Fifth Sunday of Easter May 07, 2023
Readings:
Acts 6:1-7; 1 Peter
2:4-9; John 14:1-12
Johnny’s fear is similar to the fear of the
disciples as the time draws near for Jesus to leave them. They are afraid to
face the world alone. In today’s gospel reading, Jesus does pretty much what
Johnny’s mother tried to do, namely, convince the disciples that there is no
need to be afraid, even when he is not there with them.
Jesus assures his disciples and to each of
us today that He is our way, truth and life and we will receive the fullness of
life in and through him. Our life receives the full meaning when we are able to
give ourselves to the service of others and find meaning in that service. Our
true living comes by opening ourselves to God and to the world by becoming what
we can be. The close identification of
Jesus with God the Father is the over-riding theme of today's Gospel
passage. At the same time Jesus invites
his followers to identify themselves with him and his mission. Thus in the gospel of today taken from the
last discourse of Jesus we hear him say that he is the way, the truth and the
life. Those who believe in him will inherit eternal life. He at the same time
stresses on his unity with the Father and our need to trust in him.
All of us have heard about the diaconate
ordination. The basis for this ordination is in today’s first reading. The Hellenistic group complained that their
poor widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food from the
common store by the majority group, the local Hebrews. Another problem was that some of the members
were so overworked in the service of the community that they were neglecting
other important duties. The solution arrived at by prayer and discernment
showed flexibility and growth, optimism and imagination of the early community.
It showed the church as an organization with an atmosphere of love,
consideration and enthusiasm. It showed
a church with each person treated equally with love, in the forefront of
breaking down of ethnic and racial barriers. For this reason, they established
the new office of a deacon with a specific task to serve the community. Later
we see the deacons also busy with evangelization and supporting the main body
of the Apostles.
In the gospel the disciples see God in
Jesus. So long as he is around, there is no fear. But they do not see God in
their fellow disciples. They are just too human, subject to the shortcomings
and weaknesses of ordinary mortals. The disciples set Jesus apart. They put him
on a different platform from themselves. It is interesting to note that all the
reasoning that Jesus offers to persuade them not to fear is pitched on the
exact opposite camp. Jesus is trying to convince them that if God could work
through him, Jesus, then God could as well work through any other human being.
Jesus places himself on the same platform with them so as to make them believe
that God can use them and work through them in spite of their human
deficiencies. In fact, in order to drive home this point, Jesus even goes as
far as placing the disciples on a higher platform than himself as people
through whom God can work: “Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me
will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than
these, because I am going to the Father” (verse 12).
When we see things happening in the church
or in our world the way they should not, it is not time to blame God for
abandoning us to our own whims and caprices. No, God is always with us. It is
rather a time for serious soul searching, a time for us as individuals and as a
church to ask ourselves: Where did we miss it? How can we get back on God’s
track? What is God saying to us in these events and crises? We should not let
our hearts be troubled. We believe in God, let us now believe in men and women
made in the image and likeness of God.
Happy Sunday
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