Walking with Jesus: Fifth Sunday of Easter

For May 15, 2022

Acts 14:14, 21-27; Revelation 21:1-5; John 13:31-35

What is the goal of my life in living as a Christian, as a Catholic? What is the goal of my life in living? Are these the same? Do I separate the way I am living from the way I am living my belief in God? Am I two-faced in this? If someone asked me these questions, I would have a strong tendency to be defensive, alarmed even ... disturbed by being so openly challenged. Why? Because I would feel that I try to do the best I can in living my life as a person of love, caring and obedience to God’s commands. These demanding, testing, taxing questions leave me uncomfortable and could make me irritable rather than realizing that these are questions to me, about me. Is my goal in life really heaven, and am I living my life accordingly? Why not? Is there anything more basic in my life than my life in heaven?

One could answer, “I’m married” — “I have children” — “I have grandchildren to raise.” — “I have people for whom I'm responsible, helping them lead a good and productive life.” — “I have a responsible job and need to be faithful to the community in being productive, honest and caring.”

Responding this way, how would I respond if the questioner asked, “So what? Aren’t these responses related to the original questions? Has Christianity changed since Jesus’ time? Have any new teachings come along that say loving everyone is more different now than when Jesus lived and taught?” The bottom line is that these are questions that make me stop and examine how I am living my life as a Christian in today’s day and age. Is my Christian living any different from those living in Ukraine or Haiti in 2022? Is my living as a person of love different from those with divergent religious faiths in India, China or Japan? Am I any different from a person striving for the afterlife with their “god,” living in indigenous communities and tribes scattered throughout the world? Does God love any of us differently? Does God favor me over them? Am I better because of where I live or what I do? Are my dreams different from these “family people?” God creates and places people throughout our world and even those in other worlds that my exist throughout the universe. The readings tell us about God, our relationship with Him and how we are to live. The big point is not about our hardships but about everything God has accomplished, especially the invitation of life He extended to the Gentiles — all those of no faith or other faiths. Even today, missionaries are often at risk. In Haiti last fall, many Christian missionaries were kidnapped and held for weeks. Love is wonderful … it is trying and hard … God is love.

Paul and Barnabas have been on what has been called their First Missionary Journey. They are now backtracking and returning to where they started. They have confronted angry mobs (Acts 13:50-14: 5). Paul has been stoned and left for dead (Acts 14:19). But they are not discouraged. They have preached consistently that their discipleship as followers of Jesus will bring much hardship, persecution, torture and, possibly, death.

This promise has continued in every age and place. Paul explains the new Gentile conversions and how much the Gospel — the Good News of God’s love — continues to spread. Understandably they continue to spread the need for all to be diligent and put up with any and all hardships. It is not about them, but about God and His love for all. The book of Revelation comes to a climax where John sees a new and holy Jerusalem coming down from heaven in which everything is renewed by God. All of the damage done to God’s creation through my sin, all humanity’s sin and all the violence is undone and transformed in God’s new creation. The phrase “no more” indicates the final conquest of chaos and evil and the definitive triumph of God’s eternal plan for all of creation. The “new Jerusalem” or “heavenly Jerusalem” in the Old Testament represents God’s people. God will now dwell with the people as He did in Eden. The alienation between God and His people has ended; Jesus has shown us the way.

John’s passage is the introduction to Jesus’ farewell passage (chapters 13-17). He is preparing the disciples for His departure, when they will have to take over His work … when WE have to continue His work. The phrase “to glorify” appears five times, signifying Jesus showing God’s love for what God has created. The glory is in the divine love shown by the Father and Jesus, and it is the love that Jesus insists His followers must exemplify, aided completely by the Holy Spirit. Those who do this are true disciples of Jesus, not by their teaching but by their love ... which is the true test of Christian discipleship. How am I loving? Jesus said it all:

I give you a new commandment: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. [John 13:35]

This is all there is to know. Jesus said it: Love is the only way to heaven.

So I reflect on:

• How empty is a life devoid of glory? Do I consistently glorify God praising His goodness and grandeur? See if this changes the words I say and the air I breathe. Praise God!
• Words say very little about how I am living my ordinary Christian life … actions say it all … love as God loves me.

Sacred Space 2022 states:

“It is moving to look back on this incident during our Easter celebrations of fire and light. It is as if we are looking back on the struggle, when darkness looked as if it would extinguish the light. We are in bright morning, looking back with gratitude that an anxious, sleepless night is over.

“It is at this moment of betrayal, of Jesus’ anguish that one of His chosen companions has turned away from Him, that we are given a ‘new commandment.’ We might wonder about the tensions and the divisions within the community of the Fourth Gospel. When they need to be told and reminded — repeatedly! — to ‘love another?’”