THE MISSION IS ENTRUSTED TO THE DISCIPLES

XIV SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Luke 10:1-9

This Sunday’s gospel speaks of Jesus sending seventy-two disciples to the “places he himself was to visit”. This was a training mission for his disciples. They should prepare the terrain for Him. And he sent them in pairs. The mission received from Jesus Christ is never individual, but it always implies cooperation with others. As he sent them, Jesus put forward a few pieces of advice.

We should be aware that the task is huge. Indeed, the harvest is big, and the labourers are few. Alone, we will not finish the job. However, the field is not ours; it belongs to the Lord. Thus, we should remind him that he must find more workers for his mission.

The mission entrusted to the Church is full of danger. Jesus doesn’t hide it: “I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.” We may be attacked and killed. Indeed, through the centuries, many have paid with their lives for daring to announce the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are warned that we must be prepared for rejection. That will be full of evil consequences for those who reject the Gospel. They will be worse off than the people of Sodom.

The missionaries sent by Jesus must be single-minded in the task entrusted to them. They should not waste time on secondary things, like greeting people along the way. In their travels, they should accept people’s hospitality. And they cannot forget that they have a mission of peace. They are sent to proclaim the same Good News that Jesus preached: “The kingdom of God is very near to you.” As a sign of God’s Kingdom, they must care for the sick with love and compassion.

In the second reading, Paul reminds us that the proclamation of the Gospel demands sharing in the cross of Jesus Christ. In communion with Jesus Christ, we become “an altogether new creature.”.

ON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH

SAINTS PETER AND PAUL, APOSTLES - Matthew 16:13-19

Being considered pillars of the Church, Peter and Paul are celebrated together on this day. Both of them finished their mission in Rome, where they suffered martyrdom during Nero’s persecution. Chosen by Jesus to be the first leader of the Church, Peter is revered for his faith and his role in the early Church. Guided by the Spirit, he opened the Church to the Gentiles. Paul is celebrated for his extraordinary missionary work, the depth of his theological reflection, and the pastoral care of the churches with which he kept in touch.

In the second reading, taken from 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18, Paul reviews his life, giving thanks and praise to God. He is reaching the end of his life, and he has kept the faith. Despite going through many hardships, he fought the good fight and is finishing the race. He knows that he did not put his trust in God in vain. God will fulfil his promise and grant him the “crown of righteousness”.

Even though we celebrate both Apostles Peter and Paul, on this feast day, most people of God concentrate on Peter, having for him greater affection. The New Testament was written to lead us to the faith proclaimed by Peter. When Jesus asks the question that he addresses to us as well, we must give the same answer. The question is simple: Who do you say I am? It is a very personal question that demands a personal answer, but in consonance with the community of faith. With the Church, we must proclaim that Jesus is Christ, the Son of the living God. This faith is the foundation of the Church, and Peter is the bedrock of this foundation. The care of the flock was entrusted to him, and he must confirm his brothers in faith.

We give thanks to God for these two bastions of the Church. May we follow in their footsteps and walk behind Christ as they did.

WHAT I RECEIVED FROM THE LORD

THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST - Luke 9:11-17

In the countries where last Thursday is not a holiday, the solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ is celebrated today. In the gospel, we are presented with Jesus feeding a huge crowd. Christ behaves like the host who sets the table for his guests (the people of God). His actions are similar to those he will perform during the Last Supper; he took the bread, blessed it (gave thanks for it), broke it and gave it to his disciples “to distribute among the crowd”. The food was so abundant that “they all ate as much as they wanted, and when the scraps remaining were collected, they filled twelve baskets.” The feeding of the five thousand is an announcement of the great banquet in God’s kingdom, hinting as well to the Eucharist in which we are given the bread of heaven, that is the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The celebration of the Eucharist is an anticipation of the banquet God will prepare, as he promised in Isaiah 25:6. We always celebrate the Eucharist looking forward to the eschatological times.

In the second reading (1 Corinthians 11:23-26), Paul gives us the narrative of the Last Supper with Jesus’ clear command: “do this as a memorial of me”. Paul is utterly certain that the eucharistic celebration comes from the Lord: “what I received from the Lord, and in turn passed on to you”. The tradition of the Eucharist was not established in the early Church, but rather is a fruit of obedience to the Lord’s command.

Since the apostolic time, the Church has always understood Jesus’ words in a literal way. When we approach the altar during Mass, we receive Jesus Himself, His body and His blood, as the bread from heaven. The kernel of the eucharistic celebration comes from Jesus. With Him, we break the bread and give thanks, repeating the same words He pronounced in the Last Supper. The Eucharist is always linked to Jesus’ passion and death, being also the celebration of His resurrection. Paul has no doubts about it: “Until the Lord comes, therefore, every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming his death.” And Jesus Himself interprets his death as the sacrifice of the New Covenant, a sacrifice offered for the remission of sins. In the Mass, Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross becomes present to us so that we may be reconciled with God.

The first reading, taken from Genesis 14:18-20, speaks of Melchizedek, who was priest and king, and is a figure of the Messiah. Jesus is a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek, who offered a sacrifice of bread and wine transformed for us into His body and His blood.

Let us approach the table of the Lord with faith and a thankful heart.

 THE LOVE OF GOD HAS BEEN POURED INTO OUR HEARTS

SOLEMNITY OF HOLY TRINITY - 

The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity pervades the entire Christian life and is always present in everything we say and do. Before this great mystery, we must sit in silence with an open mind and loving heart to be touched by the unfathomable reality of God. On our own, we cannot grapple with such a big mystery. We should not be surprised since mysteries are all around us and even within us. We are a mystery to ourselves. There is a Bemba proverb that says munda ya mubiyo tamwigilwa, that is, there is no way to enter your friend’s guts, meaning that we cannot know his thoughts and feelings unless he reveals himself. The same happens with God. Throughout the history of salvation, during a long process, God revealed himself as the One who is always looking for relationships. And that is so because God is relationship. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He is Yahweh, the God who is always present and ready to hear our cry and lift us. God is relationship and communion, and that is what we profess and proclaim as we celebrate the Most Holy Trinity. We speak of God as Father, from whom the Son proceeds. That’s why everything the Father has belongs to the Son as well. The Son is the perfect image of the Father. “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.” (Jn 1:18). “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell” (Col 1:19). Affirming the Trinity is affirming that God is love (1 Jn 4:8). In his letter to the Romans, Paul says that the “love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given us.” (Ro 5:5). The Spirit proceeds from the Father and is sent to us by the Son (Jn 15:26). He is the Spirit of truth who guides us to the truth and opens our hearts to welcome Jesus and recognise him as the Christ, the Son of God.

We do not believe in three Gods. There is only one God. Christians are monotheists, but whenever we speak of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, we are testifying that God is love. Being created in God’s image, we must live in love to reach our fulfilment and be fully human.

We relate to God in a very different way from the way Muslims do. Yahweh and Allah are not the same God. Before Allah, a Muslim is a slave who must submit unconditionally. Before Yahweh, we are children who may call Him: Abba! Father! Allah is a lonely and very distant God. He never addresses his people, but through a messenger. He does not enter into a personal relationship with human beings. He decides and imposes his will as he wishes. We, the disciples of Jesus Christ, live in hope because “by faith and through Jesus that we have entered this state of grace in which we can boast about looking forward to God’s glory.” (Rm 5:2)

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;

the God who is, who was, and who is to come. (cf.Rv 1:8)

COME, HOLY SPIRIT

SOLEMNITY OF PENTECOST

The Jewish Feast of Weeks was also known as Pentecost, as it was celebrated fifty days after Passover. It was a harvest festival during which the first fruits were offered to God. After the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, the festival became an occasion to celebrate the giving of the Torah (Law) at Mount Sinai.

On this festive day, the group of Jesus’ disciples gathered together had a deep experience that changed their lives forever. Shaken by a powerful wind, they saw something “that seemed like tongues of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head of each of them”. Filled with the Holy Spirit, they overcame their fears and started proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Thus, on the day of Pentecost, through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the Church was born. This community of believers is built upon Jesus as the cornerstone of the new people of God, ruled by a new Law. Jesus entrusted his disciples with the mission he had received from the Father. They were sent forth to announce the Good News of the Kingdom of God, and the Holy Spirit empowered them to carry out that mission.

Today’s readings speak of the manifestations of the Spirit and his fruits in the Church. He is the Spirit of truth that guides and strengthens the Church. Being the Spirit of wisdom, he leads us to faith in Jesus, whom we recognise as the Son of God, accepting him as the Christ and the Saviour of the world. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit revealed himself through the symbols of wind and fire. God breathed new life into Jesus’ disciples, thus creating the church that will become a new humanity. The Holy Spirit came as a fire, the fire of love that will warm our lives, making it possible to live in brotherly affection with others. He is the Light of Jesus Christ, showing forth the way to the building of the Kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit is the living water that quenches our thirst for truth, justice, love and happiness. As living water, the Holy Spirit is profoundly linked with Baptism. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul wrote: “In the one Spirit we were all baptised, Jews as well as Greeks, slaves as well as citizens, and one Spirit was given to us all to drink.” (1 Co 12:13). In baptism, through the Holy Spirit, we are born again, becoming children of God:  To the Romans, Paul wrote: “Everyone moved by the Spirit is a son of God. The spirit you received is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into your lives again; it is the spirit of sons, and it makes us cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’ The Spirit himself and our spirit bear united witness that we are children of God. “ (Ro 8;14-17).

With the Holy Spirit, Jesus granted his disciples the authority to forgive sins, making reconciliation possible (Jn 20:19-23). Indeed, He is the spirit of peace who leads us to become builders of peace.

With the Church, let us pray:

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful

and kindle in them the fire of your love.

ASCENSION - A CELEBRATION OF HOPE

SOLEMNITY OF ASCENSION - VII EASTER SUNDAY - Ephesians 1:17-23

In the letter to the Ephesians, Paul prays to God, asking that he may give us “a spirit of wisdom and perception of what is revealed, to bring you to full knowledge of him.” Indeed, we need wisdom and perception. There is so much that we don’t understand! We should pray as Paul did: May the Lord give us wisdom and understanding. Enlightened by Him, we may find the reasons for our hope, which arises from his call. Jesus’ glorification is a promise and guarantee of our glorification. In Jesus´ Ascension, our humanity has been raised and taken the glory of divinity. The day will come when the glory of God will be fully manifested in us. Then, we will be taken up to inherit the rich glories promised to the saints, and we will recognise the greatness of his power. We can see that power at work in Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, which reveals to us his glorification. God raised Jesus from the dead and made him “sit at his right hand, in heaven, far above every Sovereignty, Authority, Power, or Domination, or any other name that can be named not only in this age but also in the age to come. He has put all things under his feet and made him, as the ruler of everything, the head of the Church; which is his body, the fullness of him who fills the whole creation.”

In the ascension, we celebrate Jesus’ headship not only of the Church but also of the universe. He is the fullness of God that fills the whole creation. Time will come when that fullness will be manifest totally in us; then, we will be taken up with Christ to sing with all the angels and saints the glory of God. Meanwhile, we are called to remain here on earth, wherein we must play the role of yeast, salt and light to bring ever closer the Kingdom of God.

THE FIRST COUNCIL OF THE CHURCH

VI SUNDAY OF EASTER - Acts 15:1-2, 22-29

The early Church faced a huge problem that threatened her unity and risked her existence. The question was fundamental: Can the Gentiles be saved and be welcomed as members of the people of God, the Church? What are the essential conditions for their acceptance? Should they be obliged to follow the Law of Moses, or was it enough to believe in Jesus Christ? Paul was adamant that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ without needing to accept and follow the Mosaic law. Many Jews, mainly those coming from the mother Church in Jerusalem, considered the acceptance of the law to be an essential condition for salvation. Thus, to enter the Church, they should be circumcised. 

Faced with a difficult decision, the new communities of Gentiles sent a delegation to Jerusalem, which presented their case to the Apostles, who called for a meeting with the elders of the Church. Peter was the first to address the assembly, reminding them that the Holy Spirit had led him to welcome the first Gentiles, accepting them into the Church. Then, Paul and Barnabas reported on the evangelisation work that they had done among the Gentiles. In the end, James addressed the assembly and proposed a compromise, thus avoiding a complete break between Jews and Gentiles. Having reached a solution, they wrote a letter to the communities and entrusted its presentation to a delegation composed of Judas Barsabbas and Silas. In the letter to the communities, they affirm that the decision was made by the Holy Spirit, who guided them to settle the problem: “It has been decided by the Holy Spirit and by ourselves”.

Since then, the first council of the Church has remained a model for many others that would take place throughout the centuries. In times of crisis, the elders of the Church assemble to discuss the big issues that endanger the life of the Church. In those assemblies, called councils (and synods), through the Holy Spirit, they come to solutions that strengthen and guide the whole Church to remain faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ. In Jerusalem, only the Apostles and the elders gathered together. It was a meeting of the shepherds, which helped them to discern the ways of the Spirit for the Church. This has been the tradition of the Church kept through the centuries. Indeed, the shepherds have to look after the flock, and will be called to account if they fail to fulfil their duty. In the Church, we walk together, guided and protected by our shepherds who must take us to the springs of living water. The Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, is the role model of all shepherds. He bestows his peace on us and grants us the Holy Spirit, as an advocate and a teacher, who will teach us everything.