Do we hear?

Today's gospel opens:

Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved, the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper and had said, “Master, who is the one who will betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus said to him, “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow me.” So the word spread among the brothers that that disciple would not die. But Jesus had not told him that he would not die, just “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours?”

What Jesus said and what Peter heard were not the same thing, and then as it spread among the apostles it became accepted as if Jesus said it.

How little the world has changed. Even today, if you just keep repeating a story enough, some people, the ignorant, will believe it to be true. I use the word ignorant not in a pejorative sense, but in its literal sense, those without knowledge, those who do not know the truth.

In his great prayer we read this week Jesus dedicated us, not to gossip, rumor, innuendo, speculation, or even accusation, but to the Truth.

Sanctify them in the truth (Jn 17:17)

It is hard when we hear the same things repeated over and over again, not to fall into the trap, particularly if it is something we want to believe. But as Christians, we must train ourselves to cut through the noise, sometimes we have to be patient, but we must wait for the truth. This must apply this not just to the truth of the gospel but the truth in every aspect of our lives.

Boundless mercy

In today's Gospel we get the scene where Jesus asks Peter, not once, not twice, but three times, do you love me?

At that moment even Peter himself may not have truly understood what was going on. It wasn't that Jesus doubted the sincerity of his first answer. Even before Jesus asked the question, he knew the answer. He knew Peter's heart. But two things are going on: one, Peter needed to hear himself say it, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."

Second, and more importantly he needed to make the triple affirmation, to unwind the triple denial. Some say, "You cannot change the past. What's done is done." They forget one thing, God exists outside of time. Our linear unidirectional concept of time means nothing to God. Time and space are our limitations not his.

God not only forgives the wounds of our sins, but heals them.

If Jesus could heal the triple denial of Peter, what sin of ours can he not heal?

Never enough

This week we are reading the prayer of Jesus in John's gospel that is often referred to by scholars as Jesus's Last Testament. It is the lengthy prayer that he prays just prior to his arrest. (Jn 17)

Today he ends the prayer with these words: that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them.

But do we really get it? Do we really in the depths of our being know that the same love with which the Father loves the Son is in us? Do we get that the Son through whom all things were made is in us? Even when we have just received communion do we truly believe that we have just received GOD.

If so how can we have fears? How can we have anxieties?
In the words of the psalm, "of whom should I be afraid" or "though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil." Or the simple command be not afraid.

We often forget that fortitude and courage are two of the cardinal virtues, not because of our self-esteem but because we believe the words with which Jesus ended the prayer before he went off to face his crucifixion.

that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them.

We can never hear these words enough.

The not so good news

Today we hear:
I gave them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the Evil One. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. Consecrate them in the truth.

Which of us on some level does not have a need to be accepted, to fit in, to belong? It's human. the real question is it what do we want to belong?
Jesus reminds us that if we are truly consecrated to the truth, the world may hate us. But we remain, grounded in steeped in the truth.

We live in this world but we belong to the Kingdom of God.

Standing still

In today's gospel we are told to do what can sometimes seem to be the impossible, stand still.

Jesus says, Remain in my love. The verb can also be translated to dwell, to remain in one place. While the world swirls around us, we are called to be anchored with and in God's love.

And why do this so that our joy might be complete.

Insidious Error

Rarely do I call something evil but I truly believe that one of the most insidious weeds that has invaded the Christian faith in our time is what has been labeled "prosperity theology", those preachers who promise that all you have to do is have faith,"claim the promises" and God is going to pour out blessings upon you.

What is so awful about this, besides the fact that it is heresy, is that it makes people when they are hurting feel worse. They feel that somehow they aren't praying hard enough, or they have offended God, or haven't tithed enough, that somehow its their fault.

Does Jesus promise blessing? yes. But remember also:

Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come." (Mk 10:29-30)

“If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first.If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you." (Jn 15:18-19)

And today's gospel's final words: "In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.”

Living the Gospel in its fulness means more trouble not less, at least in the short term, because we will always be in someways misfits. But our hope is in those last five words, "I have conquered the world." He has already won the victory, there may be persecution and troubles, but the ultimate outcome is known.

Dealing with the Occult

And no, I don't mean witchcraft.

Today, as we celebrate the Ascension, we hear Jesus respond to the questions of his disciples with, "It is not for you to know the times or seasons" They want to know the future, they wanted to know when they are going to get all that has been promised. Jesus is about to leave them and they are told "it is not for you to know."

If we named this Feast according to how the disciples felt it would have been called the abandonment. They've been promised the Holy Spirit "in a few days" but they wanted answers now, reassurance of imminent victory, the restoration of Israel.

When we say the word occult we think ghosts and witchcraft, but the occult that can scare us more than any of those things is the future. Despite our best efforts it is hidden from us, it is not for us to know.

We must live our life one day at a time, and like the people of Israel who were only allowed to collect the manna for one day, we pray give us this day our daily bread. Like a toddler we must walk one step at a time, holding Our Father's hand. Sometimes like the toddler, we let go of the hand and try to run ahead, and sure enough we fall down. The big difference is that eventually that toddler is expected to walk on his own; we are not.

We know the destination, in the Ascension, Jesus opens the gates pf heaven to us. But only the Father knows our future in this life and therefore only he can know the path. Each day we wake up, we allow him to take us by the hand, and we pray for the Holy Spirit to guide our every step, knowing that God will always give us what we need for that day.