5th Sunday of Easter

In the gospel of John we hear Jesus speak of himself using a number of images. This may be contrasted with the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) where he refers predominantly to himself as the "Son of Man." The seven images in John give a rich tapestry that communicates not only who Jesus is but also his relationship with the Church. He is: the true vine; the bread of life; the way, the truth and the life; the light of the world; the resurrection and the life; the gate; the good shepherd. Each of these also speaks something of Jesus' divine nature since the tetragrammaton YHWH, the sacred unpronounceable name of God, can be translated as "I am." This is why the Jewish leaders try to stone Jesus when he tells them: "Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am." (Jn 8: 38) Today the image is extended to the followers of Jesus: "I am the vine, you are the branches." (Jn 15: 5) In Hawkes Bay we are familiar with the pruning of the vines. Cut from the vine the branches wilt and die almost immediately unless they can be grafted back onto the vine. Likewise, our faith will die if it is not receiving life from tradition, Scripture and prayer. The primitive Church was aware of this as: "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and the prayers." (Acts 2: 42) 

4th Sunday of Easter

Today, in New Zealand, we have a complex matrix of themes for the Mass. First, there is the Resurrection which we celebrate every Sunday but especially during Eastertide. Second, today is designated as Good Shepherd Sunday when we are mindful of promoting vocations to the priesthood and reminding ourselves of the servant leadership that it entails. In the civic calendar we have Anzac Day which is also designated by the church as a day of prayer. At one of my Masses I will also celebrate two baptisms of infants. Since the Eucharistic liturgy can be considered as a sacred drama these themes can be carried without too much difficulty. It is important, however, to keep all of them in there proper perspective. One of the ways in which I intend to do that is to pick up on the theme of self sacrifice. The primordial example of this is Christ offering himself up on the Cross out of love so that we may be reconciled to God. All other sacrifices: priesthood, death in war, handing on faith to children only make sense in the light of this great love. It is that love which brings about our salvation and all of our sacrifices are acts of gratitude and an identification with Christ who gave his life so powerfully and fruitfully for us: "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love that this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you." (Jn 15: 12-14) 

3rd Sunday of Easter

Today two disciples, who encountered the Lord on the way to Emmaus, return to the community from which they had originally abandoned. They have rejoiced together in the knowledge that the community has also experienced the Risen One. Nevertheless, when the Lord appears again they are terrified. Jesus shows them his wounds: "While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering." (Lk 24: 41) This state of internal conflict, in the presence of the Lord, reminds me of the man whose boy was possessed with an evil spirit when he cried out: "I believe; help my unbelief!" (Mk 9: 24) We need to remember that our faith is fragile. Seldom do human beings have pure motivation or intention. In our faith we need to have humility so that we always rely on the mystery and do not become absolute and fixed in our own views. We should never stray far from the source, which is the Scriptures, and always be attentive to tradition and the Papal Magisterium. Above all we need to be persistent in our prayer for it is in this way that we can, like the disciples, have the Lord open our minds to understand the Scriptures (cf. Lk 24: 46). It is only then that we will have the courage and insight to become witnesses to the power of God and the resurrection.

2nd Sunday of Easter - Divine Mercy

The gospel we hear this week finds the disciples locked in the Upper Room: "...for fear of the Jewish authorities." (Jn 20: 19) So often we hear today of people today suffering from anxiety which I have heard defined as "unspecified fear." The Risen Lord appears in their midst and his first words are: "Peace be with you." (Jn 20: 19) The fruit of the resurrection is peace. This greeting is reiterated when Jesus appears to Thomas (Jn 20: 26) The gift of peace echoes what Jesus said to the disciples earlier in the gospel: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid." (Jn 14: 27) The peace the world has to give is conditional on acceptance and submission to the powers of this world. The peace only lasts as long as we obey. The peace of Christ is a gift given by the Holy Spirit. It is a gift which defies all worldly powers. It participates in the victory of Jesus over sin and death and for this reason it cannot be overcome by threats, propaganda and lies generated by the enemies of true freedom. This peace is no a passive state of affairs rather it prompts us to go out from ourselves and encounter a world in desperate need of the peace that only Christ can give: "As the Father sent me, so I send you." (Jn 20: 21)