FrNikola

2nd Week of Easter, Thursday (2)

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Today’s Gospel warns that, for whomever disobeys the Son, “the wrath of God remains upon him.” Peter in today’s First Reading explains to the Sanhedrin that he must obey God, not them. They never believed in Our Lord, so when reports start coming in of what Peter and the other apostles are preaching they filter it, out of a lack of faith, and see the apostles as simply seeking to incriminate them for the injustice they’d done. They don’t want his blood on their hands, but it is already there. If they have to face the wrath of God it will be for their lack of faith in the Son.

The Sanhedrin is doing a partial reading of the message. The Lord was crucified due to their machinations, but they didn’t succeed: God raised him up and placed him at his right hand for Israel’s salvation. Even the Sanhedrin can receive this salvation if they believe in the Son and strive to obey him. It’s lost in history, but someday we’ll know whether any of those men did abandon their tragic and evil pattern of killing the messenger whose message reflects badly on them and turned to the Son.

However, it’s not too late for us. If we believe in the Son and obey him we can enjoy the fruits of a new life right here, right now, whether we’ve been committed Christians or enemies of Our Lord. Let’s accept his message and his messengers for what they are: guides to a renewed and spiritual rich life.

Readings: Acts 5:27–33; Psalm 34:2, 9, 17–20; John 3:31–36. See also 2nd Week of Easter, Thursday.

2nd Week of Easter, Wednesday (2)

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People who don’t agree with the truth or are afraid of being exposed by it try to lock it away or cover it up. The Sanhedrin in today’s First Reading tries in vain to lock up those now entrusted by Christ with spreading the truth. It’s a truth that profoundly impacts the way we see ourselves, God, and the world, and is poignantly summarized in today’s Gospel: “God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” God has acted in our regard out of concern and love; Jesus didn’t come to condemn, but to save. The Father handed him over to us, and those who didn’t believe in him made a concerted effort to kill him, the truth, because he condemned what they were doing. They weren’t successful, just as the Sanhedrin wasn’t when the early Church started to also proclaim the truth.

Our Lord doesn’t just want to come into the world; he wants to come into our hearts and shed light on what we’d rather not see. Turning from him is turning from the truth. We all have that fear from time to time of being exposed for what we are–not as virtuous or holy as we could be or should be–yet Our Lord doesn’t come to expose us in order to condemn us; he comes to lead us back into the light, his light, the light of truth, and to save us from all the evil destructive things contained in the darkness of ignorance and falsehood. Advocates of keeping things in the dark, of doing evil, will try to lock us away too if we strive to live the truth and reflect it’s light, but like the first believers, Our Lord will watch over us as we try to live the life he’s shown us and teach it to others as well.

Ask Our Lord today to help see whether you’re jailed or the jailor. No matter which one you are, or both, he has come to set you free.

Readings: Acts 5:17–26; Psalm 34:2–9; John 3:16–21. See also 2nd Week of Easter,Wednesday.

2nd Week of Easter, Tuesday

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In today’s First Reading we see the first Christian community united in mind and heart and demonstrating a charity that puts the needs of others first. Even today the Church strives to perform corporal and spiritual works of mercy in many ways: charitable institutions, healthcare, education, counseling, prayer, and so on. While we don’t do it in exactly the same way today (with the exception of certain forms of consecrated life and apostolic life that do pool their resources and make a vow of poverty) it does remind us of the principle behind our giving: making sure everyone gets what they really need.

If we measure up our Church life to that of the first Christians, we realize that unity of mind and heart goes beyond a small donation in the collection basket every Sunday. There are many needs inside and outside the Church today, and addressing those needs is much more complex than in the days of the first Christians. This shouldn’t discourage us; rather, it should inspire us to seek the best ways to truly address the real needs of as many people as we can. It begins at home caring for our own family, but it also extends to finding ways to effectively help the poor and afflicted get back on their feet, not just subsist from one handout to another. This requires a combined effort, which is why the practice of real charity in these cases is the best way to unite the hearts and minds of believers behind a common cause: the cause of the Gospel translated into kindness and concern.

Let’s thank Our Lord for all those people in our life who have helped address our needs, and let’s resolve to help others to identify and address their true needs as well.

Readings: Acts 4:32–37; Psalm 93:1–2, 5; John 3:7b–15. See also Second Week of Easter,Tuesday

Annunciation of the Lord

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Today we celebrate an unexpected moment in Mary’s life, when Mary received a visit from an angel. Mary knew that signs from the Lord meant that the Lord had something to say; what would you do if an angel appeared to you? Joshua fell on his face when he realized that the Lord had sent him an army of angels (Joshua 5:14). Samson’s mother went to go get Samson’s father (Manoah) and when he realized he had seen an angel, he was sure he was going to die, until his wife calmed him down (Judges 13). Ahaz in today’s First Reading didn’t want a sign, but that was because he was afraid he’d get one. He knew God had something to say, and that had him shaking in his boots. Ahaz didn’t have faith in the Lord to deliver him and his people from Assyria, and Assyria conquered him in the end.

In today’s Gospel Gabriel acknowledges something Mary in her humility would never do: that she was full of grace. If she was full of grace, and the Lord was with her, why a visit from an angel? Perhaps what was troubling Mary was trying to think of what more she could do for the Lord, but it’s more likely that she was concerned about having displeased him somehow. Why else would he send an angel? We’re not quite in the same category as Mary. We have our limitations and failings and we try to do everything the Lord asks of us. However, we also always have a little fear: it seems we’re giving everything, that we’re pushed to our limits, but then God starts dropping big or small hints that he is expecting something more.

Gabriel assures Mary that she is pleasing to the Lord (“full of grace”), and then gives her the news (or drops the bomb, depending on how you look at it). The Lord wants her to be the Mother of the Messiah. When she asks “how can this be?” it gets even more astounding. The Messiah is the Son of God, she is being invited to be the Mother of the Son of God, therefore she is being invited to be the Mother of God. No one in salvation history could have ever expected such an invitation. Most Israelites in Mary’s day would have reacted like Samson’s father: terror. How can this be that the Lord would call a woman Mom? That was too much. What about when he descended in fire and smoke on Sinai? The Lord was someone powerful, transcendent, and awe-inspiring. The simplest answer, in a language that Mary understood, was that it would be possible by the power of God.

When God drops bombs on us we too can ask “how can this be?”, but we already know the answer: by the power of God. God in his mercy knows too that our faith doesn’t work in a vacuum: he gives us signs to help us keep moving forward. He gives Mary a sign that is funny if you consider the First Reading. Ahaz got the sign of a virgin being with child. Mary got the sign of an old married woman being with child, and the assurance of what we all know in our hearts: nothing is impossible to God. Mary didn’t  play wait and see; she didn’t go to visit Elizabeth and see whether the angel had told the truth: Mary believed, because she knew all things were possible for God, and that’s exactly what Elizabeth said to her when she did go to see her: “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

We shouldn’t be afraid of the signs when they come, and we shouldn’t go looking for them either. If we have faith, we will see the signs. They are a gift for having faith. Jesus himself said to Thomas, blessed are they who have not seen, but have believed. The power of God working with our faith overshadows all our expectations. When something overshadows you it is so huge that you see how tiny you are in comparison. God’s expectations are huge for all of us, but he promises to help us to meet them.

Let’s follow Mary’s example today. Let’s have that same spirit of faith and humility when God asks us something way beyond our possibilities. Let’s have that faith that the power of the Most High will make it happen. Let’s respond just as Mary did: be it done to me Lord according to your word.

Readings: Isaiah 7:10–14, 8:10; Psalm 40:7–11; Hebrews 10:4–10; Luke 1:26–38. See also Immaculate Conception.

2nd Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday), Cycle C

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This Sunday, as we conclude the eight-day solemnity of Easter and continue into the liturgical season of Easter, we celebrate the gift of divine mercy. It’s easy to forget sometimes that mercy is not something to which we have a right. Our Lord didn’t have to forgive Thomas for his lack of faith in today’s Gospel, just as Adam and Eve didn’t have to receive mercy after the Fall, a Fall that condemned all their posterity (all of us) to separation from God forever. We didn’t commit the original sin, nor did the Lord have to forgive it or redeem all of us from its effects. In appearing to the Apostles today Our Lord’s message is one of peace and reconciliation, not condemnation.

Our Lord in today’s Gospel also empowers his Apostles to be instruments of his mercy. In the First Reading we see the power of healing flowing from Peter and the faith of the people who sought him out; Peter over this last week’s readings has been the first to tell us that the power comes from Jesus, not from him, and when a priest or bishop absolves his penitent from his sins, that mercy and power comes from Jesus too. Instead of remaining in doubt and regret about whether we’ve truly been forgiven Our Lord has given sacraments that in faith we know bring us his forgiveness. Baptism, which we remember in a special way over these last eight days as we celebrated those who were baptized in the Easter Vigil a little over a week ago, also wipes away sins.

Let’s thank Our Lord today for the gift of his mercy, and also strive to remain in the same peace that he wishes to share with us, not only between us and him, but among ourselves in a world wounded by sin.

Readings: Acts 5:12–16; Psalm 118:2–4, 13–15, 22–24; Revelation 1:9–11a, 12–13, 17–19; John 20:19–31. See also 2nd Sunday of Easter, St. Thomas the Apostle, and Pentecost Sunday.