Reflections

For the first generations of Christians of the early Church, the liturgical year consisted of only a weekly celebration of the Resurrection: the Day of the Lord, the Sunday. At this celebration all the various elements of the Paschal Mystery were recalled. God was blessed, thanked, and praised for all the wonderful works of creation and redemption - especially for the wonder-of-God par excellence, God’s only-begotten Son, who gave of himself for us.

Jesus Christ, whose ascension we celebrate, lived His earthly life to its fullest. His self-knowledge and divine nature allowed Him to express all of his potentialities. Jesus also knew the potentialities and weaknesses of His followers. He continues to challenge believers to “go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” As Jesus sent His disciples, He commissions us to “preach” in words and deeds. Jesus does not call us because of our credentials but He knows our potential. Once we accept the call, we can develop our God-given potential with the help of the Holy Spirit. The grace of God manifested in Jesus helped the disciples in their Christian journey of ongoing conversion. They stumbled and failed. Except for Judas Iscariot, they picked themselves up every time they fell short. They trusted Jesus’ words even when they did not understand. They heard Jesus enjoining ‘them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for “the promise of the Father”… the Holy Spirit.’

• What God seeks in our relationship is not the kind of lopsided adoration normally associated with a deity. The God of Jesus Christ seeks to be close to us, to know us, and to be known by us. This is abundantly evident in the Incarnation: God empties God’s Self to become human like us and ultimately to die for us. There is no more intimate love than the complete surrender of oneself to the other.

There are very few parables in the Gospel According to John like those we encounter in the other three gospel portraits of Jesus. The parables of the Good Shepherd (Chapter 10), the Seed (Chapter 12) and the Vine and the Branches (Chapter 15) are the closest things to a parable that we find in John. But their very scarcity makes them all the more worthy of attention. The Good Shepherd and Vine/Branches images emphasize the importance of the relationship between Jesus and the person of faith. Last Sunday, "Good Shepherd Sunday," the image of the relationship between a good shepherd and the flock was presented. Today, the image of the vine and branches is featured.

Our world tells us that suffering should be eradicated. Our nature prompts us to avoid it at all costs! But faith offers a different perspective. St. Catherine knew that in order to be like Christ, we should think and desire with Him. Out of love for us, Jesus embraced His Cross, and so redeemed the world. Jesus wedded suffering to love, and through it opened the path to salvation.

It comes as no surprise to anyone these days that our political climate is rife with conflict, controversy and downright animosity towards those with whom we disagree. Some would prefer to live their lives engaging only with those who share or take for granted their own views and bias. Sadly enough, such tension can also be experienced within the Church itself. Conflicts arise because of our differing perspectives on tradition and authority but also because of culture, language and custom.