Dear
Brethren in Jesus Christ we are in the sixth Sunday of Easter season. As we are
getting closer to the feast of Pentecost the readings of today serve as a
preparation for it, just as Jesus had prepared His disciples by telling them
about the Holy Spirit before His departure from the world. In the first reading
we witness the outpouring of Holy Spirit upon gentiles. This extraordinary
event at the house of Cornelius, the centurion, a commander in the Italian
regiment of the Roman military is an eye opener for Peter and company
especially the Jews converts who till then understood that the grace of Jesus
Christ is reserved only for the circumcised. Peter declares that he cannot
forbid baptism to them as God is at work in them. Similar declaration had
happened earlier in the Acts of the Apostles at Sanhedrin through Gamaliel,
when he said that if God is at work in these uneducated men – the apostles –
then we cannot do anything to stop it (Acts 5:39). Prior to that Jews at
Capernaum belittled the divine power of Jesus on the basis that He is a son of
a carpenter. Anything new that is emerging, anything new that go against the
normal human logic is always met with rejection, hatred and contempt. Thus, the
Jews convert first show reluctance to accept the divine power at work among the
gentiles. The working of the Spirit in least expected places and in unknown
persons have always brought newness to the Church. Here one can think of St.
Theresa of Lisieux, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Faustina, St. Mother Teresa of
Calcutta and many more. It is from these unrecognized persons God worked
extraordinary things to bring light and give rise to new dimensions to the
Church. However, at first they all faced rejection and discontentment. Today we
too show reluctance to accept anything that emerges new in the Church. We need
to remember that the Church is animated by the Spirit, who is not static but
dynamic. Catholicism is never a finished product, rather it is ever evolving. We
need to see whether we are also like peter and company upon encountering
newness in the Church.
The second
and Gospel readings present to us about the being of God. In Christianity love
is the hallmark, not in as much as love is the highest virtue than love as a
way of being God. St. John affirms that where there is love, there is God. Without
love one cannot contain God (1 Jn 4:7-10). Love involves the giver and the receiver.
It is out of love that God created us. It is out of love He offers us redemption.
The act of Jesus in Incarnation is the manifestation of His love towards the
Father. Jesus upon receiving the love of His Father, returned that same love to
Him through His obedience to the will of the Father. Jesus’ obedience to the
will of the Father sustains Him in the love of the Father. Similarly, we who
have received the love of God through Holy Spirit at Baptism and Confirmation
may remain in that love if only we keep the commandments of God. Yes, the love
is proposed and given, but it is up to the receiver to decide whether one can
accept that and do the necessary to sustain in that freely given or received love.
Jesus calls
us friends because we are not related to Him as strangers. Friend is the one
who does everything out of love, without any expectation. The slave is stranger
to his/her master. The commitment of the slave towards one’s master is
conditioned by the wage the slave receives. Contrarily, the commitment of a
friend is to respond in the time of need. The ancient proverb says, “A friend
in need is a friend indeed”. Yes, the rescue of humanity at right time by Jesus
is an act of friendship. He is really a friend indeed! We are called to imitate
Him in our love towards other, no matter how the recipient of our love is. Just
love the other unconditionally. This is what it means to love the other, just
as Jesus has loved us. The recipient of one’s love has just one condition to
sustain in that love. That is to keep the good wish of the giver of love. Thus,
if we want to remain in the love of God we need to keep the wish – the
commandments – of God. The door of friendship is opened to us by God, it
depends on us respond and consummate it. In doing so, we partake in the way of
being God – for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God…
for GOD IS LOVE (1 Jn 4:7-8). Love, love and love.
Finally, Open
yourself to the newness of the Spirit and commit yourself to the unconditional
friendship. So that you may LOVE, be LOVED and remain IN LOVE. Happy Sunday!
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