Most Holy Trinity (A)

 Most Holy Trinity (A) [Jn 3:16-18]

04.06.2023

God’s Boundless, Life-giving and Saving Love

Readings: (1) Ex 34:4b-6.8-9 (2) 2 Cor 13:11-14

1.  Theme in brief

Holy Trinity is a model for self-giving and self-communication

2.  Focus Statement

The Trinitarian God loves the whole of humanity so intensely and so universally that he goes out of himself in total self-giving, life-giving, self-communicating and saving love.

3.  Explanation of the text

“God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…..” (3:16). Since the Church prescribes this widely quoted and most famous statement in John’s gospel for the feast of Holy Trinity, we need to understand its meaning in the context of this feast. From the NT as a whole, we understand that our God, though one, is a community of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Hence, when we read the above-mentioned statement in John’s gospel we are to read it from this angle: it is the Trinitarian God who loved the world so much. How much? Of course, to the extent of giving his only Son as a gift to the world deprived of his genuine love, and to the extent of giving him up as a sacrificial offering on the cross. [Note: Biblical experts say that the word “gave” has both the meanings of giving a gift and giving up or sacrificing somebody]. God so loved the world means, he loved all the people of the world precisely in this manner and so intensely. The Holy Trinity is therefore another expression of John’s briefest definition of God mentioned in his Letter, "God is Love" (1 Jn 4:8). The basic nature of love is self-giving. Love needs somebody with whom it is shared, to whom it is given and from whom it is received. If God were not love, he could have been a solitary God; he need not be a community of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Triune God himself becomes the best model of this nature of love within the Divine Community of three Persons.

When Jesus says, “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son….,” it implies quite a few things: (1) saving people is fully God’s initiative; (2) the motive behind such an action is his pure love; (3) that his love is so intense (he “so” loved…); and (4) that his love is universal because the word “world” as John uses in the present context means all the people of the world – Jews and Gentiles, virtuous and sinners, or nationals and foreigners. In the context of today’s feast, we understand that the Father loves humans so intensely, purely, selflessly and universally that he gives them the greatest of gifts, namely his Son; the Son also loves in a similar manner and out of love lays down (sacrifices) his life on the cross; and the Holy Spirit too loves humans similarly by becoming a permanent Advocate – a constant companion at their side at all times.

The second nature of love is self-communication. Jesus says in today’s gospel that the self-communication of God to the world through him was an act of purest love (3:16). Just as we communicate our thoughts, intentions, love and desires through our words, so God communicates and reveals his love and designs for humankind through his Word who is his Son himself.  Hence, Jesus is called the Word of the Father because through him we come to know the mind or thoughts of God. Jesus discloses to us that God’s thoughts are thoughts of self-giving love and this love is nurtured by self-communication or self-disclosure.

Though God’s love is a universal gift, that is, given to everyone who believes (3:16), in order to make it effective, one must be well disposed to receive it. The sad fact is that people have the power to reject this gift! Hence, Jesus puts a condition for God’s love to be effective: the receiver must believe in the Son (Jesus). ‘To believe’ as John uses this term, does not mean intellectual assent given to the truths of faith as we understand in catechism, but a decision to entrust oneself to Christ or to put one’s trust in him or to be personally attached to him by faith.

What is the purpose of God’s boundless love for the world? As the given text says, the first purpose behind Trinitarian God’s boundless love for the world is to share his own divine life (also called eternal life) with human beings through Christ and in the Holy Spirit who is the giver of life (or spring of living water, Jn. 4:14; 7:37-39), so that they do not perish eternally (3:16). The second purpose is to save humans rather than condemn them (3:17). We find a definition about the first purpose of God’s giving his only Son, namely to give eternal life to all believers. In Jn 17:3 Jesus defines eternal life thus: “That they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent”. This word “to know" is used throughout the Scripture to describe the most intimate and personal relationship that one can have. So, eternal life is a personal relationship with Jesus, or a loving communion of life with him and through him with the Father. It is through Jesus we can have an intimacy with God. The Holy Spirit who dwells in our hearts is the fire which keeps this loving communion ever burring.

4.  Application to life                      

The Old Testament reveals to us the strictly monotheistic faith of Israelites. But from the New Testament we come to know that our God, though one, does not exist alone, in isolation or seclusion. He is neither a loner nor recluse; neither unrelated nor disconnected. He is a community of three inter-related persons – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – where love is shared through self-gift and self-communication. When we reflect on the inner life the Holy Trinity, we come to know that the love relationship which exists among the three persons flows into the world. Since we are baptized in the name of the Holy trinity, we are inserted into the Divine Family by baptism. Therefore, by baptism itself we are called to reflect the life of the Trinity. How?

First of all, we are called to imitate the self-giving love of the Holy Trinity. If God’s love for everyone in the world is so intensive, generous, selfless, self-giving, boundless, universal and sacrificial, what about our love? God's love is surprising, undeserved and unconditional. When we are confronted with this kind of love, our response should be either to submit to God's love or run away from it; nobody can remain neutral to it. Today’s feast calls on Christian families and religious communities to reflect on how they can love one another better by generously giving their  time, energy, knowledge, talents and gifts out of love for one another. They need to examine whether their love is selfless and generous, or selfish and business type; whether it is intensive, or just superficial; whether it is sacrificial, or seeking one’s own advantage and comfort; and whether it is universal, or exclusively confined to loving one’s own group (ethnic/ racial/ tribal/ caste/ linguistic), or only those who are good, obedient, submissive and well behaved.

Secondly, the Holy Trinity is the model for perfect love-relationship among us.. The essence of this heavenly community is the personal relationship of love among the three Divine Persons. Christian communities, especially the communities of Religious among us, are called to be rooted and grounded in love. The Triune God loves the world so intensely that he goes out in self-communication to all of humanity through his Son and continues to do so through the life-giving Spirit. Communication is a process in which one reveals something of oneself by way of self-disclosure. The very fact that God has revealed to us his own Trinitarian character is itself a proof that he loves us boundlessly. Nobody reveals or discloses oneself to those whom one does not love. Hence, this feast of the Holy Trinity invites us to imitate God’s own Trinitarian nature of self-communication or self-disclosure. Unless we disclose something of what is going on inside of us, how can we grow in each other’s love?

 Nobody will know what is going on inside of me, unless I decide to share it with others. Jesus shares with his disciples all that he heard from his Father on equal footing and in total transparency (15:15). None of the Divine Persons hold back or hide form each other what is theirs but share it fully with others (16:14-15). Jesus says that he has many more things to tell us (16:12-15) about the mystery of God’s love. He has given us the Holy Spirit to guide us in our discovery of God’s love as well as each other’s love in daily life. We are called to imitate the qualities of sharing, communication and transparency that exist within the Divine Community in our families and religious communities. Communication involves a sharing of our likes, dislikes, doubts, hopes, fears, faith and experiences. By this we discover who the other person is and each other’s love. The uncontrolled use of TV, mobile phones, computer and the internet has brought down the level of communication in our families and religious communities so much that it tends to be more superficial and not deeper. Further, tendencies of individualism make us more isolated and selfish. If we follow the unwritten principle of, “I do my work; you do your work” and “I mind my business; you mind your business,” faith in the Holy Trinity becomes meaningless!

Thirdly, we are called to live a life of unity in spite of so much diversity among us. We come to know from the NT that within the Divine Family of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, there is perfect unity of purpose in spite of diverse roles or functions. Creation is attributed to the Father or the Creator of heaven and earth, redemption to the Son who laid down his life on the cross for our salvation, and sanctification to the Holy Spirit who dwells in our hearts. Each Person is unique and all share in the divine nature in perfect unity. Similarly, each one of us is unique but as humans and as Christians we share a common origin, common nature and a common destiny. All the three Persons fulfil their roles for one purpose: universal salvation of humankind. Therefore, if we want to love the world as God loves (as today’s gospel tells us), we need to work out unity among us in spite of differences of race or caste, language, ethnicity, culture, opinions, faith tradition (religion), and other social affiliations. This requires respect for others’ differences, accepting them as they are, appreciating whatever is good and noble in them and sacrificing our own prejudices, judgements and wrong attitudes. Do we try to work out unity by respecting diversity among people, or look for unity with uniformity, that is, by forcing everybody else to be like us? Our God is a God of pluriformity and not uniformity; all differences are like seven colours and all are needed to make a ‘rainbow.’

Fourthly, this feast invites us to make our love more universal and inclusive. Our faith is a response to God’s universal love. Do we love the people of “our world” (our human society) as God loved and loves the world? This feast motivates us to fight against evil forces which block the universality of love such as prejudices, narrow-mindedness, groupism, racism, jealousies and individualism. It motivates us to respect and accept the differences among us and work for unity in spite of our diversity of ethnicity or race, culture, language, religion, opinion and ideology. It also inspires us to question our ghetto-mentality and appreciate something good in everything and everybody, or to collaborate with any people of good will who work in the line of gospel-values.

Fifthly, this feast motivates us not be judgmental and become ‘experts’ in always condemning others who are weak or do wrong. Since the Trinitarian God wants that nobody should perish, but all be saved, and showers his mercy and salvation on sinners, we too need to imitate these attitudes. We have to examine whether our love is merciful and saving like that of the Holy Trinity.

5.  Response to God's Word

Do we love the world (our civil society, neighbourhood, village community) as God does? Is it selfless and generous, or selfish and business type; intensive, or just superficial; sacrificial, or seeking one’s own advantage and comfort? Is our love universal or selective? Is there genuine and deeper communication in our family or religious community? What should we do to overcome superficial communication among us? Do we fight against evil forces which block the universality of God’s love such as racism, ethnic loyalties, religious and national prejudices? How often have we offended the Trinitarian God by wishing terrible things including death to our opponents and enemies? Is our love merciful and saving, like that of the Trinity?

6.  A Prayer.

Most Holy Trinity, we adore you as a community of three Divine Persons who reveal boundless love to us through total self-giving and self-communication. Grant our love may be selfless, generous, deeper, sacrificial and universal like yours. Grant that we may discover each other’s love in our family (community) more and more, deeper and deeper through regular communication. Give us the grace to overcome our prejudices, narrow-mindedness, groupism, racism, jealousies and individualism. May our love be merciful and saving like yours rather than condemning? Amen. 

PENTECOST SUNDAY (A)

 Pentecost Sunday Year C [Jn 20:19-23]

28.05.2023

Jesus Breathes His Spirit in the Apostles

Readings: (1) Acts 2:1-11 (2) 1 Cor 12:3-7.12-13

1.  Theme in brief:

     Gift of new life and mission of peace and reconciliation

2.  Focus Statement:  

The Risen Lord breathes his Spirit of new life upon us and sends us to carry forward his mission of peace, forgiveness and reconciliation with a new zeal and vigour.

3.  Explanation of the text

According to today’s gospel text, on the evening of “the first day of the week” (20:19), that is, on first Easter Sunday, Jesus fulfils his promise of giving his disciples “another Advocate” besides himself (14:16) by breathing on them his life-giving Spirit (19:22). The symbolism of “breathing” on them indicates that the Holy Spirit is the Risen Lord’s own breath or life. Just as God had breathed into the nostrils of the first man (Adam) the breath of life, and he had become a living being (Gen 2:7), so also Jesus breathes on his disciples in a similar fashion and says: “Receive the Holy Spirit” (20:22). By giving them the gift of the Holy Spirit in the form of breath, he makes them a new creation or imparts new life (zeal and vigour) to them. This new creation also symbolizes the creation or birth of a new community of believers, i.e. the Church.

The gesture of breathing on them may also refer to prophet Ezekiel’s vision of a valley full of dry bones. The Lord asked the prophet to prophesy to those dry bones that he would cause breath to enter in them and they would live (37:1-14). The apostles were now like dry bones – lifeless and locked up for fear of the Jewish authorities (20:19). Like Prophet Ezekiel, Jesus caused his breath or life (Holy Spirit) to enter into the lifeless dry bones and they began to live (Ez 37:9, 14). The Holy Spirit regenerates or rejuvenates them in such a way that they emerge from their hideouts to become courageous witnesses of the Lord. 

The Risen Lord’s twice repeated salutation of peace (20:19, 21) is also a gift that is closely associated with the Holy Spirit. He gives his Spirit to remain in the Church for ever so that he might motivate her for her mission to build up peace and harmony in the world. Peace in this context does not mean quietness or mere absence of war; it involves all-round well-being, wholeness, harmony and building up of human relationships. In the OT, peace is closely associated with the blessing of God and salvation to be brought by the Messiah. Here probably John wants to tell his readers, with the outpouring of the Risen Lord’s Spirit, the messianic hopes are fulfilled.

Further, the Holy Spirit also is closely associated with the mission of Christ. By breathing his Spirit on them, he empowers them to come out of their locked doors and fears so that they can carry out his mission. Just as the Father had sent Jesus (20:21), he sends them to continue his work. They were locked in, now they are sent out. The mission of the Father is the mission of the Son, which is also the mission of the Church. Though the concept of mission is common in all the gospels, in John’s gospel, it is closely associated with main theme, namely to share God’s own divine or eternal life, light and truth with others; to dispel darkness of sin and death; and to lay down our lives in humble and sacrificial service for others. 

      A further aspect of the mission of the Church is emphasized in today’s text – to forgive sins of any so that she may proclaim the forgiving love of God and carry forward his ministry of reconciliation (20:23).

4.  Application to life                      

Today we celebrate the great feast of Pentecost [in Greek ‘fiftieth’ day after Easter] on which the Spirit of the Living God descended on Mary and the twelve apostles in an intense manner in the form of a mighty wind and tongues of fire according to the first reading taken from Acts of the Apostles (2:1-4). But according to today’s gospel taken from John, the Risen Lord, who himself was filled with the Spirit, imparted the first fruit of the Holy Spirit to the apostles on the evening of Resurrection Day itself by breathing on them with these words: “Receive the Holy Sprit” (20:22). The Holy Spirit is the breath of God (or Jesus) who breathes new life or fullness of life into us, making us a new creation, so that we may share that life with others. The Risen Lord continues to breathe his Spirit into us even today. He empowers us with the same Spirit to come out of our locked doors and fears (as the apostles came out of their hideouts) so that we could be sent out for a mission – a mission of peace, forgiveness, liberation and reconciliation.

Many of us have a poor understanding of the role of the Holy Spirit in our personal life. He is mostly presented to us in an impersonal manner through biblical symbols such as dove, fire, water, breath or wind. In my pastoral field here, when I ask children (teenagers) preparing for the sacrament of Confirmation whether the Holy Spirit is really a dove, that is, a bird, all of them firmly say: “Yes”. When I ask them whether he has wings and feathers exactly like a bird, they answer with great gusto: “Yes”. When I ask them whether we can kill that dove and prepare a nice dish or curry, they just keep quiet and stare at me in utter confusion. We are not taught from childhood to develop a personal devotion to the Holy Spirit and consider him as another intimate friend (besides Jesus) who is always at our side to guide, defend and renew/ re-create/ regenerate us. We are taught to sing, “What a friend we have in Jesus,” but never taught to sing or pray: “What a friend we have in the Holy Spirit.” In spite of the efforts of Charismatic Retreats, he still remains an Unknown God to be remembered only when we begin a meeting/ retreat/ seminar/ novena, and when we celebrate feasts like this one, Pentecost. Yes, the Holy Spirit, though an invisible power, can be experienced as an intimate friend if we develop sensitivity to his presence and consciously cultivate a close friendship with him and increase it through a passion for him. But it does not happen automatically because you have heard about the Holy Spirit in catechism and sermons or undergone a theological course on him.

Based on today’s gospel, how can we develop a friendship with the Holy Spirit? His role as the Breath or Life of God (or Jesus) is presented to us symbolically in today’s Gospel in terms of one of the most common but absolutely essential activities of human body, that is, breathing. Hence the Spirit of God is in every breath we take. The activity of breathing takes place in us even when we are not conscious of it. To become aware of it, we need to quietly sit in a place and breathe in and breathe out as we concentrate on the tip of our nose. Similarly, we need to become conscious of the Spirit’s presence by invoking him as we breathe in and breathe out: “Come, Holy Spirit; you are the Giver of New Life; you are the Giver of God’s own life; you are the Giver of Divine Life. Infuse that life into me and renew me; re-create me; regenerate me.” (In fact, this is what the symbol of breath implies.) Regeneration in this context means imparting a new nature, God's own nature or divine nature. All of us are born with a nature perverted by sin. The Spirit gives us the power to rise above our natural inclination to evil, selfishness, negativity, narrow-mindedness and despair. We need his power not to cling to present status quo always by strongly resisting any change, and slip into a life of routine and lethargy.

Though the Holy Spirit is an invisible power, his presence and action can be experienced by the result of his work, just like wind or storm can be felt by the shaking of trees, flying of dust, its blowing sound, etc. To recognize his work or action we need to look at what happens to us, to others, to the world around us with the eyes of faith. Suppose we observe people who take a lot of initiatives to bring about a change in themselves, in others, in their surroundings or society; show a lot of creativity in their work; are able to overcome their lethargy; show a burning zeal for the mission of Christ; then in faith we must ask, from where does this come? For a firm believer in the re-creative and re-generative power of the Holy Spirit, it is sign of his powerful presence and action. Because it is written here, the Holy Spirit will not re-create us automatically. We need to consciously invoke him, call him to our side as a friend and request him to make us more creative and enthusiastic in service and promotion of life. We experience the ‘breath’ of the Spirit blowing in us whenever we hunger for real life and move from coldness, indifference and mere physical existence, to lively and proactive approach to life. Whenever we have a passion (= a strong feeling/ sense/ commitment) for life and its meaning/value, we begin to promote the fullness of life under the influence of the Life-Giver (Holy Spirit).

We have a tendency within us to go through all the religious practices such as daily prayers, Holy Mass, novenas, and rituals without allowing our faith to bring about change in our attitudes, prejudices, life-style, and the way we imitate the corrupt practices of the world. Is this not a sign of living a lifeless life? We have to invoke the power of the Holy Spirit today to mould us and melt our stubborn resistance to his power to shake us up. At baptism, we too received the breath of the Risen Lord, that is, his Spirit that made us a new creation. In spite of that we become like dry bones (of Ezekiel’s prophecy) lacking zeal, vitality and creativity in our Christian commitment. Suppose we ‘faithfully’ and blindly carry on what is handed down or bequeathed to us by our ancestors or predecessors without showing any creativity and vitality in our service to the family or society, how can we say that the Holy Spirit is active in us? When we shut our minds against new ideas and avenues, we block the Spirit of new creation. When we are unwilling to read the signs of the times and resist any renewal and adaptation of our faith to the changed conditions, we just shut out the Holy Spirit or block his entry into our hearts. Today we must open our hearts to the Risen Lord and beg him to breathe his Spirit into us and renew and re-create us, so that like Adam we may become really LIVING BEINGS.

Just as the gift of the Spirit was given to the disciples to empower them for their mission, the Lord continues to send us today with the empowerment of his Spirit to continue his mission – to share his peace where it is broken, to reconcile where there is disharmony, to breathe a fresh life where there is no life (where people sit in the shadow of death), to dispel the darkness of sin and to spend our life in humble service for others. Peace is both a gift and a task. We are given this gift by the Risen Lord not only to experience it in our hearts but also to engage in a peace-building mission – a mission that makes whole what is broken into pieces. Forgiveness of others’ sins is the key to peace-building mission. There is a link between peace and ‘not retaining the sins’ (20:23) of others in our hearts. When we retain the sins of others instead of forgiving them, we grieve the Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts. Retaining or holding on the sins of others in our hearts is like allowing a wound or a sore to remain untreated. Healing takes place only when we let go, instead of holding on to the hurts caused by others. In a world which is so much wounded by hatred, violence and divisions, forgiveness and reconciliation – and through them building up peace – is a mission which the Church cannot afford to forget for the sake of her own relevance in the world. Let us ask ourselves whether in our families, neighbourhood and communities we are known as peacemakers or peace-breakers.

Peace and reconciliation are very much related to building unity in the midst of diversity, plurality and multiplicity prevalent in our globalized world. By overemphasizing those things which make us different from others and never relishing or highlighting what is common among all humans, we bring division and fragmentation; thus grieve the Spirit of Unity. Unity is not uniformity – forcing and expecting everybody else to think, act, behave, dress up, eat and greet exactly as we do, and to follow our cultural pattern. When we allow ourselves to be led by the Spirit, we begin to appreciate the richness of variety and diversity among people. The differences among humans are not a source of conflict, but are like various colours that are moulded into a single rainbow. The Holy Spirit inspires and energizes us to develop this kind of ‘rainbow spirituality’ in multi-religious and multi-cultural situations in our globalized world today. Do we respect appreciate differences among us?

5.  Response to God's Word

Are we satisfied with mere physical existence or do we hunger for real life? What makes us lively and what makes us cold? Do so many people have to please us? Am I a difficult person to please? What are the signs of indifference and coldness in me? Do we grieve the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:30) by spreading hatred, bitterness, division and unforgiving attitudes? Do we quench the Spirit (1 Thess 5:19) by not yielding to his inspiration; and resist the Spirit (Acts 7:51) by stubbornly holding on to our own ways and blocking any change? Is there creativity and zeal in our service? Are we known as peacemakers or peace-breakers? What are the ideas and attitudes we do not want to change, though outdated?

6.  A Prayer

Come O Creator Spirit blest. O Fount of Life and Fire of Love, blow into us the breath of new and fresh life. Unlock the doors of our minds and hearts to go out of ourselves to build bridges of forgiveness and reconciliation. Stir us up from coldness and indifference so that we can serve with creativity and zeal. Our world and the Church are wounded by divisions. Transform us to work for reconciliation and forgiveness, thus breaking down the walls of division. Blow, blow, blow where you will and bend what is stiff in us. Amen.

 

 

 

 

Ascension of Our Lord (A)

                                           Ascension of Our Lord (A) [Mt 28:16-20]

21.05.2023

The Commissioning of the Disciples

Readings: (1) Acts 1:1-11 (2) Eph 1:17-23

1, Theme in brief:

Submission to Christ’s authority and trust in his presence

2. Focus Statement:

The feast of Ascension invites us to submit ourselves to the total authority given to Christ by the Father; experience his permanent presence in all situations of life and in the Word and sacraments; and to put all people into contact with his values.

3. Explanation of the text

According to today’s gospel text, the Risen Lord had had directed the Eleven disciples to go to a mountain in Galilee where he would meet them (28:10, 16). Matthew says that he had inaugurated his public ministry in “Galilee of the Gentiles” (Mt 4:15), and now he wants to conclude it in the same region with the Great Commission given in today’ gospel. Galilee was a region with a mixed population of Jews and Gentiles. It was despised by the respectable Jews in Judea as dull and backward. For them it was a land in darkness (Mt 4:16). The very fact that Jesus began and concluded his public ministry in this backward (“dark”) region points to the universality of his mission (both for Jews and Gentiles) and his preferential option for the marginalized.

Today’s text that records Jesus' parting words to his disciples in Matthew’s gospel, is commonly referred to as the Great Commission. For the first Christians, these words provided the basis for the great missionary movement for the cause of Christ and the foundation of the believers’ community that later on became the Church. This mission command given by Jesus mentions the words “all” four times: (1) “all authority” given to him by the Father; (2) his command to make disciples of “all nations” that includes all humanity; (3) teaching them to observe or practice “all that he has commanded,” especially to put into action his commandment of love; and (4) his assurance to remain with them “always” or at all times (28:18-20). All authority in heaven and on earth given to him by the Father indicates his universal and cosmic authority over the whole of creation. Because of his universal authority, he can command a universal mission to "all nations." Besides the universality of his mission, the word “all” (repeated four times) also implies a total transformation of God’s creation and all of human activities with the teachings of Christ, and an assurance of his accompaniment throughout our life.

Jesus follows his declaration of universal authority with a threefold commission (or missionary charge):  (1) to ‘make disciples’ of ‘all nations’ (including the Gentiles); (2) to baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; and (3) to teach others all that he had been communicating to them (28:19-20). The command to baptize people is not given in the name of Jesus alone, but in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Jesus instructs them to observe all that he has commanded them (28:20) – a clear reference to his commandment of love by which they are to build up a community of loving relationships and teach its members to love one another as he loved his disciples.

Finally, Jesus makes a profound promise or assurance of his continuing, abiding presence with his disciples with the words: “I am with you always to the end of the age” (28:20). At the beginning of his gospel, Matthew identifies Jesus as ‘Emmanuel’ prophesized by Isaiah, which means “God is with us” (1:23). As he ascends to heaven, Jesus, who is born as God-with-us, promises to remain as God with his disciples always, to the end of the age (28:20). Thus, Matthew’s gospel begins with the assurance of God to remain with us through incarnation,  and ends with the same assurance that he will remain with us till the end of the age. Though from the day of Ascension, the physical (yet glorious) appearances of the Risen Lord to his disciples come to an end, he assures them his continual presence in spirit. He wants that they should remind themselves about this assurance always (28:20).  Hence, on Ascension Day we celebrate not Christ’s departure (absence) from this world but his continued presence as the One who is with us always.

What was the response of the disciples when they were reunited with the Lord? Today’s text says that when they saw him they worshipped him, though some of them doubted (28:17). Though doubt and worship do not go hand in hand, occasional doubts are possible, because we do not understand the mystery of God fully. This text invites us to respond to Christ’s permanent presence among us either with doubt in its truth or with adoration at his divine majesty just like the eleven disciples (28:17).

4.  Application to life                     

Today’s gospel text asserts that Jesus has been given supreme authority (dominion) over all creation (28:18) by his Father. He is now the Lord of heaven and earth. This authority corresponds to the symbolic expression found in the NT in a number of places that Jesus is now “seated at the right hand of the Father” (Lk 22:69; Rom 8:34; Col 3:1; Heb 12:2); that is, he is equal to God in power and might. To put it in human language, this authority is like a reward given to him by the Father for his total fidelity to his mission or for faithfully completing the work of redemption through his passion, death and resurrection. This feast is a feast of great hope for us. Jesus gives us the assurance that we too shall be where he is, if we too faithfully complete the mission of our life entrusted to us by God as humans and most specially as Christians.

Today, on the feast of Ascension, the Church proclaims Jesus’ dominion over heaven and earth. This implies that nothing is outside his power. As St. Paul asserts, God has put all things under his feet (Eph. 1:20-21). Let us examine and see whether we allow Christ to have total dominion (authority) over our minds, hearts, dealings and activities. Today’s feast invites us to submit ourselves to the authority of Christ over our lives. If we do not care to submit to his total dominion over all that we are, all that we do, all that we shall be, then we shall frequently submit ourselves to our moods, whims and fancies, worldly standards and habits and addictions.

During the Holy Mass, when we sing the most ancient liturgical hymn called ‘Gloria,’ we say: “You alone are the Lord; you alone are the Most High!” Today’s feast poses a question before us whether Christ is the only Lord of our life, or there are other lords and gods whom we adore with equal devotion. Those of us who are in positions of authority such as parents, teachers, leaders (both in the Church and civil society), administrators, pastors and superiors have to see whether we behave as if we are the only ‘the lords’. If we notice misuse of authority or authoritarianism, intimidation, lack of consultation, one-man show and making everybody else dance to one’s own tune when we are in leadership positions, it indicates that we show in our attitudes, “I alone am the lord,” though in the church we say, “You (Christ) alone are the Lord.” Any misuse of power and position in order to take revenge or to exploit those who are powerless goes against this faith. There are also other things and substances which can become our ‘lords’ or in biblical metaphor our ‘idols,’ such as money or wealth, drugs, alcohol, sex, TV, mobile phone, computer and internet, when we get addicted to any of these things. So, the question is who the Lord of our lives is really.

Since “all authority in heaven and on earth” has been given to the glorified Lord (28:18), now before he ascends to heaven, he commissions his disciples with the same authority to preach, baptize and teach all nations (28:18-20). Hence, today’s feast reminds us about our own responsibility to preach the gospel of Christ in word and deed, especially by bearing witness to the values of the gospel and by putting all people into contact with these values. Are we shy or ashamed to speak about the values of the gospel to our children, neighbours and especially to people of other faiths? Do we teach our children the truths of our faith handed down to us from the apostolic times?

Since Jesus began and ended his public ministry in the marginalized region of Galilee, today’s gospel reminds us about our special concern for those who are the least and the last or the helpless and the voiceless. It also reminds duty to teach children the values of the gospel by word and example. For instance, we can teach them the value of sharing by asking them to give a piece of their snacks to some else’s child; or teach them the value of forgiveness and reconciliation by making them ask pardon after fighting with siblings or other children. After making them do these things, it is necessary to tell them why these values are important to us as children of God and disciples of Christ.

The word “baptism” literally means to be immersed or to take a plunge in water. Thus, Jesus’ commission to baptize people not in his name alone, but in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit implies that his disciples must take a plunge into the inner life of the Triune God himself (28:19). The basic traits of the inner life of the Holy Trinity are communion, transparent relationships, communication and understanding. Today, it is good to examine whether we reflect the glimpses of transparency and depth-level communication that exist within the Divine Family (Holy Trinity) in our natural families and religious communities.  Instead of experiencing glimpses of the Heavenly Family, we often experience the shadows of individualism, superficial communication, secretive and non-transparent behaviour/ dealings and a lack of respect for one another’s differences in our families and religious communities. Do we make sincere efforts build up closer bonds of love among us, so that others will come to know the Risen Lord is not absent but still present in our midst?

Jesus who came to remain with us as Emmanuel, promises to remain with us always till the end of time. He is not absent but present in all our situations, problems and struggles. The feast of Ascension invites us to acknowledge his permanent presence in all situations of life and in the Word and sacraments. What a consolation to have him as a friend who walks neither ahead of us nor behind us, but along with us in our joys, sorrows, struggles, frustrations, tensions, crises and death. He has given us the assurance to make common cause with us to share our sorrows, to rejoice in our joys and to carry the burdens of our sins. We need to consciously invite him to remain with us, especially when we are in distress. When we listen to his Word in faith, he speaks to us personally and inspires us to respond to a particular issue the way he wants. He tells us through his Word: “Remember, I am with you in your struggles and problems.” His presence becomes more real and intense as often as we receive the Eucharist. In the Eucharist, God-with-us comes to us in the form of food and drink to become one with us very intimately and to stay with us in all our situations. The gospel challenges us either to believe in his presence in the Eucharist with total adoration and surrender, or to doubt as some of the disciples did when they saw him on the mountain in Galilee.

Christ’s command to make disciples of all nations and teach them all that he has commanded, puts on us the responsibility of bearing a strong witness to his gospel-values so that people of all nations are attracted to him. He wants that we should not only bear witness to his values in word and deed, but also make efforts to teach them to all people. Again, this command puts another responsibility especially on Christian parents to transmit faith and apostolic tradition faithfully to their children.

5.  Response to God's Word

Is Christ the only Lord of our life, or are there other lords whom we adore? Does his lasting, strengthening and assuring presence affect our way of thinking and acting? Is our life a witness to the fact that Jesus lives in us? Do we follow all that he has commanded, or follow him selectively, accepting what we like and leaving out the rest? Does our life reflect the depth-level communication and understanding that exists within the Holy Trinity? Do we teach others to live by this communion? Are our relationships in family and community transparent? Do we transmit the apostolic faith to those who are put under our charge?

6.  A Prayer

Lord Jesus, we proclaim you as the Lord of heaven and earth. You alone are the Lord!; you alone are the Most High. We accept your total dominion over us. We are sorry for the times we made other things and ourselves as the lords of our lives. Thank you for your assurance to remain with us till the end of the age. What a consolation to have you as our friend who walks neither ahead of us nor behind us, but along with us in our joys, sorrows, struggles, frustrations, tensions, crises and death. Thank you for your powerful presence in the Word and the sacraments. Grant that we may be faithful to your teaching and faithfully transmit them to our posterity. Amen.

Sixth Sunday of Easterr (A)

 Sixth Sunday of Easter (A) [Jn 14:15-21]

14.05.2023

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

Readings: (1) Acts 8:5-8.14-17 (2) 1 Pet 3:15-18

1. Theme in brief:

    The defending and protecting role of the Holy Spirit

2.  Focus Statement:

Out of his boundless love for us, Jesus does not leave us orphaned, but promises to give us the gift of the Holy Spirit as a defender to stand by us against all untruth of the world.

3.  Explanation of the text

In his ‘Farewell Speech' at the Last Supper with his disciples, Jesus prepares them not only for his departure from this world, but also for the reception of the Holy Spirit. In today’s gospel text, Jesus, after repeating his favourite theme of ‘loving one another,’ promises them ‘another Paraclete’ or Advocate besides himself to remain with them forever, and emphasizes the intimate unity between him, the Father and the disciples. In John’s gospel, Jesus’ words about loving his Father are closely associated with doing his will and obeying him. Similarly, faithfulness or obedience to Jesus’ words is a sign of a disciple’s love for him as well as the hallmark of discipleship. That is why he tells his disciples that loving him also involves obeying his commandments (14:15). What commandments? Though it is put in the plural, actually Jesus gives only one commandment: “Love one another just as I have loved you” (13:34; 15:12). How much? To the point of laying down or sacrificing your life for your friends (15:13; 1 Jn 3:16). Maybe he has in mind a second command to “wash one another’s feet” (13:14) – though ultimately this also has the same connotation of humble and sacrificial service rendered to others out of love. Jesus’ way of love is also in obedience to his Father’s will.

In today’s gospel text, we get the impression that the Holy Spirit will not come if Jesus will not depart from this world. That is why he calls the Holy Spirit not as the only Paraclete, but rather as ANOTHER Paraclete (14:16). Jesus himself is called the first Paraclete in John’s First Letter. There he writes: "… if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous" (1 Jn 2:1). This word ‘Paraclete’ means one who is called to one’s side as a helper when the person who calls him is in trouble, distress or doubt. It can refer to a person who comes to the help of someone in times of danger or adversity.  It can also mean a lawyer (as in a case in the court) who fights your case on your behalf. Further, it can mean a defender to stand by your side. There are various translations for this word such as Counsellor, Advocate, Comforter, Consoler and Helper. Each word connotes different aspects of what the Holy Spirit does by continuing Jesus’ divine presence in the world, namely giving comfort, counsel, or strength in time of need.

It is clear that while Jesus is still in the world, he himself plays the Paraclete’s role, such as  communicating what is received from his Father, glorifying God, bearing witness to the truth, etc. Hence, sending the Holy Spirit when Jesus is still around is pointless. When he departs from this world, he will not leave them orphaned (14:18), but will give them continual companionship of the Holy Spirit. The word “orphan” not only refers to a child whose father has died, but also to a disciple whose master has died. This image of an orphan suggests that he is not like a master who leaves his disciples helpless, defenceless or unprotected. He will request the Father to give them another Defender to replace his absence and to continue to play his role. Jesus presents the Holy Spirit as his ‘alter ego’ so to say; that is, his representative here on earth after his departure.

Just like Jesus, the Paraclete is the Father’s gift of love for the disciples, and just as Jesus himself is the truth, the Paraclete is the Spirit of truth (14:17). Just as Jesus came to bear testimony to the truth (18:37), the Holy Spirit is now in his place to do the same. Since Jesus himself is the truth, bearing testimony to the truth is the same as bearing witness to Jesus, or to the revelation of God as given by Jesus. He says that the world cannot receive the Spirit of truth because it neither sees nor knows him (14:17). In John’s gospel, the word “world” may mean either (1) the material world, or (2) all the people of the world, or  (3) those who are hostile to Jesus and his followers (15:18). This third type is an ‘unbelieving world,’ that consists of people who reject Jesus’ offer of love and life outright. This is the “world” which is estranged or alienated from God. How can such a world receive the Holy Spirit while it remains unchanged? Since this ‘unbelieving world’ does not accept the truth of Jesus, naturally it won’t accept the Holy Spirit also who further reveals the truth about Jesus. He abides with the disciples (though at present they may not be aware of him). His presence will be of permanent nature (14:16,17). Now God’s dwelling place which was considered to be somewhere out, will be found within the heart of believers.

4.  Application to life                     

Today’s gospel prepares us for the forthcoming feast of Pentecost by reminding us of the promise of Jesus to continue his powerful, permanent and personal presence in our midst through the Holy Spirit. First of all, the best way to prepare for this feast is to remain faithfully obedient to Jesus’ commandments.  In today’s gospel Jesus invites us to love him by obeying his commandments (14:15). His number one commandment is to practice the type of love with which he loved his disciples within our own community of believers. To love one another as Jesus loved precisely means to heal, feed, serve, share, care for, self-sacrifice and forgive others as he did. If we say that we love Jesus, we are called to prove our love for him by choosing to love as he loved. The question is whether we consciously try to choose (by making a decision of the mind) to serve, care for, make self-sacrifice and forgive as Jesus did when our mind is not inclined to do so?

Jesus willed that there should be a special quality of love for “one another” within the Christian community so that their love may become a witness to the world to recognize his presence in them (13:35). This special quality of love among us makes us worthy to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of love and life – promised by Jesus. If the people of the world notice petty bickering, infighting, linguistic/ ethnic/ racial/ caste conflicts, divisions and open fights within the Christian community, it is shameful to say that we are Christ’s followers to people of other faiths. If this happens how can we say that the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts and in our Christian community? People will know that we are Christians not by our love but by our fight. Therefore, as we prepare ourselves for Pentecost, today’s gospel invites us to examine the quality of our love, so that we become worthy temples of the Holy Spirit.

As we know, the Bible presents the Holy Spirit mostly in symbols and metaphors like dove, fire, water, etc. Due to this, for most of us he remains very impersonal. He is almost a forgotten God only to be remembered before we begin a meeting/ workshop/ prayer session/ retreat and on his feast day, namely Pentecost. When we think of him, we mostly remember the picture of a dove, as if he were a bird! In contrast, today’s gospel depicts the Holy Spirit as a permanent and personal friend or companion. We get the impression that he is another friend in addition to Jesus. This friend stands by our side and defends us against all that is unholy, ungodly, untruthful and wicked in us as Christ’s disciples.

It is easy to take Jesus as our intimate friend, since he was born as a human person. Hence, humanly speaking it makes a good sense to sing, “What a friend we have in Jesus” in prayer and worship. On the contrary, because of the abstract nature of the symbols in which the Holy Spirit is presented to us we find it difficult to relate to him as a friend. Actually, when we go to a marketplace or a council or committee meeting, we should imagine in our minds, “What a friend we have in the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit defends us against all dishonest and ungodly ways of the marketplace and guides us to the ways of truth and honesty. Sometimes, we do not know how to manage with controversial issues that come up in meetings and councils. It is the Holy Spirit who puts words in our mouth to speak only what we should in discussions and deliberations, especially when the values of the gospel are negated or challenged. He gives us the courage to stand for truth. All the various words used by translators to translate the word ‘Paraclete’ tell us about the role of the Holy Spirit is various ways – as Counsellor he counsels us about God’s truth; as Advocate, he defends us against the world’s ungodly ways; as Comforter, he comforts us while we face trials; as Consoler, he consoles us in our sorrows; and as Helper he assists us to live out our faith in Jesus the Messiah and grow deeper into it.

But there is a condition. The Holy Spirit does not act automatically or magically just because we speak about him, acquire knowledge about him or believe in him as a truth of our faith. Besides doing so, we need to personally invoke, invite and call our friend (Holy Spirit) to our side by making a concrete decision of the mind or an act of faith: “Come Holy Spirit, come to my side. You are my friend. Stay with me. I’m going on a journey…. business trip….. social gathering….. meeting. Stand by me. Defend me. Guide me. Enlighten me. Give me the wisdom to discern what is right, pure, holy and just. Give me the courage to defend the values of Christ.” Traditionally, we are not taught to have this kind of friendly and personal relationship with the Holy Spirit from childhood. Now it is becomes a matter of our adult faith to  call to our side as a helper whenever we are in trouble, distress, doubt or dilemma. Do we invoke his help in times of danger or adversity?  Do we seek his advocacy to fight your case against the onslaught of worldly standards and modern secularization? Do we ask him to stand by your side and defend us against the evil and corrupt ways of the world? Blessed are those who develop or cultivate this type of personal spirituality consciously.

What a wonderful plan the Risen Lord has made for us to continue his presence in our midst in the person of the Holy Spirit. We should never think that he has abandoned us like orphans without any defence or protection. He continues to act on our behalf and stand by us as our defender in the world’s court through the Holy Spirit. In the midst of all untruth and falsehood of the world, the Holy Spirit reveals to us the truth about God – his love, his standards, his way of thinking. According to Jesus, the world cannot receive the Spirit of truth because it neither sees nor knows him. How can the world that is opposed to Christ and his gospel values, the world that prefers darkness see the presence and action of the Holy Spirit? How can the “world” which is blinded to the truth recognize the Spirit of truth? That is why the world still continues to accuse Jesus and makes a mockery of his teachings (values). We too are tempted to blindly agree with these adversaries. It is the Spirit who defends our cause in this trial of truth.

He defends us and gives us the courage to stand for God’s truth against falsehood or untruth in our world. Amidst all sorts of dishonesty, false propaganda, corrupt ways of the world and the bluff of quite a few aggressive advertisements, it is the Holy Spirit who defends our cause in the world’s court. He stands by us as a close friend to protect us against this onslaught of the world. For example, how badly we need the enlightenment and defence of the Holy Spirit to understand the bluff and half-truths of the modern mass media, as well as some of the biased news in our newspapers!

5.  Response to God's Word

When the world puts the values of the gospel like truth on trial, on whose side are we – world’s or Christ’s? Do we believe that the Holy Spirit is our most powerful defender in this case? Do we consciously invoke him in faith? Do we consider the Holy Spirit as a personal friend; does he seem to be close or far away? Do we experience his presence, protection, guidance and enlightenment?

6.  A Prayer

Risen Lord, we do believe in your promise to remain with us permanently through another companion, the Holy Spirit. You fulfilled your promise when you breathed your Spirit after your resurrection. Thank you for your wonderful plan to give us such a powerful defender and protector. Grant that we may feel his presence and experience his guidance in God’s ways.  Amen.