May 2019

V Sunday of Easter “C” – May 19, 2019

Frackville, From the Pastor /

Today’s Gospel begins with a summary statement: “When Judas had gone…” Four words which are so poignant. We know exactly what Judas is going to do, even though it is not spelled out for us: he goes to complete the process whereby he will betray Jesus to the authorities. The next time Jesus and Judas will meet is when Judas leads the guards sent by the chief priests and the Pharisees to the place where he knows Jesus would be. In four words, our Gospel passage reminds us of the role Judas will play in this narrative. Those same four words also prompt us to recall what has already happened in the room that Judas just left. After the meal was concluded, Jesus scandalized Peter by wanting to wash the feet of all present. In the ancient world washing the feet of another was a task for all the lowliest of slaves. That’s why Peter is so scandalized at Jesus’ behavior: his Lord wants to degrade himself totally by washing the feet of sinners. Judas was one of those whose feet were washed by Jesus. Jesus then announces that one of them will betray Him: the one to whom He will give the piece of bread that he shall dip in the cup. This has clear Eucharistic implications. When He gives Judas the piece of bread, He says: “What you are going to do, do quickly.” Judas goes out into the dark. Judas leaves the light of Christ to go into the dark of Jesus’ enemies. But Jesus has demonstrated His total love for every human being who ever did exist or ever will exist. His double outreach to Judas makes it plain that no one is excluded from Jesus’ love.

The Son of Man, who came not to condemn the world but so that through Him the world might be saved, will make His ultimate, total and infinite act of love when He is lifted up on the cross. The story does not end there, however. Jesus issues a commandment – for His disciples to love one another as He has loved us. But how can love be commanded? If love is only seen as emotional, then it cannot be commanded, but God’s love is total God’s commitment. When we love as Jesus has loved us – by total commitment to any and all children of God – we make God’s love visible. We show ourselves to be Jesus’ representatives on earth – His disciples.

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III Sunday of Easter “C” – May 5, 2019

Frackville, From the Pastor /

Peter lived by fishing is the Sea of Tiberias, sometimes called Lake Galilee: in his wildest dreams he would never have imagined that one day he would travel widely. Meeting Jesus – recognizing Him as the Messiah, the Son of God – utterly changed and opened up his life. This man, who would have expected to spend his lifetime in Galilee, a fisherman like his father John probably was, found his vocation to travel widely as an apostle of Jesus, a preacher of the Gospel and the leader in the Church. Jesus asked Peter three times whether he loved Him. Three times Peter answered that he did. In Greek, there is more than one word for love. Agapeis self-sacrificing love; philiais friendship. Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him with a self-sacrificing love. Peter replies he loves Him with friendship. Second time was the same… The third time, Jesus lowers His demand. He asks Peter if he loves Him with friendship.

It is the weakness of Peter that appeals to us; the fact that he was honest enough to tell Jesus that he loved Him, but not to extent of sacrificing his life for Him. Very soon Peter did grow to love Jesus in the deepest, self-sacrificing way. It is the humanity of Jesus, His understanding of the frailty of human nature that gives us hope. Far from being angry with Peter, or washing His hands of him for his failure, Jesus simply asked for his love, and was willing to accept the little Peter honestly felt he could offer. Jesus knew that Peter would learn from his denials. His very sin would make him stronger. We may have broken a vow or failed to follow up our good intentions, like Peter did.

Through God’s grace, good can come from failure. Through forgiveness, damaged relationships can be renewed and be even better than they were before, as happened with Peter. Having learned the hard way that it is impossible to live the Christian life in his own strength, his trust and faith in God was deepened. When he was arrested in Nero’s purge of the Church in Rome, like many persecuted Christians since, even in our day, he found that he would in the end choose to die rather than deny the One who loved him.

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