5th Sunday of Easter
April 28, 2024
The First Reading
Poor Saul! Viewed with suspicion by the Christians after having witnessed his violent persecute of the Church, and now hated by his former Jewish compatriots for having betraying them with his conversion to Christianity. He was essentially a man without a home. If Barnabas did not provide testimony on Saul’s behalf, Christianity might look very different today, for it was Saul’s missionary activity among the Gentiles, where he was known as Paul, that led to a burgeoning of the faith through the then known world.
This week’s reading speaks of the devotion Saul had to spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. It also reminds us that God’s ways are certainly not our ways. God is always full of surprises. He chose Moses, who had a speech impediment, to serve as his spokesperson charged with freeing the Israelites from Egyptian captivity. He chose David, a lowly shepherd boy, to become king of his Chosen People. He chose Abraham, a man up in years, to become father to a nation. He chose Saul, a devout Jewish Pharisee who zealously persecuted the Christians, to become Apostles to the Gentiles. All of us should remember these and the numerous other examples in scripture when we feel God calling us. We may not think we can accomplish what God may be asking of us, but God knows we can. He wouldn’t ask us otherwise, and the best news is that he will provide. God provides everything we need to accomplish his will when we respond to his call. Knowing God's will cannot be thwarted, we can rely on his power to accomplish it.
Saul was a model disciple. He answered God’s call to discipleship and as a result suffered greatly in the name of Christ. He was beaten to within an inch of his life on numerous occasions. He was imprisoned. He went for long periods without food or shelter. He was ridiculed, and ultimately he was killed for his faith in Christ Jesus. Saul persevered through it all out of love for Jesus. Ah, what we wouldn’t do for love. How does your love for Jesus compare? What does it mean to you to be a disciple of Jesus? How do you live out your discipleship? Make a list of the people for whom you would lay down your life. Is Jesus on that list?
The Second Reading
This week’s second reading continues to delve into the first letter of St. John. In the opening verse of this reading, John calls us out and challenges us to step up to the plate. Professing our faith in Jesus is not enough. We need to put our money where our mouth is. We need to express our love for Jesus not just in word, but also in deed and truth. The simplicity of John’s directive is its beauty.
Think of someone dear to you. Do you tell them in words that you love them? Of course you do. Does the demonstration of your love stop there? Hopefully not! One might question the sincerity of your love if all you did was express your love in words, but never did anything to back-up those words with actions. Yet, even actions can be deceiving, which is why John urges us to love in truth. No one knows the motivations of our heart and why we say and do the things we do. If we say we are doing it for love, who can say otherwise? Only God know the truth of the motivations that lie in our heart. It we do not love God and others with a genuine love then our hearts condemn us. John urges us to love openly and honestly. He calls us to love without self-serving interests. He calls us to love without recompense. He calls us to love because love is not only of God, God IS love.
As one continues to delve into the reading, John explains to us just how we show our love for God. We keep his commandments. We do what pleases him. Isn’t that what love is all about...willing the good of another? John reminds us that the Spirit of God, which we received at Baptism, dwells within us. The Spirit is clearly evident in the person who follows the will of God – a clear sign that God remains in us as we remain in him.
How do you show your love for God and others? Do you limit who the “others” in your life are? Or can you honestly claim that you include everyone you encounter throughout your daily life among those you are called to love? What keeps you from loving God or others more fully? What can you do about it?
Gospel Reading
There are clear parallels between the second reading and the Gospel today, a small wonder given that both come from the same community of believers. Jesus as the True Vine motif is one with which we are all intimately familiar. All life flows to the branches through the vine. Therefore, all life comes from Jesus, but the motif of the vine and the vineyard is much larger than that. It was a motif that symbolized Israel itself in Scripture. When Jesus applies this motif to himself he is stating that he supercedes Israel. He is more important than Israel’s worship and it’s laws, because he is the fulfillment of it all.
When one reads through this week’s Gospel one cannot help but notice the emphasis that Jesus places on remaining in him as he remains in us. He only mentions it five times in the eight verses of today’s Gospel reading! Why the emphasis and what does he mean by it? The Greek word translated as "remain" or as "abide" in some translations really means “to stay.” But it also implies a divine presence. Jesus invites us to a relationship so profound that we experience his divine presence in our lives. The same verbiage is used when he speaks of himself as the Bread of Life following the sign of the loaves and fishes, which has Eucharistic overtones. Without God in our life, life is hollow and empty. As St. Augustine stated, "Our hearts are restless until they rest in You O Lord."
When Jesus walked off after being baptized by John, Andrew and another disciple followed him. He turned and asked them, “What do you seek?” They replied, “We want to stay with you.” That is the goal of every Christian. We need to cultivate our relationship with Jesus so that we stay with him and he with us in divine intimacy. We need to let God prune us, to help free us of the sin that prevents us from more fully experiencing his presence within. What fruit will we bear as a result? The answer is simple, greater love for God and neighbor, as living in Christ frees us to become the saint God created us to be.
What needs to be pruned from your life so that you may more fully experience God’s life within you? How do you experience God’s presence during the course of your day?
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