May 1-2, 2010
Fifth Sunday of Easter
Acts 14:21-27 Revelation 21:1-5 John 13:31-35
What we cannot perceive at the moment is frequently more clearly understood in hindsight. As we approach the season of High School and University/College graduations, these are momentous occasions of completion and departures…the significance of which is usually completely lost upon those who are graduating. Most graduates simply desire to gather with friends, party, celebrate, make plans for the summer, etc. etc. To the graduate, the extended family who may have gathered to commemorate the occasion are more of a distraction and an encumbrance than a prompting for serious reflection on the transformations occurring.
With the passage of time, hindsight kicks in and suddenly we have a much fuller grasp of what graduation-day symbolized, how a rite-of-passage occurred…unbeknownst to us in the midst of our partying! So as to avoid this blindness, the Scriptures begin to provide hints of important events approaching….departures, changes, endings and beginnings. In today’s selection from the Gospel of John we have Jesus , at the Last Supper table, informing his disciples that his death is approaching, that ‘he will be with you only a little while longer…’ While most immediately referring to his crucifixion, his advisory is also a prudent head’s up concerning the approach of Ascension…and eventually the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.
With Ascension (in two weeks) we are invited to reflect on this being OUR Church….we do not have the physical Jesus to run to anymore. If someone is sick, we must heal them, if someone is in need of forgiveness, we must forgive, if sacrifice is called for….we must make the sacrifice. This can be a rude awakening for those who think that Jesus is supposed to take care of everything. Indeed, the whole lesson of Jesus’ life amongst us was to instruct us on how to carry on without him. In concluding the Gospel, something important, something precious and crucial is entrusted to us….politics will come and go, there will always be some hot-button social issue, there will always be loud-mouth hysterics waving the finger of condemnation, there will be upsets, sorrows and disappointments within the Church and our institutions….but through it all, we are called to ‘Love one another as Jesus has loved us.’ It’s not the quality of our ritual actions, it’s not the piety of our private devotions, it’s not the magnitude of our contributions….what will most witness to our discipleship of Jesus Christ is whether we have love for one another. As we start a new month, filled with the delights of Spring…how are we doing with loving each other…inclusive of those we don’t want to love (or find really, really difficult to love!?)
Thank you for joining with our Corpus Christi Community on this first weekend of May. With Mother’s Day being next weekend you are reminded of the Special Commemorative Masses which will be offered for all our Moms, living and deceased starting next weekend…you can enroll your Mom by using one of the Special Mother’s Day cards available on the Concierge Shelves. Our Pop’s Camp-out is approaching, more info in the Bulletin and Registration Forms are on the Concierge Shelves. Please take a Bulletin with you as you exit….there’s lots going on and we don’t you to miss out on anything!!! As the April showers give way to abundant May flowers, remember, you are loved. FKB
