7th Sunday of Easter!!!

Gospel JN 17:1-11A

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,
just as you gave him authority over all people,
so that your son may give eternal life to all you gave him.
Now this is eternal life,
that they should know you, the only true God,
and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.
I glorified you on earth
by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do.
Now glorify me, Father, with you,
with the glory that I had with you before the world began.

“I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world.
They belonged to you, and you gave them to me,
and they have kept your word.
Now they know that everything you gave me is from you,
because the words you gave to me I have given to them,
and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you,
and they have believed that you sent me.
I pray for them.
I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me,
because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours
and everything of yours is mine,
and I have been glorified in them.
And now I will no longer be in the world,
but they are in the world, while I am coming to you.”
I wonder why Jesus had to leave?  After rising from the dead, what if he just stayed and continued to build the church from generation to generation?  If anyone could have done it, certainly it was Him., right?  It's been said in business circles that a truly great leader works himself out of a job - he is so good about attracting and training the right people that eventually he can step down and the organization continues to thrive.  I think that's what happened 2000 yrs ago when Jesus ascended.  His intention was for all of us to become the best version of ourselves and for that to happen he needed push us out of the nest and learn to fly on our own.  I would also add the the life of Jesus parallels my own - at one time we had glory with the Father before the world began.  And there will come a time when our work is done here on earth and we will return to perfect communion with God for the rest of eternity.

My spirit rejoices

Gospel LK 1:39-56

Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”

And Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.”

Mary remained with her about three months
and then returned to her home.

So we go back in time with today's reading, all the way back to the Immaculate Conception when Mary could first feel Jesus stirring in the womb.  The parallel to make is that Mary, just like the disciples, accepted God's call and rejoiced in God as her savior.  I love her spirit of gratitude and humility.  Mary's prayer is appropriate as an everyday prayer, don't you think?

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.

Pain & Joy

Gospel JN 16:20-23

Jesus said to his disciples: 
“Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn,
while the world rejoices;
you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.
When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived;
but when she has given birth to a child,
she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy
that a child has been born into the world.
So you also are now in anguish.
But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice,
and no one will take your joy away from you.
On that day you will not question me about anything.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.” 

In this reading, Jesus talks about the bittersweet existence of a disciple - a life of both pain and joy.  How true!  I just completed 3 months of training with a group of triathletes to get ready for a tri that is happening this weekend.  Yes, there is the pain of running on tired legs.  Yes, there is a very literal pain in the butt from logging mile after mile on a hard saddle.  But through it all there is the joy of pushing past our perceived limits.  It's a joy that no one can take away from us because it's a joy that comes from within much like the joy that Jesus is talking about here.  Lord Jesus, I look forward to the day when I see you again and I rejoice!

The Ascension

Gospel MT 28:16-20

The eleven disciples went to Galilee,
to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.
When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.
Then Jesus approached and said to them,
“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
The message of Easter is that death is not the end.  It wasn't for Jesus and it is not the end for us.  Just as Jesus ascended into heaven to be with His Father and all of the angels and saints, so too will we ascend to heaven.  When it is my time, I will be reunited with the Father, the angels, the saints, my brother Larry, my father, Tita Amy, everyone who has been dear to me.  Honestly, it's hard to comprehend this.  And how does this effect how I live my life right now when I know how my life ends?  It means I can let go of all the "small things" that might be keeping me from loving others more deeply.  We can rejoice together in the fact that what God has started in us here on earth, will be made perfect in heaven.

Declare

Gospel JN 16:12-15

Jesus said to his disciples:
“I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.
But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,
he will guide you to all truth.
He will not speak on his own,
but he will speak what he hears,
and will declare to you the things that are coming.
He will glorify me,
because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.
Everything that the Father has is mine;
for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine
and declare it to you.”

Declare.  The word shows up in this short reading 3 times.  The Greek word for declare is defined as follows:

properly, tell all the way up, i.e. clearly – declaring a thought (communication) that shows it has cleared (gone through) its necessary stages.

This suggests that the Holy Spirit is a direct conduit of communication from God - a direct pipeline from God's heart to ours.

Dear God, help me to be even more sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit - to discern those very thoughts that have originated from you.

Let the Holy Spirit convict

Gospel JN 16:5-11

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Now I am going to the one who sent me,
and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’
But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts.
But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go.
For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you.
But if I go, I will send him to you.
And when he comes he will convict the world
in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation:
sin, because they do not believe in me; 
righteousness, because I am going to the Father
and you will no longer see me;
condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.”

Jesus is His "Last Discourse" goes on to talk even more about the Holy Spirit who comes to hold the world accountable for sin, righteousness and condemnation.  As I think about how to parent my two teenage sons, I am assured by today's reading.  I am free to love them in the same way that I am loved by The Father - compassionately, mercifully, with love poured out, accepting them just as they are.  I can let the Holy Spirit convict them of sin and trust that Holy Spirit can do a much better job of this than I ever could.

The Spirit of Truth

Gospel JN 15:26-16:4A

Jesus said to his disciples: 
“When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father,
he will testify to me.
And you also testify,
because you have been with me from the beginning.

“I have told you this so that you may not fall away.
They will expel you from the synagogues;
in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you
will think he is offering worship to God.
They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me.
I have told you this so that when their hour comes
you may remember that I told you.”

More from Jesus about the Holy Spirit - the Spirit of truth.  As He talks to the disciples, he foretells of trials, hardships, and even death that are the direct result of their faith.  And he encourages them to stay true to their internal compass, the Holy Spirit, as it points towards the truth.  Dear Jesus, life is often difficult, uncertain, and unfair - and I continue to look to the Holy Spirit to keep me on a straight path especially when I am under attack because of my faith in You.

You are in me and I in you

Gospel JN 14:15-21

Jesus said to his disciples:
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
And I will ask the Father, 
and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always,
the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept,
because it neither sees nor knows him.
But you know him, because he remains with you,
and will be in you.
I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
In a little while the world will no longer see me,
but you will see me, because I live and you will live.
On that day you will realize that I am in my Father
and you are in me and I in you.
Whoever has my commandments and observes them
is the one who loves me.
And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”
The sixth Sunday of Easter!  Yes, this is still the Easter season.  I know in the past I've mistakenly interpreted the First Sunday of Easter as the culmination of the Easter season, but in reality, it's only the beginning.  This year my joy is greater as week after week, we are reminded of the good news that Jesus shares with us on Easter.  And this Sunday it's no different.  Jesus in his wisdom has sent the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, the Spirit of truth to be with us.  He knows how weak I am!  And it's the moment-to-moment awareness, even the moment-to-moment surrender of my will to the Holy Spirit that guides my life - like a lighthouse guiding a lost ship back to shore.

Thick skin

Gospel JN 15:18-21

Jesus said to his disciples: 
“If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first.
If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own;
but because you do not belong to the world,
and I have chosen you out of the world,
the world hates you.
Remember the word I spoke to you,
‘No slave is greater than his master.’
If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.
If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
And they will do all these things to you on account of my name,
because they do not know the one who sent me.” 

In this reading, I think Jesus is preparing the disciples for the rejection, even hatred, that they are about to experience as they share Jesus message of love and hope.  Not everyone will be willing or ready to accept the message.  They may even be persecuted for it - even die for speaking the truth.  Jesus is also preparing me for rejection and persecution as well.  To be a follower of Jesus means to have a thick skin.  That's clearly an area of growth for me.  Dear Jesus, help me to stay true to doing your will even when it's uncomfortable or inconvenient.

Love One Another

Gospel JN 15:12-17

Jesus said to his disciples:
“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.
I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another.”

Love one another.  I've heard this before.  But how?  By laying down one's life for one's friends.  That's asking a lot.  I think the closest I've come to this is by loving my wife - expressed through the sacrament  of marriage.  I gave up my life as a single person and vowed to stay faithful to her in sickness and in health, in good and bad.  I've also laid down my life for my sons.  I've had fleeting moments of how my life with Marie would be different if we didn't have kids - the freedom, fewer complications.  But when I reflect on the joy that they have brought me - to see God shape their lives right before my eyes, there's no way I would trade what I have now for a childless life.  Marie and the boys - we're all in this together.  Iron sharpens iron.

Remain

Gospel JN 15:9-11

Jesus said to his disciples:
“As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
and remain in his love.

“I have told you this so that
my joy might be in you and
your joy might be complete.”

Remain.  Remain.  Remain.  It shows up three times in this short reading.  I like these translations of the Greek word "remain."

Remain means to be rooted  in Christ (see yesterday's reading about the vine), knit to Him by the spirit I have received from Him, and

remain implies that something has established itself permanently within my soul, and always exerts its power in me

Lord Jesus, thank you for establishing yourself permanently in my soul.  I am open to You exerting your power, love, and influence over me at all times in all things.

I am the vine

Gospel JN 15:1-8

Jesus said to his disciples:
“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 everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
Remain in me, as I remain in you.
Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own
unless it remains on the vine,
so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,
because without me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me
will be thrown out like a branch and wither;
people will gather them and throw them into a fire
and they will be burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
By this is my Father glorified,
that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”
Great imagery in this reading.  Jesus is the life-giving vine and we are the branches that bear the fruit of his love.  But there's more.  God the father prunes the branches so that we can bear more fruit.  This may be painful or uncomfortable at times.   But it is essential for my growth, to become the best I can be, to become holy.  So when God does some pruning back of my own ego, I can consider it blessing instead of a trial - I can look forward to bearing more fruit - remaining in Jesus and becoming a better disciple.

My peace I give to you

Gospel JN 14:27-31A

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
You heard me tell you,
‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’
If you loved me,
you would rejoice that I am going to the Father;
for the Father is greater than I.
And now I have told you this before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe.
I will no longer speak much with you,
for the ruler of the world is coming.
He has no power over me,
but the world must know that I love the Father
and that I do just as the Father has commanded me.”

How troubling it must have been for the disciples to see Jesus brutally crucified, raised from the dead, and now suggesting that he will be returning to His Father in heaven.  Talk about a roller coaster ride.  I would understand if the disciples felt abandoned.  But Jesus assures them not to be troubled or afraid because he gives them His peace.  Lord Jesus, thank you for giving me Your peace - especially when I am troubled or afraid.

The Advocate

Gospel JN 14:21-26

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Whoever has my commandments and observes them
is the one who loves me.
Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”
Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him,
“Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us
and not to the world?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“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.
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words;
yet the word you hear is not mine
but that of the Father who sent me.

“I have told you this while I am with you.
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit 
whom the Father will send in my name— 
he will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you.”

I could be wrong, but I don't think the word trinity ever shows up in the Bible.  In today's reading, Jesus pulls it all together for us.  He urges us to love him and be loved by the Father.  And He assures us that the Holy Spirit will guide us.  Dear Jesus, thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to help my unbelief.  Loving you and following you can be hard by myself, but the Holy Spirit helps to keep my focus on you and your teaching and advocates on my behalf!

The Way the Truth and the Life

Gospel JN 14:1-12

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If there were not,
would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way.”
Thomas said to him,
“Master, we do not know where you are going;
how can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you know me, then you will also know my Father.
From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to him,
“Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time
and you still do not know me, Philip?
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.
The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,
or else, believe because of the works themselves.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father.”
More bold claims from Jesus.  "I am the way and the truth and the life."  "Whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these..."  Lord Jesus, help my unbelief.  Help me to have the unwavering faith to do good works in your great name.  Amen.

Co-creators

Gospel JN 14:7-14

Jesus said to his disciples: 
“If you know me, then you will also know my Father. 
From now on you do know him and have seen him.” 
Philip said to Jesus, 
“Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” 
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time
and you still do not know me, Philip? 
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. 
How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? 
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. 
The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. 
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,
or else, believe because of the works themselves. 
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father. 
And whatever you ask in my name, I will do,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 
If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”

Can this be true?  "If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it."  What an outlandish promise!   Does Jesus really mean anything?  He does.  His statement speaks to Jesus expectation (mandate?) that we are co-creators with Him.  Through Jesus we have the seemingly supernatural ability to turn our own thoughts and desires into reality.  What do I want to create with Jesus today?

No place like home

Gospel JN 14:1-6

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. 
You have faith in God; have faith also in me. 
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If there were not,
would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way.” 
Thomas said to him, 
“Master, we do not know where you are going;
how can we know the way?” 
Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. 
No one comes to the Father except through me.”

There's no place like home.  I still have fond memories of the home where I grew up.  Sharing a bedroom with my brother when I was little.  Getting big enough where I could push the lawn mower all by myself!  Smelling the sweet scent of french toast as my dad cooked in the kitchen.  In today's reading, Jesus tells me that He has prepared a place for me with Him and with the Father.  I'm looking forward to going to my eternal home!

Whoever receives me

Gospel JN 13:16-20

When Jesus had washed the disciples’ feet, he said to them:
“Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master
nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him.
If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.
I am not speaking of all of you.
I know those whom I have chosen.
But so that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me.
From now on I am telling you before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe that I AM. 
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send
receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”

I'm not surprised that others believe Jesus to be a great prophet, a wise man, a saint.  It's obvious how 2000 years later he is still having a lasting impact on humanity.  But He is more than that.  In a way that defies understanding, He is the incarnation of God Himself.  In a way it makes perfect sense.  How could we possibly understand the majesty, timelessness, and expansiveness of the Creator of the Universe?  Sometimes we get glimpses:  like when I watch a spectacular sunset or sit quietly at the edge of the world and experience the ocean roaring and churning or when I contemplate Half Dome at Yosemite.  In Jesus, God gave me an even bigger glimpse of Himself - He came down from Heaven and shared a part Himself with me in the flesh of Jesus.

Remain in His love

Gospel JN 15:9-17

Jesus said to his disciples:
“As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
and remain in his love.

“I have told you this so that my joy might be in you
and your joy might be complete.
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.
I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another.”

In today's reading we get the message from Jesus that it's all about love!  He tell us to "remain in his love" and to "love one another."  They are two sides of the same coin.  My ability to love another is a natural outgrowth of remaining in God's love.  When I forget how much God loves me, loving someone else pretty much goes out the door.  Lord Jesus, help me to remain in your love and remember from moment to moment how much you love me.

In the palm of the Father's hand

Gospel JN 10:22-30

The feast of the Dedication was taking place in Jerusalem.
It was winter. 
And Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of Solomon. 
So the Jews gathered around him and said to him,
“How long are you going to keep us in suspense? 
If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 
Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe.
The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me.
But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep.
My sheep hear my voice;
I know them, and they follow me. 
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. 
No one can take them out of my hand. 
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,
and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. 
The Father and I are one.”

Father God, you have been holding me in the palm of your hand since the beginning of time.  Thank you for sending Jesus to lead me back to you.  You know me better than I know myself.  Help me to go where you lead me.

The Good Shepherd

Gospel JN 10:11-18

Jesus said:
“I am the good shepherd.
A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
A hired man, who is not a shepherd
and whose sheep are not his own,
sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away,
and the wolf catches and scatters them.
This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd,
and I know mine and mine know me,
just as the Father knows me and I know the Father;
and I will lay down my life for the sheep.
I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.
These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice,
and there will be one flock, one shepherd.
This is why the Father loves me,
because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own.
I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again.
This command I have received from my Father.”

Lord Jesus, thank you for laying down your life for me.  Help me to listen carefully for your voice so that I can draw closer to You.  I am thirsty and you give me the water of everlasting life.  I am hungry and you feed me with your abundant love.  You have opened the gates of heaven and I follow you into eternity.  You are the Good Shepherd and I am your sheep.

Spirit and Life

Gospel JN 6:60-69

Many of the disciples of Jesus who were listening said,
“This saying is hard; who can accept it?”
Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this,
he said to them, “Does this shock you?
What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
It is the Spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail.
The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.
But there are some of you who do not believe.”
Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe
and the one who would betray him.
And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me
unless it is granted him by my Father.”

As a result of this,
many of his disciples returned to their former way of life
and no longer walked with him.
Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe
and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”

We all have a choice - follow Jesus or not.  It's not too surprising that there were people who rejected Jesus.  He made some bold, even outlandish claims.  But I like Simon Peter's response:  "Master, to whom shall we go?"  If we don't turn to Jesus who (or what) will we turn to?  There's no other alternative that can give us eternal life!  Dear Jesus, I believe everything You said is true and I'm grateful that you love me so much that I can be with you for all eternity.