Peace of Christ!

John 14: 27-31

Jesus said to his disciples: Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you. ’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

Food for thought! - Peace of Christ!

After promising us the Holy Spirit, whom he referred to as the «Advocate» that will «teach and instruct us», Jesus gives us another gift, peace: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you." And he immediately adds: "Not as the world gives do I give to you." And he concludes: "Let (therefore) not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."

The reason we are not supposed to be troubled nor afraid is that we are not left alone; Jesus leaves us with an advocate, that is, a pleader, an attorney, a lawyer who defends our cause. As St. Paul puts it, «We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.» (2 Cor 4:8-9)

In the Bible «peace» never means the absence of trouble. Indeed, peace by nature pressuposes trouble; we cannot talk of peace without implying trouble, just as we cannot talk of day without implying night. Something demonstrative of peace happened during Jesus' passion; he was at peace throughout: «He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.»

Amidist false accusations and cries of «crucify him», Jesus remained peacefully in silent to the amazement of Pilate, who remarked: «Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?»

When he carried the cross, when he lay down on the cross, and when he was nailed through his hands and feet, Jesus maintained his peace. THIS IS THE PEACE OF CHRIST, «which surpasses all understanding» (Phil. 4:7). The peace which Jesus offers us is the peace of conquest after challenges, is the peace that endures all kind of challenge. No experience of life can ever take it from us and no sorrow, no danger, no suffering, no problem can ever make it less. It is independent of outward circumstances.

In today's first reading there is another example of peace despite trouble (Act 14:19-22)

«But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. 20 But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. 21 When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many hardships we must go before we enter the kingdom of God.»

Paul was talking from experience. He had just been bitten to die, but when he rose up, he went on doing what he had to do. He even encouraged others saying: «through many hardships we must go before we enter the kingdom of God.» Like Jesus, Paul is saying in other words, there's no crown without the cross; no victory without a fight; no day without a night; no Easter Sunday without Good Friday. Before we succeed, we must struggle.

When the Holy Spirit Comes!

John 14:21-26

Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

Food for the thought!

As he begins to end his earthly ministry, Jesus begins to introduce the Holy Spirit; as he begins to go, Jesus begins to speak of the Holy Spirit to come; as one goes, the other comes. «All this I have spoken WHILE STILL WITH YOU», he says, «BUT THE ADVOCATE, THE HOLY SPIRIT, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things AND remind you everything.»

Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit will begin from where he will leave off; Jesus has spoken, the Holy Spirit will remind us; one speaks, the other reminds us. Thanks to the Holy Spirit that we don't forget Jesus' teaching. The Holy Spirit reminds us also of all the things Jesus said. When we become discouraged, the Holy Spirit in our soul reminds of a some words of Jesus, of some phrase of the Bible, which encourages us to go on. Do you remember of some time when, being in some difficulty or going through a crises the words of Jesus kept sounding in your ears and strengthened you? Well, it was the Holy Spirit at work.

The Holy Spirit encourages us to keep on running, to keep on going, to keep on living for Jesus. He inspires us to press forward for the glory of the Lord. Indeed, we are neither alone nor lonely because the Holy Spirit is busy within us!

The Holy Spirit will teach us all things.

When all is said and done, a Christian like you and me, must be a learner, so that the Holy Spirit lead him deeper and deeper into the Words of Jesus. The Christian who feels that he has nothing more to learn is the Christian who has not even begun to learn. The Christian with a shut mind is a contradiction. This is why, before you read the Bible, before you listen to a sermon, you do well to pray for the Holy Spirit for yourself, that your mind open up to the Holy Spirit.

Did you realize that as we listen to or read a sermon, we all hear equally the same voice of the person speaking to us, and yet, we each have a different perception of the meaning; we understand different things according to what the Holy Spirit wants each one of us to know. That is why, we come out of Mass with different inspirations, despite having listened to the same preacher, the same Bible reading. In other words, as we listen to the outside voice of the preacher or as we read the Bible or a sermon like this one, we at the same time do listen as well to the inside voice in us of the Holy Spirit.

Do you remember those two disciples who were going to Emmaus? They said to one another, «Were not our hearts burning within us as he spoke to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us» (Lk 24,32). These disciples heard the voice of Jesus, but inside them the Holy Spirit was busy working in their hearts.

Nearly all of us have this sort of experience in life. We are tempted to do something wrong and are on the very brink of doing it, when all of a sudden back into our mind comes a saying of Jesus, the verse of a Psalm, the picture of Jesus himself, the words of someone we love and admire, a teaching we received when very young. In the moment of danger these things flash unbidden into our minds. That is the work of the Holy Spirit.

Only by love!

John 13:31-33,34-35

When Judas had gone Jesus said: ‘Now has the Son of Man been glorified, and in him God has been glorified. If God has been glorified in him, God will in turn glorify him in himself, and will glorify him very soon. ‘My little children, I shall not be with you much longer. You will look for me, And, as I told the Jews, where I am going, you cannot come. I give you a new commandment: love one another; just as I have loved you, you also must love one another. By this love you have for one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples.’

Food for thought!

The renowned artist Paul Gustave Dore once lost his passport while travelling in Europe. When he came to a border crossing, he explained his predicament to one of the guards. Giving his name to the official, Dore hoped he would be recognized and allowed to pass. The guard, however, said that many people attempted to cross the border by claiming to be persons they were not. Dore insisted that he was the man he claimed to be. "All right," said the official, "we'll give you a test, and if you pass it we'll allow you to go through." Handing him a pencil and a sheet of paper, he told the artist to sketch several peasants standing nearby. Dore did it so quickly and skilfully that the guard was convinced he was indeed who he claimed to be. His action confirmed his identity.

Christians have always had the problem of how to tell the world who they are. At some periods in history and still in some places in the world, uniforms have played a very important role in announcing one's identity to the world. Think of the various uniforms of the various Christian societies of consecrated life, which distinguish consecrated people not only from ordinary Christians but also from one another according to their institutes. Today, the use of uniforms or habits has become less popular.

In today's gospel, Jesus gives us a uniform. It is not a dress or garment. Indeed, it is not external or tangible. For Jesus the essential mark of distinction between Christians and non-Christians is not in the way we dress but in the way we live.

I give you a new commandment: love one another; just as I have loved you, you also must love one another. By this love you have for one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples.

Love is the Christian identity; the cloth; the garment; the uniform; the habit. If you are wearing the habit of love, you are in. If you are not wearing love as a habit, you are out.

Jesus wants the world to recognise us as Christians. He wants us to be seen by the others, yes, but not so much by our garments and all the externals; it is by our living and loving JUST AS HE LOVED US. By this love you have for one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples.

The great Mahatma Gandhi was asked about his view of Christianity. What he said could show us what probably is keeping two-thirds of the world away from the Good News of Christianity:

I have a great respect for Christianity. I often read the Sermon on the Mount and have gained much from it. I know of no one who has done more for humanity than Jesus. In fact, there is nothing wrong with Christianity, but the trouble is with you Christians. You do not begin to live up to your own teachings.

Good from evil!

 Act 13:44-52

44 When the next Sabbath came around, practically the whole city showed up to hear the Word of God. 45 Some of the Jews, seeing the crowds, went wild with jealousy and tore into Paul, contradicting everything he was saying, making an ugly scene.

46 But Paul and Barnabas didn't back down. Standing their ground they said, "It was required that God's Word be spoken first of all to you, the Jews. But seeing that you want no part of it-- you've made it quite clear that you have no taste or inclination for eternal life-- the door is open to all the outsiders. And we're turning now to the outsiders 47 following orders, doing what God commanded when he said, I've set you up as light to all nations. You'll proclaim salvation to the four winds and seven seas!"

48 When the non-Jewish outsiders heard this, they could hardly believe their good fortune. All who were marked out for real life put their trust in God; they honored God's Word by receiving that life. 49 And this Message of salvation spread like wildfire all through the region.

50 Some of the Jews convinced the most respected women and leading men of the town that their precious way of life was about to be destroyed. Alarmed, they turned on Paul and Barnabas and forced them to leave. 51 Paul and Barnabas shrugged their shoulders and went on to the next town, Iconium, 52 brimming with joy and the Holy Spirit, two happy disciples.

Food for thought!

God is wonderful and incomprehensible in His ways. He can use any, I repeat any situation to fulfill His divine plans. Sometimes He uses what for us looks evil and mishap to realize His plans. He did it with His own Son, on and by the cross; and He uses it with His sons and daughters. Yes, some of those bad things that happen to you are meant for good of you.

In today's first reading, we have good coming out of bad. Until now Paul and Barnabas have been preaching mainly to their brothers, the Jews. But at some point, the Jews turned on Paul and Barnabas and forced them to leave their territory. Paul and Barnabas understood the writing on the wall; they interpreted the signs of the times; they connected the dots; they got the message coming out of the jealousy and persecution of the Jews, and declared, "we're turning now to the outsiders following orders, doing what God commanded when he said, I've set you up as light to all nations. You'll proclaim salvation to the four winds and seven seas!"

What Paul and Barnabas did was to look at the whole event through the eyes of faith, and when they did, they saw a hand of God in the persecution. From now onwards, Paul and Barnabas will dedicate themselves solely for non-Jews. This is how and why Paul became the apostle of the gentiles (non-Jews).

I invite you to do the same. Next time you have a crises, a problem, look at it as through the eyes of faith and you will see that behind your crisis, behind your problem, behind your misfortune, there's a blessing, an opportunity. Every problem is a disguised opportunity; "crisis" in its original meaning means chance.

God will use anything to get his message across. After failing to convince and move you through peaceful means, God will resort to force. Like Paul and Barnabas, many of us do hear and heed only by crises.

Trust in God Still!

John 14:1-6

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God still, and trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father’s house; if there were not, I should have told you. I am going now to prepare a place for you, and after I have gone and prepared you a place, I shall return to take you with me; so that where I am you may be too. You know the way to the place where I am going.’ Thomas said, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus said: ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’

Food for thought!

Rejections, defeats, and failures that all of us have experienced can create enough negative feelings to destroy us. It is here that we must be very careful! Often the most painful wounds are not the scars that are outwardly seen, but the hidden wounds deep in the heart. Being hidden, they are often the most dangerous.    

Setbacks in our lives, struggles in the journey, trials that fall across the way, can take the joy out of living. Our faith is weakened, and if we collect enough hurts it will stop us from wanting to press forward. Even success can make one the target of criticism. Do not let the hurts hurt you! Don't let the troubles trouble you, says Jesus.

This passage stands as a great rock in the Scriptures! If you have accumulated some complications along the way that are sapping your spiritual life, stealing your joy and causing you pain, this passage, if believed and received, is able to restore your joy and peace once again. If your heart is troubled by something or the other, there is help here for you today.  

You believe in God, don't you? If you do, you have a stronghold, a weapon that will bring you through the valleys! Believe that God exists and that He is in absolute control of all events, even in your life. And stubbornly hold onto this trust. In other words, trust your trust. And don't let, don't permit, don't allow your troubles trouble you.

As you know, whatever you focus on multiplies. If you focus on your problems all the time, your problems will look doubled; starve your problems by focussing on Jesus. "Trust in God still, and trust in Jesus."

The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.

He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.

He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies.

You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life,

and I will live in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23)

Mark the gospel of Mark!

Mark 16:15-20

Jesus showed himself to the Eleven, and said to them: ‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation. He who believes and is baptised will be saved; he who does not believe will be condemned. These are the signs that will be associated with believers: in my name they will cast out devils; they will have the gift of tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and be unharmed should they drink deadly poison; they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover.’ And so the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven: there at the right hand of God he took his place, while they, going out, preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word by the signs that accompanied it.

Food for thought!

Today, we want to focus our Food for thought on Mark, the Evangelist.  We celebrate his feast today.  As we know, Mark was not among the twelve apostles of Jesus. Probably, he did not know Jesus face to face. Where then did Mark get his information? What is so special about Mark's Gospel? What does Mark tell us about Jesus? What is Mark's style? What is the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Mark?

Well, we know that the value of any man's story will always depend on the sources of his information. Where, then, did Mark get his information about the life and work of Jesus? Today's first reading gives us a clue. It is from the First Letter of St. Peter. It says,

"I write these few words to you through Silvanus, who is a brother I know I can trust, to encourage you never to let go this true grace of God to which I bear witness. Your sister in Babylon, who is with you among the chosen, sends you greetings; so does my son, Mark."

This means that Mark was a companion of Peter, not of Jesus. Mark's gospel is, therefore, nothing other than a record of the preaching material of Peter. Certainly Mark stood so close to Peter, and so near to his heart, that Peter could call him "Mark, my son." (1Pet.5:13.) One ancient writer, Papias, says: "Mark, who was Peter's interpreter, wrote down accurately, though not in order, all that he recollected of what Christ had said or done. For he was not a hearer of the Lord or a follower of his. He followed Peter."

We may then take it that in his gospel we have what Mark remembered of the preaching material of Peter himself. And that is what makes Mark's gospel special: first, it is the earliest of all the gospels; if it was written from Peter's preaching, its date will be about A.D. 65. Second, it embodies the record of what Peter preached and taught about Jesus; we may put it this way, Mark is the nearest approach we will ever possess to an eyewitness account of the life of Jesus. It is the nearest thing we will ever get to a report of Jesus' life. All the other gospels were written after Mark's gospel.

This is another proof that Jesus needs us all. He used Mark, who was never an apostles. This is why Mark himself quotes Jesus, "Go out into the real world and witness to Jesus." Whoever you are, wherever you are, you can and should witness for Jesus, like Mark did. Just be genuine, be yourself, be Christian.

The responsibility of privilege!

John 12:44-50
 44-46 Jesus summed it all up when he cried out, "Whoever believes in me, believes not just in me but in the One who sent me. Whoever looks at me is looking, in fact, at the One who sent me. I am Light that has come into the world so that all who believe in me won't have to stay any longer in the dark.  47-50 "If anyone hears what I am saying and doesn't take it seriously, I don't judge him. I didn't come to judge the world; I came to save the world. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. 49 For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”
Food for thought!
These, according to the Gospel of John, are Jesus' last words of public teaching. After these words, Jesus will speak only to his disciples and after these, he will stand before Pilate. So these words are extremely important because they are the last words of Jesus to people at large. 
In these words, Jesus makes categorically that in him people are confronted with God. To listen to Jesus is to listen to God; to see Jesus is to see God the Father. In Jesus God meets man, and man meets God. Jesus is the meeting place between God and man; in Jesus God meets us, and in Jesus we meet God; in Jesus God speaks to us, and in Jesus we speak to God; in Jesus we see God and in Jesus God sees us, loves us, forgives us. 
Jesus tells us, for the last time, that his business among us is not to condemn but to save: «I didn't come to judge the world; I came to save the world.» He did not come to complicate our life, but to simplify it: «Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.» (Mt 11:28). It was not the wrath of God which sent Jesus to the world; it was his love.
This said, the coming of Jesus inevitably involves judgment. Why should that be? Because by our attitude to Jesus we show what we are and therefore we judge ourselves. If we find in Jesus solace, we are safe. If on the other hand, we see in Jesus nothing lovely and our heart remains completely untouched in his presence, it means that we are locked away from God; and we have therefore judged ourselves. In other words, Jesus is God's standard. By our attitude to him we ourselves stand revealed.
Jesus ended with a warning that the words which his listeners had heard would be their judge. That is one of the great truths of life. No one can be blamed for not knowing. But if we know the right thing and do the wrong, our condemnation is all the more serious. Therefore every wise thing that we have heard, and every opportunity we have had to know, will in the end be a witness against us. All that we have known and did not do will be a witness against us at the last, as it is stated in Luke 12:48
«For everyone to whom much is given, of him shall much be required.»

What is your nickname?

Acts 11:19-26

Those who had been scattered by the persecution triggered by Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, but they were still only speaking and dealing with their fellow Jews. Then some of the men from Cyprus and Cyrene who had come to Antioch started talking to Greeks, giving them the Message of the Master Jesus. God was pleased with what they were doing and put his stamp of approval on it—quite a number of the Greeks believed and turned to the Master.

When the church in Jerusalem got wind of this, they sent Barnabas to Antioch to check on things. As soon as he arrived, he saw that God was behind and in it all. He threw himself in with them, got behind them, urging them to stay with it the rest of their lives. He was a good man that way, enthusiastic and confident in the Holy Spirit’s ways. The community grew large and strong in the Master. Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. He found him and brought him back to Antioch. They were there a whole year, meeting with the church and teaching a lot of people. It was in Antioch that the disciples were for the first time called Christians.

Food for thought!

The first reading to today presents a turning point in the life of the Church. The gospel says, "But they were still only speaking and dealing with their fellow Jews… and then some of the men started talking to Greeks."

This was the first time that the gospel is deliberately preached to non Jews, that is, to Gentiles. Until now, the gospel was being preached to Jews only. But from now, some people, whose names are not even known, begin to preach to the outsiders. Who were these people? We don't know; all we know is that they came from Cyprus and Cyrene. These are nameless pioneers of Christ that went down to history for what they did. Let us learn from them: we work not to be noticed by the people but by God. Many times our work is unnoticed or even despised by the people. This is not bad as long as the Lord notices what we do for him. This is what Jesus said: "Your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you." Remember that every good life is a ministry.

It was at Antioch!

Before the Gospel, Antioch was a byword of luxurious immorality and lose living. To go Antioch meant to have gone to a "red-district"! It was here in the "red district" that the Gospel prospered most, so much so that "It was in a "red district" of Antioch that the disciples were for the first time called Christians." This is what St. Paul says, "Where sins abound, grace super abounded." (Rom. 5:20).

There is nothing like a hopeless situation. God can turn even the most hopeless of cities into the most hopeful of cities; he turned the most lux of all men into the most loving of men; he turned the most immoral into the best Christians; he turned Saul the persecutor of Christians into Paul the preacher of Christians. Yes, God can turn even our hopeless situations into hopeful moments; he can and will turn all our hopelessness into hopefulness.

Nick-named "Christians"!

The title "Christian" began as a nickname. It means, "These Christ-folk"; it was this contemptuous nickname that our ancestors in faith were called, as a way of despising them. Today, Christian is a holy name. Again, there is nothing God cannot change, even a bad name can become a good name; bad people can become good people; bad reputation can become good reputation.

Do you have a bad past, a bad nick-name, a bad reputation or a bad what? Remember the name "Christian" that first was a name of contempt; now it is a name of respect and admiration and wonder. Don't look at yourself thru the eyes of what others call you; look at yourself through the eyes of Jesus, who lives and loves you for ever and ever. 

Do your serve the people or save the profit?

John 10:1-10

Jesus said to his disciples, "Let me set this before you as plainly as I can. If a person climbs over or through the fence of a sheep pen instead of going through the gate, you know he’s up to no good—a sheep rustler! The shepherd walks right up to the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate to him and the sheep recognize his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he gets them all out, he leads them and they follow because they are familiar with his voice. They won’t follow a stranger’s voice but will scatter because they aren’t used to the sound of it.”

Jesus told this simple story, but they had no idea what he was talking about. So he tried again. “I’ll be explicit, then. I am the Gate for the sheep. All those others are up to no good—sheep stealers, every one of them. But the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the Gate. Anyone who goes through me will be cared for—will freely go in and out, and find pasture. A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.

Food for thought!

Jesus told this simple story, but they had no idea what he was talking about!

Since last week, Jesus is using figures of speech and imagery language. Last week he said of himself, "I am the bread of life." Yesterday, he said: "I am the Good Shepherd." Today, he is saying: "I am the gate." And today's gospel adds, "Jesus told this simple story, but they had no idea what he was talking about." So, what is it Jesus is teaching us this time?

Jesus is describing two kinds of people, two kinds of workers. One is good the other is bad worker. He draws the contrast between the good and the bad, the faithful and the unfaithful shepherd (workers). 

The difference between the good worker (shepherd) and the bad is this. A real shepherd is born to his task. The sheep (people) are his friends and his companions; and he knows all of them by name. But the false shepherd comes into the job, not as a calling, but as a means of making money. He is in it simply and solely for the pay he can get. He is in the job not by choice. He has no sense of the height and the responsibility of his task; he is only a hireling. 

Jesus' point is that the man or woman who works only for reward thinks only of money; the man or woman who works for love thinks of the people he is serving. In other words, a good worker is people driven, a bad worker is profit driven. 

Most of us are workers some where, what drives us, what comes first, people or profit? Are we in our job just for money or for serving God's people? Do we see ourselves as good workers (good shepherd, Jesus Christ) or not? Do we realize that if and when we serve well the people, the people reward us? That, if and when we put the people first the people and the Lord reward us abundantly?

Are you a people person or not? Is your business a people business? Do you put the people first, or you put the profit upfront? What is most important to you, serving the people or saving the profit?

He knows you; do you know him?

John 10:27-30

Jesus said:

1.       ‘The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice;

2.       I know them and they follow me.

3.       I give them eternal life;

4.       they will never be lost

5.       and no one will ever steal them from me.

6.       The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone,

7.       and no one can steal from the Father.

The Father and I are one.’

Food for thought!

Jesus, in these few words, said seven things about his sheep that need our attention. There are seven great truths that should lift up all those who are bowed down. They are words of assurance. It is as if Jesus said, don't be afraid because THE FATHER AND I ARE ONE. And because I and the Father are one, I am God just as the Father; I mean what I say, and I say what I mean. So, listen to my voice all you that belong to me. And know that I know you all that follow me; I give you eternal life; I will not let you be lost; nobody can and will steal you from me; because the Father gave you all to me; and no one can steal from the Father. Courage.

Jesus is declaring himself openly to be our shepherd. Sometimes we lose this fact; Jesus IS THE ONLY SHEPHERD we have.   As shepherd, Jesus knows us; he understands us; we are not anonymous people; he knows all about you and me. The individual sheep in a flock all look alike to the untrained eye. A good shepherd, however, can tell them apart--often because of their defects and peculiar traits.

A man who was tending a large flock explained this to a Christian friend who expressed surprise at his familiarity with each animal. "See that sheep over there?" he asked. "Notice how it toes in a little. The one behind it has a squint; the next one has a patch of wool off its back; ahead is one with a distinguishing black mark, while the one closest to us has a small piece torn out of its ear."

Observing all of the sheep, the believer thought about Christ, the Chief Shepherd, who also knows the individual Christian. He said, I KNOW THEM. Jesus knows our individual weaknesses and failings; on the outside we may look alike, but inside of us we are all struggling, and Jesus knows about our struggles, our ups and downs, our falling, our rising. And because he knows us so well, he gives us eternal life. For many of us, the more we claim to know someone the more we despise them. Not so with Jesus; the more he knows us the more he loves us and the more he cares for us and watchers over us.

Yes, Jesus knows everything there is to know about you and me - Matt. 10:29-31; Matt. 6:8. He knows every strength and every weakness. He knows every joy and every burden. He knows every mountain and every valley. He knows every victory and every battle and He stands ready to help you in your times of need, Heb. 4:15-16. He is your Good Shepherd and He will look after you - Psa. 23:1-6.

A man was arrested and charged with stealing a sheep. But he claimed emphatically that it was one of his own that had been missing for many days. When the case went to court, the judge was puzzled, not knowing how to decide the matter. At last he asked that the sheep be brought into the courtroom. Then he ordered the plaintiff to step outside and call the animal. The sheep made no response except to raise its head and look frightened. The judge then instructed the defendant to go to the courtyard and call the sheep. When the accused man began to make his distinctive call, the sheep ran toward the man. It was obvious that the sheep recognized the familiar voice of his master. "His sheep knows him," said the judge. "Case dismissed!"

So it is with us. We are like that sheep, being called by all kinds of people and voices. There are many voices which compete for our attention in today's world, including that of Christ. When He calls, are you able to distinguish his voice from others' voices? Does Christ still compete to attract your attention? Are you able to distinguish Christ's voice from the many others yearning for our attention? He knows you; do you know him?

When the shepherd calls forth his sheep, he goes before them and they instinctively follow him. He doesn't have to drive them, that is for goats. He just leads them out and they naturally follow close behind. This is what Jesus is doing: he is leading us to heaven. To him be glory and power and praise, for ever and ever. Amen

Love and you will understand!

John 6:60-69

When many of his disciples heard what Jesus was saying about the bread of life, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” 66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” 

Food for thought!

It is little wonder that the disciples found the discourse of Jesus, not hard to understand but hard to accept. The disciples understood very well that Jesus had been claiming to be the very life of God come down from heaven, and that no one could live this life or face eternity without submitting to him. Here we come upon a truth that re-emerges in every age. Time and again it is not the intellectual difficulty which keeps us from taking Christ serious; it is the height of Christ's moral demand. Humanly speaking, Christ's demands are just too much to accept; it is not easy to be a Christian. Christian living is a heroic living.

Unfortunately, like those first disciples of Jesus who, «turned back and no longer walked with him», many even today have turned back and no longer want to walk with Jesus. Many once disciples of Jesus have turned away because Jesus' teaching is getting harder and harder to listen to and observe.

Surprisingly, Jesus did not call back his disciples; he did not say to them, «Well, come back, let me soften my teaching, let me put it differently...». Jesus made a bad situation get worse when he offered to those who stayed behind the possibility of going too: «Do you want to go away as well?» It is as if he said, «If you too want to go, go». This is what Jesus is telling me and you: if we want to leave him, if we want to stop following him, we are free to do so. At our peril.

This is a passage instinct with tragedy, for in it is the beginning of the end. The gospel says, «For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him». He is referring to Judas Iscariot.

There is a terrible story about an artist who was painting the Last Supper. It was a great picture and it took him many years. As model for the face of Christ he used a young man with a lovely face. Bit by bit the picture was filled in and one after another the disciples were painted. The day came when he needed a model for Judas whose face he had left to the last. He went out and searched in the lowest haunts of the city and in the dens of vice. At last he found a man with a face so depraved and vicious as matched his requirement. When the painting of Judas was at an end the man said to the artist: «You painted me before». «Surely not,» said the artist. «O yes,» said the man, «I sat for your Christ.» In other words, the years had brought terrible deterioration to this man.

The years can be cruel to us. They can take away our ideals and our enthusiasms and our dreams and our loyalties and our love and our faith and our beauty. They can leave us with a life that has grown smaller and not bigger. They can leave us with a heart that is shrivelled instead of one expanded in the love of Christ. There can be a lost loveliness in life--God save us from that!

This story almost ended on a sad ending, had Peter not scored in the 90th minute. «Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.» It was just such a situation as this that called out the loyalty of Peter's heart. To him the simple fact was that there was just no one else to go to. Jesus alone had the words of life.

Peter's loyalty was based on a personal relationship to Jesus Christ. There were many things he did not understand; he was just as bewildered and puzzled as anyone else. But there was something about Jesus for which he would willingly die. In the last analysis Christianity is not a philosophy which we accept, nor a theory to which we give allegiance. It is a personal response to Jesus Christ. It is the allegiance and the love which a man gives because his heart will not allow him to do anything else.

Before we go! Did you notice that Peter said, «We believe and have come to know» and not «we have come to know and believe»? In other words, believing comes first, then second comes knowing; it is first faith then understanding. Not vice versa. If you believe Jesus, you will understand what he says. If you love Jesus, you will know what he teaches.

It is the same every time. If you believe in someone you understand the person; if you love the person you will know what they are doing. If you hate the person you will hate whatever the person is and does and say. As they say, the world is full of beauty when the heart is full of love.

From mean to man, from Saul to Paul!

Acts 9:1-21

All this time Saul was breathing down the necks of the Master’s disciples, out for the kill. He went to the Chief Priest and got arrest warrants to take to the meeting places in Damascus so that if he found anyone there belonging to the Christian Way, whether men or women, he could arrest them and bring them to Jerusalem. He set off. When he got to the outskirts of Damascus, he was suddenly dazed by a blinding flash of light. As he fell to the ground, he heard a voice: “Saul, Saul, why are you out to get me?” He said, “Who are you, Master?”  “I am Jesus, the One you’re hunting down. I want you to get up and enter the city. In the city you’ll be told what to do next.” His companions stood there dumbstruck—they could hear the sound, but couldn’t see anyone—while Saul, picking himself up off the ground, found himself stone-blind. They had to take him by the hand and lead him into Damascus. He continued blind for three days. He ate nothing, drank nothing.

There was a disciple in Damascus by the name of Ananias. The Master spoke to him in a vision: “Ananias.” “Yes, Master?” he answered. “Get up and go over to Straight Avenue. Ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus. His name is Saul. He’s there praying. He has just had a dream in which he saw a man named Ananias enter the house and lay hands on him so he could see again.” Ananias protested, “Master, you can’t be serious. Everybody’s talking about this man and the terrible things he’s been doing, his reign of terror against your people in Jerusalem! And now he’s shown up here with papers from the Chief Priest that give him license to do the same to us.” But the Master said, “Don’t argue. Go! I have picked him as my personal representative to non-Jews and kings and Jews. And now I’m about to show him what he’s in for—the hard suffering that goes with this job.”

So Ananias went and found the house, placed his hands on blind Saul, and said, “Brother Saul, the Master sent me, the same Jesus you saw on your way here. He sent me so you could see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” No sooner were the words out of his mouth than something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes—he could see again! He got to his feet, was baptized, and sat down with them to a hearty meal. Saul spent a few days getting acquainted with the Damascus disciples, but then went right to work, wasting no time, preaching in the meeting places that this Jesus was the Son of God.

Food for thought!

Today, allow me to use the first reading for our meditation. It is because of a story, not only about what Jesus did but about what Jesus does; this story is a strong statement from Jesus: if He can change Saul, the murderer into Paul, the apostle, He can change and use any of us for his purpose. Paul's story is your story, is my story.

OUR PAST CONDITION IS NO OBSTACLE

Paul was guilty of doing everything in his power to put Christianity to death. Paul was a murderer. Paul's story prove that our past is no obstacle to our future; we cannot hold onto our past forever. Because you have failed in the past is no excuse to stop dreaming of a better future. Like Paul, we can and should rise up and stand anew.

OUR PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES ARE NO OBSTACLE

Paul was caught red-handed; he was on his way to Damascus to find Christians to arrest and to take them to their deaths. He was filled with hatred and wanted nothing more than to completely destroy anyone or anything connected with the name of Jesus Christ. Yet, in spite of all this, the Lord was able to change this man and to use him for the glory of God.

May I remind you that He can do the same thing in your life and mine. He can take us, with all the baggage that we carry, and He can use us for His glory. We all bring certain liabilities. The Lord is able to take us exactly where we are, right from our road to Damascus, change what needs to be changed in us and then use us greatly in a new way. He said of Paul, "I have picked him as my personal representative."

PUBLIC OPINION IS NO OBSTACLE

When God wants to use us, He doesn't mind what the people say. God was able to use Paul in spite of what was being said by the people: «Everybody's talking about this man and the terrible things he's been doing», protested Ananias. The Lord doesn't mind what people do mind about us. God can take the person that everybody talks against and use him or her as his representative.

Even Jesus had the public opinion against him. Some people assumed that He was the bastard child of a Roman soldier, John 8:41. Others saw Him as being no more than the son of Mary and Joseph, John 6:42. Other people thought that there was no way God could use someone from Nazareth, John 1:46. Others questioned the fact that He came from Galilee, John 7:41-42. Some even said that Jesus was nothing more than the tool of Satan, Mark 3:22. Even with such public opinion against him, God used him.

So, regardless of who you are, where you came from, what problems you had in the past or have now, what personality you have, what your level of education, regardless of your accent, or colour of your skin, you can still make it; don't write yourself off. God has all kinds of people in His service. Your weakness is no obstacle. Are you nothing in the public opinion, or tormented by what everybody says? You too, can be another Paul. The secret lies in surrendering to Jesus, in taking him serious, in following his dictates, and not humans'.

Listen to learn!

John 6:44-51

Jesus said to the crowd: ‘No one can come to me unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets: They will all be taught by God, and Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. Not that anybody has seen the Father, except the one who comes from God: he has seen the Father. I tell you most solemnly, everybody who believes has eternal life. ‘I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the desert and they are dead; but this is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that a man may eat it and not die. I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world.’

Food for thought!

Again Jesus makes one of those revelations of his: "They will all be taught by God; Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me." It means that the Father teaches and we listen; it means that God continues to teach us, using Jesus (yesterday), using Phillip (1st Reading).

It is said that God gave us two ears and one mouth so we may listen more and talk less. We do well then to learn to listen. This is the first and necessary condition for being disciple of Jesus. The words, student, pupil, disciple and learner mean basically the same. All represent the same fact: willingness to  learn. “If you love to hear, you will receive, and if you listen, you will be wise”, says Ben Sira, a Hebrew scholar.

A student, a pupil, a disciple and a learner with a shut mind is a contradiction in terms.  As long we live we must adopt a learning attitude. Learning is not a one time event; it is a life long journey leading the learner deeper and deeper into truths. The learner who feels that he has nothing more to learn he has not even begun to learn.

In today's first reading we find a good learner, a eunuch, who was an officer at the court of the queen of Ethiopia. He was a man of influence, a chief treasurer. Yet, he was ignorant of Scripture. And as they say, ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Jesus. The first reading says:

The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, ‘Be ready to set out at noon along the road that goes from Jerusalem down to Gaza, the desert road.’ So he set off on his journey. Now it happened that an Ethiopian had been on pilgrimage to Jerusalem; he was a eunuch and an officer at the court of the kandake, or queen, of Ethiopia, and was in fact her chief treasurer. He was now on his way home; and as he sat in his chariot he was reading the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go up and meet that chariot.’ When Philip ran up, he heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ ‘How can I’ he replied ‘unless I have someone to guide me?’ So he invited Philip to get in and sit by his side. Now the passage of scripture he was reading was this: Like a sheep that is led to the slaughter-house, like a lamb that is dumb in front of its shearers, like these he never opens his mouth. He has been humiliated and has no one to defend him. Who will ever talk about his descendants, since his life on earth has been cut short! The eunuch turned to Philip and said, ‘Tell me, is the prophet referring to himself or someone else?’ Starting, therefore, with this text of scripture Philip proceeded to explain the Good News of Jesus to him. (Acts 8:26-40).

You can see me and still not believe!

John 6:35-40

Jesus said to the crowd: ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry; he who believes in me will never thirst. But, as I have told you, you can see me and still you do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I shall not turn him away; because I have come from heaven, not to do my own will, but to do the will of the one who sent me. Now the will of him who sent me is that I should lose nothing of all that he has given to me, and that I should raise it up on the last day. Yes, it is my Father’s will

that whoever sees the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and that I shall raise him up on the last day.’

Food for thought!

In today's gospel reading, Jesus makes a worrisome statement: "you can see me and still you do not believe." How is so? How comes we can see him and not believe? What is wrong with us? What is wrong with man? In fact, this is what is happening since we started chapter six of the Gospel of John. At the beginning of the chapter, Jesus made two miracles, of multiplying a few bread for thousands of people; the other miracle was walking on water. All these miracles were seen by the people, including his disciples.

The people saw Jesus at work and did not believe; they saw the miracles of Jesus and did believe in the Jesus doing the miracles. The people cannot go beyond the bread; they got stuck with bread of Jesus. They have seen Jesus but still cannot believe in Jesus. They have seen his works but cannot believe his words. Are we any different? Don't we do the same? 

The people ate Jesus' works but they don't want to eat Jesus' words. His explanation is too difficult to take in. His  works are ok, the words are not. The people did stand Jesus' works; they cannot stand Jesus' words. We too, we see Jesus. We see him in the pages of the New Testament, in the teaching of the church, sometimes even face to face.  Having seen him, we come to him. We regard him not as some distant hero and pattern, not as a figure in a book, but as someone accessible. We believe in him. That is to say, we accept him as the final authority on God, on man, on life, on everything.

Let us believe that Jesus is indeed the bread of life; that he who comes to Jesus will never be hungry; that he who believes in Jesus will never thirst; that all that the Father gives to Jesus will come to him, and whoever comes to him he shall not turn him away; that he will lose nothing of all that he has given to him, and that he will raise us up on the last day. Yes, it is his Father’s will that whoever sees the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and that Jesus shall raise him up on the last day.’

God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? (Numbers 23:19); I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will surely do these thing (Numbers 14:35); He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind." (1Samuel 15:29); From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do (Isaiah 46:11); so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:11).