Jn 17:1-11a Jesus raised His eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just as you gave him authority over all people, so that your son may give eternal life to all you gave him. Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ. I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do. Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began. "I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you gave me is from you, because the words you gave to me I have given to them, and they accepted them and truly understand that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours, and everything of yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them. And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you." The Gospel of the Lord. |
The Great High Priestly Prayer from John 17 is the last speech from Jesus to His apostles before His Passion, Death and Resurrection. Jesus prays first for Himself in today's Gospel then for his disciples in the excerpt which we consider at this time next year (Cycle B) and then in the last excerpt which we consider in two years (Cycle C) Jesus prays for all Christians. When Jesus prays for Himself to the Father, Jesus follows the outline of the Lord's Prayer: Jesus calls God "Father" Our Father, who art in heaven Jesus looked up to heaven and said 'Father' Jesus blesses God's name hallowed be Thy name Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you. asks that God's will be done Thy will be done Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me that they may be one as we are one. and prays for deliverance from the evil one but deliver us from evil I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. Jesus says: "Now glorify me with you, Father, with the glory that I had with you before the world began." We go back to the beginning of John's Gospel: In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God and nothing came to be except through him. And what came to be through him was life and the life was the light of the world. The light shone in the darkness and the darkness could not overcome it. Jesus says: "Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began." Now, how is that done - through the Passion, Death and Resurrection which shows that Jesus has power over death. And onwards through us, through our witness to the Passion, Death and Resurrection. For Jesus continues in His prayer to the Father: "I revealed your name to those you gave me out of the world." To reveal the name of someone is to know that someone. To know is to understand. To whom did Jesus reveal God's word? Jesus continues "to those whom you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word." Jesus is talking about us. Jesus had given the name of God, the word, the understanding of God, to us, and we through our witness to God, to the life of Jesus, to the way of Jesus, will keep, God's Word, at the end of our lives we may be said to have kept God's word. The Great HIgh Priestly Prayer.
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Monday, May 25, 2009
May 25, 2009. Homily May 26, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
May 22, 2009. Homily, May 23, 2009.
Jn 16:23b-28
On that day you will ask nothing of me. Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete. ‘I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures, but will tell you plainly of the Father. On that day you will ask in my name. I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and am going to the Father.’
The apostles to Jesus, "Lord, teach us to pray." And Jesus responded, "This is how you should pray. 'Our Father, who art in heaven * * * '" But Jesus started not with "Our Father" but with "Abba", and the Aramaic word "Abba" means not "Father" but "Daddy“. We are to address God the Father with the familiar diminutive. For we are members of His family. Dare we be that familiar with God. He, through Jesus, asks us to be so familiar.
Why on earth do we address our Fathers as "Daddy"? Because he has given us life, he has taught us, he has supported us, he loves us. And if we ask anything of our earthly daddy, he will give it to us. So, Jesus says, in this Gospel. " Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you." We pray for guidance. Then with that guidance, we ask, and with our request guided by the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, and made in the name of Jesus, that request will be given to us.
On that day you will ask nothing of me. Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete. ‘I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures, but will tell you plainly of the Father. On that day you will ask in my name. I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and am going to the Father.’
The apostles to Jesus, "Lord, teach us to pray." And Jesus responded, "This is how you should pray. 'Our Father, who art in heaven * * * '" But Jesus started not with "Our Father" but with "Abba", and the Aramaic word "Abba" means not "Father" but "Daddy“. We are to address God the Father with the familiar diminutive. For we are members of His family. Dare we be that familiar with God. He, through Jesus, asks us to be so familiar.
Why on earth do we address our Fathers as "Daddy"? Because he has given us life, he has taught us, he has supported us, he loves us. And if we ask anything of our earthly daddy, he will give it to us. So, Jesus says, in this Gospel. " Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you." We pray for guidance. Then with that guidance, we ask, and with our request guided by the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, and made in the name of Jesus, that request will be given to us.
May 21, 2009. Homily Ascension Thursday 2009.
Mark 16: 15-20.
Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them: "Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
Then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and proclaimed the word through accompanying signs.
The Gospel of the Lord.
This is the Ascension. This is the end of the Gospels. Jesus has lived His life, gone through the Passion, Death and Resurrection, and now spent these days of His resurrection giving His last instructions, and preparing His apostles for the coming of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit. And now, today, is the Feast of His Ascension.
The first reading is from Acts, the Ascension according to Luke. Luke addresses Theophilus. Theo - God; philus - lover; thus, Theophilus - God lovers; and Theophilus - lovers of God. Luke writes not to the Jews, or to the fallen away Jews, or to the Gentiles, not to any ethnic group but to all lovers of God. Luke reports Jesus telling the apostles, to preach His Word in Judea, in Samaria, and throughout the world; to preach to the Jews (Judea), the apostate Jews (Samaria), and then all others, us (throughout the world). The second reading is from Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, the greatest of the apostles. So, both readings and the Gospel are readings of evangelization.
As is the Gospel for today, the Gospel according to Mark, the addendum to Mark, "Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature." When I was ordained, the bishop who ordained me, Cardinal Egan, told all the ordinandi: "Read the Gospel, believe what you read, preach what you believe, practice what you preach." And that is the point of this Gospel and my instruction to you: "Read the Gospel, believe what you read, preach what you believe, practice what you preach." In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them: "Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
Then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and proclaimed the word through accompanying signs.
The Gospel of the Lord.
This is the Ascension. This is the end of the Gospels. Jesus has lived His life, gone through the Passion, Death and Resurrection, and now spent these days of His resurrection giving His last instructions, and preparing His apostles for the coming of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit. And now, today, is the Feast of His Ascension.
The first reading is from Acts, the Ascension according to Luke. Luke addresses Theophilus. Theo - God; philus - lover; thus, Theophilus - God lovers; and Theophilus - lovers of God. Luke writes not to the Jews, or to the fallen away Jews, or to the Gentiles, not to any ethnic group but to all lovers of God. Luke reports Jesus telling the apostles, to preach His Word in Judea, in Samaria, and throughout the world; to preach to the Jews (Judea), the apostate Jews (Samaria), and then all others, us (throughout the world). The second reading is from Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, the greatest of the apostles. So, both readings and the Gospel are readings of evangelization.
As is the Gospel for today, the Gospel according to Mark, the addendum to Mark, "Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature." When I was ordained, the bishop who ordained me, Cardinal Egan, told all the ordinandi: "Read the Gospel, believe what you read, preach what you believe, practice what you preach." And that is the point of this Gospel and my instruction to you: "Read the Gospel, believe what you read, preach what you believe, practice what you preach." In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Monday, May 18, 2009
May 18, 2009. Homily, May 19, 2009.
19 May
Jn 16:5-11
But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, “Where are you going?” But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgement: about sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; about judgement, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.
The first part of the Bible is the Old Testament - the story of God the Father's chosen people, the Jews, the sons of Judah. The Old Testament focuses on God the Father. The Old Testament is the 2000 years from Abraham to Jesus. The New Testament focuses on Jesus, that Jesus is the Son of God. Each of the four evangelists each in their own way, seeks to prove that Jesus is the Son of God. The life of Jesus, that Jesus is the truth, the way and the life, is some 33 years. What part of Scripture focuses on the Third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit? This passage from John and the other passages considered in this brief time of Jesus risen and before His Ascension. But in fact the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, has been with us for these past 2000 years.
" * * * if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgement: about sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; about judgement, because the ruler of this world has been condemned. "
"[T]he Advocate", the Holy Spirit, will be sent to us, and was sent to us, by Jesus. The Advocate, through the Church, starting with the Gospels, teaches us that Jesus has shown us the way, to love God, and that the way to show our love for God is to love His creations, to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. The Advocate "will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgement". "[A]bout sin, because they do not believe in me". Sin is the turning away from God, away from God's way taught to us by Jesus. "[A]bout righteousness, because I am going to the Father". When we follow God's way, our reward is righteousness, and the reward for righteousness, our reward for righteousness, is to go to the Father, to go to the Father in Heaven. "[A]bout judgement, because the ruler of this world has been condemned." When have you fed me when I was hungry, when have you given me to drink when I was thirsty, when have you tended to me when I was sick? Whatever and whenever you tended to the least one of these, my brothers and your brothers, you tended to me.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
May 13, 2009. Homily, May 12, 2009.
John 14:27-31a.
Jesus said to his disciples: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, 'I am going away and I will come back to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe. I will no longer speak much with you, for the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over me, but the world must know that I love the Father and do just as the Father has commanded me."
The Gospel of the Lord.
Today honors three martyrs - Saints Nereus and Achilleus, and Saint Pancras. But we do not wear red at Mass; instead we wear white. Why, because this is Easter season, the season of the resurrection, the season not of the death of martyrs but of life, the life of Jesus in the resurrection. Thus, we emphasize life. Jesus by His resurrection showed His victory over death. "Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?" The first reading is from Acts 14:19-20 which tells of the Jews turning the crowd against Paul; the crowd "stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples gathered around him, he got up and entered the city." In 2 Cor. 11, Paul tells of his encounters with death: five times Paul received 40 lashes less one; three times he was beaten with rods; once he was stoned. This is that stoning, and the end result of a stoning was death. Paul was shipwrecked three times; he spent a day and a night adrift at sea.
So these readings are about the triumph of life, the life of the Lord (I am the way, the truth, and the life) over death. The death is that brought by "the ruler of the world." Jesus, says, the ruler of the world "has no power over me, but the world must know that I love the Father and that I do as the Father has commanded me." We have the details of the Passion to show what pain the world may apply but we have the death and then resurrection of the Lord to show the power of Jesus over death. over the world and the "ruler of the world".
We are reassured by tenderness of the Lord, by His concern: "Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You have heard me tell you, 'I am going away and I will come back to you.'" He has given us the path to eternal life; he assures us of eternal life. We have hope; we hope in the Lord; our hope gives us the way to eternal life.
Jesus said to his disciples: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, 'I am going away and I will come back to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe. I will no longer speak much with you, for the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over me, but the world must know that I love the Father and do just as the Father has commanded me."
The Gospel of the Lord.
Today honors three martyrs - Saints Nereus and Achilleus, and Saint Pancras. But we do not wear red at Mass; instead we wear white. Why, because this is Easter season, the season of the resurrection, the season not of the death of martyrs but of life, the life of Jesus in the resurrection. Thus, we emphasize life. Jesus by His resurrection showed His victory over death. "Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?" The first reading is from Acts 14:19-20 which tells of the Jews turning the crowd against Paul; the crowd "stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples gathered around him, he got up and entered the city." In 2 Cor. 11, Paul tells of his encounters with death: five times Paul received 40 lashes less one; three times he was beaten with rods; once he was stoned. This is that stoning, and the end result of a stoning was death. Paul was shipwrecked three times; he spent a day and a night adrift at sea.
So these readings are about the triumph of life, the life of the Lord (I am the way, the truth, and the life) over death. The death is that brought by "the ruler of the world." Jesus, says, the ruler of the world "has no power over me, but the world must know that I love the Father and that I do as the Father has commanded me." We have the details of the Passion to show what pain the world may apply but we have the death and then resurrection of the Lord to show the power of Jesus over death. over the world and the "ruler of the world".
We are reassured by tenderness of the Lord, by His concern: "Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You have heard me tell you, 'I am going away and I will come back to you.'" He has given us the path to eternal life; he assures us of eternal life. We have hope; we hope in the Lord; our hope gives us the way to eternal life.
Friday, May 8, 2009
May 8, 2009. Homily, May 9, 2009.
John 14: 7-14.
Jesus said to his disciples: "If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him." Philip said to Jesus, "Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you now believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it."
The Gospel of the Lord.
Philip said to Jesus, "Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
The first day of class, the grammar school teacher decided to test for manual dexterity so she handed out sheets of paper and pencils to her class, and when, she had their attention, asked them each to draw a picture. Some just sat ther, but Harry bent over and started to work feverishly. The teacher went over. "Harry, what are you drawing?" "I am drawing a picture of God." "But no one knows what God looks like." Harry kept working, "They will when I am finished." In the words of Jesus from today's Gospel, "[B]elieve that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. Believe me [when I say] that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe because of the works themselves." When we witness to the Lord, when we do the works of the Lord, others see the Lord in us. "[W]hoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these. . . . And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
John 14:1 "Do no let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. [2] In my Father's house, there are many dwelling places[mansions]. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you. [3] . . . so that where I am, there you may be also. [4] Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" [6] Jesus said to him, "I am the the way [to live as Jesus lived because He is the fullest. most perfect expression of God's love], and the truth [by living His life perfectly, submitting Himself to God the Father in all things, Jesus is the embodiment of truth: what it is to be truly human], and the life [Jesus through His life and example showed us how to live as God's children]. No one comes to the Father except through me. [7] If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."
John 10:30. The Father and I are one.
John's Gospel passages of the past few days talk about the relation between Jesus the Son and the Father. The Father and I are one. Two persons in one God; with the Holy Spirit, [the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are] three persons in one God.
Monday, May 4, 2009
May 4, 2009. Homily May 5, 2009.
John 10:22-30.
The Feast of the Dedication was taking place in Jerusalem. It was winter. And Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." Jesus answered them, "I told you and you do not believe. The works I do in my Father's name testify to me. But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given the to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father's hand. The father and I are one."
The Gospel of the Lord.
The Feast of the Dedication was the feast of lights; it took place in what is our month of December, on the 25th day of that month, our Christmas. Jesus says, "It was winter", meaning that it was dark. The beginning of John's Gospel: "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. Everything came into being through Him, and nothing came into being except through Him. What came to be through him was life, and this was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." The Jews ask, "If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." And Jesus answers, "The works I do in my Father's name testify to me." Those works, those signs of John's Book of Signs, are the water into wine at the Cana, the healing of the man paralyzed 38 years, the curing of the royal official's son from a distance, the feeding of the multitude, the giving of sight to the man born blind, the raising of Lazarus.
Those works testified to Jesus as the Messiah. The Jews did not believe. Then, the Passion , Death and Resurrection of Jesus. Jesus conquered death. Thus, after the resurrection, we can say with Paul, O Death, where is your victory. O Death, where is your sting.
Jesus speaks of his followers as sheep. Do we want to be called a sheep? Ask this, do we want eternal life. Jesus promised eternal life to his sheep and that his followers will never perish. He has promised eternal; life to us. And Jesus answers the question as to His provenance, "The Father and I are one."
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