5th Sunday of Easter
My dear parishioners,
God is Good!!! All the time!!! And all the time!!! God is Good!!!
After preaching in Derbe, Paul and Barnabas finish their missionary work in the province of Asia. Now they retrace their steps, visiting each place where they had preached before. This is amazing, given the hostility in those places. These apostles are entirely committed to the good work they have begun.
The communities gain strength in many ways. First of all, they have the example of Paul and Barnabas who have not abandoned them. From these apostles, the faithful understand that trials must be undertaken for the kingdom of heaven. The gospel demands a detachment from this world and an embracing of a realm that cannot be seen. Jesus set the example by his suffering and death. Further strength comes from the appointment of leaders to give the communities stability and organization. Still another source of strength comes from prayer and fasting; these exhibit reliance on God and a detachment from earthly desires. And completing this list of resources for strength is their bond with the Lord, who is the very source of their faith.
The apostles return to the faithful in Syrian Antioch. This community had commended them to God for this work. Now the community learns how much God had been with Paul and Barnabas all along the journey. Through the power of God, many more gentiles had come to faith in the Lord. This was an amazing and dramatic milestone in the spread of the gospel. But in the next chapter, some will want to close the very door God has opened.
During the course of the final meal that Jesus shares with his disciples, Judas is exposed as the one who will betray Jesus. Judas immediately leaves the meal, and Jesus continues addressing his disciples about the importance of this moment he is sharing with them.
Jesus begins by emphasizing the word “now.” This carries much importance. “Now” refers to the moment of Jesus’ “hour” that he has been hinting at all throughout the Gospel of Jn. The hour is the moment of Jesus’ death, when everything he has been preparing for will come to its ultimate conclusion. This will be the moment of his crucifixion when he is lifted up in glorification and exultation. This glorification of Jesus will also be the glorification of God, due to the intimate divine relationship they share with one another. This language of glorification is not easy to understand. What it seeks to express is the exposition of the divine presence of God in Jesus as well as in God. It comes to full manifestation in the “hour” of Jesus, which is “now.”
Excerpts from “Sunday Homily Helps”, is used by permission of Franciscan Media. www.FranciscanMedia.org. All rights reserved
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Aloysius