Skip to main content

6th Sunday of Easter - Cycle B

By

Love.  One small word but it means so much.  The ancient Greeks had at least five different words to describe the different types of emotions love can evoke.  If we had to sum up our entire faith tradition in one word, it would have to be “love.”  Love is how God brought us into existence.  Love is the primary teaching that Jesus gave us.  Love is how the Holy Spirit is made manifest in us today.  Spring is in the air, and so is love.

The Word for the 6th Sunday of Easter
Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48
Psalms 98:1, 2-3, 3-4
1 John 4:7-10
John 15:9-17

Our first reading from Acts of the Apostles centers on the conversion and baptism of Cornelius, a Roman Centurion.  Cornelius is a foreigner in every sense, yet he is compelled by a vision to seek out Peter.  Peter bravely accepts his invitation, knowing full well that it is against Jewish law to meet with a Gentile.  But Peter knows better – knows that God’s love shows no partiality.  During his visit, the Holy Spirit comes upon all those gathered, including Cornelius and the other Gentiles.  Upon seeing this Peter responds, “Can anyone withhold the water for baptism to these people…?”  The answer, of course, is “no.”  And neither should we.  Our Psalm echoes the universal nature of God’s love as a gift to be recognized by all nations as we sing, “The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.”

Our second reading continues our study of the 1st Letter of John.  This week’s passage also focuses on love.  Love is from God, and those who love, know God.  John reminds us that this love is revealed though God sending his Son, who through his love for us gave his life as expiation for our sins.  Love is in fact, something given, and in the words of St. Francis, “it is in giving that we receive.”

Our Gospel passage for this week picks up right where we left off last week (“I am the vine, you are the branches”).  After having shown us the connection between God, himself, and ourselves, Jesus now turns to the topic of love.  “As the Father loves me, so I also love you.”  This leads us to the Great Commandment:  “Love one another as I love you.”  Through this love we are no longer slaves.  Jesus reinforces this understanding by reminding the Apostles that he has told them everything.  In a typical master-slave relationship, the master does not have to explain himself, the slave needs only to comply.  But Jesus tells his Apostles that he considers them to be “friends,” thus breaking down that traditional master-slave or master-apprentice relationship.  Jesus explains that he has been told everything by the Father and that he now imparts that to them so that his message might bear fruit, and that love will rule the day.

Final Thoughts:
As human beings we seem fixated on the concept of hierarchy.  In fact, we live with this concept daily, be it through our jobs, our schools, or our government.  Who sits above who?  Who sits below who?  Who’s in charge?  Who has authority?  Even the Apostles themselves argued over this.  Even as Church we are still fixated on this notion of hierarchy when we look at the structure of the Magisterium.  What we tend to leave out of the equation, however, is love.  When you factor love into a hierarchical structure the walls of separation collapse.  Even in the most basic human hierarchy, that of a parent and a child, love plays a transformative role.  In a family where parent and child serve each other, there is no room for a sense of entitlement because everything is done through love.  “It is in giving that we receive.”

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Ascension of the Lord - Cycle C

By
Following the traditional calendar, the Solemnity of the Ascension falls on a Thursday, 40 days after the Resurrection, and 10 days before Pentecost.  But since the Ascension is such an important moment for us as Church, many dioceses, including our own, have moved this celebration to this coming Sunday (in place of the 7th Sunday of Easter). The Word for the Ascension of the Lord Acts 1:1-11 Psalm 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9 Ephesians 1:17-23 or Hebrews 9:24-28, 10:19-23 Luke 24:46-53 Our first reading is from the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles.  While it might be more appropriate that this reading should follow our Gospel reading for today (as it naturally follows after Luke’s Gospel), the book-end effect of these two readings remains intact, reminding us how this was a pivotal moment for the Church.  Like most sequels, our reading opens with a recap of where we left off at the end of Luke’s Gospel with the Ascension of Jesus.  Also like most sequels, this “recap” of t...
Post a Comment
Read more

28th Sunday of Ordinary Time - Cycle C

By
“Thank you.”  It’s a phrase we hear and use every day.  It’s an accepted and expected courtesy for a variety of interactions.  In fact, when we don’t hear it when we expect to, we feel slighted and unappreciated.  Here’s a question:  Does God feel slighted and unappreciated when we don’t give him thanks for his great gifts?  Let’s see what this week’s readings might say on the subject… The Word for the 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time 2 Kings 5:14-17 Psalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4 2 Timothy 2:8-13 Luke 17:11-19 Our first reading comes from 2nd book of Kings.  Naaman, a Syrian military commander, seeks to thank Elisha for curing him of his leprosy (an act that King Joram of Israel isn’t likely to appreciate).  Not only does Naaman wish to give thanks to Elisha, but also to his God.  This is nothing short of a complete conversion for Naaman, who not only sees the glory of God but recognizes the importance of the land in this covenant relationship.  In f...
Post a Comment
Read more

29th Sunday of Ordinary Time - Cycle C

By
Persistence.  The Oxford Dictionary defines this as “firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.”  Persistence is an important part of our faith tradition, as our readings this week teach us: The Word for the 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time Exodus 17:8-13 Psalm 121:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 2 Timothy 3:14-4:2 Luke 18:1-8 Our first reading is a story from the book of Exodus.  Here Moses and the Israelites, not long after their flight from Egypt, are pushing forward into Southern Canaan where they are experiencing resistance from the nation of Amalek (named for the grandson of Esau, Abraham’s other son – though this may just be a literary device).  As they engage in battle, Moses holds out his hands (as he would in a prayer position) and the battle goes in favor of Israel, but as Moses grows tired and lowers his hands, the tide of battle shifts.  With the help of Aaron and Hur, Moses is able to keep his arms up so that Israel wi...
Post a Comment
Read more