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Greetings on this the Sixth Sunday of Easter
Readings: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17; Psalm 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20; 1 Peter 3:15-18; John 14:15-21

Summary

The Sixth Sunday of Easter functions in part as an Overture, in both senses of the word.

1. In music, a single movement in sonata form – to Sound Out that which is to come.
2. In life, it something that is offered or suggested with the hope that it will start a relationship.

In our sacred readings the 6th Sunday announces the last Three movements of Easter and the First Movement in the return to Ordinary Time:

1. Ascension
2. Pentecost
3. Trinity Sunday
4. The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as Corpus Christi (“Body of Christ”).

Jesus does this in a marvelous way! He Sounds Out what is to happen to strengthen the faith of his apostles.

1. In a little while the world will no longer see me – Jesus is indicating his Ascension.
2. I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth. The gift of the Holy Spirit – Pentecost.
3. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you. The nascent revelation of Trinity.
4. 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.

And all of this sounding out with the hope of faith and the start of a new relationship … Love. Jesus wants us to understand the Ascension is for love, Pentecost is for Love and the Solemnity of Corpus Christi – the Remaining with us – is based in love.

Jesus said to his disciples: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”

Reflection

Easter doesn’t end in a whimper. But is a marvelous explosion of divine grace and divine presence! Today’s gospel reading is the overture of these events and intended to begin a deeper soul conversation centered on revealed love for you, about you, with you.

Personal Reflection

I offer what Jesus offers, proclaimed and made present in the Church.

[We send you…] Peter and John, who went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for it had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.

Come.
Be Baptised.
Receive the Holy Spirit.
Come, even daily, to receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

Sacred Readings full text: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/051026.cfm

Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry

Greetings on this the Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter
Readings: Acts 16:1-10; Psalm 100:1b-2, 3, 5; John 15:18-21

Summary

Did a people ever hear the voice of God speaking from the midst of fire, as you did, and live? If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first (Dt 4:33; Jn 15:18).

Reflection

There is hatred of the qualities (actions & intentions) of a person and hatred of the person as a Self. In our gospel portion today, Jesus warns about both forms of hatred. The good Jesus did is accounted as evil. The goodness of the person of Jesus is discounted as not offering the desires of power and control.

If so with Jesus, how much more so in his followers who can at best imitate the Lord?

If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.
If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

Hatred is loud, exaggerated, obnoxious in and of itself. It gets all the attention.

Jesus reminds us… Did a people ever hear the voice of God speaking from the midst of fire, as you did, and live? Yes, yes, we did and do and will continue to live for Love casts out Fear. If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1).

In THE NAME of Jesus we are to become like him in all things. The Father’s voice has spoken to us and we live!

Personal Reflection

Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.

Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.

The LORD is good:
his kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.
(Psalm 100:1b-2, 3, 5)

Sacred Readings full text: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/050926

Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry

Greetings on this the Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter
Readings: Acts 15:22-31; Psalm 57:8-9, 10 and 12; John 15:12-17

Summary

‘It is the decision of the holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities, namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meats of strangled animals, and from unlawful marriage. If you keep free of these, you will be doing what is right. Farewell.’ You are my friends if you do what I command you. This I command you: love one another (Acts 15:28-29; Jn 15:14,17).

Reflection

Ocean-going ships have to go to dry dock every so often to get a cleaning. It seems all sorts of mollusks and algae things stick to the hull and build up and eventually even interfere with the safety of the ship. So into dry dock they go and they blast off the barnacles and stuff. Then back to sea making for smooth sailing.

The Church takes note and often spends time refining the things of necessity and leniency using the commandment to love others as self and to love all no matter their life story.

Personal Reflection

We too should take note. Do not place burdens on people beyond that which is necessary. Render aid, not judgement and… Farewell.

Sacred Readings full text: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/050826.cfm

Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry

Greetings on this the Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter
Readings: Acts 15:7-21; Psalm 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 10; John 15:9-11

Summary

After much debate had taken place, Peter got up and said to them, “My brothers, you are well aware that from early days God made his choice among you that through my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. [Jesus said] I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete (Acts 15:7; Jn 15:11).

Reflection

Through the arc of the gospel readings this week we can recognize a set of blessings and the active agents of the blessings. Given along side the continuous reading of the Acts of the Apostles, we witness specific reflections of these gifts in a tangible way. Today Peter announces the JOY of the Gentiles to be receivers of the fullness of the gifts of the Father (exemplified in the gift of the Holy Spirit). He made no distinction between us and them, for by faith he purified their hearts.

Revealing the Advocate.

• Monday – Love – Gift of the Holy Spirit.
• Tuesday – Peace – Going to the Father.
• Wednesday – Fruit – Vine and Branches.
• Thursday – Joy (today) – Jesus’ Commandment to love as he loves.
• Friday – Friendship – The Father has chosen.
• Saturday – The Name – I have chosen you out of the world.

Personal Reflection

If I were to take the summary of the week in reverse order, I would write this:

In THE NAME of Jesus we are to become like him in all things. The Father has chosen to bestow upon us His FRIENDSHIP. It is with JOY we are to receive the commission to love as Jesus loved. To do so, God will help us become FRUIT of the Vine. Because of this we have the same PEACE Jesus has in his returning to the Father. And it is all animated by the LOVE the Father has for us by giving his Holy Spirit to dwell within us.

I think JOY is a good response today… and gratitude.

Sacred Readings full text: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/050726.cfm
Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry

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Read her story and see if your heart is moved to action. Thank you!

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Peace be with you,

Deacon Gerry

Greetings on this the Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter
Readings: Acts 15:1-6; Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5; John 15:1-8

Summary

Jesus said to his disciples: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you (Jn 15:1-4a).

The apostles and the presbyters met together to see about this matter. [Then] Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord (Jn 15:6; PS 122:1).

Reflection

Differences of opinion will always occur. Nuances of meaning, local cultural standards and specific circumstances all play into the discernment of right action.

But you have to meet to make your way through the problem or opportunity.

In our gospel portion today Jesus describes us, himself and the Father in the allegory of The Vine and the Branches. The Father is the Vine Grower, Jesus is the Vine and we are his Branches. It is important to understand the relational characteristics of this metaphor describing the relations and actions that are the result of these consultations.

Think of the vine grower in ‘conversation’ with you as a branch and with Jesus as the vine. Pruning is spiritual health care (allow me, yes?) for the state of a soul.

He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.’” (Lk 13:8-9).

Since scripture is filled with double meanings the drying and burning of the branches can be encountered in both ways:

1. The restorative effort to reclaim the branch. If you struggle with this understanding go back to Ezekiel chapter 15 (The Useless Vine) and Ps 80:15, 19b – Turn back again, God of hosts; look down from heaven and see; Visit this vine revive us, and we will call on your name.
2. The final end if the branch never comes back to life.

Personal Reflection

The Father and the Son are always talking about you — how to help you — and trying to engage with you in conversation. Take the meeting! [Meet] together to see about this matter. [Then] Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Sacred Readings full text: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/050626.cfm

Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry

Greetings on this the Tuesday of Fifth Week of Easter
Readings: Acts 14:19-28; Psalm 145:10-11, 12-13ab, 21; John 14:27-31a

Summary

They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. [Yet] Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead, and so enter into his glory. [He told us] Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. [We respond as friends] Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom. (Acts 14:19b; See Luke 24:46, 26; Jn 14:27; PS 145:12).

Reflection

The resistance to the Gospel of Jesus Christ is centered and rooted in a belief system supposing that he was and remains dead. So from the readings today I chose these four sacred scripture passages to illustrate and bring courage.

1. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. They also supposed Jesus was dead and not resurrected.
2. Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead. This is well attested in the Old Testament as a requirement for the Christ.
3. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Both before and after the Resurrection Jesus offers divine peace to us.
4. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Regardless of the unbelief of others, we persist in proclaiming Jesus, Risen.

Personal Reflection

We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him (1 Jn 4:16).

This is the core of our trust in the Lord. God is Love in person and in action. God’s not dead. Everything flows from this core tenet and allows the resurrection and the witness of the life of Jesus to make sense to us.

Go in peace.

Sacred Reading full text: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/050526.cfm

Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry

Greetings on this the Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter
Readings: Acts 14:5-18; Psalm 115:1-2, 3-4, 15-16; John 14:21-26

Summary

The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that [I] told you (Jn 14:26).

Reflection

The Holy Spirit leads us into understanding life in a whole new way.

This is a vision according to which every person is recognized in their uniqueness: “no one is confused with another, no one is lost. Faith of this kind, Pope Leo XIV explained, “frees our hearts from the anxiety of having and achieving, from the illusion of chasing a prestigious place in order to have value.” Human dignity does not depend on social recognition: “each person already has infinite worth in the mystery of God, which is the only true reality.” – Pope Leo XIV

Personal Reflection

Material things give a false sense of meaning, purpose and belonging – all fundamental human needs. Today let us see ourselves and others within the infinite love.

Sacred Readings full text: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/050426.cfm

Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry