5th Sunday of Easter
As the early Church grows, Jesus’ message of love for all expands far beyond the places where He traveled in His lifetime. By the time John is writing the Book of Revelation, the early Church understands that God’s dwelling place is in His people. Long before we have church buildings and Bibles, catechisms and canon law, we have the new commandment of Jesus: Love one another. No matter where we find ourselves this week, it is possible for us to bring love. We can listen more …deeply, offer a needed apology, let someone else go first. We can bring kindness, offer mercy, receive others’ care. This week, still well within the Easter season, practise love as a celebration of Love’s victory over violence, suffering, and death.
For greater love, we pray to the Lord.
#CatholicYYC #SundayMass
Text: CCCB
Taken from Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary Facebook page
Not only can we recognize family members’ voices, we can also read the tone of their voices and know something about how they are feeling. In our relationship with Jesus, we know Jesus’ voice and are called to follow. Jesus doesn’t just bring us closer to the Father, Jesus puts us directly into contact with God the Father, removing all distance between us. In the Gospel of John, Jesus identifies so closely with the Father that he tells us that they are one—not just close, but actually one. Knowing Jesus means knowing the Father.
In the first reading, Peter and the disciples are chastised for proclaiming Jesus. In the Gospel, Peter jumps into the sea with his clothes on and is asked three times if he loves Jesus. It’s okay for us to be an image of both these moments in Peter’s life: sometimes we are lost and Jesus leads us back to faith, while other times we are ready to proclaim boldly what God has done for us. The truth is we are witnesses to a resurrected life in both our confusion and our sure faith. Both moments are part of the story of how God works in the world. When the next season of suffering and confusion finds us, it is helpful for us to remember that God has led us through the wilderness before, and the end of God’s story is Resurrection.
The Resurrected Lord comes to His Apostles. They are to be witnesses of His resurrection. To share this kerygma with all, they must be empowered by His Holy Spirit. We too are called to testify that Jesus is alive. Veni Sancte Spiritus.
On the Day the Lord rose from the grave, He appeared to the Apostles and breathed on them, bestowing His Spirit. As we rejoice, let us ask for a greater infilling of the Holy Spirit. Veni Sancte Spiritus.