Solemnity of Pentecost, May 31, 2020

May we, through the graces of today's Eucharistic celebration of the Pentecost, be worthy to receive the Holy Spirit, that He may sanctify and transform our hearts and mind, to courageously proclaim the good news of God's kingdom, and show God's love manifest in us in our interaction and dealings with our neighbours...

Happy Sunday!

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Acts 2,1-11; 1 Cor 12,3b-7.12-13; John 20, 19-23: Solemnity of Pentecost, May 31, 2020)

Today we celebrate Pentecost, which is the culmination of the liturgical year. The whole year is oriented towards this feast, because it is the conclusion of Jesus’ work, therefore, the conclusion of the Incarnation and redemption, the Saviour’ gift par excellence.

In the first reading the event of Pentecost is told. In the second reading Paul speaks of the Holy Spirit who distributes multiple gifts. The Gospel tells of Jesus’ apparition to the disciples on Easter evening in the Upper Room.

The Gospel shows that Pentecost is closely linked to the Incarnation and redemption. Pentecost is the fruit of Calvary and the resurrection: Jesus died to communicate the Holy Spirit to us, and rose to communicate the Holy Spirit to us. The evangelist narrates  that Jesus came to the place where the disciples were gathered: a room firmly closed, with lock and key, because they were afraid of the Jews. But the risen Jesus is not impeded by any obstacle, he can go wherever he wants. Jesus stood in their midst and said: Peace be with you! Having said that, he showed them his hands and side. In this way, the Risen One manifests the link between his wounds and the gifts he is about to give to his disciples. The peace that he communicates to them is the peace obtained, thanks to his victory over evil and death. This also applies to the gift of the Holy Ghost. Jesus says to the disciples: Receive the Holy Spirit. To communicate the Spirit, he uses his own body, because he breathes on the disciples. His breath transmits the Spirit. It is as a new creation. The book of Genesis tells that, to create man, God moulded him with the dust of the earth and then breathed on him, to animate him. Similarly, Jesus breathes on the disciples. This way of expressing things makes it very clear to see the link between Jesus’ paschal mystery and the gift of the Holy Spirit. At the time of Jesus' death, the evangelist had mentioned this gift: instead of saying that Jesus breathed his last, he said: Jesus transmitted the Spirit. Through the means of his redemptive death Jesus transmits the Holy Spirit. The link with the resurrection is also expressed with Jesus' gesture of breathing on the disciples, to transmit the Holy Spirit to them: the Spirit that purifies, sanctifies, gives impetus and infuses peace, joy and love. The Spirit is the great gift promised by God through the prophet Ezekiel: I will give you a new heart, I will put a new spirit within you ... I will bring my spirit within you (Ezek 36,26-27). It is a complete renewal of human nature wounded by sin, a wonderful restoration, more beautiful than the original creation itself. We must greatly desire to be docile to the Holy Spirit, be renewed internally, animated by divine charity and have in us this strong push towards a life truly worthy of God. It is a life of love, which is participation in the life of the Most Holy Trinity. Jesus then shows that the Holy Spirit is a spirit that purifies, which gives the apostles the ability to forgive sins effectively: Receive the Holy Spirit; to whom you forgive the sins they will be forgiven and to whom you do not forgive them, they will remain not remitted.

The narrative of the Acts of the Apostles shows other aspects of the gift of the Holy Spirit. This time it is a fully visible, indeed impressive manifestation that exhibits itself in different ways. The first way is that of a strong wind that blows. Here we speak of a wind that causes a loud noise, of a kind of storm, which comes to communicate the breath of God to the apostles and, through them, to the whole world. Thus the dynamic aspect of the Holy Spirit is expressed. Indeed the Hebrew word (ruah) used to refer to Spirit is the same as wind. The second way of the manifestation of the Spirit is the appearance of tongues as of fire. Here there is a double symbol: that of languages and that of fire. Languages show that the Spirit gives the ability to communicate the word of God. In fact, immediately after the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit, they began to speak in tongues. Here it is not a question of a simply human language, but of a divine language, which passes through the people called to communicate the word of God: The Spirit gave them the power to express themselves. This language is a language of fire, which communicates warmth, a language which spreads to transform the whole world. In the Bible the Spirit is compared to water, even to fire: it presents both aspects. The following scene shows the action of the Spirit in gathering together  all the men dispersed in different nations and who speak different languages. This scene has an evident relationship with the episode of the tower of Babel, but a contrasting relationship. In the episode of the tower of Babel the men, who previously spoke the same language, could no longer understand one another, because they spoke different languages; thus they dispersed and could no longer carry out the planned joint work. But, on the day of Pentecost people from all over the world - Parthians Medes, Elamites and inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,  Egypt and parts of Libya near Cyrene, visitors from Rome - enter into relationship with one another, thanks to the action of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit does not destroy languages, but makes people of all these nations understand the message of the apostles. Therefore unity among men is restored thanks to the action of the Holy Spirit. Indeed, the Holy Spirit is a Spirit of love, a Spirit who unites and makes us live together in harmony and mutual love.

In the second reading, Paul says something similar. He speaks of the charisms, of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and insists on the unity produced by the Spirit, who at the same time promotes unity and diversity. The Spirit is the promoter of unity, because it is only one: There are diversities of charisms, but only one Spirit. In another verse, the Apostle explains that the one and the same Spirit distributed his gifts to each of us as he wishes (cf. 1 Cor 12,11). The Spirit is the promoter of diversity, because his gifts are wonderfully differentiated: they correspond with the needs of each one, of the Church and the whole world. Under this aspect, the Spirit can be compared to water. Indeed, Paul says that we have all been baptised in one Spirit, and that we, ourselves have drunk the one Spirit ((literally means: to have watered ourselves in the one Spirit). Thus the Spirit takes the place of water or, more precisely, gives meaning to the water of baptism. Water is in fact an element which is always the same, but which produces different effects: it nourishes all plants in the diversity of their species; it also gives men and beasts what is necessary for life etc. Similarly the Holy Spirit is always the same, but also a source of diversity. We must accept diversity, without going against unity. Paul affirms that as the body, although one, has many members, and all members, while being many are one body, so is Christ also. We have all been baptised into one Spirit, to form one body. So we have to live in unity. But this unity is not uniform: it is a unity founded on diversity, the gifts of God, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are of an extraordinary diversity, all contributing to unity.

Today's liturgy offers us a very rich message. We must, therefore, thank God for this extraordinary, wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit which comes from the paschal mystery of Jesus and manifests itself in the Church in different ways. To contribute to unity, the Spirit distributes to us very different gifts, and thus gives us the joy of diversity, unity and love. +John I. Okoye

(pictures  by Chukwubike)

7th Sunday of Easter, May 24, 2020

May Christ,  through our expectation of the Advocate, grant us, in today's Eucharistic celebration, the grace to be worthy of the glorification that takes place at Pentecost, to renew us just as He renewed the Apostles with His life-giving spirit.

Happy Sunday! 

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Acts 1,12-14; 1 Peter 4,13-16; John 17, 1-11a; 7th Sunday of Easter, May 24, 2020)

The first reading indicates that Jesus ascended into heaven and those who were with him on the mount returned to the city, entered the place where they were staying, and devoted themselves to prayer. The apostles were there.  Their list corresponds with other lists found in the gospel accounts (Luke 6,14-16) with the exception of Judas Iscariot. Simon is identified as a member of the Zealots, a militant wing of the Jewish independence movement. The women who accompanied those men might be their wives or Jesus women followers who had come with him from Galilee and was attended to his burial (Luke 23,55).  It is worth remarking that Mary the mother of Jesus was noted as present. Except in the fourth gospel (and there only twice) she had hardly been mentioned since Jesus’ childhood stories. At the birth of the Church, she appears for the last time in the New Testament, and it is surely deliberate that her prominence was noted: as Mother of the Church (so constituted by her Son's words from the cross to her and the beloved disciple) she must assist at the birth of the Church. Thenceforth, she was no more mentioned, but this does not mean that her role is over; a mother's function does not cease at giving birth.

On this last Sunday before the feast of Pentecost we read again (in the second reading from 1 Peter) of the connection that exists between Christ’s suffering and that of the Christian followers. Those who share in his suffering will also share in his glory. This is the reason for the Christians' rejoicing. The author of the letter is very clear about the reason for the Christians’ suffering. They are either defamed for the name of Christ (v. 14) or harassed, even persecuted, for being Christians (v. 16). The author provides one form of personal injury that fits these categories; reproach (oneidos), to make another the object of disgrace. Since their religious teaching and values, frequently, prevented the Christian believers from engaging in behaviour that was part of pagan culture, they often had to endure misunderstandings, mistrusts, and resentments. Their way of living was considered antisocial at best, treasonable at worst. It is out of question to think that suffering, which is the penalty for wrongdoing, could be associated with the suffering of Jesus. In order to make clearer what he meant here, the author gave some examples of the behaviour that will not earn future glorification for the Christians. They include murder, theft, wrongdoing, and acting as a busybody. These kinds of behaviour do not merit eschatological glory.

This is one of the three places in the Bible where the followers of Jesus were called Christians (cf. Acts 11,26; 26,28). While the term marks one as a supporter or follower of Christ, it may well have been intended as a name of scorn. As the name Christian might be interpreted as Messiah follower (the Christians claimed the Messiah they followed was a man who had been executed as a felon by crucifixion) to call them Christian might have been comparable to calling them felon-followers. In the face of this, the author of the letter told them to bear this name proudly and to endure any misfortune that might befall them because of it.

Today’s gospel reading offers us the beginning of Jesus’ magnificent prayer before his passion, a prayer in which it was possible to glimpse something of the unity existing between him and the Father. Father, glorify your Son…and then again: Father, glorify me before you ... What does it mean? Isn't it proud to ask to be glorified? It might seem so, but it is not because of several reasons. In the first place, because this glorification is realised during/through the passion, and we also know from the Gospel and from the context in which Jesus says these words. Father, the hour has come …: the hour of passion has come, which is also the hour of glorification. In another chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus is troubled, anguished and prays: Now my soul is troubled; and what should I say? Father, save me from this hour? But that's why I've come to this hour! Father, glorify your name!  (John 12,27-28). Glorify your name means what we read here: Glorify your son so that the Son will glorify you. His purpose is the glory of the Father, which cannot be separated from his, because the Father cannot be glorified if the Son is not glorified. But the glorification of the Son takes place in the passion, in which the Father acts giving the Son the victory, not a human victory, but divine, obtained through suffering and death: then Jesus receives power over every human being and communicates eternal life. In particular, glorification takes place in the mystery of Pentecost, when the life-giving Spirit renews the Apostles and the whole Church. This is the glory of Jesus. It was not a relationship that remained closed between the Father and the Son, but an open, fruitful relationship, tending to transform every creature. You have given him power over every human being, so that he may give eternal life to all whom you have given him. This is eternal life: may they know you the only true God, and the one you sent, Jesus Christ: a life of union with God, Father, Son, in the Spirit. This is the glory that the Father communicates to the Son, the glory that spreads over the whole earth, since all the earth must be re-filled by the glory of God. We ask the Lord to open our heart to this beautiful prayer, so that we, too, can say in every event: Father, glorify your son, your child, that is to say: Implement your plan of love through all difficulties, obtain victory for me and thus I will be glorified and I will glorify you. It is a very beautiful reaction, because it is a reaction of love and trust. Jesus looked at his passion in that manner; let us ask him for the gift of his Spirit, which will enable us to open ourselves to his love in this way.

As we come to the end of the Easter season, we realise that we are in a liminal (liminal means relating to a transitional or initial stage of a process) period, a time in-between, in the situation of already, but not yet. We wait in anticipation for something already in our midst. In a very real sense the unfolding occurs within us. We are the ones who have been already saved but have not yet experienced the fullness of that salvation (this is referred to in theological terms as realised and unrealised eschatology). We have already been transformed into Christ, but this transformation has not yet been complete. The glory of the risen Christ has already been revealed in us, but not yet totally. Already, but not yet is the way we live out our lives in God, not the way God lives in us. The tension is ours, not God's. This tension is at the core of much of our frustration and suffering. We think that we have made some progress in reforming our lives only to realise that with each step forward we discover more steps that needed to be taken. We resolve to eliminate from our lives those attitudes and habits that diminish our character (impatience, resentment, small-mindedness) only to find that, wholehearted, commitment has not yet been eradicated from our lives. Because we live in the tension of already, but not yet we are always in need of salvation; we must always plunge ourselves into the death of Jesus so that we can rise again with him. While in this liminal state we must remember that even if we become frustrated God does not. God is always at our side. Living in-between the times is a special kind of living. It is a combination of rejoicing in the future that has already come and waiting for it to dawn. Though Christ is exalted in the heavens, the glory of Christ shines forth in us through our commitment to the message of the gospel. Today’s readings show us that the radical nature of this in-between living requires the support of the community. After Jesus had ascended into heaven, the apostles returned to Jerusalem as a community, and they gathered as a community in prayer. Knowing the difficulties his followers would have to face, Jesus prayed for them. This prayer was made within the context of his declaration of oneness, oneness between him and God the Father. At this same time, he described the participation of his followers in this oneness. We need community, but not only for help in the ordinary experiences of life. We need a community of believers with whom we can pray, who will understand our spiritual aspirations, support us in our Christian commitment and challenge us when we stray from the right path. We need a community of believers who are companions with us on our journey through this in-between time, who experience the same struggle to be faithful in a world that does not share our values or our insights. We need a community of believers through who shines the glory of the exalted Lord.

In this liminal stage we need the prayer of the community for support as we mentioned above. Nevertheless, we need to cultivate the spirit of personal prayer by turning of our minds and hearts to God, having a heart to heart conversation with him, cultivating an attitude of waiting and attending to him, establishing a personal relationship with him which can be continuous even when we are engaged in other activities. Nothing will also be more beneficial to us in this liminal stage than opening ourselves to the Holy Spirit who will lead us to the complete truth by showing us, in an unforgettable manner, the different aspects and deep nuances of our Christian life in this stage of in between living, thereby leading us into union with Christ and eventually, introducing us deeper and deeper into the life of the Blessed Trinity. +John I. Okoye

6th Sunday of Easter, 17th May 2020

May our expression of love for Christ be made manifest by keeping his commandments and, through the grace of this Sunday's Eucharistic celebration, may we become worthy to receive the Holy Spirit which He promised us.

Happy Sunday!

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

Acts 8,5-8.14-17; 1 Peter 3,15-18; John 14,15-21; 6th Sunday of Easter, 17th May 2020)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

On this Sunday, the liturgy already prepares us for the feast of Pentecost. In fact, all the texts refer to the Holy Spirit. In the Gospel, we have the first announcement of the coming of the Comforter, which is the Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit. In the first reading, the apostles Peter and John went to Samaria to lay hands on the baptised, who received the Holy Spirit. In the second reading Peter spoke to us of the paschal mystery of Jesus: Christ put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.

The coming of the Holy Spirit is an event of paramount importance; it can be said that it is the purpose of the whole Incarnation and redemption, because it corresponds with the promise made by God through Jeremiah and Ezekiel of the new covenant. Especially through Ezekiel God had said: I will give you a new heart, I will put a new spirit within you, I will remove the stone heart from you and I will give you a heart of flesh. I bring my spirit within you (Ezek 36,26-27). This transformation made by God makes the new covenant possible, which is an intimate and strong union between believers and God. In the discourse after the dinner, Jesus says: I will pray to the Father and he will give you another Comforter to remain with you forever, the Spirit of truth. Jesus cannot remain forever with the apostles, because he has assumed a human life, which has limited him, above all, to transform human death into a journey of covenant with God, into a journey of redemption and union of man with God. So he has to leave, as he said severally. But the Spirit of truth can remain forever with the disciples, because he is not tied to a particular human life. He is the Spirit of God, who is eternal as God and who, therefore, can remain forever with all the disciples of Christ. There is a difference: Jesus was visible as a man, while the Spirit is not visible. The world cannot receive him - says Jesus - because it does not see him and does not know him. The Spirit is an invisible reality, an inner reality, certainly very important, but is not perceivable with human senses. To know the Spirit, one must have an interior relationship with him, and the world does not have this relationship. Here, world is to be understood as the totality of all sinful and selfish tendencies: it is the world of sin, and this world, which is impervious to the Spirit, does not know him. Instead, the disciples of Jesus knew him, because he lives with them and - Jesus adds - he will be in you. Therefore, we must, ardently, desire to welcome the Holy Spirit. It requires an internalisation of effort. We cannot remain on the superficial level of things, but need to reach the depths. This is possible, thanks to the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of truth, that is, of full revelation. In another passage Jesus says: He [the Holy Spirit] will guide you to the whole truth (John 16,13), that is, he will manifest all the depth and fullness of the mystery of Christ. At the beginning of our Gospel passage, Jesus also said: If you love me, you will keep my commandments; and at the end: Whoever accepts my commandments and observes them loves me. So he insisted a lot on the relationship between keeping his commandments and love for him. It is indeed true that authentic love is not only affective, made only of feelings, but effective, made of generous acts. In our case, these acts consist of observing the commandments of Jesus, which are commandments of generous love. When you truly love a person, you love his or her well-being and you want to do what she/he wants. Otherwise the love is not real, but only a search for sentimental satisfaction. However, love is a much deeper reality than just a simple sentimental satisfaction: it is the gift of oneself to the other, and this is done with acts that correspond to the wishes of the loved one. If we love Jesus, then we must desire to please him, honour him with our life and observe his commandments. We let ourselves be guided by him, so that our lives may be, truly, beautiful in his eyes, worthy of him and glorify him. Therefore, it is very important for us to keep his commandments, which are commandments of love, to remain truly united to him. The Holy Spirit helps us a lot to keep the commandments of love given by Jesus, He gives us an inner push to do what pleases God and Jesus. Then Jesus assures us that his presence will not be completely taken away from the disciples: I will not leave you orphans - he says -, I will return to you. After the crucifixion and death, Jesus returned to the disciples as the Risen One, and continues to, mysteriously, return in the life of all the disciples. A little while longer the world will not see me again; but you will see me, because I live and you will live. The new presence of Jesus among his disciples will be perceived thanks to a communion of life with him. It is about a very strong presence: Jesus says that he lives, and that the disciples will live from the same divine life, which makes people connect to one another in an interior manner. This mutual interiority is a mysterious and beautiful reality which realises the ideal of perfect union in love. On that day you will know that I am in the Father and you in me and I in you. Here the mutual interiority is clearly expressed. Jesus, as Son of God, is in the Father; but he is also present in every believer: he comes to each of us in Communion, and also with his grace he continues in our everyday life. On the other hand, we are in Christ, he is greater than us and we cannot contain him. Jesus comes into us, but surpasses us and inserts us into his mystical body, which is a wonderful and grandiose reality. Whoever loves me will also be loved by my Father and I too will love him and manifest myself to him. This is a beautiful promise of intimacy, full of love! Christian life is a splendid reality, because it is a life of union in love: union with Christ, the heavenly Father, the Holy Spirit, and with all believers.

The first reading shows us how the work of Christ was continued by the disciples. In particular, the first stage of the apostolic work, after the conversions that took place in Jerusalem and Judea, was the preaching in Samaria. The Samaritans were a population despised by the Jews, whom they considered a mixture of pagans and Judaism. Jesus, however, had gone to Samaria and had converted a good number of them (cf. John 4). Philip, driven by the Holy Spirit, went to Samaria to continue the work of Jesus and carry out the work of the Risen One. His ministry has a marvellous success. In fact, the grace of God attracts people, transforms society. We read in the Acts: The crowds unanimously listened to Philip's words by hearing him speak and seeing the miracles he performed. The result is that in that city of Samaria a great joy spreads. The work of the risen Christ, through the apostles, is a work that propagates peace and joy. Philip is not an apostle, he does not belong to the group of the Twelve, but to that of the Seven, which was established by the apostles after Pentecost. In this passage, we see that there is a difference between the Seven, who are the predecessors of the deacons, and the apostles, the predecessors of the bishops. The people to whom the preaching of the Seven was addressed were only baptised in the name of Jesus, but did not receive the Holy Spirit. The apostles lay their hands on them, and they receive the Holy Spirit. Thus the joy which the passage speaks about becomes complete when the Holy Spirit is received and He manifests his goodness and power with a multiplicity of gifts.

In the second reading, Peter speaks of the apostolic vocation of every Christian. The apostolate is not reserved for bishops or priests, but is the characteristic of the whole Church, thanks, precisely, to the action of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of all believers. Peter invites believers to always be ready to answer anyone who asks for the reason for the hope that is in them. Here we see that the attitude and behaviour of Christians revealed great hope. In his Letter, Peter wants to inculcate this hope. It reminds us that through the resurrection of Christ we have been regenerated for a living hope: hope for a perfect union with God and for a definitive union after death. The Christians of Peter's time attracted people because they were seen as full of hope. People wanted to know the reason for this hope, for the joy they had even when they were persecuted. In fact, when they were persecuted, instead of feeling defeated / discouraged they still showed themselves full of hope. Each of us must also be ready to account for the hope he/she possesses, thanks to the coming of Jesus, his death and resurrection, and for the gift of the Holy Spirit. We Christians must spread hope around us. The world always needs it so much. Without hope life is not worth living. But, with hope you can move forward with dynamism and achieve beautiful things in life. The Holy Spirit gives us the ability to testify to faith, hope and love. Hope in particular, because its dynamic aspect corresponds with the thrust that the Holy Spirit gives. Our hope comes from the dynamism of the paschal mystery of Jesus: dynamism which is communicated to us by the Holy Spirit. On this Sunday we are invited to think about the feast of Pentecost now approaching with great fervour, with great expectation, because the Lord always prepares precious graces for us, not only for ourselves, but also for all the people with whom we come in contact and to which we must communicate the Christian hope. +John I. Okoye

(graphics  by chukwubike)

5th Sunday of Easter, Year A, May 10, 2020

May God grant us, this Sunday, the grace to welcome our Christian vocation with enthusiasm, confidence and courage, so that contributing to the growth of the church, we may be worthy of the peace and joy of the risen Christ, and equally, of a place in God's house.

Happy Sunday! 

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Acts 6: 1-7; 1 Pt 2,4-9; Jn 14: 1-12; 5th Sunday of Easter, Year A, May 10, 2020)

On this Sunday the liturgy offers us very beautiful texts. In the Gospel, taken from the discourse after the Supper, Jesus tells us that he goes to prepare a place for us in the Father's house and reveals the Father to us. The first reading shows us the organisation of the early Church and the way they dealt with the problems that were then arising. The second reading tells us about building the spiritual home for a holy priesthood.

What we can admire, first of all, in the Gospel is Jesus’ delicacy. He wished that the disciples' hearts should not be disturbed. The Passion was close. Jesus knew that this event was going to cause a great upheaval for the disciples, but he took care to preserve them from a prolonged disturbance, and said: Let your hearts not be troubled. Have faith in God and have faith in me too. Then Jesus showed his delicacy in the way he spoke of his passion, of the paschal mystery. It is a tragic, shocking mystery, but he presented it with familiar, simple, attractive images: I am going to prepare you a place in the Father's house; when I have gone and I have prepared a place for you, I will return and take you with me, so that you too may be where I am. It is a nice thing for Jesus to prepare a place for the disciples. But how will he prepare it? He will prepare it, precisely, through his sufferings, passion and, of course, his resurrection. Here we can understand that the place that Jesus prepares for us is in his tortured and then resurrected body. By now we are all members of his body, because he has prepared a place for us in it. We can say that the place that Jesus prepared for us is his heart. He allowed his heart to be pierced, because, in a certain sense, we could enter it, because this heart of his was given to us. We can, therefore, admire the delicacy of Jesus' love and, at the same time, his generosity, because the preparation of the place was a very expensive action for him. But an action performed with immense love. John says: After having loved his that were in the world, he loved them to the end (John 13, 1), that is, to the point of preparing a place for them. On the other hand, Jesus presented himself as the way to reach the Father. He says: About the place where I go, you know the way." Thomas asks him: Lord, we do not know where you are going and how can we know the way? Jesus replies: I am the way, the truth and the life. Again, we see that Jesus is all for us: He is the destination of where we are going, and at the same time the way by which we can reach the place. Infact, we must follow him as we follow a path and imitate him. We imitate him if we live in love, because Jesus is the way for he loves us till the end. Jesus shows generous love. This type of love is not easy to achieve. Love attracts us, but generous love frighten us, because it is costly. However, Jesus gave us the grace to go forward on this path of generous love with all the strength that comes from his passion and resurrection. Then Jesus explained that through him we can know the Father. Philip tells him: Lord, show us the Father and it is enough for us. Just as Moses asked God to show him his face, so Philip asked Jesus to show the Father. God replied to Moses: You will see my back, but you cannot see my face (Exodus 33,23). Direct revelation of God is impossible for man. But now we can see the face of the Father in the face of Jesus: Whoever has seen me has seen the Father, says Jesus. If we want to know God, we must contemplate Jesus: contemplate him for a long time, listen to him, and then follow him. In that way we know God better, and so God is revealed to us in his glory, which is a glory of love. The greatness and goodness of God are revealed to us by Jesus’ paschal mystery and his face. Jesus then told us a very surprising thing: those who believe in me, will perform the works that I do and I will make them greater, because I go to the Father. To understand this statement, one must also read the continuation of the sentence. That is, the next two verses of the Gospel: ... and whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me something in my name, I will do it. It is true that the disciples did more great works than Jesus, because Jesus limited his ministry to Palestine. In fact, only rarely did he leave there. The apostles extended their ministry to many nations; therefore, they did a broader work than Jesus. And the work of the Church continues to be a work broader than that of Jesus, but in reality the work of the Church is the work of Jesus himself, of the risen Jesus. This is how Jesus' discourse in the Gospel continues: Whoever believes in me, will do the works that I do and will do greater works, because I am going to the Father and whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, for the Father to be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it (John 14, 12-14). Therefore, everything is the work of the risen Christ; the disciples are his instruments, provided that they pray. And all of us are called to carry out the work of Christ in a more modest but real way in our life. Every Christian has the vocation to do the work of Christ, in union with him through prayer and love. Therefore, we must have great ambitions in our lives; we must do divine works in union with Christ. In our life - family life, work life, human relationships - we must do a divine work and gradually transform the world according to the Father's plan, thanks to our prayer and union with Jesus in generous love.

All of these can be called priesthood, as Peter did in the second reading. He said to Christians:  hold on to Christ, a living stone, rejected by men, but chosen and precious before God, you too are used as living stones for the construction of a spiritual building, for a holy priesthood, to offer acceptable spiritual sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ. This is a splendid presentation of the Christian life! We are all called to cling to Christ, the living stone. The risen Christ is (as Ps 118,22 says) the stone rejected by men, which has become the cornerstone, because it was chosen, and precious before, God. In his paschal mystery he has become the living stone, which is the foundation of everything in the building. And whoever believes in Christ is also transformed into a living stone, for the construction of a spiritual temple, that is, a non-material temple, but animated by the Holy Spirit. The whole life of the Christian must become an offer to God, a priestly offer, because it is made to God through Christ. Peter calls these offerings spiritual sacrifices pleasing to God, through Jesus Christ. This is our Christian vocation: to offer spiritual sacrifices or, better still, to make spiritual offerings, because it is not about mostly painful, mortifying things, but about the normal activities of life, which are transformed thanks to our union with Christ who died but rose from the dead. The Apostolate of Prayer teaches its members to make the daily offering with this spirit, to be united with the paschal mystery of Christ. It is a question of offering our daily actions, so that our lives may be united to Christ, lived in divine charity. So, humbly, a splendid work was done, an inconspicuous work, that has a wonderful value before God.

In the first reading we saw how the spiritual building of which Peter spoke was built little by little. It is the Church. In the Acts of the Apostles we saw how difficult circumstances had helped to advance its construction. In the early Church there were Jews who spoke Hebrew or, rather, Aramaic - and other Jews who had been to the Hellenistic nations and spoke Greek. The latter are called the Hellenists. There were some rivalries between these two categories of Christians, and at some point discontentment arose among the Hellenists towards the Jews. Every day, there used to be a distribution of food for the widows, which at that time were numerous (men at the time did not have a long life). The discontentment was caused by the fact that, according to the Hellenists, their widows were neglected in this daily distribution.

Faced with this situation, the Twelve convene the group of disciples and established a division of apostolic work. They maintained for themselves the main responsibility, which is not the material one, but the spiritual one: It is not right that we neglect the word of God for the service of the canteens. The apostles must dedicate themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word, because this is the main task of the Church. However, there were also material things to be organised. And then the Twelve propose to choose seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom for the works of charity, Luke does not yet call them deacons, but they were, so to speak, the predecessors of the deacons in the Church. Thus this decision brought a solution to the problem that has arisen and constituted progress in building the Church. The text says: The word of God spread, and the number of disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly. God's grace is fruitful. Even in our day there are problems in the Church that need to be solved. The clergy cannot and should not do everything. It seems, increasingly, urgent to involve the lay faithful in the activities of the Church: not only in material things, but also in the works of charity and education. In this way, the building of the spiritual house will be able to erect and glorify God, gradually, transforming the world. All the texts of this Sunday invite us to welcome our Christian vocation with enthusiasm, confidence and courage. It is a splendid vocation. We all have our own vocation in the Church; we must do divine works in union with Christ. Everyone must make spiritual offerings pleasing to God; therefore, it must contribute to the building of the Church. Thus the peace and joy of the risen Christ will fill our hearts. +John I. Okoye

(pictures by chukwubike)

4th Sunday of Easter, Year A, 3rd May 2020)

May God grant us the grace we need from this Sunday, henceforth, to be united with Christ, the door of the sheepfold, the good shepherd and the only mediator between God and Man.

Happy Sunday!


DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Acts 2,14a.36-41; 1 Peter 2,20b-25; John 10, 1-10: 4th Sunday of Easter, Year A, 3rd May 2020)



In the Gospel of this fourth Sunday of Easter, the good Shepherd Sunday, Jesus speaks of the door and the shepherd: "Whoever does not enter the sheep’s pen by the door, but goes in through another opening, is a thief and a brigand. But who enters through the door, is the shepherd of the sheep. Then, applying this parable, he says: I am the door of the sheepfold, and I am the good shepherd. Jesus, therefore, is all for us: he is both the door and the shepherd; he is the Lord, servant, and God and man. His relationship with us is inexhaustible. Jesus speaks of the door: I am the door, if anyone enters through me, he will be saved; he will go in and out and find pasture. But, whoever enters the pen/enclosure without going through the door, is a thief and a brigand, who comes to steal, kill and destroy. How should we interpret this definition which Jesus gives himself as door of the sheep? The first two readings help us to answer this question.

In the first reading, we see that the people who listened to Peter's speech after Pentecost feel their heart pierced and ask: What should we do? Peter replies: Repent and let each one of you be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins. Here is an essential way to go through the door: to be baptised, to become Christians. The whole life of the Christian must then be his baptism, that is, it must always pass through the door, which is Christ. Note is to be taken of what Peter (and before him Jesus and even John the Baptist) meant by repentance, that is prerequisite for baptism. It is not a doleful moping over sin. It is a change of life, a complete change of scales of values. The Greek word metanoia that stands for repentance means a changed mind-set. The corresponding Hebrew word shub means turning round and going in the opposite direction. It is a serious business which should not be taken lightly. We undertook this project of repentance, or it was undertaken on our behalf, at our baptism. But a careful scrutiny tells us of all kinds of unkempt corners where the old standards and scales of value remain lurking, breeding and reproducing. The Christian is baptised into Christ and His death in order to rise to new life with Christ, but even Saint Paul acknowledges that he remains caught up in doing the evil he wants to avoid.

To understand more what Jesus means by, I am the door of the sheepfold, we listen to what Peter tells us in the second reading where he tells us that Christ left us an example that we may follow in his footsteps. It is a question of following him, going through him, and doing what he has done. Peter then explains, in particular, that suffering must be patiently endured, without responding to violence with violence, evil with evil, but living in faithfulness to Jesus, who did not respond violence with violence, but with extreme generosity. Peter says: He [Jesus] did not commit sin and there is no deception in his mouth, outraged he did not respond with outrage, and suffering he did not threaten revenge, but he gave his cause to the one who judges with justice. He carries our sins in his body on the wood of the cross, so that, no longer living for sin, we would live for justice. Therefore, passing through the door, through Christ who is the door, means imitating him, living as he lived and, in particular, carrying the cross with love, as he did. Instead of rebelling or using violence, we must always exhibit kindness and generosity.

The Church always passes through the door, because she concludes all her prayers to God saying: Through Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord. All the prayers of the Church go through Christ, to reach the Father; they are offered to Christ, so that he presents them to the Father. The Church proclaims that Jesus is the mediator, Mediator of a new covenant as the Letter to the Hebrews so defines (9,15). The door indicates, precisely, this work of mediation by Christ. It is necessary to always go through him to obtain salvation. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, says Jesus, and then he adds: He will enter and go out and find pasture. Jesus introduces us to the inner and outer world. We must be with him when we want to enter the inner world and find a deep, authentic relationship with God. Jesus said: No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14, 6). If we want to reach God and have a personal relationship with him, we must go through Jesus, unite with him so that he will introduce us to the Father. We present all our offerings to the Father through Jesus Christ our Lord. He is the mediator of the relationship with the Father.

Jesus is also a mediator for all the actions we do in the world. Paul says to the Ephesians: Everything you do in words and deeds, everything is to be done in the name of the Lord Jesus (Ephesians 3,17). In the name of the Lord Jesus means: passing through Jesus, uniting us with his person and his offering. Everything we do in the world has value, only, if we go through Jesus, if we join him in our relationships with all other people. Parents to take care of their children, must go through the door which is Jesus, that is, they must unite with him, to be, truly, parents who educate their children well in the love of God, charity towards their neighbours, honesty, and giving thanks to God. All our relationships with others must go through Jesus. Everything we do must always be done in union with the heart of Jesus; or rather, all this is the work of Jesus, with whom we collaborate. Jesus is the universal mediator. He is the only one capable of truly realising the union between God and man; He is the mediator between man and God, and a mediator in relations between men. We must be united to his heart and do his work in the world. Each of us must do a part of Jesus’ work in union with him. In this way, our lives become truly Christian, a life pleasing to God, fruitful and also for the good of the world. Jesus affirms: I am the door: if anyone enters through me, he will be saved. If we do not enter through the door, we are thieves; we do things that are not worthwhile. Instead of doing a positive work, we go in the direction of dishonesty and selfishness, and our whole life becomes corrupt. Instead, if we enter through Jesus, his heart and love, then we are saved and will live our lives in fullness. Jesus said that he had come so that everyone may have life and have it abundantly (John 10,10). Jesus’ mediation offers us all the graces necessary to, fully, realise our life, carry out all our duties and projects very well. United with him, we can achieve it in beauty. But if we are not united with him, our lives become sterile, or even bad. I came to have life and have it in abundance. In the Eucharist we receive the very life of Jesus, who gave himself up for us; and we receive it so that we can live in the fullness of divine charity. This is our vocation, of which we can be proud of, and must be grateful to God for through Jesus, the only mediator. May God, therefore, bestow us with all the graces we need to always be united with Christ, the door of the sheepfold and the only mediator between us and God. +John I. Okoye