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Daily Scripture

+ 7th Week of Easter

We are to be consecrated in truth.

Readings: Acts 20:28-38 Psalm 88:29-30, 33-36 John 17:11b-19

Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they may also be consecrated in truth. [John 17:18-19]

Read the Gospel very slowly and if possible, out loud and if necessary, three times! Although John’s literary style is quite complex, the farewell prayer of Jesus is as powerful as is Paul’s farewell message in Acts.

It is not likely that these passages are the actual words of Paul and Jesus. They are compositions that Luke and John or whoever wrote in their name and are based on the oral tradition of the sayings of Jesus and the preaching of Paul. They were written in the style of farewell addresses of prominent leaders of their times in order to win the attention of early believers to whom the message of truth was entrusted.

The ‘truth’ that is being proclaimed is not from a catechism nor is it a defined doctrine or dogma. It is the core truth about the God who spoke through the prophets and then through Jesus about the universality of God’s love.

During this time of immediate preparation for Pentecost, we are invited to think about our own responsibility to pass on the ‘truth’ of God’s goodness entrusted to us in Christ and how we are to live that truth in our daily lives, each in our own unique way. No one of us can do this alone and so we much join hands literally and figuratively within the community of believers everywhere.

To live the ‘truth’ is to live in the Spirit of Jesus Christ the fruits of which are charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, moderation, self-control, reverence, etc. I’m sure you memorized these ‘fruits of the Holy Spirit.’

These are the true ‘marks’ of our authenticity as believers.

Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time 'A'

Saturday February 26, 2011

Not to worry; I’ll be there for you!

Young people are not exempt from ‘hard times’ and it is not unusual for them to bring their difficult moments to the table for discussion during an Antioch (retreat) weekend.

During the commitment ceremony at the conclusion of the weekend, participants have the opportunity to give testimony to their Antioch experience and its impact on their lives. For many the weekend is a turning point in their journey. They build their commitment around their desire to be a better person – a better son or daughter and a more trusted friend. Inevitably someone in the group will respond, “I’ll be there for you!”

Though it may be too dramatic to call it a radical conversion and it surely doesn’t spare them from hard times ahead, this brief but intense experience of community can have a lasting impact. From time to time, I still meet adults who years later speak of their time at Antioch as something that has had a significant influence on many of their decisions. Through Antioch they were assured that someone would be there for them whatever the challenge or trial. This someone they later came to believe was God through the support of a friend.

The theme song for Antioch is “You’ve got a friend,” the James Taylor version. (I’d sing it for you but I don’t have my guitar with me!)

But there are more dramatic examples of human solidarity that happen every day during hard times. I’m thinking about the most recent earthquake in New Zealand and the ongoing trauma in Libya. And I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that most of you can point to an experience in your own life when you didn’t know how you were going to make it through the day were it not for the help and support of a friend who was there for you.

So how do we know that God was there and will be there for us in the days ahead?

Isaiah gives voice to the anguish of one who felt abandoned: “Zion said, ‘The Lord has forgotten me; the Lord has forsaken me.’ Can a mother forget her infant? Even if she should forget, I will never forget you!”

And in Matthew’s gospel: “Therefore I tell you not to worry about your life, what you eat or drink, or what you will wear… look at the birds of the sky…”

Those texts are great in fair weather or on vacation when life is good. But they have a rather hollow sound when your house is in foreclosure or when you have been out of work for two years or when a member of your family has been struck with a life-threatening illness or when your world is collapsing around you for no apparent reason.

Yes, we want more concrete evidence that we are not alone. We need an experience of God with skin and a human heart.

Strange as it may sound, I believe it all begins with a healthy ‘ego.’ Even the babe in the womb attempts to get the attention of its mother and although this may seem more metaphorical than real, it does not take long for the infant to take control of the household, making adult sleep a precious commodity. As adolescents, we attempt to conquer the neighborhood and as adults we turn to power, status and money. These are indicators of an inflated ego. A healthy ego makes us aware of our dependence on a higher power.

We learn through the hard knocks of life that we can’t do life according to our own plan and we can’t go it alone. We need a neighbor, a loyal friend, and a partner to be there for us. That’s how we know that God is with us.

“Being there” doesn’t mean coming up with easy answers or pat solutions though at time it may demand the sharing of our material resources, pulling us out of a burning building or saving us from raging waters. More often it is simply a reassuring presence that tells us everything is going to be all right.

Mother Teresa knew this and even when she went through the trial of dryness when God seemed absent she didn’t give in to despair. It was her utter surrender to the unseen God that held her up and kept her faithful to the end. God doesn’t do life for us but with us.

When we trust the presence of God within us, we are able to recognize God’s presence in the support of those who extend their hands and hold out their heart to us when we need it the most.

St. Paul speaks of Jesus disciples as stewards of the mysteries of God. He is undoubtedly referring to the teachings of Jesus but I would suggest that our stewardship refers to our willingness to be there fore others. How better to demonstrate our conviction that God has come to us in human form and continues to appear wherever and whenever humans reach out to one another?

Those young Antiochers got it right. Not to worry; I’ll be there for you! You better believe it.