THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for June 2nd – June 7th, 2014
of the Seventh Week of Easter
Liturgical texts here
DO you only debate with others over morality, or do you also share with them your love for Jesus and what He is doing in your life? Many Catholics today are very comfortable with the former, but not with the latter. We can make our intellectual views known, and sometimes forcefully, but then we are quiet, if not silent, when it comes to opening our hearts. This can be for two basic reasons: either we are ashamed to share what Jesus is doing in our souls, or we actually have nothing to say because our inner life with Him is neglected and dead, a branch disconnected from the Vine… a light bulb unscrewed from the Socket.
What kind of a “light bulb” am I? You see, we can have all the morals and apologetics down pat—and that is like the glass of a bulb, with a clear and sure form. But if there is no light, the glass remains cold; it gives no “warmth.” But when the bulb is connected to the Socket, light shines through the glass and confronts the darkness. Others, then, must make a choice: to embrace and draw near to the Light, or move away from it.
God arises; his enemies are scattered, and those who hate him flee before him. As smoke is driven away, so are they driven; as wax melts before the fire. (Monday’s Psalm)
As we continue to walk with St. Paul on his journey to martyrdom, we see that he is a complete and functioning lightbulb. He does not compromise the truth—the glass remains fully intact, unobscured by moral relativism, a partial covering of this or that divine revelation because it is too uncomfortable for his listeners. But St. Paul is most concerned, not so much with whether the neophytes of the faith are orthodox—that their “glass” is perfect—but first of all whether or not the fire of divine light is burning within them:
“Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” They answered him, “We have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit”… And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. (Monday’s first reading)
Then, afterward, Paul enters the synagogue where for three months he “debated boldly with persuasive arguments about the Kingdom of God.” Indeed, he says:
I did not at all shrink from telling you what was for your benefit, or from teaching you in public or in your homes. I earnestly bore witness… (Tuesday’s first reading)
St. Paul was so caught up in the urgency of the Gospel that he said, “I consider life of no importance to me.” What about you and I? Is our life—our savings account, our retirement fund, our big screen TV, our next purchase… are they more important to us than saving souls that could be eternally separated from God? All that mattered to St. Paul was “to bear witness to the Gospel of God’s grace.” [1]cf. Tuesday’s first reading
Truth matters. But it is the life of Christ in us that convinces; it is the witness of transformation, the power of testimony. In fact, St. John speaks of Christians conquering Satan through “the word of their testimony,” [2]cf. Rev 12:11 which is the light of love shining through both our actions and our words that speak of what Jesus has done, and continues to do in one’s life. He said:
…this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ. (Tuesday’s Gospel)
That is eternal life. To know that abortion or alternative forms of marriage or euthanasia—all being embraced in many nations as a “right,” are, in fact, morally wrong—is important and necessary. But eternal life is knowing Jesus. Not just about Jesus, but knowing and having a real relationship with Him. St. Paul warned that wolves would come from within the Church [3]Acts 20:28-38; Wednesday’s first reading who would try to distort the truth, to break the “glass”, so to speak. Thus, Jesus prayed that the Father would “consecrate them in the truth,” [4]Wednesday’s Gospel but precisely so that others will believe in Him “through their word” so that the Father’s love would also “be in them and I in them.” [5]Thursday’s Gospel So that believers would shine!
This priority of evangelization continues to be the soul-cry of Pope Francis at this hour in the Church: put the love of Jesus first in your life, the passion of making Him known! Francis sees the darkness that is growing all around us, and so he has been calling us to let our light—our love for Jesus—shine before others.
How is your first love? ..how is your love today, the love of Jesus? Is it like first love? Am I as in love today as on the first day? …First of all—before study, before wanting to become a scholar of philosophy or theology—[a priest must be ] a shepherd… The rest comes after. —POPE FRANCIS, Homily at Casa Santa Marta, Vatican City, June 6th, 2014; Zenit.org
It’s as though Peter stood for the rest of the Church, for you and I, when Jesus asks the burning question…
Simon, son of John, do you love me? (Friday’s Gospel)
We must cultivate a real and living relationship with Jesus: join yourself to the Socket.
Man, himself created in the “image of God” [is] called to a personal relationship with God… prayer is the living relationship of the children of God with their Father… —Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 299, 2565
We cannot share what we do not have; we cannot teach what we do not know; we cannot shine without His power. In fact, those who think they can complacently coast along with the status quo are going to find themselves engulfed in utter darkness, because the status quo today is practically synonymous with the spirit of antichrist. Do not be afraid then to let your light shine, for it is light that scatters darkness; darkness can never prevail over light… unless the light is not shining to begin with.
In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world. (Monday’s Gospel)
Fall in love with Jesus again. Then help others to fall in love with Him. Don’t be afraid of this. It is what the world needs most [6]cf. The Urgency for the Gospel as nightfall descends upon humanity…
The following night the Lord stood by [St. Paul] and said, “Take courage.” (Thursday’s first reading)
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