Synopsis: Easter V [A] Sunday (Homily on John 14:1-12
Introduction: Today’s readings tell us how the early Church accepted the challenge of keeping Jesus’ memory alive by remaining a dynamic Christian community, bearing witness to Christ by their unity, fidelity in worship and spirit of loving and humble service. Today’s Gospel introduces Jesus as the Way to God, the Truth to be accepted and the Life to be Ferragamo Mens Slip Ons Sale Online shared and lived.
Scripture lessons: The first reading, taken from Acts, shows us the early Church as a loving, serving and worshipping community (Acts 6:1-7). Hence, it easily solved a problem of perceived discrimination by instituting the diaconate for the service of the community. In the second reading, St. Peter advises the early Christians to renew the memory of Jesus by making their community a spiritual edifice built from the “living stones” of believers upon the “Living Cornerstone of Christ” (I Pt 2:4-5). Peter praises Christians, Ferragamo Womens Sneakers Sale Gentiles and Jewish, as “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and God’s own people.” In today’s Gospel, Jesus consoles his apostles who are sad and disheartened at the prospect of his arrest and crucifixion by assuring them that he is going to prepare an everlasting accommodation for them in his Father’s House in Heaven. He gives them the assurance that he will come back to take them to their Heavenly abodes. It is then that Thomas asks Jesus where he is going and the way to reach him. Jesus answers Thomas’ question with, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.” The basic doctrine of Judaism is that Yahweh is the Way the Truth and the Life. Hence, Jesus is making a revolutionary claim that he is equivalent to Yahweh. Jesus declares that he is the safest and surest way to God, discrediting the notions that all religions are equally sure ways to reach God, or that no organized religion but only living a good life of sharing love is necessary to reach God. But Jesus the Way is narrow Ferragamo Shoes Sale Online because it is the way of loving, humble and Cheap Ferragamo Mens Belts Sale sacrificial service. Jesus is the Truth who taught revealed truths about God and God’s relation to man. Jesus also taught moral truths by demonstrating them in his life. Jesus is the Life because as God he possesses the eternal life of God and shares his Divine life with his disciples through the Word of God and the Sacraments.
Life messages: We need to accept Jesus as the Way, Truth and the Life: We accept Jesus as the Way by walking the narrow way of loving, humble and sacrificial service. We accept Jesus the Truth by learning and practicing what he taught as given in the Bible and in the teachings of the Church. We share the Divine life of God by making use of the means Jesus established in his Church. a) By actively participating in the Eucharistic celebration and properly Ferragamo Mens Wallets Sale receiving the Body and Blood of Christ in Holy Communion. b) By the worthy reception of the other Sacraments. c) By the meditative and daily reading of the Word of God. d) By allowing the Holy Spirit living in the Church and within us to guide and strengthen us. e) By communicating with God the Source of Life, in personal and family prayers.
EASTER V [A] : Acts 6:1-7, I Pt 2:4-9, Jn 14:1-12 (L/17)
Anecdotes: 1)” My Father’s house.” When St. John Chrysostom was summoned before the Roman Emperor Ferragamo Womens Sneakers Sale Online Arcadius and threatened with banishment, he replied, “You cannot banish me, for the world is my Father’s house.” “Then I will kill you,” exclaimed the Emperor angrily. “No, you cannot,” retorted Chrysostom, “because my life is hidden with Christ in God.” “Your treasures shall be confiscated,” the Emperor replied grimly. “Sir, you can’t do that because my treasures are in Heaven as my heart is there.” “I will drive you from your people, and you shall have no friends left,” threatened the Emperor. “That you cannot do either, Sir, for I have a Friend in Heaven Who has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’” In today’s Gospel Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life, gives us the same assurance. “In my Father’s house, there are many dwelling places. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.”
#2) Surprises in Heaven: A few years ago, a minister of the United Methodist Church was forced out of his congregation and the ministry because he had the “audacity to preach heresy” during his Sunday sermon: “I’m in a Church,” he said, “which acts as if God has a very small house, with only a few rooms and only one door. But thanks be to God, God’s house, according to Jesus, has many rooms, many places to dwell. If it were not so, he would have told us.” To add fuel to the fire, he explained his theory with a story. A good man died and was ushered into heaven, which appeared to be an enormous house. An angel began to escort him down a long hallway past “many rooms”. “What’s in that room?” the man asked, pointing to a very somber-looking group of people chanting a Gregorian Mass. “That’s the Roman Catholic room,” said the angel. “Very high church.” “What’s in that noisy room?” the man asked, pointing to a group of white-clothed people dancing, clapping and singing and occasionally shrieking out loud. “That’s the Pentecostal group,” said the angel. “Very lively.” “What’s in that room?” asked the man, pointing to a group of bald-headed people meditating to the sound of an enormous gong.” That’s the Zen group,” said the angel. “Very quiet. You would hardly know they were here.” Then the angel stopped the man, as they were about to round a corner. “Now, when we get to the next room,” said the angel, “I would appreciate it if you would tiptoe past. We mustn’t make any sound.” “Why’s that?” asked the man. “Because in that room there’s a bunch of very fundamentalist Christians; and they think they’re the only ones here.” In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives a true picture of his Father’s house.
Introduction: Today’s readings tell us how the early Church accepted the challenge of keeping Jesus’ memory alive in the Christian community by fashioning it into a serving and worshipping community (Acts 6:1-7), making of it a spiritual edifice built from the “living stones” of believers upon the “Living Cornerstone of Christ” (I Pt 2:4-5), and as the Father’s House (John 14:1-12). Today’s Gospel gives the image of the Church as a Church in glory in the Father’s House. It also reminds us of the great truth that Jesus is the Way to God, that he is the Truth of God and that in him and through him we receive God’s own Life. Today’s readings demand from us real Faith not only in God the Father but also in Jesus precisely because he is “the Way, the Truth and the Life” (Jn. 14:6). “You have faith in God; have faith also in Me” (Jn. 14:1).