The Promise of the Spirit of Truth

May 16, 2012

Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

By Colleen O'Sullivan

Jesus said to his disciples:  “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.  But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth.  He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming.  He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.  Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.”  (John 16:12-15)

Piety

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.   Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

Study

As I was pondering today’s reading from John’s Gospel, I thought about one aspect of what I do at work.  One of my responsibilities at work is orientation of new employees.  We’re a small office and we don’t have a great deal of turnover, but over the years I’ve done this at least a dozen times.  I’ve learned to put all the information I’m imparting in writing, because inevitably there comes a moment on that first day when I see that I’ve crossed the fine line between being helpful and being the bearer of too much information.  At that point it’s best to back off, assure the new person that I’m available for any questions, and remind them they’ve got their orientation booklet for reference.

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus is talking to his beloved circle of friends after their final meal together.  In a sense, he’s trying to orient them to carry on his work when he is gone.  How he loves them!  He knows these are their final hours together, and he has already been talking for quite a while, trying to prepare them in every way possible for his impending death and for their lives as missionaries and ambassadors for Christ when he is no longer with them.   He has so much he wants to say.  He has washed their feet and reminded them to be servants to one another (John 13).  He has assured them that he is going to prepare a place in heaven for them and that he is the Way to that place.  He has told them that when he is gone from their midst, his Father will send the Spirit of Truth, who will help them remember all that Jesus has taught them. (John 14)  He has recounted the story of the vine and the branches as a reminder that if they are rooted in God, God will always abide in them.  He warns them that the world may very well despise them just as it despises Jesus.

As Jesus looks around the room at his closest disciples, he realizes that they are tired, confused and apprehensive.  They haven’t totally understood what he’s about over the three years they’ve journeyed together.  This is his last chance to be with them before his suffering and death and, although he’d like to tell them everything, but he can see they are already on information overload.  They’re beyond being able to process anything more.

So, the Lord tells his friends not to worry; it’s not important that they understand everything that very moment.  They will not be left alone.  The Spirit of truth will come.  And when the Spirit comes, they will have a guide who will glorify Jesus.  Just as the Father has imparted to his Son everything that is his, so the Spirit will share with the disciples all that comes from Jesus, the Christ.  The Word is the same whether the disciples hear it from the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit.  What seems so obscure in that discussion around the table will all be made clear, Jesus promises.

Action

Look at the disciples in today’s Gospel reading – lacking in understanding of the nature of God’s kingdom, fearful of unfolding events, ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble.  Look at those same followers after Pentecost.  This was no small promise that Jesus made after the Last Supper.  The Spirit of Truth radically transforms their lives.  They are empowered to go out, preach the Word and form the new Church. 

What in your life needs renewal or transformation?  Lift your needs in prayer and believe that the same Holy Spirit who so changed the lives of Jesus’ first followers can change your life as well.

The Advocate Is With You 

May 15, 2012

Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

By Beth DeCristofaro

About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened, there was suddenly such a severe earthquake that the foundations of the jail shook; all the doors flew open, and the chains of all were pulled loose.  When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped.  But Paul shouted out in a loud voice, "Do no harm to yourself; we are all here."  …  He brought them up into his house and provided a meal and with his household rejoiced at having come to faith in God. (Acts 16:25-28, 34)

(Jesus said to them) But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go.  For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. (John 16:7)

Piety

Now I say to you in conclusion, life is hard,
at times as hard as crucible steel.
It has its bleak and difficult moments.
Like the ever-flowing waters of the river,
life has its moments of drought and its moments of flood.
Like the ever-changing cycle of the seasons,
life has the soothing warmth of its summers
and the piercing chill of its winters.
But if one will hold on,
he will discover that God walks with him,
and that God is able to lift you from the fatigue of despair
to the buoyancy of hope and transform dark and desolate valleys
into sunlit paths of inner peace.

(Eulogy for the Martyred Children - Martin Luther King Jr. – 1963)

Study

Today, as I write this, it is Mother’s Day.   It is a holiday to say thanks to moms and even though commercial, it is one of my favorite being a day for flowers and spending time with family. My own mom is one of the most generous and energetic people I know, modeling for me that basic to her Catholic faith to help those in need.  Mom volunteered even while raising us six kids and working part time.  One of her long-time commitments was to drive a little girl to chemotherapy.  Mom got personally involved in most of what she did.  She cried long and hard when the little one died.  Now, as we look forward to Father’s Day, let me say that my dad gave me the desire for spiritual growth as he read works of theologians and Fathers of the church, debating them with questioning and impatient me.  Thanks to you both for these gifts and such a strong foundation, Mom and Dad.

In the story from Acts, a story of mystery, power and mercy, we have God delivering Paul and friends from danger yet Paul choosing to remain in danger undoubtedly because he knew that God wanted more from him than a fast get away.  Paul knew God was always there for him and that he had a task to accomplish.  You can be sure that I would have bolted up those prison steps.  Paul not only knew that the jailer’s life was important but that he could bring the jailer to Jesus – give him not only his life but life eternal if he, Paul, stayed to speak the Word.

Action

Say a prayer of thanks to someone who is/was a spiritual parent to you.  To whom have you given the time to as a “parent” to their spirit?

I Have Called You Friends

May 14, 2012

Feast of St. Mathias

Then they prayed, "You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this apostolic ministry from which Judas turned away to go to his own place."  Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was counted with the Eleven Apostles.  Acts 1:24-26

I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.  It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.  This I command you: love one another."  John 15:15b-17

Piety

Father, help us to rise above our rejection by the world.  Jesus, give us the satisfaction of knowing that we will remain in your love if we continue to carry out your commandments no matter what happens in life.  After all, it is not what we choose or what the world chooses -- it is all about who YOU choose.  Holy Spirit, allow us to focus only on what truly matters and not false feelings.  Amen.

Study

Matthias and Joseph Barsabbas (Justus) both were close friends of Jesus and all the remaining Apostles.   After all, the criteria that qualified them even to be considered to replace Judas was that they had to have been with Jesus from the baptism of John until the Resurrection.  While the church had grown in numbers, those who were there from beginning to the end must have been relatively few in number probably fewer than 120 total people could have been considered.

While the replacement of Judas had immense symbolic value to restore the number of Apostles to Twelve (depicting the tribes of Israel), the act of replacing him also had immense personal value in causing the Apostles to choose among two close friends.

There is little recorded in Scripture to teach us more about either man before or after this selection.  In fact, we have more records of figures like Lazarus, Nicodemus, Mary and Martha than of Matthias or Justus. 

Tradition has it that St. Matthias's Day is a day that is marked with luck because he was lucky enough to be chosen as the final Apostle.  That may be true but I likely will no more be heading out to buy any Powerball tickets today than I would yesterday or tomorrow.

However, the real figure which arouses my curiosity is Barsabbas.  How did he deal with NOT being selected?  If he was counted among those who walked with Jesus throughout the entire public ministry, how must he have felt to be passed over for this signal honor by his close friends?

In some ways, Barsabbas might have had a more Christ-like experience than Matthias.  Just as Jesus was rejected, he experienced rejection by his community.  Despite that, according to some sources, Justus went on to become a bishop. Tradition has it he died a martyr and is venerated as Saint Justus of Eleutheropolis.  In that way, he further remained in the spirit of Christ through this persecution from the world that resulted in his death.

Action

How do you deal with rejection?  When I was on my first Cursillo team experience for the Men's 106th Weekend, early in our formation, Rector Phil Russell asked the team members  what part of Christ did we bring to the weekend? 

All of us have felt rejection and know others who have had that experience.  Maybe we have been laid off from a job.  Maybe we did not get into the school that we really wanted to get.  Maybe our resume was passed over for that special position or promotion.  Maybe a close friend has turned away from us.

On a feast day like this, I probably should have dwelt upon how lucky we all are -- blessed through the accident of our birth to live in a rich and powerful nation.  However, despite his rejection experience, Joseph Barsabbas continued to witness to the Gospel in a region less than 100 miles from Jerusalem.  Are you able to cope with and rise above your rejection experience using it as a way to remain close to Christ and not turn away? Can you build upon this experience and continue to love one another?

No Partiality

May 13, 2012

The Sixth Sunday of Easter B

By Rev. Joe McCloskey, SJ

"In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.  Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him."  Acts 10:34-35

In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him.  In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.   1 John 4:9-10

It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.  This I command you: love one another."  John 15:16-17

Piety

Our piety shines out in the ways we give our life for others.  Time and energy are the two biggest gifts we have to give.  Money and all the trappings of honor and glory are not ours to give.  They belong to the work of others.  Our piety shines out in what does not need the trappings of honor and glory.  It is not something we give to ourselves.  Our piety exists in the relationship we have with Christ in the ways we share that relationship with others.  Piety is God’s friendship with us lived in how Christ is our way, truth and life.  Christ is the truth of piety in us.

Study

The Holy Spirit falls on those that hear the word of the Lord from us or others.  God shows no partiality.  Anyone who fears God and acts justly is open to the gifts of the Spirit.  We study how we can better live our lives in Christ.  Christ takes us into himself each time we receive Eucharist.  We take Christ into ourselves and grow in his life in us every time we communicate.  It is God’s life that Eucharist brings us.  How to better prepare ourselves for the Eucharist of every day is the work of our study.  Eucharist of every day is the love we offer and receive from each other.  We study how to be more loving.

Action

We remain in the love of Christ by the good deeds of our lives.  What we do for one another is how God loves and is loved by us even as we are loved by God in each others’ good actions for our sake.  Christ calls us his friends and our love for one another is how his friendship grows in us.  No act of love is ever wasted in the divine order of things.  Christ shares all he learnt from the Father by his prayer.  We share what we learn from Christ in the genuineness of our love for one another.  Our action is not only seen in our choice of Christ.  It is also seen in how Christ chose us.  We are appointed by Christ to go out and by our actions bear fruit that will remain.  Our biggest action will always be what we ask from the Father in the name of Christ.  We have Christ’s voice in heaven activated by how we ask Christ’s blessings on our work.  Our prayer for one another is the best action of our lives.  Even as Christ prayed for all that would learn of him from his disciples, he prayed for us.  We pick up the action of his prayer in the way we intercede for each other. 

Know the One Who Sent Me

May 12, 2012

Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter

Day after day the churches grew stronger in faith and increased in number… During the night Paul had a vision.  A Macedonian stood before him and implored him with these words, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."  When he had seen the vision, we sought passage to Macedonia at once, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the Good News to them.  Acts 16:5, 9-10

"If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first.  If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you.  Remember the word I spoke to you, 'No slave is greater than his master.'  If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.  If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.  And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me."  John 5:18-21

Piety

Father, guide our steps today to bring people closer to you.  Jesus, give to me the words that will help me proclaim your Good News.  Set me free, Holy Spirit, from the pursuits of what the world says so that I may help others grow stronger in faith and reach those who do not yet know the Lord.

Study

As Paul and Timothy traveled from city to city, they let the Lord/Holy Spirit be their guide.  They had learned the lessons in the Gospel that they could not expect to be more successful, more loved, or more well received than was Jesus. 

Whether they were preaching to Jews or Gentiles, they proclaimed the Good News because that was what God expected them to do.  They served with joy even when they were not able to go to the places they wanted.

If they wanted to be like the those whom the world loved, then they could be more strongly associated with the world.  However, then their work would be complete because they would be guided by the spirit of the antichrist, not the Spirit of God.

The primary goal is to connect people with God.  As Jesus warned, they will be hated and persecuted by those who do not know God, "the one who sent me." 

Action

Two thousand years from now, do you think anyone will be able to report on our actions?  Do you think in the Acts of the Virginians that they will somehow say," Day after day the churches in Fairfax and Arlington, in Alexandria and Chantilly, grew stronger in faith and increased in number."

Think about how much you did today.  Were your actions more rooted in getting the world love you or in getting the church to grow stronger?  When you put down your "To Do" list in the morning, are piety, study and action listed there next to the jobs you have to do for work, the shopping you have to get done, the car repairs and the other errands?  Are they priorities or is your list of Cursillo service something that you fit in between all the other steps along the way?