The Gospel Impulse

Gospel: Luke 1: 39-56

In the very first pages of the Gospel we are introduced to the fundamental message of the Christian message which is service to others.  Mary has received a great privilege, but her first impulse is to serve her cousin Elizabeth in her need as an older pregnant woman.  At the same time, Elizabeth is not concerned about her own needs, but rather is focused on the needs of Mary as they too are numerous.  Each has received a great blessing, but each is focused on the needs of the other.

This posture forms the entire life and ministry of Jesus.  He goes about from town to town not at all concerned about his own status or position.  Instead, he goes among those needing healing from their ailments and he cures them.  He seeks out those held hostage to their demons, and he liberates them.  He finds those in need of food and companionship at table, and he eats with them and feeds them in body and soul.

This impulse of service to others must be our own as followers of the Lord Jesus.  We must not be about our status or position.  We must not be seeking power, influence, or wealth in society.  We have received a great blessing, and like Mary and Elizabeth we must share the blessing with others, caring for others in need and having the grace to receive care from others as well.  This is the Christian life in miniature, and it is this life that leads to the glory of the next.

Remembering

Gospel: John 16: 20-23

Life is filled with disappointment and sadness.  There is not a single human life that is without them; they cannot be avoided.  The challenge in life is learning how to deal with them over time.  A healthy person faces difficulty by facing it directly, while there are a host of unhealthy approaches that range from avoidance to transference to outright denial.  

One way to deal with disappointment and sadness is through remembering as today's reading suggests.  It is important what remember as much as it is important that we remember.  We can hold grudges and remember only negative things in life while neglecting the memories of happiness and joy.  By contrast, we can only remember the good things and neglect the remembrance of things that were painful and difficult.  

The scriptures continually remind us to remember, and the collection of scripture is itself a memory of a people and its journey of faith with God.  The scriptures remember the good and the bad, the painful and the joyful, the disappointment and the rewarding.  That fact is a lesson for us in our life to remember all these things and to find God's presence within all of it, seeking meaning for ourselves as we journey through life to the reign of God. 

A Time to Mourn

Gospel: John 16: 16-20

"You will weep and mourn while the world rejoices."

Pay heed to the content of the world's rejoicing: it speaks of the glories of war, rejoicing in body counts and the atrocities of war.  It revels in the economic exploitation of the poor, immigrants, migrants, and refugees for the profit of corporations.  It celebrates and exalts wealthy athletes and their exploits, using public funds necessary for the poor instead to build stadiums. It seeks the esteem and table of the billionaire while Lazarus is outside cold and hungry.

It is for these things that the Christian rightly weeps.   It is Christ himself who is exploited, abused, and neglected by these things the world finds celebratory.  It is Christ in the person of the poor who needs our care and attention, who needs our tears to wipe their weary feet.  It is Christ who is once again crucified unjustly by the state and religion for the sake of its own power, influence, and wealth.  But this time we will not betray him, not deny him, not abandon him.  This time we will accompany him.

In these confusing days when we are not sure when to celebrate the Ascension, we reflect on the fact that the Lord Jesus does in fact ascend to heaven where our citizenship as Christians resides.  But we must follow the way the Lord himself walked in order to get there - the way of love and service to others, a life of love and mercy extended to all in need.  

Wherever He Wills

Gospel: John 16: 12-15

Ancient philosophers from various cultures all recognized the fundamental truth about human beings - that we are inherently social beings who need love and companionship in order to flourish.  Consequently, these same thinkers would create a variety of rules and guides of living in order to help human beings in this essential mission of our nature.  Wide agreement can be found in these rules and guides, as well as some variations and disagreements.

In the person of Jesus, however, we have an example to follow in carrying out our vocation to sociability and love, not a rulebook to consult.  The Holy Spirit is given us to discern how best to follow Jesus' example of showing love and mercy to others, how we might heal people of their infirmities, deliver them from the demons that hold them bound, and nourish others at table with our food and presence.  

In following the example of Jesus in our lives we will find a lot in common with what the philosophers have to say about ethical living.  But we will find in the life of Jesus much more than could ever be had in any human system.   We find in Jesus the full expression of selfless love given for others and extended to all people - those we like and those we do not like.  If we follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit, we will over time find our love expand to bounds we did not think possible.

The Spirit of Truth

Gospel: John 16: 5-11

Jesus promises us the gift of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, who will guide us in all truth and convict the world of sin.  We have first been given the words and deeds of Jesus as our model of faith.  The Beatitudes and the criteria of Judgment in Matthew 25 serve as bookends of the Gospel, and what is in between are the deeds of Jesus - deeds of healing, deliverance, and feeding of people that he undertook wherever he went in his ministry.

The Spirit now guides us in our own lives in carrying out these deeds of healing, delivering, and feeding.  Who in our life and world need to be healed in body and soul? Who needs help in being freed from the demons that oppress them? Who is in need of food, drink, clothing, shelter, and welcome in our world?  The Spirit helps us to discern where these needs are and how to carry out this work in our own time and situations.  

The Spirit also convicts the world of its sin in creating these conditions of neglect, bondage, and want.  Through the deeds of mercy we perform, the Spirit provides that condemnation of the world's cruelty and selfishness by our deeds of love and care.  This conflict is our life in the world, but we have the consolation of the Spirit to sustain us in this work of love and mercy, and to endure the hatred of the world.     

The Gift of Joy

Gospel: John 15: 26-16: 4

Once again Jesus reminds us that an essential characteristic of the Christian life is to encounter persecution and hatred from others.  However, this reality should not create within us a martyr complex.  Instead, we are continually reminded to be joyful, that the Lord is with us in the midst of these struggles, just as God was present to the Lord Jesus in the midst of his encounters with opposition.  

If a person lives a life of loving service as Jesus did, then we will discover true joy in being involved in the lives of others.  There, we discover how God is present to others in their own circumstances and situations of life.  We learn how others discover joy in their own lives, and that in turn leads to ever greater joy within our own.  This life of loving service will lead to persecution as it convicts the world of its own selfishness and greed.  

When we accompany others along the pilgrimage of life, we take part in their hopes and joys, and they in ours.  We also share in their pains and burdens and they in ours.  In all this we find the presence of God in the lives of others and in our own, and that becomes the source of our joy that enables us to endure the inevitable persecution that comes in being a Christian who lives to love and serve others.

Be the Light

Gospel: John 14: 23-29

"Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid."

There is a lot to fear in the world.  Lies and deception are ever present and more sophisticated with technology.  The cruelty and violence of the world goes on unabated,  And all of this is just in church world often, let alone the outside environs.  Yet, in the midst of all this, Jesus exhorts us to not be troubled or afraid.  What is more, he gave an example of how to carry this out in our lives.

Jesus went about from town to town doing good to others.  He healed people of their infirmities.  He liberated them from all the demons that oppress and torment them.  He fed them at table.  And yet for all this good Jesus is executed after first being betrayed, denied, and abandoned by his friends.  How did Jesus respond to this mistreatment?  He forgives a pleading thief, and gives pardon to all who participated in his death.  

After he rises from the dead, Jesus will continue his forgiveness tour, breaking bread at table with disciples at Emmaus, extending peace to his fearful disciples in the upper room, extending an invitation of love to the one who denied him.  We are to do good wherever we are and in whatever circumstances we find ourselves.  This is the path to a heart that is not trouble or afraid, to a heart that is truly at peace.

The Divine Guarantee

Gospel: John 15: 18-21

The modern Christian chafes and protests at the thought of persecution.  Protests against offenses real and imagined blanket the airwaves in a never ending attempt to protect their worldly security, power, and influence.  Even when the threat is real, wailing and lamentation grow loud.  Appeals to religious liberty and the ancient privilege of the Church are made.  They are utterly shocked that such could happen to them and in our day.

The very first teaching of Jesus in the Gospels is the Beatitudes, wherein we read that we are blessed to be persecuted for the sake of Jesus, and that we should rejoice and be glad.  In today's Gospel portion which represents the very last teaching of Jesus we find him telling us that persecution is to be expected, that it is the very mark of the Christian to suffer such.  If we love and serve others as Jesus did, we should expect the hatred of the world.  

Jesus has guaranteed that we will face persecution for being his follower.  He also guaranteed that God will be with us in that persecution, not to deliver us from it, but to bring our hearts peace and union with him when it comes.  Christianity is not a suburban lifestyle of comfort, security, material wealth and power.  It is a life of love and service to others that angers the world and convicts it of its injustice and cruelty.

Friends

Gospel: John 15: 12-17

In the ancient world the images of our relationship God or gods was one of master to servant, war general to soldier, patron to client.  People would offer sacrifices or tribute in order to curry favor with the deity or to appease his anger and wrath.  Sacrifices would be offered to thank the deity for favors bestowed or to atone for transgressions against him.  Never was it the case that God or the gods were seen in any terms of love or closeness to humans.  

But in Jesus not only do we have the image of God as Father, but also we have our relationship to Jesus as one of friendship.  No longer are we to be seen as slaves but as friends.  Friends have a position of equality with one another, companionship, and mutual interests.  Jesus as the only begotten Son of God makes friendship with humanity and invites us to the house of the Father for a banquet and greater relationship with the Father.  

The people who were once slaves have been set free and made friends.  The relationship is one of mutual love and self-giving.  There is a greater willingness to lay down one's life for each other just as Jesus did for us.  It is our task to live this love and spread it all over this land - to believe mightily, hope joyfully, love divinely.  Lord, renew us as you renew the face of the earth.  

Hanging On

Gospel: John 15: 9-11

"Remain in my love."

Jesus knew how difficult this exhortation would be.  We encounter the cruelty, lies, and betrayal of the world as a constant drumbeat.  These wounds wear away at us, tempting us to abandon everything and give up hope.  Jesus knew all these things very well.  Throughout the Gospels we find Jesus encountering hostility and deception.  Toward the end of his life we find him executed in a barbaric manner, after first being betrayed, denied, and abandoned by his friends.

Yet in spite of all that, Jesus first forgives all those who put him to death on the cross, uttering words of pardon in the midst of his execution.  What is more, after rising from the dead Jesus returns to visit his disciples who had betrayed, denied, and abandoned him.  His words of greeting to them were words of peace and reconciliation.  Contrary to all our impulses, Jesus always takes the path of healing and peace.  

Remain in my love.  We are to remain in the love of Jesus, not ours or anyone else's.  It is our ongoing task throughout life to embody the love of Jesus in our own lives, finding ways to continually move forward in love to serve others in love and mercy, finding ways to forgive and extend peace to others.  We do this knowing that the path of peace and reconciliation of Jesus is the way of the cross, that time and again our love and peace will be rejected.  But we continue to offer it - how can we offer anything else? 

Trimming the Tree

Gospel: John 15: 1-8

In gardening it is often necessary to prune and trim bushes, plants, and trees so that they might continue to live and flourish.  The removal of dead branches, limbs, and leaves is obviously important so that the rest of the item may continue to survive and live.  Yet even these dead items can be burned and their ashes used to improve the soil for the ongoing growth of the plant.  Nothing is a complete waste in God's creation.  

Also, though, even healthy limbs are sometimes cut in plants for its full flourishing and growth in a particular direction.  If hedges are not trimmed they grow wild and appear unseemly.  When the hedge is trimmed its shape is more stately and its appearance more pleasing to the eye.  Even rose bushes are pruned of healthy blooms in certain places so that the full bush grows even more beautiful and less wild.

In our spiritual lives it is the same.  We must remove dead things that no longer give life to us and become a hindrance to our very survival.  But we must also at times remove even healthy things so that we grow in a particular direction to which God calls us in our life, so that we do not grow wild.  All of this requires constant discernment and submission to God's will for us so that we may achieve our full potential and flourish.

Peace in Our Time

Gospel: John 14: 27-31

"Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid."

Jesus says these words after extending to us his peace.  Why such a warning? We human beings have this notion that peace consists in having our material needs met - a comfortable suburban existence in our secure gated communities far from all the problems of the world.  But this is, in fact, the opposite of peace.  Such comfort leads to endless worry - the need to maintain it and protect it and guard it from others who would have it.  This notion of peace leads to mistrust and enmity toward others.  

But the peace Jesus proclaims is the peace he experienced in being one with God alone.  It is the peace he experienced in his passion and death where he was utterly alone and abandoned by all, trusting in God alone.  It was a peace so profound that it enabled him to forgive a penitent thief and all those who put him to death.  The peace of Jesus is one that enables us to overcome the ultimate human fear - death itself.  

If the peace of Christ exists within us, fear and anxiety are set aside.  They are not eliminated - they still exist.  But they do not rule the day and govern our hearts.  Their loud voices still resound, but the still, quiet voice of peace wins the day and leads us to a life of trust and love, joy and hope.  The peace of Christ is not found in the suburbs; it is found in God alone.   

Revealing God

Gospel: John 14: 21-26

A disciple asks Jesus: why have you revealed yourself only to us and not the world?  This question comes in the midst of Jesus talking to his disciples about love and how that is the way people will know that one is a disciples of Jesus.  The revelation of God is a revelation of love.  It is not a revelation of some intellectual content or some set of doctrines or sacred writings.  The revelation of God is the revelation of God as love in the person of Jesus, the incarnation of love itself.

The way we make God known in the world is through deeds of love and mercy.  It does not consists in an expansive media empire, slick advertising campaigns, or door to door sales.  Even less is evangelization about programs or courses.  It is about doing the deeds of love and mercy that Jesus did while on earth. It is about loving others as he loved us.  

To be a disciple in Jesus' day was much like any other apprenticeship in any other trade.  It consisted entirely of watching the master ply his trade and then imitating the actions of the master.  One learned by doing.  If we wish to be disciples, if we wish to make God known to the world, then we must love in concrete actions and deeds, learning from the master, the Lord Jesus and imitating his work of healing, liberation, and feeding in our world today.

They Will Know...

Gospel: John 13: 31-35

"This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

So much is said and written about "Catholic identity" and being "authentically Catholic."  In such musings we find the following mentioned: wearing of religious articles like medals and crosses, distinctive religious garb for clergy and vowed religious, abstaining from meat on Sundays, attendance at certain types of liturgical functions.  Absent from any of the musings is the one and only criterion Jesus uses above - loving others as Jesus loved us.

To be known as a follower of Jesus is to love as he loved.  We are to heal and care for those who are sick and suffering.  We are to help deliver those held captive by their demons.  We are to nourish others at table in body and soul.  And we are to do all these things for everyone without exception just as Jesus himself did.  This alone is the identifying mark of being a Christian - not special garb or jewelry, not particular disciplines or liturgies.  It is solely in loving others as Jesus did that makes us authentic disciples.

Perhaps if we put away the props and superficial externals and attend to the needs of others in love people might actually recognize the reality of Jesus in the world, the fact that God is indeed love.  Perhaps they do not now have this recognition is because we wrap ourselves in the superficial and exude hatred rather than love.  Today is the day to put away the trinkets and the hate, and to loveothers as Jesus loved us.

The Mark of Belief

Gospel: John 14: 7-14

"Whoever believes in me will do the works that I do."

What makes someone a believer in Jesus?  Is it the profession of a certain creed?  Is it membership in a particular club?  Is it attendance at a particular liturgical form?  Is it a perfect score on a catechism quiz?  The answer to all of these questions is a resounding negative.  Today's Gospel portion gives us the only criterion for being a believer in Jesus: it is in performing the works that he performed while he was on earth.  

What are these works?  It is the work of healing others of their infirmities in body, mind, and spirit.  It is in liberating people from all the demons that torment them.  It is in nourishing people at table with material and spiritual food.  These works of Jesus that we are to do are to be done for everyone without exclusion or discrimination - just as Jesus did.  All who seek healing, liberation, and nourishment are to be cared for by us.  That is the sole mark of belief in Jesus.

Today is a day for us to reflect on how we might go about doing these works of Jesus in our own life.  There may be people in our own families who have these needs.  There are many places we could volunteer in order to care for those with such needs.  There are communities where we might give our entire lives to such service for others.  How is God calling us to do the work of Jesus - to profess our faith in Jesus - in our lives? 

A Bigger Table

Gospel: John 14: 1-6

"In my Father's house there are many dwelling places."

If God is infinite and God is love, then it is natural to infer that the dwelling places within the house of God are infinite as well.  The home is welcome to all, just as the Father had room for both the Prodigal Son and the older son reluctant to forgive.  So, when Jesus says that the house of God has many dwelling places he means this very thing.  The love and mercy of God are infinite and open to all.

We see this phenomenon in the ministry of Jesus himself.  He fed multitudes without excluding anyone.  He ate at table with sinners of all types as well as Pharisees who saw themselves as saints.  He healed men, women, foreigners, outcasts, and many whom his disciples did not want to heal.  He liberated people from their demons, even when others did not want him to do so  He forgave even those who put him to death, betrayed him, denied him, abandoned him.

The family of God embraces all people, invites and welcomes them to the table of the Lord. It is not a table for two in a private corner of an expensive restaurant.  It is a long banquet table growing ever longer and open with the passage of time. If God's house has many dwellings and is open to all, should not ours be as well?  

The Christian Path

Gospel: John 13: 16-20

"No servant is greater than the master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him."

Jesus says these words just after washing the feet of his disciples on the night before he is to be executed.  This statement echoes an earlier one - "As I have done, so also you must do." It is not for us merely to receive these things from the Lord Jesus.  We are to carry them out in our own lives as well.  To be a Christian is to take up the ministry of love and mercy in our own lives within the circumstances in which we find ourselves.  

For too long we have adopted a suburban Christianity of comfort and convenience.  We have bought the lie that Jesus did all of this for us so that we did not have to do so ourselves.  Time and again in the Gospel Jesus refutes this lazy discipleship.  "Whoever wishes to follow me must deny oneself, take up one's cross, and follow me."  We are even to suffer persecution and even death just as Jesus did for the sake of others, something for which we are to rejoice in the beatitudes.  

So today we reflect on the ways in which we might carry out the mission of love and mercy in the world - how we might feed and give drink to others, clothe and house them, visit those sick and in prison, and welcome the stranger and outcast just as Jesus did throughout his ministry among us on earth.  This is the Christian path, the only authentic evangelization in the world.

Love and Unity

Gospel: John 15: 9-17

"Love one another as I have loved you."

The fundamental mark of the Christian is to love others as Jesus loved us.  How did Jesus love? He went about from place to place healing people of their infirmities, delivering them from the demons that torment them, and feeding people at table.  He refused no one who asked, excluded no one from table.  He cared for those no one would care for, ate with sinners and those who thought they were not sinners.  He died on the cross and forgave us of that offense, never seeking retribution or vengeance.  

In establishing a principle of unity it was not a creedal formula or oath that Jesus instituted.  It was the exhortation to love one another.  It is in love alone that we are united to him and to God, in love alone are we united to one another.  It is a demonic religion that seeks to unite people by hating other people and creating entire groups of people to demean.  Authentic religion is the religion of love alone that is our source of vitality and unity.  

Pope Leo XIV chose as his motto "In illo uno unum" - in the One we are one."  God is love, and in the love of the One who is God we are made one with one another.  And we only love God when we love one another; there is no other way to show love for God, for that is the way the Lord Jesus showed love for God in caring for us and extending mercy to all he encountered.

The Works of God

Gospel: John 10: 22-30

"The works that I do in my Father's name testify to me."

Isn't it striking how human beings are unable to identify the works of God in the world?  Jesus provides us with the criteria in today's Gospel.  We merely have to look at the deeds he performed - healing people of all their afflictions, liberating people from all their demons, nourishing people in body and soul at table - and carry these out in our lives.  These deeds were provided to everyone: no one was excluded, rejected, or turned away.  All received the deeds of love and mercy.

And yet time and again we find so-called ministers of God tell us that the works of God are warfare, animus toward other people - migrants, refugees, immigrants, and many others.  They tell us the works of God are works of cruelty and death, that the way of God on earth is the way of the strong man, the demagogue, the preacher and doer of hate.  How often do we find religious leaders choose Barabbas over Jesus time and time again.

But our task is to find these works of God in the world and assist in them.  If we do not find these works of God in our area, it is our task to take them up and create them.  It is not for us to lament over the betrayal of the Sanhedrin and Pharisees.  It is for us to follow the Lord and to do the deeds of love and mercy in the world - deeds of healing, liberation, and nourishing - for all people, excluding no one, turning no one away. 

Riding the Rails

Gospel: John 10: 1-10

Sheepfolds are elaborate structures designed to guide sheep from the wide open field into a safe pen where they are safe from wild animals and robbers.  There is one gate for the sheep to enter, and they are guided to the safe place by a series of rails on either side that keep the sheep moving in one direction.  Once the sheep enter the gate into the aisle bordered by the rails they move fairly easily to the safety of the pen area.  

Jesus uses this analogy to describe his own ministry to the world.  He himself is the single gate through which a person enters.  Once through the gate, a person is guided along the way by the rails designed to keep one moving forward in a single direction.  Finally, we arrive with relative ease into the safety of the pen where neither wild beast nor robber can harm us.  Those rails are the two-fold commandment of love - love God, love neighbor, following the example of Jesus the gate.

There are no short-cuts in this process.  There is no other way into the place of safety save through this gate and this path.  We have heard the voice of the Good Shepherd who has led us to this entryway.  We have followed him to this point.  We have only to enter his gate and to follow the pathway of love to the place of safety and peace.  

Among the Sheep

Gospel: John 10: 27-30

The most fundamental component to tending sheep is gaining their trust.  That can only be done by being among them and in their midst.  Over time they come to recognize the voice of the shepherd and gradually they become more obedient when they hear his voice.  They come to realize that the shepherd would not lead them astray into dangerous territory or mislead them.  As he is ever present among them and not aloof, he has acquired their odor and identity, ensuring even greater trust among the flock.

Jesus is the good shepherd because he modeled this behavior of shepherds in his ministry among people.  Jesus did not rule from some distant palace, ivory tower, or office building.  Every day he was among the people healing them of their infirmities, freeing them from the demons that torment them, feeding multitudes in the fields, and sitting at table with them in their homes.  Jesus became one of us, identified with us, and cared for us - forever earning our trust and love.

The Good Shepherd is our model for ministry.  If we are desk jockeys in an office and not among the people caring for their needs, then we are not good shepherds.  If our voice is dishonest and inauthentic, then we are not good shepherds.  Today is a day to reflect on ministry, to model our own ministry after that of the Lord Jesus and on that of an ordinary shepherd who cares for their sheep.  

The Invitation

Gospel: John 6: 60-69

"Many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer walked with him." 

What was the way on which they were walking with the Lord? It was the way of mercy, love, and service to others. It was the way of healing, liberating, and feeding others.  But in this discourse, many chose to return to a life of self-interest and a life of benefit for self.  They were happy to benefit from the mercies of the Lord - the healing and feeding he provided.  But the implications of what Jesus suggests in this discourse is a point too far for them.

For when Jesus invites us to partake of his flesh, to do this in remembrance of me, it is not merely an invitation to create a ritual action that we regularly perform.  To partake of Jesus' flesh - to do this in remembrance of me - is to take on the life, mission, and identity of Jesus entirely.  It is to live and die for others in the same way that Jesus lived and died for us.  That is what many disciples could not accept then, or now.  

We are continually seeking ways to keep our lives of self-interest, to water down the demands Jesus lays upon us in inviting us to this life of total self-giving to others.  We like mercy, but only for ourselves and not for others.  We like healing, liberation, and feeding - but not for those people over there.  We love Jesus' acts of self-giving, but we think he did that so we do not have to do so.  No, he did so in order that we might imitate his example in our lives.  "As I have done, so you also must do." 

Welcome Him

Reading: Acts 9: 1-20

The conversion of Paul is at the same time the conversion of the entire Christian community.  For no sooner had Paul been transformed on the road to Damascus that God comes to Ananias encouraging him to welcome Paul into the community.  Ananias at first argues with God, saying they cannot welcome an enemy who has killed so many Christians into their company.  But God persists in urging Ananias and the larger Christian church to welcome this man into their ranks.

How often does God challenge us to welcome others into the family of believers! And how often do we fail! The parish that refuses to welcome and care for migrants in their midst.  The Christian who cannot abide the presence of another person due to political differences.  And we have not been asked to welcome one who murdered our own members!  Today's reading is an ever present challenge to the church to welcome.

Yesterday the Church elected a new pope, and right away the knives came out from all circles to dissect his life and see if he is "one of us." We are asked to welcome him, and indeed Pope Leo XIV invited us to welcome others with the message of peace that Jesus had brought to us.  We are to build bridges with all people, not just the ones we are comfortable with.  Today we are urged to welcome Paul, to welcome Leo, and to welcome all we meet with love.

God's Classroom

Gospel: John 6: 44-51

"They shall all be taught by God."

How is this teaching supposed to take place? We imagine it as some sort of giant Zoom session where God provides a lecture to teach us all things, or perhaps an elaborate Power Point presentation with nifty graphics that gives us all the information we need.  But God is not interested in transmitting information.  God is interested in developing authentic relationships, just as God is a being of relationship of three persons in a communion of love.

So Jesus situates this teaching of God in the context of breaking bread and a meal.  The table is where all are taught by God, the table being the most intimate place of human interaction.  Nothing is more authentic and self-giving than to share a meal with others, nothing reveals us to others and them to us more fully.  It is at the meal where we are fully fed physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  The table is where we are taught how to be fully human.

And so we do come to find Jesus present among us in the bread we share, the bread provided us by God at creation and in the re-creation of the world in the ministry of Jesus.  It is at the table where we are revealed to ourselves and God is revealed to us, where we become fully known and where we come to know God.  The table is God's classroom, not the lecture hall or Zoom channel.   

An Open Door

Gospel: John 6: 35-40

"I will not reject anyone who comes to me." Jesus makes this announcement to the crowd, a promise he keeps throughout his ministry.  In all the Gospels we can find no instance where Jesus rejected anyone who came to him for help.  He healed all who came for a cure, even when his own disciples would try to prevent him.  He liberated all held bound by their demons in spite of those who would oppose him.  And he fed the multitude, not refusing anyone.  He ate at table with sinners and those who thought they were not.

So, in the midst of the great bread of life discourse, Jesus states that he will refuse no one who comes to him.  How different from our own actions! We have created worthiness meters to keep out countless people, ever tightening the restrictions and making access to Jesus limited to a select few.  Yet, Jesus never rejected his own disciples who continually disappointed him, betrayed him denied him, and abandoned him.  

The world grows ever colder and hungry, and yet let people freeze and starve.  What is our response to this situation? Will we welcome all to the table, expand the field of those who can be ordained in order to feed people? Or will our arbitrary rules take precedents over the hunger of people in dire need of the sacraments?  Will we be like the Good Samaritan, or the priest and Levite? 

What Sign?

Gospel: John 6: 30-35

People ask Jesus what sign he can perform in order for them to believe in his - this after he just fed 5,000 from five loaves and two fish.  But what Jesus does do is to provide a sign of his presence that is even more remarkable, for he situates it in the most ordinary and most necessary part of human life - the meal table - and in bread, the most basic and common food element.  

It was at the meal table where we most often find Jesus.  He ate with all sorts of people - sinners of all types, and people who thought themselves to be saints.  None were excluded from his presence at table.  For the table is necessary to human life not just for the physical need of food, but also for the human companionship and interaction that we need for our hearts and souls as social beings.  The table feeds every element of our life.  To exclude someone from the table is to starve a human being in every element of their life.

And so this is the sign of Jesus' presence here on earth for all time - Jesus present to all of us, not just a few.  For it is there that the disciples came to recognize him after the resurrection, and the table is itself a foretaste of the great banquet table of God's kingdom in heaven.  Even in heaven, the presence of God will be at table, at a meal where all are gathered.   

The Works of God

Gospel: John 6: 22-29

The crowds have witnessed an incredible miracle of Jesus where he feeds everyone.  They follow him across the lake from town to town with great interest.  They ask Jesus what they must do to perform the works of God that Jesus encourages them to do.  To do the works of God are to do the works that Jesus himself performed while he was on earth.  What are these works?

Jesus went about healing people of all their infirmities - blindness, infirmity, inability to walk, leprosy, and so much more.  He liberated people from the demons that held them in captivity, from real demons to addictions, idolatries, and ideological manias that enslave us.  And he nourished people body and soul with his food and presence at table, the place of ultimate reconciliation, healing, and liberation.

So this is our task in the world today - to do these works of the Lord Jesus in our time and place, in all the situations that present themselves to us in our daily life.  Like Jesus, we are to provide these things to all people without exclusion or exception.  That such an idea is now considered controversial in the Christian Church is a sad thing indeed.  

Healing Wounds

Gospel: John 21: 1-19

The disciples had a bad run of late.  They betrayed the Lord, denied they knew him, abandoned him during his trial and execution, and failed to believe those who saw Jesus raised from the dead.  Now these disciples have returned to their former way of life as if nothing at all had happened - even after they had seen the risen Lord and received the Spirit from him.  

But in spite of all these things, the Lord Jesus appears once again to them.  At first they do not recognize him, but once they have a remarkable catch of fish they are aware that it is Jesus.  At shore they find that Jesus has prepared a meal of fish and bread for them, a meal of reconciliation and healing.  What is more, after the meal Jesus asks Peter simply if he loved him.  Whenever the disciples fail, Jesus does not withdraw from them, he does not exclude them from table.  Instead, he always moves toward them, inviting them to the table.

Imagine what our world would be like if we acted like the Lord Jesus.  Imagine what the Church would be like if we acted as the Lord.  The world desperately needs expressions of mercy and love, reconciliation and forgiveness.  The example of the Lord Jesus must inspire us to provide this love, mercy, and reconciliation in the world today. 

Seeing God

Gospel: John 14: 6-14

So many people want to see God and go to great lengths in order to do so.  They look for God in visions and esoteric experiences of all kinds.  They imagine God in all sorts of forms and images, all of which leave us unsatisfied and wanting.  But if God is infinite then every finite image will always come up short and lacking in what we truly desire.  Even the disciples who are present with Jesus continue to ask him to show them the Father.

But if God is love, then we can see God in this world, present in deeds of love offered for others.  This is why people saw God in Jesus.  Every act he performed was a deed of love and mercy for others.  In healing others of their ailments, in liberating them from the demons who tormented them, and in nourishing others at table with food and his presence Jesus showed the love of God and thus showed us God in the world.

If we want to see God, then we must look for these deeds of love.  If we do not see God, then we can make God present to others in offering deeds of love and mercy to others.  Perhaps the reason for disbelief in our world is the fact that people do not see these deeds of love and thus do not see God.  They see instead deeds of hate, even in people claiming to represent God.  If we want the world to believe, if we want them to see God, then we must do these deeds of love as the Lord Jesus did. 

Giving, Not Receiving

Gospel: John 6: 1-15

Today's Gospel portion is one of many examples in which Jesus performs his ministry of healing, liberating, and feeding others while rejecting any accolades or positions of power.  Jesus provides feeding for a multitude of people where no one is excluded, where all are fed.  The crowd recognizes the miraculous work of Jesus in providing for all, and they want to make him king, but as in so many other instances, Jesus flees from them, rejecting the title and position of earthly power.

How different is Jesus from us! How often do we see religious leaders seeking positions of influence in the halls of secular power.  How often do we seek recognition and accolades from others for the work we do for others.  But the path of Jesus is one of quiet, humble service of love that seeks not one's own self-interest but solely the good of the other.  

Plenty of opportunities exist for us to engage in this humble work.  Caring for those in nursing homes, hospitals, and shut-ins.  Visiting those who are in prisons and homeless shelters.  Feeding the hungry and clothing the naked.  Helping immigrants, migrants, and refugees. These deeds will not find their way into news media, and there are many who do this work in quiet, loving humility.  Today, we look to follow Jesus' example of feeding others and rejecting the temptation to power and prestige.

A Worker's Revolution

Gospel: Matthew 13: 54-58

In today's Gospel we learn the one detail about Joseph that has come to define this feast: he is a carpenter, a simple worker.   He utters not a single word in the entire Gospels.  Joseph simply goes about his daily work each day, earning a living and providing for his family, doing his work well and perfecting it each day little by little.  It is not a glamorous life, but it is a noble and virtuous one to be sure.

We are constantly in search of saintly examples in our our daily life.  We think they might reside in religious media empires or chanceries or other places of public faith.  A brief time in these places will leave us sorely disappointed in our search.  But then we visit the sick in the hospital, or an elderly person in a nursing home, or a troubled person in prison or psychiatric unit - and it is there where we find saintly people caring for others.

We will also find them in the plumber who fixes your broken toilet, the landscaper who cuts your lawn, and in countless other places where ordinary people perform ordinary work in extraordinary ways.  This is the worker revolution - the movement of simply doing our professions well, providing for our families, and living a simple, quiet life of service to others.  We will not find sanctity in the halls of power or the noisy world of media self-promotion.  We will find holy people, and holiness for ourselves, in the ordinary work of each day.