings for the Fourth Sunday of Easter , April 21, 2013:

Acts of the Apostles 13: 14, 43-52
Psalm 100: 1-3, 5
Revelation 7:9, 14b-17
John 10: 27-30

 
One of the most ancient and prevalent images of Jesus Christ among early Christians was that of the Good Shepherd.  A professional shepherd was well acquainted with his sheep, understanding the personality, strengths and foibles of each one, and personally concerned for their welfare. A hired hand would likely not have the inclination or investment to really care that much, or put themselves in harm's way to save an animal.

It's tough for us to accept being called 'sheep', though. I can tell you from recent experience on our Ireland pilgrimage that sheep can be smelly! And they don't have a reputation for brilliance. (Although gamboling lambs ARE irresistibly cute)  But in Jesus' day and culture, sheep were regarded as honorable animals. In that culture, an honorable man would suffer in silence,  protecting one's honor even to death, if necessary. They noticed that sheep being shorn or being prepared for slaughter did not cry out (see Isaiah 53:7) and so transferred that notion of honor to them.

What does that mean for us?  Not that we simply suffer in silence, but that we might contemplate the relationship between a good shepherd, a true leader, and the sheep s/he tends. If you know that you are looked after, cared for, and well-known by one entirely commited to your welfare, what does that mean for your ability to trust in God's Word and promises?

Mystagogia contiues this Sunday at 10:45am.
Inquiry will be on Tuesday, April 23.