Our Father in heaven and fathers on earth 

12th Sunday of the Year – Cycle A – June 21, 2020
Father’s Day Readings: Jer 20:10-13; Rom 5:12-15; Mt 10:26-33 

“Not one sparrow falls to the ground without your Father knowing!” (Mt 10:29) 

Prologue: Four points are significant in choosing to focus on ‘father’ imagery in the homily today: (a) The presence of close to a thousand references to ‘father’ in the Bible—used both for God and for earthly fathers; (b) Three references to our ‘Father’ in heaven in the gospel passage; (c) The mention of the father of the human race, Adam, in today’s second reading; and, finally, (d) Though it is a secular commemoration, the 3rd Sunday of June is usually celebrated as ‘Father’s Day’. 

Three Scriptural Signposts: 

1. The first reading is part of the fifth and the last of Jeremiah’s candid ‘Confessions’ to God (11:18-20; 15:15-21; 17:14-18 and 20:7-18). Called at the early age of twenty-three to the prophetic office, despite his protestations, “I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy” (1:6), God assures him of divine protection and providence: “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you” (1:8). God’s promises seem hollow, for Jeremiah runs into trials and troubles. His mission is truly daunting since he has to prophesize in a critical period of Judah’s history when kings, priests and people were more interested in politics than in their covenantal relationship with Yahweh, God. While the kings got into shady alliances with Egypt and Babylon, the priests were guilty of abuses in the temple. Thus, Jeremiah foretold the destruction of the city and the temple leading to the Babylonian exile. For his fearlessness, he was: (a) imprisoned; (b) beaten; (c) lowered into a cistern; (d) put into stocks; and finally, (e) killed. Despite his “Terror on every side!” (6:25; 20:10; 46:5; 49:29) experiences, he remains faithful to God whom he sees as a kind of Father figure who instils confidence, dispels fear. Jeremiah can be seen as the prototype of the just one facing untold trials—the suffering servant—who nonetheless stays faithful to God. 

2. Today’s gospel passage comes towards the end of Jesus’ ‘missionary discourse’ where Jesus exhorts the Twelve to be fearless and faithful in the face of imminent perils and persecutions. He refers to “your Father” and “my Father,” obviously referring to his Abba, God, who is Father of all peoples. Two attitudes that fortify feelings of ‘filiation’ are fearlessness and faith. Fearlessness is indispensable for disciples who accept God’s Fatherhood, for, they will be persecuted by self-appointed ‘fatherly figures’ like the Pharisees who refuse to accept the ‘good news’ of God’s universal Fatherhood. Thus, Jesus tells his disciples, “Fear not! What I tell you in the dark, tell in the daylight!” He is preparing his followers to tread the path of persecution, which was inevitable for all those prophets of former times—like Jeremiah, for instance—who were hounded and harassed. It is but natural to fear those who are bent on destroying prophets and silencing their protesting voices. However, true prophets know that, ultimately, they are only accountable to God and hence never lose sight of divine protection and deliverance. 

3. Besides cultivating an attitude of fearlessness on account of the Fatherhood of God, one must also deepen one’s faith in Abba, Father. Jesus’ earthy examples of sparrows and hairs on heads strike his listeners immediately: Sparrows are cheap; yet, “not one falls to the 

ground without your Father knowing!” Surely, God’s children are “worth more than hundreds of sparrows!” God’s Providence is not just fatherly protection but motherly affection. Which father bothers about anyone’s falling hairs except his own? It is normally mothers who comb and plait the hair of their children. Indeed, in explaining Abba’s love by giving evocative examples of daily life, Jesus shows how incomparable God’s love, care and concern is when juxtaposed with the human love of fathers who fall short of these qualities eminently perfect of God, our Father. 

Linking the 2nd Reading to the theme of fathers and fatherhood As mentioned in the ‘Prologue’ another ‘father’ who appears in the second reading is Adam: forefather of us all! Paul writes, “Through one man’s fall so many died!” Paul is not speaking of a physical death, but of a spiritual death that is the outcome of sin and results in separation from God. Like the metaphor of the vine and branches, anyone severed from God is truly dead and decays. Indeed, Adam’s ‘original sin’ tainting our humanity is ‘The Ego’ that engenders godlessness at the personal level—pride, greed and selfishness, as well as frightening forms of domination at the structural, global level: male chauvinism, patriarchy, imperialism and casteism. 

Three Fatherly Concerns: The Abba-Father Concern: As Christians, we normally do have good images of Jesus and a deep awareness of his presence. But, what about Abba, the First Person of the Trinity? In the whole liturgical calendar, there is no feast devoted to God, Abba, the Father. There is thus a tendency to forget about God, who is ever loving, caring and forgiving. 

The Priest-Father Concern: Catholic ministers are addressed as ‘Fr.’ much to the annoyance of many Christians of other churches who quote Mt 23:9—“Call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father, the one in heaven”—to reject such honorific titles. Many scandals too have shown that we, priests, have not lived up to our avowed lifestyle of being truly ‘fathers’ to the orphans and to children in need. 

The Fathers-on-Earth Concern: Though seemingly ‘secular’ in character, the celebration of Father’s Day today gives us occasion to pray: “Thank you, Father, for my dearest daddy!” Sigmund Freud traces our neuroses down to turbulent infancy interactions with some strict ‘father figure’: a ‘Super Ego’ that dominates, manipulates, controls. A few might have had overly overbearing fathers, or never experienced the love of fathers due to death or desertion. However, most of us have had fathers who were and are kind, loving and caring. Let us thank God for our earthly fathers and pray that we, too, become ‘father figures’ to protect the weak and provide for the needy. 

In Lighter Vein: Eager to help a young woman who sat still with her eyes closed in his parish-church, a young priest who knew that she had many family problems tapped her on the shoulder and said, “Can I help you in any way?” She nodded and replied, “No, thank you, Fr.! I’ve been getting all the help I need from Our heavenly Father above!” Our Abba ‘above’ certainly knows, cares and helps infinitely more than you and I can ever imagine or are capable of loving, caring, helping. 

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Communion as One Body through His Blood 

Corpus Christi: The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ – Cycle A – June 14, 2020
Deut 8:2-3, 14b-16a; 1 Cor 10:16-17; Jn 6:51-58. 

―The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh‖ (Jn 6:51) 

Prologue: Body and Blood are two biblical symbols with many First Testament significances; which Jesus gives new meaning to in the Gospels with his life, death and resurrection. Today, in a world united in suffering and pain in the Covid-19 context, we can strive to derive new meaning from the Eucharist which, today, can only be followed online by most of the lay faithful. 

Three Scriptural Signposts: 

1. Body: of the first  ̳man‘ (Adam, Hebrew) is created by God out of the dust of the ground (Adamah, Hebrew) says the Book of Genesis (2:7); yet, human beings are created in the ―image and likeness of God‖ (1:26-27). But, ―for the man there was not found a helper as his partner‖ (2:20). Thus, God creates woman who Adam finally rejoices in with poetry: ―This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh ... for out of man this one was taken‖ (2:23). These two human beings have the potentiality to become ―one flesh‖ or one body in marriage (2:24), giving birth to human community in their fruitfulness and multiplication (1:28). In the First Testament, great regard is given both, to the human body and to the forming of community in relationship with God through the  ̳covenant‘. In the first reading from Deuteronomy (chapter 8), Moses reminds his people of God‘s providential care and covenantal protection—how God was forming them into a body by feeding them with manna: heavenly gifted bread! This miraculous, unprecedented feeding them ―with manna that your ancestors did not know‖ (8:16a) was never to be forgotten but was to be commemorated and celebrated in the Passover festivities. The feeding with manna and the Mosaic Covenant form the background for Jesus to reinterpret his life in these terms, which were very much alive in Jewish imagination. 

2. Blood: is an ambiguous symbol in the Bible. While blood is natural, its sight is not— since the shedding of blood is associated with violence, murder, guilt and wrongdoing. Blood is connected to both, human life and human death. Without blood humans return to dust because life is in the blood (Lev 17:11,14). ―Blood and water‖ signify life (Jn 19:34; 1 Jn 5:6) and the pair ―flesh and blood‖ stands for humans and humanity (Jn 1:13; 1 Cor 15:50). Innocent blood shed cries out to God for justice and vengeance (Gen 4:10; Job 16:18) and often marks death by violence (Ezek 5:17; Hab 2:17). Only in the context of sacrifices offered to God does blood attain value. Here too it is ritualized and treated with respect since the blood of animals had to be shed in a specific way and not randomly. For instance, for the ratification of the Mosaic covenant, animals were sacrificed and their blood sprinkled (Ex 24:3-8). Note that in the Jewish tradition drinking of blood was forbidden, for it stood for life sacred to God (Gen 9:4; Lev 7:26); but, there also existed the expiatory sense (Lev 17:10-14) by which the community will understand that Jesus‘ sacrifice brought them life through sacramental communion. Here, once again, in the light of the First Testament, Jesus‘ ―flesh and blood‖ given and the ―new covenant‖ initiated will find deep meaning. 

3. Flesh and Blood: The gospel according to John has no account of the institution of the Eucharist but includes instead: [a] Jesus‘ prophetic symbolic action of the washing of his disciples‘ feet (13:1-15), and, [b] Jesus‘ long bread discourse in the context of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes (6:1-15). Like their ancestors being reminded about the feeding with manna and the covenant, Jesus prophesies that his disciples will be fed with something more personal, potent and permanent than food which perishes: Himself! He, the  ̳Bread of Life‘ will be there to sustain, sanctify and strengthen. ―Flesh and blood‖ implies the whole person and ―eating and drinking‖ signifies communion. Thus, just as a child eats and is nourished by what its parents provide, so does Jesus promise his disciples that they will receive new life from his ―flesh and blood‖—his very self—by giving them a parallelism of parental providence: ―Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me‖ (v.57). Far from being a form of cannibalism, Jesus speaks of a new covenant that will be cemented with a new communion: in the breaking of his body and shedding of his blood. 

Linking the 2nd Reading with Eucharistic Eating, Union and Communion The short reading focuses on one aspect of the Eucharist: communion. Paul warns the well-to-do Corinthians about their former pagan and idolatrous practices, which are harmful not only to themselves but to the community. He criticizes their temple banquets which were dangerous since they often led to excesses of every kind. Instead, he reminds them of the Christic and Eucharistic ―bread‖ and ―cup of blessing‖ which bind them into a spiritual union  ̳with‘—a  ̳com‘ +  ̳union‘—with Christ and with one another. The assembly of Christians who come together form one  ̳Body‘ which he will talk about later in chapter 12. Paul mentions  ̳cup‘ before  ̳bread‘ probably promoting a tradition—like that of the gospel of Luke—that stressed Jesus‘ sacrifice as the  ̳new covenant‘. Once again one notices connections between bread, body, cup and covenant. 

Three Contextual Concerns for Corpus Christi: We speak of the consecration of the bread and the wine as the  ̳transubstantiation‘ of the elements into the body and blood of Christ. However, we must not forget the calls and challenges of Eucharistic communion. The Body Concern: The Church is the  ̳Body of Christ‘ in history. It can never exist for itself— seeking power and self-preservation; rather, it truly becomes the Body of Christ in its mission of self-emptying out of love and service to other bodies: of the poor, of the sick, of fellow citizens, and of Mother Nature. Church is always a catalyst of holy communion, seeking to unify and build more inclusive bodies and communities, worldwide. The Bread Concern: Gandhiji once said, ―If God were to come into this world, God would come as bread.‖ Jesus is the Bread of Life. He comes to satisfy all our hungers: spiritual, moral, physical, social, psychological, emotional, etc. Any dichotomy between the temporal and spiritual, secular and sacred, body and spirit, etc., is not Christian. Hence, much as we are nourished by the Bread of Life, we are called to feed bread and be bread to millions of our brethren who do not have bread to eat. This is so true in the Covid-19 context. The Blood Concern: The shedding of blood is to be strongly condemned except in the context of the giving of one‘s blood for a greater cause. Here, altruistic activities like blood donation and martyrdom assume meaning. We are truly  ̳blood‘ brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Pope Francis says: ―The Eucharist is itself an act of cosmic love‖ [Laudato Si’, n. 236] 

God So Loved ... and Still Loves ... the World 

Trinity Sunday – Cycle A – June 7, 2020
Ex 34:4b-6, 8-9; 2 Cor 13:11-13; Jn 3: 16-18. 

“God so loved the world that he gave his only Son” (Jn 3:16) 

Prologue: If you were to ask any person in India about ‘who’ Jesus Christ is, s/he is likely to say: ‘Prem- avatar’ or something similar, meaning, Jesus is regarded as a model of divine love not only by Christians but by people of other religions. So, we could use central themes from all three readings of today that point to God being Love—more clearly seen in the Second Testament in Jesus’ life. 

Three Scriptural Signposts from the Three Readings: 1. The gospel passage’s central line: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” gives us an indication not only of the nature of God but also of Jesus’ mission—the outcome of God’s love. This line from John’s gospel is often quoted by many Christian churches to show God’s love. The context is a conversation between Nicodemus—a wise and wealthy Pharisee—who is a leader in his community (3:1). Impressed by Jesus’ words and works, he comes to Jesus by night, presumably for fear of being spotted by his fellow Pharisees. Rather than discuss theoretical matters of the Law which Nicodemus is well-versed in, after mentioning the need to be born again “in the Spirit” (v.5), Jesus speaks of a ‘Person’: God. This God does not only loves the ‘chosen people’ Israel and the Pharisees (who considered themselves the crème de la crème of the Jews), but God loves the world. God embraces the whole world and cares for it so much that God ‘gave’ or ‘sent’ his only Son, Jesus, to reveal Godself and God’s plans so that “the world may be saved” (v.17). Put simply, Jesus is God’s self- gift to the whole world. In Jesus, the world sees, hears, touches and tastes God’s love. Moreover, Jesus calls Christians to be witnesses to the whole world of how God’s love, translated into concrete love-filled actions, will ensure salvation and life everlasting. Though this passage specifically speaks of the relationship between Father and Son, it also has a Trinitarian angle. Preceding this passage is Jesus’ saying: “The Spirit blows where it wills” (v.8) indicating that there are no confines and conditions to the work of the Spirit. 

2. Much as Jesus clearly reveals God the Father’s love for the whole world in the gospel, although there are only ‘faint traces of the Trinity’, so to say, in the First Testament, today’s first reading from Exodus offers a beautiful symbol of God’s presence: a cloud. Cloud is a symbol of God’s mysterious presence from within which Yahweh “proclaimed the name of the Lord,” namely, “a God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (v.6). This revelation describes Moses’ second meeting with Yahweh atop Mount Sinai after his first meeting resulted in him shattering the tablets of God’s Law since the people had fashioned the golden calf and indulged in idolatry (Ex 32:19). The attributes of God—namely, merciful, gracious, slow to anger, lavish in love and faithful—are consoling to a sinful, idolatrous people. On their behalf, Moses bows before God in worship, confessing the communitarian sin of “a stiff-necked people” and begging of God: “take us for your inheritance” (v.9). The central point here is that there is no comparison possible between God, most holy and the idolatrous Israelites. Yet, God forgives them, loves them and reiterates his covenant with them. 

3. The seeds of the growth and development of an understanding of the Triune God—what today we would call a ‘Trinitarian theology’—is found in today’s second reading concluding Paul’s second Letter to the Corinthians. This is, incidentally, the most familiar opening greeting at every Eucharist: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all!” Grace, love and fellowship are three key attributes describing the ‘persons’ in God. Paul wrote this Letter during his third missionary journey (approx. 53-58 AD) probably from Ephesus where he was from 54-57 AD. After imparting advice to the community at Corinth as to how to live good Christian lives, Paul breathes a blessing upon them. God is love; and, from this divine love flows the ‘grace’ or ‘gift’ who is Jesus, God’s Sent One; and in whom communion or fellowship is made possible through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. 

The Mystery and History of the Trinity: Trinity Sunday confounds many a homilist: “What shall I preach about the Trinity?” The Trinity is certainly not maths reconciling oneness with threeness like 1 + 1 + 1 = 3. Sure, God is One; and yet, the three ‘persons’ Jesus revealed as Father, Son, Spirit are not the same as, say, three ‘persons’ with different wills. Entering into this mystery is a pilgrimage: moving from God-in-history to God-in-Godself, from head to heart, from ideas to action. In sum, more than merely telling us about God, the Trinity provides a ‘social programme’ for building families and communities in the “image and likeness” (Gen 1:26) of God who is Love. 

Rooted and Grounded in the Invisible God, the Father-Creator: The Father, the first person of the Triune God, is invisible, often compared to the source of a spring or the root of a tree. In religious consciousness there is the popular idea of the parenthood of God who creates the world and is the source of all life. Modelled upon and moving in the footsteps of the Incarnate God, the Son-Saviour: The Son, the second person of the Trinity is God incarnate, visible, Emmanuel who became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus fully discloses who God is and gives us the greatest commandment of love. He is like the tree that grows up from the root or the rays that proceed from the sun. Jesus is the saviour of the world, sent by the Father to redeem the world. Energised and Empowered by the Indwelling and Inspiring God, the Spirit: The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Triune God is the indweller, the Antarayami, who abides in us as well as blows through all of creation: sanctifying and sustaining, counselling and comforting, energising and empowering. The early Church worshipped, blessed, baptized and sang hymns to the Tri-une God. They rejoiced that, in Jesus, and through the power of the Spirit, they were adopted as daughters and sons of God (Gal 4:6). Thus, the Trinity bids us not to try to condense God into formulae but to love and live like the Trinity – one love, yet three; united, but different. 

In Lighter Vein: To his group of clever, yet proud, disciples, the Master said, “I have a book that paints a perfect picture of God!” The disciples yearned to get that book and understand God fully. But the Master kept it under lock and key. Once, when the Master was out, a disciple stole the book and hurried to read it. Every single page was blank. On the Master’s return, he protested, “Your holy book says nothing about God!” “Ah, yes!” replied the Master smiling, “But, don’t you see how much it indicates?” Knowledge of God is not manifest in words but in deeds. Of love! 

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Abide in me, O God of Love, Life, Light! 

Sixth Sunday of Easter – May 17, 2020
Acts 8:5-8,14-17; 1 Pet 3:15-18; Jn 14:15-21 

“You will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you” (Jn 14:20) 

Prologue: In this passage of Jesus’ ‘Farewell Discourse’ Jesus promises his disciples that he will not leave them orphaned. He will abide in them through the Advocate or ‘Helper’: The Spirit of truth. This could be a good opportunity to prepare for the Feast of Pentecost, as well as the Most Holy Trinity. The three ‘Persons’ of the Trinity can be understood in terms of Love, Life and Light, roughly corresponding to the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, respectively. 

Three Signposts from Scripture: 1. What happens when someone you love is on the point of death and you are beside that person’s deathbed? On the one hand, you will be sad and anxious, worrying about how you’ll manage to live without that person; and, on the other hand, the one dying will seek to console you, while also expressing his/her last will and parting advice to you. This is the context of this passage wherein we sense the sorrow and worry of the disciples, in contrast to the hope and promise which Jesus gives them. Jesus, who knows that “the world will no longer see me,” promises his disciples: “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you” (vv.18-19). How will he come to them and be present unto them? He is foretelling his abiding presence with them; even more, ‘in’ them as a gift not of ‘something’ but of Someone: Godself! In sum, Jesus tells them that they will experience God dwelling in them: divine indwelling. Jesus reminds them: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (v.15), the greatest of which, quite clearly, is love. He concludes this passage by saying: “They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them” (v.21). “God is love,” (1 Jn 4:8) and God so loved the world that God the Father gave us His Son, Jesus (see Jn 3:16): divine love in the flesh! 

2. Jesus, God’s Love, incarnate, is the visible form, face and fulfillment of what it means to live life fully. His mission is expressed pithily in his revelation: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (Jn 10:10). In the Johannine gospel tradition, Jesus often reveals himself as Life; for example, “I am the resurrection and the life” (11:25) and “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (14:6). However, after his earthly life is over, he will not be physically present to them as an individual ‘person’ or a single ‘body’, but will continue to be among them and in them as he says, strikingly, “you in me, and I in you” (v.20). This mutual indwelling is what makes us images and instruments of the ‘Christ’, the Anointed One. Jesus promises eternal life to all his disciples who seek and strive for Life that lasts. 

3. Jesus’ promise of everlasting life is not only some distant hope in the afterlife, but is already initiated here, through the promised ‘Advocate’ or ‘Helper’: the ‘Spirit of truth’ (vv. 16-17). An advocate—from the Latin, advoco, meaning, to call to one’s aid—is one who sheds light on dark and doubtful matters. Advocates offer counsel and comfort, and instill courage in those wronged by others. The Holy Spirit will be the guiding Light of the disciples, providing counsel, comfort and courage. Jesus promises to gift his disciples with the Spirit not for a day 

or two, but “to be with you forever” (v.16). This means that the Holy Spirit will never ever leave our side: helping, guiding, inspiring, counseling, comforting, animating, encouraging, energising, strengthening and sanctifying. 

Linking the First and Second Readings to the Trinitarian Themes of Love, Life, Light: 

• In the first reading from the ‘Acts’ we see Philip—not the apostle, but the deacon—going to the city of Samaria which, for the Jews, was ‘impure’. Unlike their own people who were considered ‘chosen’ by God and ‘pure’, the Samaritans were considered ‘mixed’ by race and by religion. Descendants of Assyrian planters and Jewish migrants, they retained some elements of the Jewish worship but had a separate temple and holy mountain (see Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman in Jn 4:20-21). The important point to note here is that they seemed more open to the Spirit than the Jews. Apostles Peter and John preached to them and “laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit” (v.17). 

• Another function of the Spirit is mentioned in today’s second reading where Peter exhorts his community: “Always be prepared to make a defence to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you.” Seen in tandem with John’s gospel that attributes the functions of teaching (14:26) and witnessing (15:26) to the Spirit, we are reminded that the Spirit throws light upon our darkness, clarifies the confusion in our minds and instills courage into our hearts. Today, there’s no need to ‘defend’ the faith as ‘apologetics’ but we ought to “account for the hope”—the life in Christ—that abides in us as individuals, as Church. 

Call for Creating a Triune-Consciousness: Abba Awareness: Jesus tells us to call God ‘Abba’ and to pray the ‘Our Father’. This ought to evoke in us a greater awareness of God’s providential, paternal love and tender, maternal care. Our Abba is not distantly ‘up there’ in the highest heavens but ‘down here’: with us, creating, supporting and calling us to be sons and daughters in God’s Son, Jesus. This is a loving invitation to each of us to be loving, caring and creative. Christ-Consciousness: “I am in Christ; Christ is in me.” Thanks to my baptism, as a Christian, I am ‘anointed in the Anointed One’. Thus, I carry Christ with me, much as He bears me and my burdens. Am I conscious of His presence in my life? Do I foster His life in abundance? Spirit-Sensitiveness: “The Spirit blows where it wills” (Jn 3:8). Besides Luke’s gospel that prominently highlights the presence of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ life, the Acts of the Apostles can be called the ‘Acts of the Spirit’, for, the Spirit is mentioned 65 times, the Spirit being the vivifying force of newborn Christianity. Do I sense the omnipresent and omnipotent working of the Spirit? Within me? In others? In the whole cosmos? 

An Appropriate Anecdote: A tale is told of God seeking to hide from humankind since people’s persistent petitions were becoming burdensome. An angel advised God, “Go to the Himalayas for no one will ascend those heights!” God wasn’t sure about that. “What about descending to the depths of the Pacific?” suggested another. “No,” mused God, “deep-sea divers will find me there!” A third angel advised God to hide in the dense Amazon forests. Finally, the wisest whispered, “Why don’t you hide in the human heart?” God smiled, “Yes, people rarely seek me there!” 

Prayer: “Abide in me, O God of Love, Lord of Life, Spirit of Life, every day of my life, Amen.” 

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Jesus: Two-Way Path to God’s House 

Fifth Sunday of Easter – 10 May 2020 

Acts 6:1-7; 1 Pet 2:4-9; Jn 14:1-12 

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (Jn 14:6) 

Prologue: In times when there were no motor vehicles, the image of way, road, path or pathway was highly significant, appearing some eight hundred times in the Bible. The idea of Jesus as the Way to God can be profitably used to link and reflect upon today’s readings 

Three Scriptural Signposts: 

1. Today’s gospel passage opens up Jesus’ ‘Farewell Discourse’ (John, chapters 14–17) to his disciples, who sense that he is not going to be physically present with them for long. They seem anxious and troubled about their future. So, Jesus reassures them by saying, “Do not let your hearts be troubled” (v.1). He promises them that he will not only go away for a while, but that he will also return “so that where I am, there you may be also” (v.3). There is a two-way movement, here—up and down, so to say—with Jesus speaking of his death, rising and second coming in glory. When Jesus says: “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places” does he intend to distinguish and divide earth from heaven, and this life from the afterlife? Not likely, since he harmonises in himself human and divine, earth and heaven, this life and the afterlife. Unable to understand Jesus’ promise, Thomas asks a frank question: “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” In answer, Jesus reveals himself as “the way, and the truth, and the life” (v.6). What exactly is ‘the way’ of Jesus? One could think of the coming and going of Jesus in terms of a 2-way path: the incarnation-birth as the downward movement, while the resurrection-ascension being the upward. One can also think of the image of a ladder which enables someone not only to climb up but also to descend, down. Jesus is that 2-way path or that ladder that shows us, human beings, on the one hand, how to reach and touch God, and on the other, how God has reached out and touched us. 

2. Jesus’ way is not just some roadmap to reach heaven, but is a way of life: dynamic, animated by love, marked by service, and Spirit-driven. During his lifetime, Jesus had often invited his disciples to follow in his footsteps, to walk “the hard, narrow road” (Mt 7:14) and to stand by him in Jerusalem when he would be handed over, persecuted and killed. They did not seem to understand the importance of this except, of course, in the later light of the resurrection and the power of the Pentecost. This passage comes after the Last Supper wherein Jesus gives his disciples the ‘new commandment’ to “love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 13:34). By washing their feet, he shows them a ‘way’ by which they’ll be recognized: “By this will all know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (Jn 13:35). Thus, Jesus’ way is one of love, service and self-sacrifice animated by ‘right thinking’ (Truth) and ‘right action’ (Life). Interestingly, the Jesus Movement of newly baptised believers was called ‘the Way’ (Acts 9:2). The early Christians so faithfully followed Jesus’ footsteps that they could be considered ‘mobile maps’ of The Way, Jesus, by their words and works. Today’s first reading describes a ministry of ‘the Way’: that of ‘deacons’—from the Greek, diakonia, ‘to serve’. It’s wrong to interpret this reading as some ministerial ‘division of labour’ with the Twelve devoting themselves solely to ‘spiritual’ pursuits (namely, “prayer and the service of the word”) while 

the Seven specialised in ‘secular’ activity (i.e., distributing bread to widows). What is noteworthy is that ministries are slowly evolving in the Way based on ‘human need’ and Spirit- inspiration in conformity with the ‘way’ of Jesus. As needs increased, new ministries evolved. 

3. The limited experience of the disciples and their Jewish background do not help them to fully understand Jesus’ revelation and rising. Thus, like Thomas, Philip also asks a question about God whom Jesus addresses as ‘Abba’. Jesus mildly upbraids him, saying: “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (v.9). Jesus is “God’s Word become flesh” (Jn 1:14). Jesus is God’s face, hands, feet, etc. The Son cannot be separated from the Father; rather, God’s heart is revealed in the Son’s love and life. In sum, the way, truth, and life of Jesus can be summarised in one word: Love! 

Linking the 2nd Reading and the Psalm to the Theme of God’s House and Heart: In the second reading Peter speaks of the Christian community as “a spiritual house”. Referring to their baptism and anointing in Christ, he reminds them that they are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” The response of psalm (32): “May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you” is a plea to God to continue loving us for God is our only hope and trust. 

Three Current Concerns: The Exclusivist Concern: Jesus’ revelation: “I am the way,” sometimes leads fundamentalists and fanatics to hold that only Christians—and not believers in other religions—can be saved. Thus, they develop a holier-than-thou and exclusivist attitude, despising all so-called ‘non-Christians’. Let’s remember that Jesus does not only want us to know the way but to walk the way: of the cross! 

The Consumerist Concern: The ‘Where’ or the end-point of our earthly life is God’s Home, our Eternal Home: heaven. However, while we might preach much about heaven, our practical life on earth could indicate that we are so fully obsessed with an ‘eat, drink and be merry’ kind of life with no care for things eternal and spiritual. Let’s never forget Jesus’ Second Coming. 

The Motherly-Fatherly Concern: Today is celebrated as Mother’s Day. Abba-God, our Father, is beyond gender and is as much like a Mother who gives birth, feeds, nourishes, teaches to walk, holds us to close to Her cheeks and heart. So, let’s strive to cultivate the mother within us believing that ‘another world’ – a ‘mother world’ is possible. Let’s pray for all mothers, worldwide. 

In Lighter Vein: A parish priest was once shocked to peep into a bar close to his church and see his parishioners drinking and making merry. He barged into the bar and asked all his parishioners to follow him into the church. He then chided them for drinking in the bar and delivered a homily on the evils of alcohol. Finally, he asked, “Don’t you all want to go to heaven?” All put up their hands and said, “Yes!” Except one man. He shouted once again: “Don’t you all want to go to heaven?” Once again, a resounding “Yes!” with the lone man silent. Father then went up to him and shouted: “Don’t you wanna go to heaven?” He whispered, “Yes, Father! But I thought you are going there now; and, I prefer going back to the bar to finish my drink!” 

Prayer: Loving Lord, be my way, teach me your truth, fill me with abundant life, Amen! [End]