May 4, 2024 - Sat. of 5th Week of Easter
May you continue to respond to the prompting of the Holy Spirit as you seek to live out your call to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus.
We are in the midst of a tug-a-war. In fact, in some ways you could say that we are the rope which is being pulled in two directions. One force operating on us is that of the world. It pulls us toward self-indulgence and self-satisfaction (often at great costs to ourselves and/or others). The other Force is that of the Spirit of Jesus Who asks us to give of ourselves and serve others. Which force is winning out in your life?
May you continue to respond to the prompting of the Holy Spirit as you seek to live out your call to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus.
We are in the midst of a tug-a-war. In fact, in some ways you could say that we are the rope which is being pulled in two directions. One force operating on us is that of the world. It pulls us toward self-indulgence and self-satisfaction (often at great costs to ourselves and/or others). The other Force is that of the Spirit of Jesus Who asks us to give of ourselves and serve others. Which force is winning out in your life?
Readings can be obtained from: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/050424.cfm
Blessed Michael Giedroyc: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/blessed-michael-giedroyc
Readings: Acts 16: 1-10; Psalm 100: 1b-2, 3, 5; John 15: 18-21
In the First Reading, St. Paul continues his missionary journey. For the first time we hear about Timothy, whose mother was a Jewish-Christian and whose father was a Greek (presumably non-believing Gentile). Paul is led to travel to Macedonia (Greece, and therefore present-day Europe) to spread the faith there.
In the Gospel today, on the night before He died, Jesus tells His disciples that they will continue His work and can expect to be treated just as Jesus is being treated – that is, being rejected and even persecuted by some, but also revered and respect by others.
As I reflect on the readings, I think about the call to discipleship. Jesus invites people to continue His ministry and mission by proclaiming the GOoD News. It can sound exciting (which it is), but also a bit scary, especially as we hear such things as Jesus mentions in the Gospel today: “No servant is greater than his Master. If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you.” Also, we may be a bit apprehensive as we hear how Christians in the Middle East and throughout the world are being persecuted and martyred. Yes, we are called to do as the Master did, even to the point of being persecuted as He was. That’s the role of a disciple – to follow the Master and carry on the Master’s work.
Jesus obviously was guided by the Holy Spirit, since He was and is one with His Abba-Father and the Holy Spirit. He was Spirit-filled. The Spirit strengthened Jesus to do all that He was called to do. Yet it was not always easy for Jesus. He realized that part of the divine plan was His having to suffer and die, because He was announcing a message which did not coincide with the message of the world. Jesus reminds us today: “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.”
St. Paul also was very much aware of the Spirit’s guidance. Although it may have seemed he should go a certain way, he remarks in today’s reading that he was prevented from doing so “by the Holy Spirit.” A few verses later it says that he could not go another direction because “the Spirit of Jesus did not allow.”
There is a conflict between being of the world and being guided by the Spirit. The world would have us be, or go, one way, whereas the Spirit is most often leading us to be something different and to go another way.
It is so easy to go the way of the world. We are constantly being bombarded by the world’s messages: “Buy this and you will be happy.” “Look younger, thinner, healthier by using this product.” “Pamper yourself.” We succumb to world. And the world (especially those who will gain something from out being part of the world) loves us for being of the world. And if we dare step out in a different direction, we receive flack. We are considered fanatics if we live by Gospel values such as honesty, generosity, kindness, or servanthood. Being like the Master will lead to being treated like the Master – ridiculed, persecuted, despised, and even possibly being killed.
If we are disciples of the Master, we will follow the Spirit’s lead. And we are enabled to follow the Spirit’s lead only when we continue to come again and again and sit at the Master’s feet, listen to His Word, and put it into practice. That takes prayer and study. It demands discipline. It requires commitment on our part. It is not easy. And we will be tempted along our faith journey to take the easy way out. Yet, little by little we can make a difference.
An interesting thing happened to me a few years ago. One of my co-teachers was having computer problems (or so he thought). He did not think that his email program was working. I went to his room and tested it out. It was working fine. He remarked, “I didn’t think it was working because usually I have all sorts of emails, and when I clicked on the button to check if I had any new email, nothing happened. I didn’t think it was possible that it would happen that no one would send me email.” Later that day, I made a point of sending him a positive, reassuring email telling him that I was thinking about him and appreciated him as a friend. He wrote me back and thanked me and said, “How pastoral of you to do that.” I took that as a compliment of my being a disciple of the Master, the Pastoral (“Shepherding”) One. It was a simple thing, but it made a difference. It let someone know that they were appreciated and cared for, because the Master, the GOoD Shepherd, the Pastor, loved and cared. By being open to the leading of the Holy Spirit, GOD was able to touch the life of another person through my simple act of sending an email.
During the pandemic, I had heard of many people who had gone out of their way to bring hope and a smile to another, even if it was only through social media. Entertainers had given concerts while staying at home. Our first responders and essential workers had put themselves in harm’s way while serving others.
Another example of someone who reaches out with loving care is a high school and college classmate of mine who sends me a note on the anniversary of the deaths of my parents and other key events in my life of which he keeps track. He tells me that he is thinking about me and my loved ones.
We need to look at our lives and see if the Spirit is prompting us to reach out to others. It does not have to be as dramatic as Paul’s preaching to the Greeks. Little opportunities will pop up for us to share a little GOoD News with another. There are all sorts of ways we can make another person feel valued and appreciated. When we do, we are following the Master, we are being guided by the Holy Spirit. The world may say, “Don’t be ridiculous. That other person just wasted your time calling you to do something which isn’t important or that they should be able to fix on their own. You shouldn’t waste any more of your time making them feel appreciated or valuable.” Yet the Spirit prompts us and says, “Take the time to be present for the other person. Reach out to them in love. Help them know that they are valuable in your eyes (and therefore in GOD’s eyes).”
Let me give one more personal example. On my last birthday I received almost 100 Facebook greetings. Most only said, “Happy Birthday, Bob.” I wrote back to each one who sent me a message. I wrote two or three sentences, thanking them and personalizing each response by recalling something I remembered especially about the person to whom I was writing.
The Master-Teacher prompts us to keep our eyes and ears – and heart – open to the Spirit’s prompting. We can make a difference in small ways. Some people (who are operating on worldly value system) will laugh at us and put us down for our Christian (Christ-like) attitude. Yet that’s what we are called to do – be Christ-like. If we are aware of the presence of the Spirit, we will also be prevented from going to places where GOD does not want us to go. All it takes is work, discipline, and a willingness to learn from the Master. (And maybe that last point should be first.)
Blessed are You, LORD GOD, ever present and always seeking to guide us. Through Your GOoDness, You have first sent us Your Son as our Master-Teacher Who gives us an example of how to care for others with the love You have for them. As He preached the GOoD News of Your concern, He met opposition and ridicule. Yet, through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus kept going, even to the point of being hated and persecuted. Jesus calls His disciples to continue His ministry. Jesus has empowered His modern-day disciples (us) through the power of the same Holy Spirit. May we continue to respond to the movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We ask that, through the Holy Spirit, we may receive the strength, wisdom, and discernment to learn from the Master and continue His work. We ask this in Jesus’ name, for He is our Lord and Master, He is Your Son and our Brother, Who is living and reigning with You and the Holy Spirit, our one and only GOD, for ever and ever. Amen. Alleluia!
Song of the Day: Making a Difference (Won't You, Lord):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrPMxtUeONE
I’ll Always Stand for You: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHodl91-rKU
Trading My Sorrows: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KsfwvpcQhY
Video of the Day: May 4: Blessed Michael Giedroyc: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4iEHJ1Tb2U
© rjk, 12-04-22
Blessed Michael Giedroyc: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/blessed-michael-giedroyc
Readings: Acts 16: 1-10; Psalm 100: 1b-2, 3, 5; John 15: 18-21
In the First Reading, St. Paul continues his missionary journey. For the first time we hear about Timothy, whose mother was a Jewish-Christian and whose father was a Greek (presumably non-believing Gentile). Paul is led to travel to Macedonia (Greece, and therefore present-day Europe) to spread the faith there.
In the Gospel today, on the night before He died, Jesus tells His disciples that they will continue His work and can expect to be treated just as Jesus is being treated – that is, being rejected and even persecuted by some, but also revered and respect by others.
As I reflect on the readings, I think about the call to discipleship. Jesus invites people to continue His ministry and mission by proclaiming the GOoD News. It can sound exciting (which it is), but also a bit scary, especially as we hear such things as Jesus mentions in the Gospel today: “No servant is greater than his Master. If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you.” Also, we may be a bit apprehensive as we hear how Christians in the Middle East and throughout the world are being persecuted and martyred. Yes, we are called to do as the Master did, even to the point of being persecuted as He was. That’s the role of a disciple – to follow the Master and carry on the Master’s work.
Jesus obviously was guided by the Holy Spirit, since He was and is one with His Abba-Father and the Holy Spirit. He was Spirit-filled. The Spirit strengthened Jesus to do all that He was called to do. Yet it was not always easy for Jesus. He realized that part of the divine plan was His having to suffer and die, because He was announcing a message which did not coincide with the message of the world. Jesus reminds us today: “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.”
St. Paul also was very much aware of the Spirit’s guidance. Although it may have seemed he should go a certain way, he remarks in today’s reading that he was prevented from doing so “by the Holy Spirit.” A few verses later it says that he could not go another direction because “the Spirit of Jesus did not allow.”
There is a conflict between being of the world and being guided by the Spirit. The world would have us be, or go, one way, whereas the Spirit is most often leading us to be something different and to go another way.
It is so easy to go the way of the world. We are constantly being bombarded by the world’s messages: “Buy this and you will be happy.” “Look younger, thinner, healthier by using this product.” “Pamper yourself.” We succumb to world. And the world (especially those who will gain something from out being part of the world) loves us for being of the world. And if we dare step out in a different direction, we receive flack. We are considered fanatics if we live by Gospel values such as honesty, generosity, kindness, or servanthood. Being like the Master will lead to being treated like the Master – ridiculed, persecuted, despised, and even possibly being killed.
If we are disciples of the Master, we will follow the Spirit’s lead. And we are enabled to follow the Spirit’s lead only when we continue to come again and again and sit at the Master’s feet, listen to His Word, and put it into practice. That takes prayer and study. It demands discipline. It requires commitment on our part. It is not easy. And we will be tempted along our faith journey to take the easy way out. Yet, little by little we can make a difference.
An interesting thing happened to me a few years ago. One of my co-teachers was having computer problems (or so he thought). He did not think that his email program was working. I went to his room and tested it out. It was working fine. He remarked, “I didn’t think it was working because usually I have all sorts of emails, and when I clicked on the button to check if I had any new email, nothing happened. I didn’t think it was possible that it would happen that no one would send me email.” Later that day, I made a point of sending him a positive, reassuring email telling him that I was thinking about him and appreciated him as a friend. He wrote me back and thanked me and said, “How pastoral of you to do that.” I took that as a compliment of my being a disciple of the Master, the Pastoral (“Shepherding”) One. It was a simple thing, but it made a difference. It let someone know that they were appreciated and cared for, because the Master, the GOoD Shepherd, the Pastor, loved and cared. By being open to the leading of the Holy Spirit, GOD was able to touch the life of another person through my simple act of sending an email.
During the pandemic, I had heard of many people who had gone out of their way to bring hope and a smile to another, even if it was only through social media. Entertainers had given concerts while staying at home. Our first responders and essential workers had put themselves in harm’s way while serving others.
Another example of someone who reaches out with loving care is a high school and college classmate of mine who sends me a note on the anniversary of the deaths of my parents and other key events in my life of which he keeps track. He tells me that he is thinking about me and my loved ones.
We need to look at our lives and see if the Spirit is prompting us to reach out to others. It does not have to be as dramatic as Paul’s preaching to the Greeks. Little opportunities will pop up for us to share a little GOoD News with another. There are all sorts of ways we can make another person feel valued and appreciated. When we do, we are following the Master, we are being guided by the Holy Spirit. The world may say, “Don’t be ridiculous. That other person just wasted your time calling you to do something which isn’t important or that they should be able to fix on their own. You shouldn’t waste any more of your time making them feel appreciated or valuable.” Yet the Spirit prompts us and says, “Take the time to be present for the other person. Reach out to them in love. Help them know that they are valuable in your eyes (and therefore in GOD’s eyes).”
Let me give one more personal example. On my last birthday I received almost 100 Facebook greetings. Most only said, “Happy Birthday, Bob.” I wrote back to each one who sent me a message. I wrote two or three sentences, thanking them and personalizing each response by recalling something I remembered especially about the person to whom I was writing.
The Master-Teacher prompts us to keep our eyes and ears – and heart – open to the Spirit’s prompting. We can make a difference in small ways. Some people (who are operating on worldly value system) will laugh at us and put us down for our Christian (Christ-like) attitude. Yet that’s what we are called to do – be Christ-like. If we are aware of the presence of the Spirit, we will also be prevented from going to places where GOD does not want us to go. All it takes is work, discipline, and a willingness to learn from the Master. (And maybe that last point should be first.)
- The personal question/action for today: What is the guiding force in my life? Is it the ways of the world or the Spirit of Jesus? How can I be more attentive to the Spirit’s prompting rather than the world’s push and pull? What can I do to help another person be more in touch with the Spirit of Jesus and/or to sense they are loved by GOD?
Blessed are You, LORD GOD, ever present and always seeking to guide us. Through Your GOoDness, You have first sent us Your Son as our Master-Teacher Who gives us an example of how to care for others with the love You have for them. As He preached the GOoD News of Your concern, He met opposition and ridicule. Yet, through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus kept going, even to the point of being hated and persecuted. Jesus calls His disciples to continue His ministry. Jesus has empowered His modern-day disciples (us) through the power of the same Holy Spirit. May we continue to respond to the movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We ask that, through the Holy Spirit, we may receive the strength, wisdom, and discernment to learn from the Master and continue His work. We ask this in Jesus’ name, for He is our Lord and Master, He is Your Son and our Brother, Who is living and reigning with You and the Holy Spirit, our one and only GOD, for ever and ever. Amen. Alleluia!
Song of the Day: Making a Difference (Won't You, Lord):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrPMxtUeONE
I’ll Always Stand for You: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHodl91-rKU
Trading My Sorrows: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KsfwvpcQhY
Video of the Day: May 4: Blessed Michael Giedroyc: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4iEHJ1Tb2U
© rjk, 12-04-22