May 16, 2024 - Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter
May you continue to live out your call to proclaim the GOoD News in action and words, and may you work for the unity of all those who call upon the Lord Jesus and seek to be united with GOD Who is Abba-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Once at the morning Bible Study I attend, one in the group brought up the quandary that people who profess to believe in the same GOD are divisive. Whether it be the Shiite and Sunni Muslims; the orthodox and the reformed Jews; or the various denominations within Christianity. We discussed how it is part of the human condition for us to think one way and castigate and/or ostracize anyone who does not agree with us. We hold so firmly to our own beliefs we miss being open to the movement of the GOD in our lives and in the lives of others. Yet the one and only GOD created all human beings and loves each person with unconditional love. Should we not pray for others who are loved by this GOD and try to love them as GOD loves them?
May you continue to live out your call to proclaim the GOoD News in action and words, and may you work for the unity of all those who call upon the Lord Jesus and seek to be united with GOD Who is Abba-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Once at the morning Bible Study I attend, one in the group brought up the quandary that people who profess to believe in the same GOD are divisive. Whether it be the Shiite and Sunni Muslims; the orthodox and the reformed Jews; or the various denominations within Christianity. We discussed how it is part of the human condition for us to think one way and castigate and/or ostracize anyone who does not agree with us. We hold so firmly to our own beliefs we miss being open to the movement of the GOD in our lives and in the lives of others. Yet the one and only GOD created all human beings and loves each person with unconditional love. Should we not pray for others who are loved by this GOD and try to love them as GOD loves them?
Readings can be obtained from: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/051624.cfm
Saint Margaret of Cortona: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-margaret-of-cortona
Readings: Acts 22: 30; 23: 6-11; Psalm 16: 1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11;
John 17: 20-26
Our First Reading find St. Paul on trial in Jerusalem. Being aware of the differences between Pharisees and Sadducees, Paul emphasizes that being a Pharisee means that he believes in life after death, and for Paul, he believes especially in the life of Jesus Who is risen after His death. This leads to an all-out dispute between those who believe in life after death (the Pharisees) and those who do not believe in life after death (the Sadducees). [An easy way to remember which group believes what is “It is SAD, YOU SEE, that a Sadducee does not believe in life after death.] The dispute almost ends in physical harm to Paul and some of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.
Besides the wisdom that Paul exhibits in causing the members of the Sanhedrin (made up of both Pharisees and Sadducees) to disagree among themselves, this passage makes me realize how often groups who claim to be of the same basic faith can disagree about theological issues. It can be very frustrating, at least to me, that people argue over issues that are not the key aspects of their beliefs and miss the major point of being in relationship with the One Whom they claim as GOD. The theological and philosophical differences are not what GOD wants. That is evident in Jesus’ prayer at the Last Supper (part of which is today’s Gospel).
The key aspect of Jesus’ prayer is that Jesus is asking His Abba- Father, Who happens to be GOD, to bless those who faithfully carry on His ministry of announcing GOoD News of GOD’s love. Jesus also prays for those who will be touched by the ministry of Jesus’ disciples. The key point of belief as mentioned in Jesus’ prayer is that people come to believe that Jesus was sent by His Abba Who is GOD, and that Jesus and His Abba are one. It is also important to realize, as Jesus prays, that “You [, Abba,] loved them even as You loved Me.”
How often do we, who call ourselves “Christians,” miss the point of Jesus’ prayer. We argue over issues that are not essential. Jesus speaks of His being one with the Abba and the Holy Spirit (the mystery of the Trinity). Jesus also emphasizes love as the driving force of GOD’s message that Jesus has been sent to announce.
That is the center of our faith. Instead, we argue about other issues, whether it be clerical celibacy, ways people are to be baptized, the number of books in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) or how to translate certain passages. Even within our particular tradition, we have disagreements on the role of women in ministry, the importance of marriage, the participation of divorced and remarried persons, the way people are different from us in developing personal relationships. We miss the point of Who GOD is and how much GOD loves us. GOD loves us more than we can ever know. In a similar way that Jesus’ Abba has loved Him, so GOD, Who is our Abba, loves us. We are invited into the relationship that is GOD – Who is Love. Pope Francis’ work, Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love), reminds us that we must hold to the teachings of the Church, but we must care for all with love.
I become upset when we want to limit GOD’s love to our human standards. Some people think they know GOD’s loving ways better than Jesus knows His Abba’s ways of loving. They want to make all sorts of hoops for others to jump through rather than helping them come into a closer relationship with a loving GOD.
To those people who want to waste their time and energy arguing about theological and philosophical issues, my response is that I try to love them as I think GOD loves them. I listen to them, I try to understand from where they are coming, but most importantly I care for them as sisters and brothers in Christ. I may not agree with all of their points, but I try to love them as I sense they are loved by GOD. It does not mean that I water down my own understanding and my position on my beliefs, but I am not going to allow our differences prevent me from loving and caring for them. I will leave it up to GOD to set things straight when we are all sharing in the fullness of joy and life that Jesus has gone before us to prepare for us. (I think some people may find things to be a little bit different than what they have come to “believe” when we arrive in the heavenly reign.)
I guess one reason I can say this is because of my work in Stephen Ministries. Stephen Ministries is an inter-denominational ministry. We work at serving the needs of people, not winning them over to our point of view. We seek to love and care with the same love we have experienced from GOD, or as C. S. Lewis describes it, “mere Christianity” (Christianity at its most basic roots). We leave it up to GOD to change the minds and hearts of those who have misunderstood GOD’s teaching. It is not up to us to force a theological tenet on them. Yes, we are called to be faithful to the Word of GOD Who is Truth. Yet, our first call to faithfulness is to the faithfulness in the relationship that GOD wants with us and with each and every other person.
Let us continue to unite ourselves with the Lord Jesus, as He prays the prayer to His Abba. This should be the focus of our prayer. It is in prayer that we become one with Jesus, His Abba, and all our sisters and brothers in faith, all through the power of the Holy Spirit. We should pray for unity and not seek division. That is the point of Jesus’ prayer. It should be ours, too.
Blessed are You, LORD GOD, ever loving. Through Your GOoDness, You have sent Your Son to us to announce the GOoD News of Your love. You have not called us to argue about issues, but to work together to spread Your Gospel. Help us to join with Jesus, Your Son, in praying for those whom You have called to continue the ministry of Jesus. Let us all, together with Jesus, pray for all who come to faith in You through the ministry of others. You want us to serve our sisters and brothers by sharing the love You have for them. We are called to remind them that just as You love Your Son, so You also love those who follow Jesus. May we show our care for those who particularly need to experience Your love. Through the Holy Spirit, may we have the wisdom and understanding of the Truth and impart it to others in a manner that does not condemn the person. May we love even the worst sinners, while despising the evil deeds they perform. May we be true disciples of Your Son, so that others will come to know Who our Master is by the way we act – just like the Master. We make this prayer in the name of the Lord Jesus, Your Son, our Master-Teacher, Who prays for us, His disciples, and Who also prays for all those whom we are called to serve. It is this Jesus Who is our Brother, and 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: Special to Me by Kimble Lee Kearns: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QZZG_EaUek
Video of the Day: Saint Margaret of Cortona: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4h3Tu5lfno
Reflection on John 17: http://www.reflectionsbybob.weebly.com/reflection-of-john-17.html
Extra Reading: http://americamagazine.org/issue/top-ten-takeaways-amoris-laetitia
Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis
© rjk, 12-11-22
Saint Margaret of Cortona: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-margaret-of-cortona
Readings: Acts 22: 30; 23: 6-11; Psalm 16: 1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11;
John 17: 20-26
Our First Reading find St. Paul on trial in Jerusalem. Being aware of the differences between Pharisees and Sadducees, Paul emphasizes that being a Pharisee means that he believes in life after death, and for Paul, he believes especially in the life of Jesus Who is risen after His death. This leads to an all-out dispute between those who believe in life after death (the Pharisees) and those who do not believe in life after death (the Sadducees). [An easy way to remember which group believes what is “It is SAD, YOU SEE, that a Sadducee does not believe in life after death.] The dispute almost ends in physical harm to Paul and some of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.
Besides the wisdom that Paul exhibits in causing the members of the Sanhedrin (made up of both Pharisees and Sadducees) to disagree among themselves, this passage makes me realize how often groups who claim to be of the same basic faith can disagree about theological issues. It can be very frustrating, at least to me, that people argue over issues that are not the key aspects of their beliefs and miss the major point of being in relationship with the One Whom they claim as GOD. The theological and philosophical differences are not what GOD wants. That is evident in Jesus’ prayer at the Last Supper (part of which is today’s Gospel).
The key aspect of Jesus’ prayer is that Jesus is asking His Abba- Father, Who happens to be GOD, to bless those who faithfully carry on His ministry of announcing GOoD News of GOD’s love. Jesus also prays for those who will be touched by the ministry of Jesus’ disciples. The key point of belief as mentioned in Jesus’ prayer is that people come to believe that Jesus was sent by His Abba Who is GOD, and that Jesus and His Abba are one. It is also important to realize, as Jesus prays, that “You [, Abba,] loved them even as You loved Me.”
How often do we, who call ourselves “Christians,” miss the point of Jesus’ prayer. We argue over issues that are not essential. Jesus speaks of His being one with the Abba and the Holy Spirit (the mystery of the Trinity). Jesus also emphasizes love as the driving force of GOD’s message that Jesus has been sent to announce.
That is the center of our faith. Instead, we argue about other issues, whether it be clerical celibacy, ways people are to be baptized, the number of books in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) or how to translate certain passages. Even within our particular tradition, we have disagreements on the role of women in ministry, the importance of marriage, the participation of divorced and remarried persons, the way people are different from us in developing personal relationships. We miss the point of Who GOD is and how much GOD loves us. GOD loves us more than we can ever know. In a similar way that Jesus’ Abba has loved Him, so GOD, Who is our Abba, loves us. We are invited into the relationship that is GOD – Who is Love. Pope Francis’ work, Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love), reminds us that we must hold to the teachings of the Church, but we must care for all with love.
I become upset when we want to limit GOD’s love to our human standards. Some people think they know GOD’s loving ways better than Jesus knows His Abba’s ways of loving. They want to make all sorts of hoops for others to jump through rather than helping them come into a closer relationship with a loving GOD.
To those people who want to waste their time and energy arguing about theological and philosophical issues, my response is that I try to love them as I think GOD loves them. I listen to them, I try to understand from where they are coming, but most importantly I care for them as sisters and brothers in Christ. I may not agree with all of their points, but I try to love them as I sense they are loved by GOD. It does not mean that I water down my own understanding and my position on my beliefs, but I am not going to allow our differences prevent me from loving and caring for them. I will leave it up to GOD to set things straight when we are all sharing in the fullness of joy and life that Jesus has gone before us to prepare for us. (I think some people may find things to be a little bit different than what they have come to “believe” when we arrive in the heavenly reign.)
I guess one reason I can say this is because of my work in Stephen Ministries. Stephen Ministries is an inter-denominational ministry. We work at serving the needs of people, not winning them over to our point of view. We seek to love and care with the same love we have experienced from GOD, or as C. S. Lewis describes it, “mere Christianity” (Christianity at its most basic roots). We leave it up to GOD to change the minds and hearts of those who have misunderstood GOD’s teaching. It is not up to us to force a theological tenet on them. Yes, we are called to be faithful to the Word of GOD Who is Truth. Yet, our first call to faithfulness is to the faithfulness in the relationship that GOD wants with us and with each and every other person.
Let us continue to unite ourselves with the Lord Jesus, as He prays the prayer to His Abba. This should be the focus of our prayer. It is in prayer that we become one with Jesus, His Abba, and all our sisters and brothers in faith, all through the power of the Holy Spirit. We should pray for unity and not seek division. That is the point of Jesus’ prayer. It should be ours, too.
- The personal question/action for today: What is the focus of the way I proclaim the GOoD News of Jesus? Is it just my understanding of tenets of belief, or is it the loving care that I have received and which I am been asked to share with others? Am I more interested in theological issues or ministry to people? Who could best benefit from my loving care today? How can I profess in action Who my Master is? How can I encourage others to look beyond difference in thought and see our unity in Jesus Who is one with His Abba and the Holy Spirit?
Blessed are You, LORD GOD, ever loving. Through Your GOoDness, You have sent Your Son to us to announce the GOoD News of Your love. You have not called us to argue about issues, but to work together to spread Your Gospel. Help us to join with Jesus, Your Son, in praying for those whom You have called to continue the ministry of Jesus. Let us all, together with Jesus, pray for all who come to faith in You through the ministry of others. You want us to serve our sisters and brothers by sharing the love You have for them. We are called to remind them that just as You love Your Son, so You also love those who follow Jesus. May we show our care for those who particularly need to experience Your love. Through the Holy Spirit, may we have the wisdom and understanding of the Truth and impart it to others in a manner that does not condemn the person. May we love even the worst sinners, while despising the evil deeds they perform. May we be true disciples of Your Son, so that others will come to know Who our Master is by the way we act – just like the Master. We make this prayer in the name of the Lord Jesus, Your Son, our Master-Teacher, Who prays for us, His disciples, and Who also prays for all those whom we are called to serve. It is this Jesus Who is our Brother, and 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: Special to Me by Kimble Lee Kearns: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QZZG_EaUek
Video of the Day: Saint Margaret of Cortona: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4h3Tu5lfno
Reflection on John 17: http://www.reflectionsbybob.weebly.com/reflection-of-john-17.html
Extra Reading: http://americamagazine.org/issue/top-ten-takeaways-amoris-laetitia
Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis
© rjk, 12-11-22