Jesus said to the Twelve: "As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received, without cost you are to give. Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts, no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave. As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you."
The Gospel of the Lord.
John 21:20-25
Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved, the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper and said , "Master, who is the one who will betray you?" When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about him?" Jesus said to him, "What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow me." So the word spread among the brothers that that disciple would not die, but Jesus had not told him that he would not died, just "What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours?"
It is this disciple who testifies to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true. There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world could contain the books that would be written.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Each of the four gospels, each of the four tellings of the "good news" is about Love. How many times/descriptions of love do we have in this last story of John's gospel.
Peter turns and sees the disciple whom Jesus loved.
Peter is jealous. Lord, what about him. Jesus says, What if i decide that he should remain until I return. What business is it of yours? You follow me.
John writes about his love for Jesus, but his writing is incomplete, for if he wrote it all, he does not think the whole world could contain the books that would be written.
Jesus said, "You have not selected me; it is I who has selected you."
When Jesus left His tomb He came upon Mary Magdalene who held onto Him. He said, "You must let me go. I am returning to my Father and to your Father, to My God and to your God."
Jesus explained, "I must return to my Father. Otherwise He will not send the Advocate. The Advocate will recall with you all that I have said; He will explain everything to you." In other words, "I will send to you the Spirit of truth,: says the Lord, "he will guide you to all truth."
Tomorrow, June 12, is Pentecost. June 2 was Ascension Thursday. After Jesus ascended into Heaven, His disciples waited for Him. They were gathered together in a room and the Holy Spirit came upon them, with tongues of flame. They were strengthened and emboldened by the Holy Spirit and went down into the street and preached the Lord. And the streets of Jerusalem were filled with peoples from all countries who spoke all languages but each heard the apostles speaking in their own tongues. We had a Pentecost celebration here in OLPH. Each of the celebrants appeared here at the podium and read a Scriptural passage in their own native tongue. I remember hearing the passage read in English, in French, Bernie read it in German, Olympia read it in reek, I heard it in Mandarin, and then I heard it read in a beautiful language like singing. I asked what was that? "It is Italian." And then I understood why operas are sung in Italian. We are not doing that Pentecost celebration this year in the Church, but I wanted to relive it so that I decided to talk about it in my homily this morning on the vigil of Pentecost. We are the Roman Catholic Church. "Roman" because our origins are in Rome, in Italy, in that beautiful language, Italian, I heard in that Pentecost celebration, and "Catholic" because our Church is universal, it has spread and spreads throughout the world, throughout all peoples and all languages.
Erma Bombeck had fantasized that her 25th wedding anniversary would be held under a big white tent with guests milling around and an orchestra playing "our song." It turned out differently. Her kids threw a few hamburgers on a grill, scarfed them down and split-- leaving her and her husband to clean up. Later, her husband said, "Close your eyes." She did. When
she opened them, he held in his hand a jar of cauliflower, packed in pickle juice. "I hid them from the kids," he said, "because I knew how much you like it." Erma ended, with this beautiful remark, "Maybe love is that simple."
What did Erma mean?
Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads, which sew people together. Simone Signoret
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