6th SUNDAY OF EASTER (A)

If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

Jn 14:15-21

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth.

ADVOCATE:

Some translations prefer to use the word “paraclete” instead of “advocate”.

Another Advocate: This implies a previous advocate. This advocate is Jesus in the sense of intercessor in heaven.

In Greek legal terminology an advocate is a defense attorney. However, it can also mean spokesman, mediator, intercessor, comforter, consoler.

According to the New American Bible, in St. John’s Gospel, the Advocate or Paraclete is a teacher, a witness to Jesus, and a prosecutor of the world. He repre-sents the continued presence on earth of Jesus who has returned to the Father and sits at his right hand.

But the Ecumenical Translation of the Bible (TOB) explains the role of the Holy Spirit as helping the disciples remain firm in the faith in the face of the difficulties the world will hurl at them.

WITH YOU ALWAYS:

The gift of the Holy Spirit is without time limit. And thus, the communion between Jesus and his disciples will always remain unbroken.

THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH:

The Holy Spirit will help the disciples to grow in knowledge and to witness to Jesus. The Holy Spirit is opposed to the spirit of error and of lies which dominate the world.

In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live.

An alternative translation would be: “But you will see me alive and you also will live.”

The world can only see Jesus as dead The disciples on the other hand experiences the presence of Jesus and shares in the new life of Jesus. Those who will believe because of the witness of the disciples will also participate in this new life. And for John this is already constitutes eternal life.

On that day you will realize that I am in my Father….

On that day is a recurrent OT formula to designate the coming eschatological age. This age (the last days) already began with the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me.

The meaning here is that of knowing and of putting into practice the commandments with constancy. Obedience to the commandments is the expression of both love and faith.

TO CONSOLE

To console is to alleviate grief, sense of loss, or trouble of. To console is to comfort.

Our hospitals usually have chapels. And they are not merely decorations. They are not there because of some custom. They are there for people to bring their worries and fears to God. They are there to find some comfort. For after all Jesus did say: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28).

In the Acts of the Apostles, we read that after the apostles had been imprisoned and flogged, “they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name” (Acts 11:41). How could they be happy after having been jailed and whipped? The Holy Spirit comforted them.

As God comforts us so also we are asked to comfort others. One of the corpo-ral works of mercy is to visit the sick. When one is sick, it is not only the body that is weak. One is psychologically and emotionally weak as well. When we come and visit we give our moral support to the sick. That psychological and emotional boost helps the body get well.

But sometimes it is no longer a matter of getting well. I remember accompanying my mother visit Lola Felisa. She was in bed. She cried when she saw us. Between sobs she told my mother that she could no longer walk. Her legs refused to carry her. My mother embraced her and let her talk. When we left, we knew she was very comforted. She died not long afterwards.

We have a saying that goes something like this: “It is better to be robbed than to have your house burned down.” That was what happened to one of our high school students many years ago. They lost everything. The only thing he was able to save were the clothes he was sleeping in. We organized a fund drive. The response of the students was amazing. When we handed the collection to the mother, she could not help but cry. She was very much comforted by the solidarity of the student body.

Rejection is a painful experience. It can even leave a lasting damage to one’s self-esteem. One high school student had a crush on a girl. He wrote her some “love” notes. The girl did not find him attractive and told him so in a tactless manner. It was a good thing his friends were there to comfort him. One of them said, “Look. It’s her loss, not yours.”

Here are some tips on giving comfort.
1. We need to develop the ability to sympathize. It is the ability to understand and even appreciate the feelings of another. The essence of sympathy is that one has a strong concern for the other person.
2. We need to listen to the other. The other person needs to know we are lis-tening with our ears and with our hearts.
3. Sometimes we just need to be there. But at other times we need to speak. It is then that we should be careful about what we say and how we say it. To tell a mother whose child has died that it is God’s will, may sound full of faith. But is that what she needs to hear at that moment? And would she be ready to hear those words at that moment?
4. Human touch connects people. It overcomes the feeling of isolation. A hug, a hand shake can bring much comfort.
5. A card or a poster can do wonders. I remember a grandfather who had to be placed in the ICU after surgery. His two young granddaughters drew a get-well-soon poster on a cartolina. That cartolina was then posted in the ICU. That gesture of affection from his granddaughters gave him much comfort.

We live in this valley of tears. For one reason or another, we shall always ex-perience sorrow, loss and troubles. But we don’t have to suffer alone. We can always go to God for comfort and strength. But let us not only be receivers of comfort. Let us also learn to become givers of comfort. Let us learn to reach out and alleviate the sorrow, the loss and the troubles of a fellow human being.

5th SUNDAY OF EASTER (A)

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself.

Jn 14:1-12

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.”

How do we express faith in God? How do we express our faith in Jesus? By trusting in God, by trusting in Jesus. Do you remember the devotion connected with the 3 o’clock habit? The devotion to the Divine Mercy of Sr. Faustina. In her vision of the image of the Divine Mercy, what words did she read? Jesus, I trust in you.

If Sr. Faustine will not mind, I have another version: Jesus, I entrust myself to you. In Pilipino, Jesus nagtitiwala ako sa iyo. But I have a different translation. Let’s call it a dynamic translation. And it is this: Jesus, bahala ka na sa akin.

It is true that “nasa Diyos ang awa. Nasa tao ang gawa.” But at a certain point, we have done all we could possibly do. It is then that we can tell the Lord, “Jesus, bahala ka na sa akin.” Or “Jesus, ikaw na ang bahala.”

In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.

Jesus is speaking of heaven. He uses the image of a house or a mansion with many rooms. In Don Bosco’s vision of heaven, the image that was presented to him was a beautiful garden. It’s not an ordinary garden but perhaps similar to the Vatican gardens or the gardens of the Palace at Versailles.

Why do we need images in order to describe heaven? The bible says: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (I Corinthians 2:9). In other words, heaven is too beautiful to describe.

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.

Jesus speaks of his going. He is not only talking about his ascension into heaven but of his passion, death and resurrection as well. His coming back refers to his return at the end of time.

Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life."

Do you still remember the song: “Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and his banner over me is love?”

Jesus is the way. He does not only point to us the way to heaven through his teaching. He also helps us reach heaven. It’s like when you ask someone for directions, he accompanies you to where you want to go.

Jesus is the truth. We can not go wrong with Jesus. He not only teaches us how to live correctly our life as children of God. He also models it for us.

Jesus is the life. What life does Jesus give us? Longer life? No. Eternal life? Yes, Jesus offers us heaven. But is that all? I think that Jesus also offers us a better quality of life while here on earth. What do I mean? I read a study whose findings are not at all surprising. For example, it says that people with faith are better able to cope with the challenges of life. People with faith are happier. And people with faith get well faster.

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’?

In Babylon, there was a yearly feast in honor of their god, Marduk. The gods of the peoples whom they conquered were brought in procession to the temple of Marduk. This was to signify that Marduk was superior to all these gods. But the palanquin carried by the Israelites was empty. They carried no statue. Not only because Yahweh forbade them to make a statue of him but also because Yahweh does not look like anything in creation.

But when Jesus came, God became visible. The Second Person of the Blessed Trinity took on a human form. That is why we can truly say that in Jesus God took on a human face.
But don’t misunderstand me. I am not saying that Jesus is one and the same as God the Father. That is a heresy called modalism.

But here it is more than just God becoming visible through Jesus Christ. Here it is God coming nearer to us by becoming a human being like us. Ngayon talagang ka-close na natin ang Diyos.

4th SUNDAY OF EASTER (A)

The sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

Jn 10:1-10

Whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate…. I am the gate for the sheep.

Someone has lived in Palestine observed that indeed the shepherd at times can be the gate of the sheepfold. There is the fence but no gate. Instead, at night the shepherd sleeps at the opening. When a sheep attempts to go out, the shepherd is awakened and the sheep is prevented from going out.

And the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

In Palestine sheep is raised not for food but for their wool. Hence, a bonding can really develop between a shepherd and his sheep so much so that the shepherd knows his sheep individually and the sheep knows its shepherd.

It is a common practice that at night shepherds gather their sheep together for easier protection. In the morning the shepherds position themselves in different places and give their distinctive call. The sheep instinctively go to their own shep-herd.

I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.

The shepherd looks after his sheep. He protects them from predators. That is why he is armed with a rod or like David, with a slingshot. He leads them where there is water and where there is pasture.

The Bible has used the image of the shepherd for the king in Israel. As the shepherd cares for his sheep so that king should care for his people.

Jesus applied to himself the image of the shepherd. He called himself the Good Shepherd.

Church leaders following the footsteps of Jesus are called to be shepherds. In particular, the bishop carries a staff because he is the shepherd of his diocese.

Salesians wear the Good Shepherd cross. This is to remind them that pastoral charity, that is, the love of the Good Shepherd, should animate their ministry among the young.

It was this pastoral charity that made St. John Bosco (the founder of the Salesians) cast his lot among the poor and abandoned youth of Turin (Italy).

As a young priest, St. John Bosco or simply Don (that is, Father) Bosco worked as a chaplain for a hospice of a certain marquesa (noblewoman). On Sundays and feastdays, he would gather the poor and abandoned boys of Turin for mass, catechism and games. He called this the Oratory.

At a certain point, the marquesa decided that Don Bosco should work full time for the hospice, meaning he should not have other responsibilities which really meant the Oratory. Don Bosco would have to choose between the hospice of the marquesa and his Oratory.

Don Bosco did not have to think twice. There and then he gave up the hospice in favor of the Oratory, saying: “Madam, you can always find a chaplain for your hospice because you have the money to hire one. But my boys are poor. They will never be in a position to hire a chaplain. And so I will be a chaplain to them.”

We may think it was an easy decision for Don Bosco. It was not. Without the chaplaincy of the marquesa, he would have no salary and therefore, no regular income to support himself. For Don Bosco this was his way of giving his life for his sheep. This was his way of being a Good Shepherd to the poor and abandoned boys of Turin.

3rd SUNDAY OF EASTER (A)

Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”

Lk 24:13-35

That very day, the first day of the week.

The day was Easter Sunday.

Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.

The Resurrection affected the appearance of Jesus. Some give other possible reasons: (a) the sun was setting and this made it difficult for the disciples to see Jesus clearly; or (b) the disciples were in tears and the tears also “blinded” them.

But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel.

The two disciples were not only sad. They were deeply disappointed. They had pinned their hopes in him. They felt betrayed.

Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive.

Matthew’s gospel identifies the women as Mary Magdalene and the other Mary. St. Mark’s gospel identifies them as Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome. St. Luke’s gospel identifies them as The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. In St. John it was only Mary Magdalene who went to the tomb.

Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described.

In St. Mark’s and St. Matthew’s gospel, none of the disciples went to the tomb. In Luke’s gospel, only Peter among the apostles went to the tomb. St. John reports that it was Peter and the disciple whom Jesus loved who went to inspect the tomb.

And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”

On the other hand, if the disciples were deeply disappointed, Jesus was exasperated with them. Their inability to grasp what he had been telling them about his death and resurrection stretched his patience to the limit.

Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures.

Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the Messiah.

And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him.
Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.

Although the meal described is undoubtedly a supper, yet the description compels us to think of the Mass. The verbs “took, blessing, broke and gave” are related to the Eucharist. Even the term breaking of bread was used in the early church to refer to the Eucharist.

Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”

When Jesus speaks, his words find their way into men’s hearts.