Sunday Gospel Reflection, May 10, 2026: Always be ready to give an explanation...

Always be ready to give an explanation…
What role do we play in the revelation of God’s infinite love? 

    It is through relationship that God is revealed. In John’s Gospel, Jesus reassures his disciples at the Last Supper that, while he will not longer be visibly or physically present to them after his death, he will ask the Father, and he will give them another Advocate, the Spirit of truth. This Spirit will remain with them and will be in them. Jesus came to bring us to God, to give us access to God’s infinite love. All that Jesus said and did points to that and was working to make that happen. To be church is to find our union in the love of God revealed in the death and rising of Jesus and revealed in the Spirit at work in our lives. If we as a church are one, then we share in the relationship shared by Jesus, the Father, and the Spirit. And we can only enter into that union through surrender, which requires that we keep his commandments. Our true identity lies in our connectedness, in the participation of all as one. 

    After Jesus’ death and rising, then, it was left to the Twelve and to the disciples that came after them to continue to reveal God’s infinite love to our world through the Spirit that dwelt in them. In the Acts of the Apostles, Philip proclaims the Christ to the people of Samaria, and then Peter and John also come to Samaria and pray for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit. The disciples are channels through which God works, through whom God is revealed, and that revelation is cause for great joy! 

    That joy is to be evident in our communal witness to God’s action in our lives: Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; sing praise to the glory of his name, Psalm 66 reminds us. Such joy is precisely what allows us to, as the First Letter of Peter recommends, give an explanation to anyone who asks us for a reason for our hope, with gentleness and reverence. Our challenge is to make sure Christ is revealed in our answer, and that the love of God is manifest in our response. In this way we can further Jesus’ purpose in coming, as in our words and deeds, we too offer access to God, revealing God’s love to all, so that all the earth can indeed cry out to God with joy! 

This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture Class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com

Sunday Gospel Reflection, May 25, 2025: The glory of God gave it light, and its lamp was the Lamb...

The glory of God gave it light, and its lamp was the Lamb…
What happens when we embrace’s Jesus’ law of love? 

   Under the leadership of the Apostles and with the help of Paul and Barnabas, the early Church had to make many decisions about what was necessary to live in Christ. In the Acts of the Apostles, one such decision had to do with whether or not Gentiles first had to convert to Judaism before converting to Christianity. At stake were various dietary issues, such as abstaining from meat sacrificed to idols, as well as the question of circumcision. Throughout each difficult conversation, the leaders of the Church needed to remember the one law Jesus left: love. 

   Jesus’ teachings about love, particularly in John’s Gospel, were not always easy to understand, particularly when Jesus spoke of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, which the Father would send, and which would teach them everything and remind them of all that Jesus told them. Jesus needs them to know that once he returns to the Father, to that union of perfect love, they will be able to be with him in that love, in the very center of that love, thanks to the Holy Spirit. It was probably very difficult for Jesus’ disciples to grasp all he was telling them during his Last Supper Discourse, but they must have sensed his invitation, not to a limited space but to a limitless love in him, and embraced it, for they ultimately shared his love with the world. 

   The Book of Revelation reminds us that love in the form of light is to emanate from the New Jerusalem that is the Church: The city had no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gave it light, and its lamp was the Lamb. Likewise, the light of love is to emanate from our lives, with Christ at the core, shining for all the world to see. We are not always transparent. Because we are afraid of vulnerability, we sometimes lose sight of the light within and so we fail to open so that it can shine. But if we are one with Christ through baptism, that light will ultimately shine from within us, so that, as Psalm 67 tells us, God’s way may be known upon the earth, and among all nations, his salvation. How can this happen? If we love Jesus and keep his word, remaining dependent upon God’s grace and upon Christ’s love within us, the glory of God will give us light, light for all the world to see. 

This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture Class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com

Sunday Gospel Reflection, May 5, 2024: Remain in my love...

Remain in my love…

What is Jesus calling us to? 

    Love is of God, the First Letter of John tells us. Love originates in God and God’s love for us precedes anything we might bring to the table. God has loved us, and sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. Our love for other flows from God’s love for us; when we share in that love through baptism, we know God. In John’s Gospel, Jesus teaches his disciples, now beautifully named friends, that love connects: Remain in my love. Love one another as I have loved you, he tells them. In the Mystical Body of Christ, every church community is bound to God and to each other by the love of God. We are to remain in him, in his love, and therefore in one another, that his joy may be in us, and our joy might be complete. If we respond to God’s love for us in this way, then we dwell (or remain) in this love with one another forever. Love binds us, weaves us, makes us into one Body, eternal and joy-filled. 

    Of course, our love for neighbor is not limited to other members of the Body of Christ. Peter encountered this truth when, in the Acts of the Apostles, God prepares him to eat in the house of the Gentile Cornelius, and Peter comes to understand that God shows no partiality. Remarkably, while Peter is still speaking these things, the Holy Spirit falls upon all who are listening to the word, fulfilling Psalm 98’s dictum, The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power. In Jesus’ time, such an act of inclusion would have meant not only Jews and Gentiles but also the enslaved. All those loved by God (everyone, in other words!) are called to sing to the Lord a new song, for to them, and to us, the Lord has made his salvation known, and that salvation is nothing short of love. What is Jesus calling us to? Simply to remain in his love, forever! 

This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com

Sunday Gospel Reflection, May 14, 2023: You are in me and I in you....

You are in me and I in you…

How connected do you feel to Jesus?

    In his Last Supper Discourses in John’s Gospel, Jesus reminds his disciples that he will send the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, so that he might be present to them always. It is important for Jesus to reassure his disciples that when he dies, it is not over – if he is with them in their hearts, he will be there even as he suffers death, even if they haven’t yet seen the fruit of resurrection. Jesus wants them to be confident of this indwelling: You are in me and I in you, he says. That connection will be sustained beyond death. Connectedness is what Christianity is supposed to be about, after all – we are connected to Jesus but also to one another, throughout our life journeys. Christ is the source of that connectedness, because we are in him and he is in us, so we must love him and keep his commandments. We have to keep expanding our ability to embrace his love without limits, love that is connecting, completely connecting. 

    When we do, it is our responsibility to make Christ seen, known. Thanks to the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, we are an extension of God’s love. In the Acts of the Apostles, Philip leaves Jerusalem during the persecutions, but goes on to proclaim the Christ to the people of Samaria. Since their hearts are open to allow Christ in, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in them thanks to the laying on of hands by Peter and John. It is no surprise that there was great joy in that city! God’s tremendous deeds always bring rejoicing, as in Psalm 66, in which all the earth cries out to God with joy! As 1 Peter explains, when we sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts, we are opening our hearts to transformation, expanding our hearts in order to take in this enormous presence as the central focus of holiness in our lives, that we might reveal him to all. 

   For every time we act out of love for others, every time we are kind or merciful, we connect to the Lord and Jesus Christ is revealed, as is the reason for our hope (his love for us). We believe in love that is greater than our understanding; whoever loves me will keep my commandments, Jesus says. Our ability to connect with him, to draw on his dwelling in us, allows us to share in that love that is precisely the manifestation of his presence in us, through which we then participate in the love of Christ for our world. There is no better way to be connected! 

This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com

Sunday Gospel Reflection, May 9, 2021: Love one another as I have loved you...

Love one another as I have loved you…

What does it mean to be a good friend?

   Imagine if Jesus were to tell you in person that he loved you! In the Last Supper discourse in John’s Gospel, Jesus does just that: As the Father loves me, so I also love you, he tells his disciples, and so he is ready to lay down his life for his friends. It is an extraordinary gift. But to understand that gift, the disciples must do as Jesus has done: they must pay attention to God’s will and follow his commandments:  You are my friends if you do what I command you, he tells them. Jesus explains that he is willing to sacrifice his life for us because he loves us, loves us so completely that he subordinates himself to all of humankind, so that in the end he might raise us up.

   Moreover, the invitation is open to all, as Peter discovers in the home of the Gentile Cornelius in the Acts of the Apostles: In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. God sends his Holy Spirit into the hearts of all who are open to that Spirit at work in them and willing to help others to open to the Spirit as well. To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to be free of self-concern, focused on the world in which we live rather than on ourselves. The Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts, freeing us of all that might stand in the way of relationship both with God and with one another. It is a fulfillment of the covenant that God made with all of humankind, as Psalm 98 explains: All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God, a salvation that is manifested in God’s kindness and faithfulness toward all nations.

   For our part, we are called to see the death and rising of Jesus as a pattern for our own lives – to die to self, that we might rise in love. Love one as I have loved you, he says: love one another, in other words, enough to want to serve one another, to put others’ needs above your own. The First Letter of John reiterates this invitation: let us love one another, because love is of God. Once again, love here is experienced as mercy revealed through the death and rising of Jesus for the expiation of our sins. Such an extraordinary expression of love transcends our sins; we experience God’s love as we come to know God’s mercy and forgiveness, and every experience of that love will change us, leaving us different than we were before, leaving us ever more ready to be good friends through the love and mercy that we share with one another, manifesting God’s love to all.

This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com

Sunday Gospel Reflection, May 17, 2020: You are in me and I in you...

You are in me and I in you…

How do we prepare a place for Christ to dwell in us?

  In the Last Supper Discourses of John’s Gospel, Jesus prepares his disciples for a future without his physical body living among them, promising them another Advocate who will be with you always.  This Advocate is the Spirit of truth – he will remain with the disciples and be in them.  In his time on earth, Jesus has not just touched them without, he has touched them within, has come to dwell within them because of their faith and belief in him.  As he prepares to leave them, he wants them to know they will never be alone.  God does not intend to work from a distance after Jesus dies and rises – God wants to dwell within us, in close relationship with us.  We know him because he remains in us and will be in us.  This is a continuance of God’s constant and ever-faithful care of God’s people, as expressed in Psalm 66:  Come and see the works of God, the psalmist sings, while I declare what he has done for me.

  The early Christians understood the importance of the Spirit coming to dwell within God’s people.  When, in the Acts of the Apostles, Philip converts a great part of the population of Samaria, Peter and John go down and lay hands on the people, and they received the Holy Spirit.  The First Letter of Peter reminds us that, for this to be an ongoing indwelling, we must prepare a place for the Spirit:  Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.  We are to align our hearts with Christ alone to allow him and only him to rule our hearts such that nothing else may get in the way.  As Christ was brought to life in the Spirit, so will we be brought to new life, lifted out of our brokenness, draw beyond ourselves into God’s love as God’s love, the Spirit itself, dwells in us.  Even now, so long after his death and rising, Jesus’ life continues within us, through the Advocate and the love Christ reveals to us and in us... if only we open our hearts to his truth and sanctify him as Lord therein!

This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.

Image source:  www.wordclouds.com

Sunday Gospel Reflection, May 26, 2019: Whoever loves me will keep my word...

Whoever loves me will keep my word…

How has the love of God expanded your vision?

  In his Last Supper discourse, recorded in John’s Gospel, Jesus tells the disciples that they must act always out of love:  Whoever loves me will keep my word.  If we open ourselves to Jesus, God’s absolute Word of love for us and for all humankind, we will remain open to relationship with him and allow that love to define us.  The Word is love is connection:  as Christ is one in the Father, we are to be one in Christ.  The source of that oneness is the very love in which we are made.  Moreover, if we are drawn more deeply into the love of Christ, we cannot help but see ourselves differently; we can’t hold on to our old identity if we are defined by God’s love.  And our new identity allows us to see ourselves, and others, in ways we did not before.  Jesus opens the disciples to see him with a new vision, to see him and themselves and everything else in a different, better light, so that love can last.  Love connects us to other, and God shines through us when we become transparent through his love.

  Paul and Barnabas have gone out to give witness to that love, and to all that God is doing in their lives; open to the love of Christ, their knowledge of this love as truth expands their ability to see, for now they see with their heart.  As a result, they can work to eradicate false teachings in the communities they visit in the Acts of the Apostles, fostering unity where there might otherwise be dissension.  In all they do, Paul and Barnabas model the love of Christ.  Through them, as Psalm 67 says, God’s way is made known upon earth, and all nations on earth can be glad and exult.  Seeing the prosperity of the psalmist’s community, others come to believe in God; likewise, seeing the fruits of the work of Paul and Barnabas will bring many to believe, again, fostering unity.

  In the Book of Revelation, the angel of God expands John beyond the limits that humans ordinarily set for themselves, giving him a new sense of identity as well.  The angel takes John in spirit to place where John is extended beyond the body, beyond the physical, to a spiritual place where his former vision is expanded and John sees what he did not understand before, because the glory of God gives him light.  As members of the Church, we too are meant to be a body of people living in the union that this light reveals because we allow God’s love to shine in us.

How might God’s love shine in you today?

This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.

Image source:  www.wordclouds.com

Sunday Gospel Reflection, May 6, 2018: This I command you: love one another...

 This I command you:  love one another... 

Are you ready to let God expand your vision? 

   As the Son of God, Jesus knows the fullness of his Father’s love:  that love encompasses all he is; it is not separate from him.  When he says to his disciples, I love you, they can’t even begin to take in the full meaning of his statement.  Jesus will, just a few short chapters later in John’s Gospel, lay down his life for his friends so that the sins of all humankind might be forgiven, but, as they will learn, his love for them is greater than death.  Jesus tells the disciples that they should remain in his love, that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.  They have shared love on this earth; the disciples must continue to allow Jesus’ love to fill them, and to love others with that same love.  If they can do so, they will be expanding their own vision, because they will come to understand that he loves them without boundaries, without limitation, and they must go forth and do the same.  To live that reality is profoundly humbling.

   The First Letter of John will echo this sentiment:  where humankind creates a chasm between themselves and God, God bridges it, because God loves perfectly:  love is of God, love is the essence of God, the energy of God, the life source God offers to us all.  We have life through Jesus because we come to know love through him in a way we didn’t before.  That love reaches beyond human limitations, expanding our vision.  Consider the case of Cornelius, in the Acts of the Apostles.  Cornelius, a Gentile, has loved God and therefore knows God, so he is open to the revelation of God that Peter brings to him.  Moreover, every manifestation of love is a manifestation of God.  In Acts, God shifts the order of things, accepting Gentiles into the fullness of redemption as he accepted the Jewish people.   It is a fulfillment of Psalm 98:  The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power…

   If, through faith or conversion, you have come to understand God differently than before, you must, as the psalmist notes, sing to the Lord a new song.  How could it be the same song when God has done something you haven’t anticipated? God is constantly revealing new things to us, challenging the way we look at things, expanding our vision, through his infinite love and care.  So sing that new song, allow his love to fill you, that your joy might indeed be complete!

This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.

Image source:  www.wordle.net