When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it–always. Mahatma Gandhi

This Sunday is the International Day of Non-Violence.  The UN General Assembly established this by resolution in 2007, setting it on the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, a great pioneer of the philosphy and stragegy of non-violence.

According to the resolution, the purpose of this day is to communicate a ”message of non-violence” through both education and expanded public awareness.   It reaffirms ”the universal relevance of the principle of non-violence” and the desire ”to secure a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding and non-violence.”

Let us examine our own interactions, language, and hearts to transform internal and external violence into life-giving, gospel-affirmed peace.

from Gandhi’s words

I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.

”Non-volence is the greatest force at the disposal of humankind.  It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of people.”

Non-violence is not a weapon of the weak. It is a weapon of the strongest and the bravest.

The common factor of all religions is nonviolence.

Nonviolence is a quality not of the body but of the soul.

Jesus was the most active resister known perhaps to history. His was non-violence par excellence.

If one does not practice non-violence in one’s own personal relations with others and hopes to use it in bigger affairs, one is vastly mistaken.

Love is a rare herb that makes a friend even of a sworn enemy and this herb grows out of non-violence.

• 1 Kings 3:5, 7-12. Solomon prays: Give your servant an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.
• Romans 8:28-30. God makes all things work together for the good of those who love him and have been called according to his decree.
• Matthew 13: 44-52. The reign of God is like a buried treasure for which people sell all their possessions. Every scribe learned in the reign of God brings forth both the new and the old.

Thoughts for your consideration: By John Gonzalez

The Gospel passage for this week ends a series of parables offering teachings and instruction concerning the Kingdom of God. I personally find it interesting that after Jesus gives these series of parables he ask the question “Have you understood all this?” and the people respond back a resounding “Yes.” This surprises me. Have they really understood this instruction regarding the Kingdom of God that is based on the use of metaphors and symbols depicting so many different aspects of this fundamental teaching? Did the people have such clarity of thought? Even Jesus’ disciples at one point request an explanation about one of his parable but then Jesus goes on to offer these more enigmatic parables and now they declare their full and complete understanding. Have you ever been in a class or in training and realize that the topic being discussed is confusing but rather than ask for clarity you look to your peers and shrug your shoulder while hoping that as the lesson continues someone will ask a clarifying question or perhaps the instructor will offer a helpful example. I  assume that Jesus had many such listeners with him that day.

Do these parables offer a clear understanding of what the Kingdom of God is? Hardly, but then again how are we supposed to learn about a mystical concept such as this? Jesus gives us these metaphors and images to offer us some ideas regarding our relationship with God but a full and complete comprehension is simply out of our reach. Knowing this Jesus wraps up his teaching with one final instruction. A scribe that is trained for the Kingdom of God must use all the resources of his or her faith tradition, new as well as old. The person who wishes to comprehend and understand the treasures of our faith must take the richness of our tradition and allow it to communicate and adapt to the new ideological and social developments. We tend to see tradition in competition with progress but Jesus offers this final lesson suggesting that wisdom happens when tradition is allowed to grow with the progress of human development. The pearl and the hidden treasure tell us that the new is not something we hide away from for the sake of that which we possess but instead we are to invest our traditional resources in the new from which we will find greater meaning.

But this process requires wisdom and the right use of wisdom will temper our judgment. The second reading from St. Paul uses a word that has caused much theological problems throughout the historical development of Christianity. Predestination is a concept that caused a severe rift between the ideals of freedom and grace. This rift was born between the theological arguments of Augustine and Pelagius and eventually was the theological point of contention that resulted in the split between Protestants and Catholics. The principle of predestination makes it sounds like God’s grace is in control of everything and that freedom in actuality does not exist. What is needed is wisdom to help offer the clarity that freedom does not compete with grace but is actually in relationship with it. Many of us our learning that freedom also belongs to God and that God has freely offered his love to His creation with the intent of respecting our freedom to engage in this universal divine love (agape). Freedom flows from grace and St. Paul can say that we have been predestined without limiting either our freedom or God’s freedom to grow into this mystical relationship since “we know that all things work together for good.”

But again what is needed is the gift of wisdom which Solomon recognizes as an essential quality for being a good king. Wisdom is an essential quality for us all. Going back to the idea of the new and old we must temper our desire to align ourselves as traditionalist or progressive without seeing the merit and necessity of engaging both elements for moving ahead with a faith tradition that speaks to a developing post-modern world. It never hurts to keep in mind a simple prayer that I like to use as a mantra for wisdom.

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things that I cannot change, the courage to change the things that I can and the wisdom to know the difference.”

• Wisdom 12:13, 16-19. Through God is the master of all power, he judges with clemency. He taught us that justice must be associated with kindness so that there is always good reason for hope.
• Romans 8: 26-27. The Spirit groans within us, expressing thoughts and instincts beyond the reach of words and enabling us to pray in ways otherwise impossible for us.
• Matthew 13: 24-43. Several parables: the weeds which grow till harvest, the mustard seed which becomes a very large bush, leaven which enables the dough to rise into a loaf of bread.

Thought for Your Consideration: By John Gonzalez

There is an inspiring Cherokee tale that offers the same moral message that we read in the scriptures this weekend. A grandfather tells his grandson that there are two wolves constantly fighting within him. There is a good wolf with all the virtues that we recognize such as peace, love, kindness hope and compassion and a bad wolf with vices that we also are familiar with such as greed, arrogance, selfishness and hatred. This fight is going on in him and in every single person. The grandson then asks, “Which wolf will win?” and the Grandfather responds, “The one you feed.”

The three reading for this week offer instruction on the task of forming our habits towards the good.  In the first reading the book of Wisdom describes how God teaches by example. God has the power to bring about justice but He exerts His power through the virtues of “clemency” and with much “lenience.” Thus, the author tells us, that God teaches by His own example so that “those who are just must be kind.” Throughout his writings Paul uses a similar dualism that is used in the Cherokee legend but in place of the evil and good wolves he uses the image of the “flesh” vs. the “spirit.” In the second reading Paul discusses how the “Spirit” can and should be utilized to help form one’s habit. Prayer is obviously an important area where we should be mindful of the intercession of the “Spirit” as it offers instruction for our ability to talk with God. In pursuing the habit of being good it is vital that we constantly place ourselves at the service of “God’s will” and not our own desires so it is important that our prayer be a sincere moment where we can place ourselves and all our actions within the aid of the “Spirit”.

As for the Gospel passage we are given a number of parables regarding the Kingdom of God. Many of the parables offer the image of a process of growing into some form of fulfillment. The mustard seed and the leaven both articulate that the Kingdom of God is an ever growing process. This can be read in two ways. One way of reading this is to identify the Kingdom of God as an ever evolving reality that is slowly developing into a future where it will finally be established. The other way to also consider this image is to identify that we are called to nurture this almost insignificant mustard seed or leaven so that the Kingdom of God can grow within us. The other parable about the weeds and the wheat takes us back to the first reading in describing the compassionate way that God allows for all of us to grow within his field so that even though God does bring about justice he will do it with clemency and leniency.

Life is always offering us trials and opportunities for us to feed either our good or bad wolf. Sometimes, in our pursuit of justice or righteousness we exemplify a style that ends up inadvertently moving people away from a just cause by offering harsh condemnations or condescending criticisms. The example that we hear this week is to blend the prophetic message with a pastoral approach so that we can invite people to contemplate what is good and just through our example of being welcoming, hospitable and of course charitable. Without these virtues those of us who offer the teachings of the faith will be guilty of bringing people closer to sin and error even if our message and instruction is based on God’s word. Lest we forget the two wolves our also struggling within those of us who our instructors of the faith.

Fr. Daniel Harrington, SJ wrote a book “Why do we suffer” where he comments on a similar imagery to the Cherokee legend that is used in the “Rule of the Community” which was one of the Dead Sea scrolls. In it the “instructor” talks about the two forces that our battling within our souls. The instructor identifies these forces as the “Angel of Darkness” and the “Angel of Light.” Both powers our struggling within us for supremacy and of course, like the grandson Fr. Harrington contemplates the question of who will win.

“How do you know which group you are in? The instructor admits that everyone has some share in both groups, but goes on to say that it depends on “whether each one’s portion in their two divisions is great or small.” A later Jewish teaching sees in each person both a good inclination and an evil inclination, and contends that one’s destiny depends on which inclination predominates.”       

• Isaiah 55:10-11. God’s word comes mysteriously and gently from above, yet powerfully achieves its effect with us.
• Romans 8: 18-23. The earth groans in travail, awaiting the revelation of the Son of God, the glory hidden within it, which the Spirit brings to fruition.
• Matthew 13:1-23. The parable of the sower and several explanations.

Thoughts for your Consideration, By John Gonzalez

Socrates is known to have said a phrase “I know that I know nothing.” The idea behind this statement and the Socratic Method is that true knowledge comes from our ability to be open to the hidden wisdom of possibilities when we question certain certitudes. If we investigate our assumptions it may unnerve us to find out that our dogmatic beliefs may not be so obvious and clear but if we stay on track what we will discover is the universal truth that our dogmatic statements attempt to convey imperfectly. In the letters of St. Paul he refers to this when he makes his distinction between living under the law versus living in the Spirit. The mystical truths are in some ways beyond human comprehension. But nevertheless it is God’s desire that we share in His eternal word and wisdom and the readings for this week instruct us on how we are to receive his divine word. The caution of course is to not be fooled into thinking that we actually fully understand this divine wisdom by ardently and unreflectively defending some dogmatic statements or beliefs. This will only result in a false sense of knowledge and a limited appreciation of that which is mystical.

The readings for this weekend follow from last week’s lesson about the wisdom of God being accessible to the ignorant while being hidden from those who are socially considered wise or clever. This week the three writers describe the mystical access and effect of God’s divine word. Jesus’ famous parable of the sower seems to borrow directly from the first reading where Isaiah describes God’s great wisdom within the metaphor of a gentle precipitation which saturates the ground and is expected to produce a good harvest. In the second reading Paul offers us an image of the effect of God’s word as it rains down upon all creation. Not only humanity but indeed all creation will be glorified as it is reborn with the Spirit of God’s message. In the gospel passage Jesus offers and then explains the parable of the sower. He lets his disciples know that God’s wisdom is self evident for all to see and hear but social conditions will compromise the access to this wisdom for many.

The human condition is one that desires to pursue the truth. God does not wish to keep His great truth from us. Through the elements of revelation and reason we have had access to the self-evident truths that are revealed to us by the Spirit. We must consider two things as we contemplate this divine wisdom and the meaning that these truths have in our own lives. The first limitation that we must accept is our own subjectivity. While we may yearn for the truth at times we may find ourselves redefining the truth so that it does not challenge our social reality. Many of Jesus’ teachings on nonviolence and uncompromising charity are very much socially disturbing and we continue to have theological debates regarding how we can incorporate this wisdom within the social context. The ideas of the “common good” or the “preferential option for the poor” continue to produce massive theological discussions. We can observe, for example, how these gospel principles are accepted in the underdeveloped context of Latin America is very different from the way they are perceived in the North American context. As we listen to the challenging word of God we ought to be aware of our own subjective approach to this message and recognize the cultural and social bias that we bring to our own interpretation.

The second limitation comes from our imperfect humanity which can comprehend universal truths from narrow perception of our human experience. The reason that Jesus uses parables is because the only way we can comprehend the ineffable is through the use of metaphoric images that are based on our natural reality. To say that God’s house in a mansion with many rooms does not mean that I must literally accept that God has a large and expensive domicile and that one of those rooms has my name on the door. Instead it gives us a symbolic image that conveys the fact that there is another existence after this one and that we (in some way) are expected to partake in this existence. Our knowledge of the mystery of creation is ever evolving and as a result our knowledge of God’s creative mystery (as revealed through creation) is also evolving. In the second reading Paul asserts that creation is not a stable unit that is passively waiting for God to transform it. Instead creation is depicted as a living and active organism that is at this moment undergoing a process of transformation.

God’s word has been given to us to aid us as co-workers that are commissioned to help bring about this transformation. Let us treat this divine word gently and habitually so that each and every aspect of the divine message will grow within each and every one of us.

• Zechariah 9:9-10. Your king comes, a just savior, to proclaim peace to all nations.
• Romans 8:9, 11-13. The Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us to bring our mortal bodies to new life.
• Matthew 11:25-30. Jesus offers thanksgiving, praising the Father for what has been revealed to merest children but hidden
  from the learned and the clever. If we take Jesus’ burden upon us, we will find rest.

Thoughts for your consideration: By John Gonzalez

In the Gospel passage for this week Jesus is offering an unusual prayer of thanksgiving to God his Father. It is an ecstatic prayer that professes a mystical union with God but it takes place after he encounters some unrepentant towns that are not quite receptive to his message or great works. Jesus is taking some criticism from the established religious and social leaders and in an earlier verse (16-19) he offers an interesting comment about the criticism that he and John the Baptist received from the leaders of his day even though their styles were very different. John shunned the world and all its social trappings preaching from the wilderness and thus having people come to him. Jesus immersed himself in the world and accepted the hospitality that he received as he went about preaching and ministering throughout all of Judea. Ironically they both received their criticisms amidst the fact that they had completely different styles, John was deemed possessed while Jesus was labeled a sinner.

This is the context from which Jesus offers this prayer where me makes a strong statement about the social impact of God’s wisdom. The point of Jesus’ prayer is to place God’s wisdom apart from human wisdom. In this prayer Jesus suggest that it is the ignorant and simple who will have a greater chance of understanding the idea that God does indeed love them and cares for them in a way that those who are caught theologizing within a particular social context (in support of the Temple authority and their
collaboration with the Roman Empire) cannot fully appreciate. Gustavo Gutierrez tells us in his discussion of this passage that the “little children” or “babes” are the poor, the suffering and the sick, the people who have been marginalized by their society. In this passage Gutierrez comments over the odd sense of gratitude that Jesus expresses at having the revealed truth hidden from the learned and the clever.

The fact that God hides “these things” from the wise and reveals them to the simple is the concrete occasion for grasping what is behind this behavior and gives it meaning – namely, the free and unmerited love of God for every human being and especially  for the poor and forgotten. … This predilection, which does not imply exclusivity, is underscored by the hiding of revelation from the wise and important. An entire social and religious order is hereby turned upside down. [1]

The poor and marginalized are the ones who stand on the periphery and because of that they are not corrupted by social commitments. This liberated perspective will help them comprehend a meek and humble messiah who preaches an altruistic message of peace that will not be compromised by social conventions.  This is the messianic image that Zechariah attests to in the first reading and in the second half of the Gospel passage Jesus invites the poor and marginalized to again find their hope within this countercultural image of the messiah.

Paul guides us along this same lesson but we must be careful not to interpret his dichotomy between the Spirit and the flesh as an attack or condemnation of the natural world which we theologically accept as good. Instead Paul dichotomy refers to motivation. Will our disposition and actions be determined by our social conventions and values whose self interest will be contrary to the Will of God? Or will we be motivated by the Spirit of God that chooses to serve all life within a pledge of peace (verse 6)? If our preaching and actions serves a specific political or economic interest then it should be held suspect. But if our ministry and analysis considers and addresses the actual plight of those who are poor and marginalized than “the Spirit of God dwells in you.”

Our Catholic Church struggles to offer the prophetic and pastoral positions of our faith on a number of social issues that by moral
right must be addressed. This is a responsibility that our Church has and we (the faithful) are obliged to engage in this responsibility as we are all part of the “Body of Christ”. It is fair to critique the angle and positions offered however especially if the social and economic burden continues to fall on those who are poor and marginalized. The Gospel message we hear this weekend  gives us a clear orientation to serve those who are most burdened by our social and economic policies. May we continue to serve God by relieving the burden from those who our society has weight down.

• Acts 2:1-11. The awesome descent of the Spirit, so that all are caught up in wonder and hear the marvels of God spoken in their own tongues.
• 1 Corinthians 12: 3-7, 12-13. There are different gifts but the same Spirit. In the one Spirit all of us were baptized into one body [and] have been given to drink of the one Spirit.
• John 20: 19-23 Jesus breathed upon the disciples, gathered together in a locked room; he conferred the Holy Spirit and the power of forgiving sin.

Thoughts for your consideration: by John Gonzalez

The message of Pentecost Sunday offers us a curious lesson on the virtue of unity. Whoever attend the Pentecost vigil mass will hear the famous Hebrew account of Babel. In this account God is seemingly nervous of human ambition and He sows chaos by fragmenting the unified human community through the use of different languages. In the first reading for the Sunday Mass however we encounter God unifying the human community by the power of the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the Apostles. Language becomes the instrument that is used to sow division in Babel while for the Apostles language becomes the instrument of unity in preaching to the people of Jerusalem. How are we to understand God’s apparent contradiction during these two historical moments?

In the story of Babel the early Hebrew community tries to explain how the human community eventually migrated everywhere and became such a fragmented group. No social or ecological phenomenon could be explained without God’s intervention so of course in trying to respond to this reality they employed God’s divine intervention. Without taking this story as a literal historical account one can reflect on the spiritual lesson that is to be learned here. Of course God does not fear our human capabilities; instead we see what happens when the human community is organized on a project that goes against the will of God.

Babel may or may not have happened, but Babel like moments have happened in our human history where civilizations and societies have developed unifying agendas that goes against the will of God. For a time a particular culture or group may achieve great projects and pursue a policy of dominance based on the achievements. But such power that is wielded outside of the will of God or the Holy Spirit becomes corrupted and divisive. Consider for example the situations of the Athenians and the birth of democratic Greece. This was a noble and virtuous endeavor. The immediate result of this revolutionary achievement was that they were able to organize the Greek peninsula to defend themselves from the overpowering tyranny of the Persian Empire. Yet no sooner had they reached their own moment of power when they began to make plans to overpower others with their perceived supremacy. Their downfall came soon enough with the start of the Peloponnesian war.

St. Paul declares that all our gifts and talents are given to us by the one Spirit. These gifts are not given to us to serve our own interest but to serve the one Body. These gifts that we each have can certainly profit us and our own communities but they are not put to their authentic use if they do not serve the common good of the one Body. If we use these talents toward that purpose then we will achieve an authentic unity where our motivation is for the service of God and all of creation.

The Gospel passage tells us that an essential element of this authentic unity is a spirit of peace. As he shows the wound on his hands and side Jesus keeps offering the disciples this spirit of peace. If you had seen a friend inflicted with terrible and unjust wounds what feelings would surface? Possibly anger and revenge, a desire to see that justice is served perhaps. I would like to assume that is why Jesus keeps enforcing this call to peace. He wants his disciples to witness the truth but to do so through an attitude of peace and compassionate love. Only through a spirit of peace can the disciples begin to approach the wisdom and understanding of God’s plan through the Holy Spirit. In breathing the Holy Spirit to the disciples Jesus’ first instruction is to have them forgive others. In this way they truly become a witness to God’s love.

The readings for Pentecost Sunday invite us to adopt this spirit of peace and forgiveness and to contemplate the authentic unity of the human family. In order to be open to the wisdom of the Holy Spirit we need to recognize the power of that one Great Spirit within each and every one of us.

• Acts 1: 1-11. Between Easter and Ascension Jesus instructed the apostles and advised them to “wait… [for] you will be baptized
  with the Holy Spirit.” Eventually Jesus will return gloriously, the same way by which he ascended from their midst.
• Ephesians 1: 17-23. Christ’s “fullness fills the universe” and so the Lord distributes “the wealth of his glorious heritage” and
  “the immeasurable scope of his power in us who believe.”
• Matthew 28: 16-20. Stresses the Lord’s universal authority and the commission of the apostles to “make disciples of all nations.” It was spoken by Jesus in Galilee.

Thoughts for Your Consideration: By John Gonzalez

As I consider the lectionary readings for this weekend I cannot help but place the interaction between Jesus and his disciples within the context of the rapture which was suppose to take place a couple of weeks ago and which is now being slated for October. The disciples, like so many of us, were also looking for quick and definitive answers. As Jesus prepared to ascend into heaven they eagerly asked him if now was the moment for final culmination of God’s Kingdom here on earth. Jesus offers the sobering response “It is not for you to know the times or seasons.” Instead of passively dwelling with the “end of the world” phenomenon Jesus offers his disciples a call to action to be agents of God’s great love for the entire world. Comically, as Jesus ascends, the disciples simply stand there naively waiting for God to yet intervene so that even angels are commissioned to shoo them away and get them moving on to their appointed task.

The fact is that it is easier for us to sit back and let God do all the work than for us to take responsibility and be an active part of God’s plan for the redemption of the world. The disciples in the first reading and St. Paul in the second reading confront the divine kingship that belongs to Christ but they are reminded that this divine citizenship does not allow them to sit back and judge the world under the false pretense that they are the chosen ones. Instead they are instructed to be actively involved in transforming the world in the vision of justice and peace.

The Gospel passage is very instructive with regards to the challenge of our faith. As with the first reading Jesus again is commissioning the apostles to “make disciples of all nations” and even though he is ascending Jesus assures them of the Holy Spirit and reminds them that he will be with them always. What impresses me is just how human the apostles are in this one passage “When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.” The promise of eternal life and the belief that God’s vision of justice and peace will prevail are articles of faith. Jesus promises to be with us always, this too is an article of faith. We are asked to believe in the promises of our revealed religion even though there is no tangible proof that these promises will come to pass. There are moments where we struggle to believe in the midst of our doubts and disillusions. If the apostles who witnessed the resurrection and the ascension doubted in the presence of Christ how much more difficult is it for us who struggle to believe 2000 years after the fact?

Many times we strive to do what is right on a personal level or to promote what is just and fair on a social level and many times we wonder “what’s the point?” This past week I have been undergoing my own spiritual dryness and I went out to the ocean where I was able to witness God in the power of His own creation. I was able to witness God but I could not feel His presence. And then, as I began to contemplate the universe beyond the sea, the words of the psalmist came to me:

“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?” (Ps. 8:3-4)

At that moment I was reminded that in many ways I am nothing more than a cosmic germ. Just like a bacteria evolves within my body so too am I like a bacteria in the cosmos, physically insignificant yet empowered to shape the evolution of creation in ways I cannot imagine. We are part of something grand, on the surface it may not seem so, but in the depths of our soul we know that there is purpose and meaning in what we do and in all that happens. So it is that the psalmist could continue with the following verse:

“Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor” (Ps. 8:5)

• Acts 8:5-8, 14-17. Philip the deacon evangelizes Samaria. Peter and John come to impose hands that the newly baptized persons may receive the Holy Spirit.
• Peter 3: 15-18. “Speak gently and respectfully” when asked about “this hope of yours.” It is better to suffer for good deeds than for evil ones. “This is why Christ died for sins once for everyone.”
• John 14:15-21. Jesus promises the Spirit of truth. Therefore you will not be orphaned. “I am in the Father, and you in me, and I in you.”

Thoughts for Your Consideration: By John Gonzalez

The Christian faith is member of the Monotheistic family. Along with the Jewish and Islamic faiths we share in the dogmatic belief that there is only one God. As a result of this fundamental premise we are invited to see all of humanity and creation as one common family with one common purpose to love and serve God and one another. A complex but extremely meaningful expression of this monotheistic mystery that is specific to the Christian faith is the image of the Holy Trinity. The Holy Trinity is a mystery that tries to explain how we do indeed have only One God but we understand our God to exist in relationship to itself and all of creation. In the Gospel passage for this week Jesus shares with his disciples this Trinitarian mystery by reaffirming the relationship that he has with the Father as two persons of one substance and then introduces a third member of the Godhead whom he calls “the advocate… the Spirit of Truth” and who we Christians revere as the Holy Spirit.

St. Thomas Aquinas explored this mystical relationship of the Holy Trinity not only as a relational expression of the Godhead but also a relational expression that connects us all of creation with God. Here is the passage from question 45 article 7 in the Summa where Aquinas explains this mystical and holistic relationship.

But in all creatures there is found the trace of the Trinity, inasmuch as in every creature are found some things which are necessarily reduced to the divine Persons as to their cause. For every creature subsists in its own being; it has a form by which it is determined to a species; and it has relation to some other thing. Therefore, according as it is a created substance, it represents the cause and principle; and in this manner it reveals the Person of the Father, Who is the principle from no principle.

Going back to the Gospel passage Jesus affirms that his disciples have been invited to share in the relational experience that Jesus and the Holy Spirit share with the Father. Recognizing the concern that the disciples have in physically having to let him go Jesus goes to assure them. “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.”

Christians at time worry about what they must do in order to enter the Kingdom of God. It seems that the disciples also worried about this concern and Jesus starts off by offering them the same common denominator that we continue to offer today “keep my commandments.” But the way Jesus continues to explain this relationship you get the sense that this concern of ours is misplaced. We are not undergoing a test to see if we make it to the “pearly gates.” Jesus is challenging his disciples to see themselves at this moment as already sharing in this eternal lifestyle and this mystical and universal relationship. In their own way the disciples slowly come to understand themselves as part of the divine relationship that St. Thomas discusses above. As they minister to the world about this amazing insight they do not set themselves apart from anyone else even by those who persecute them. This is simply because they recognize the full implication and relational obligation that comes from sharing in the divine essence.

Thus Peter in the second reading tells the early Christian community that they must share in the hope that they have through Christ but to “do it with gentleness and reverence.” All members of the human community are our brothers and sisters. All aspects of creation share in the divine relationship. The enlightenment that Jesus offers us is to see each other in this light and to preach this divine relationship with gentleness and reverence to one another.

The first reading takes us back to the example of the early church in promoting this Gospel message. Philip does not demonstrate this mystical relationship with dogmatic principles or philosophical ideologies. He proclaims Christ by ministering to their needs and this produced “great joy in that city.” Peter and John then add to Philip’s great work by praying and empowering them with the Holy Spirit so that they too can see themselves as part of this Trinitarian relationship.

• Acts 6: 1-7. The early church grows with many converts including Jewish Priest. The Deaconate is developed to help serve the needs of the poor.
• 1 Peter 2:4-9. Peter continues with this early baptismal liturgy by commissioning the disciples as “a chosen race, a royal priesthood.”
•  John 14:1-12. Jesus describes the intimate relationship that he shares with God the Father and assures those of us who follow him a place in the Kingdom of God.

Thoughts for your consideration:

During this Easter season it is appropriate for us to reflect on the development of the early Church and to consider the various issues that they had to address as they strove to build on the foundation that Jesus left them. The first reading attests to one of these early social issues that they faced. The evangelical mission of the Apostles was neglecting the basic needs of some of their poorer members. In what appears to be a creative and open process the Apostles deliberated with the community of followers and gave them the resources to organize another layer of church structure that would address this most pressing social need. It has always impressed me how the early church took the “option for the poor” with such a priority. The poor widows were being neglected and the Church recognized this as an immediate priority. The Apostles wrestled with their desire to continue promoting their evangelical mission but they would not allow this noble duty to become a legitimate excuse for neglecting the poor. Instead they sought a creative solution and empowered the larger community to design this solution. So impressed is the Jewish community to this model of service and participation that even the elite members of the Jewish priesthood begin to join.

In the second reading Peter continues to offer the baptismal liturgy that we have been reading for the past couple of weeks. In this section however we hear Peter calling the followers of Christ ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood.’ Consistent with the first reading Peter is again empowering us all to take part in the mission of building the Kingdom of God. Peter invites us all to share in the intimate union with God and one another. An invitation which flowed from the mystical union that Jesus had with the Father and which he shares with the Apostles in the Gospel passage. This union invites us to consider the great dignity that we have through God but it also forces us to see and respect that same dignity in all others.

One can see in the Gospel passage how Jesus really wanted to convey this intimate union that he shared with God. Poor Thomas and Philip tried to understand this relationship from a human experience but Christ had to challenge them to see the radical nature of this union which he wanted them to share in. Jesus invites them to engage in a relationship of solidarity with God and one another where they can truly see their own purpose and interest vested in each other.  

Going back to the first reading we see the earliest development of the Church’s “preferential option for the poor.” By this principle the Church evaluates the state of the Body of Christ based on how the poorest members of their community are faring. The option for the poor serves as a common denominator that forces us to reevaluate our community obligations based on the neglect of those who are most in need. To preach of God’s love requires us to be agents of justice and peace to one another.  Jesus tells the apostles that his intimate relationship with God the Father can be acknowledged through the works that he does. “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves.”

Questions for Reflection in your Faith Sharing Group

• Thomas’ question is one that we continue to hear today. “How can we know the way?” Indeed how can people know the way if so many Christians offer any number of options and perspectives for following Christ? How will our works help people believe in the Gospel message of justice and peace?
• The “preferential option for the poor” is a wonderful theological concept that occupies many scholarly works. But how can this principle be applied within the concrete context of the parish or faith community? Who is being “neglected in the daily distribution?”

• Acts 2:14, 36-41. Peter, on Pentecost, preaches that “the whole house of Israel should know… that God has made both Lord and Messiah this Jesus whom you crucified.” The people must reform and be baptized.
• 1 Peter 2:20-25. Peter continues his baptismal instruction that the newly baptized follow in the suffering footsteps of Jesus, who brought our sins to the cross. By his wounds we are healed.
• John 10:1-10. The opening section of John’s well known “Good Shepherd” discourse. Jesus is the shepherd whose sheep go in and out for pasture.

Thoughts for your consideration: By John Gonzalez

The first reading and the gospel passage firmly affirm that Jesus Christ is Lord. Calling Jesus Lord may not sound surprising to us and in fact it may sound a bit cliché. However, when Peter made this pronouncement in first century Jerusalem it would have jarred many and angered many others. To call Jesus Messiah or anointed one would not have been a shock as other have already been deemed anointed ones of God and others would come afterwards. But Lord was a title reserved to God, for the apostles to be able to declare that Jesus is Lord means that they were aware of an amazing truth that they were willing to make such a dangerous and socially unsettling statement. It is said that if you wanted to examine amazing miracles in scripture the greatest for one to investigate is how a rag tag band of Galileans could have mobilized one of the most powerful religious movements ever seen based on an almost insane report  that an executed criminal was in fact God.

In the first reading we see the beginnings of this miraculous movement and we are told that after Peter makes this irrational declaration “about three thousand persons were added that day.” It is the ongoing pursuit of the theological community to consider “how could this have happened”? “How did they experience the resurrected Christ and furthermore how were they able to convey this in such a way as to convince others to believe in this bizarre message? One clue that we are given is in the passage that immediately follows the first reading and which we read about a couple of weeks ago. This pronouncement was visually depicted in a new communal style of living that was consistent with the healing and hospitality ministry of Christ. This week’s gospel passage tells us that Jesus Christ is Lord and Jesus attempt to describe this based on the relational and compassionate image of the good shepherd. But let us not forget that Jesus also tells us that “not everyone who says, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” (Mt. 7:21)

The second reading helps us to make a link between the declaration that Jesus Christ is Lord and our responsibility in becoming living agents of this declaration. Through the example of Jesus we are called to be wounded healers to a world that is immersed in suffering and injustice. Peter gives us the challenge to take on the suffering of the world and to be ministers who heal by sharing in the suffering of those we encounter. Our hope in suffering springs from Jesus since it was “by his wounds [that we] have been healed.” Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that this call bears a social responsibility to be present and responsive to all who suffer in our society:

The true measure of humanity is essentially determined in relationship to suffering and to the sufferer. This holds true both for the individual and for society. A society unable to accept its suffering members and incapable of helping to share their suffering and to bear it inwardly through “com-passion” is a cruel and inhuman society. – Spe Salvi #38

Fr. Henri Nouwen wrote a wonderful little book called “The Wounded Healer.” This book offers us some insights into how we can be ministers of suffering especially in these times where many suffer specifically from the isolation that comes from our individualistic culture or the condition that he calls “nuclear man.” In order to accompany others in their suffering Fr. Nouwen instructs us to journey through our own sufferings and isolation so that through our own wounds we too can offer a sincere healing. We heal by relating at a very deep level to the suffering of those we encounter. We speak of social issues like poverty, immigration or criminal justice but until we can integrate through our own experience the isolated feelings of marginalization (which at some level we all experience in different forms) then we are not addressing these issues at a Christian level.

Christ healed us through his wounds. Christ heals us because he undertook our journey of isolation and injustice and through him we can enjoy the hope that comes through His redemptive suffering. This hope becomes our wellspring through which our own suffering can offer others a vision of redemption. The reason Peter’s words brought him converts rather than ridicule was because his message of redemption through Christ was not empty words but a living reality that people could also see within the communal experience of a people whose wounds and weaknesses were healed by the living God who shared in their suffering. To fully comprehend how people could have responded to what they heard in Acts 2:36-41 it helps to also understand what they saw in Acts 2:42-47.