Sunday Gospel Comment
Alberic Jacovone OSB
YEAR B SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER - 21.5.06 Acts 10,25-6.34-5.44-8; 1 Jn 4,7-10; Jn 15,9-17 Choosing to be “IN-LOVE” “May my joy be complete in you”:
Today’s Gospel is packed with a strong exhortative language. John writes
Jesus’ ‘Farewell Discourse’ as if Our Lord wishes to pour out his heart to
his disciples & to us. He gives his last instructions on how they -(& we
today!)- must conduct themselves in the future, after He is ‘gone to the
Father’. And today’s Mass picks up the theme of joy from the words of Jesus:
then it asks us to reflect on occasions when we have experienced ‘complete
joy’, to dwell on the vibes that brought that special sensation in our lives,
& then to reflect it in our prayer this week. Today’s ‘Opening Prayer’
says: Ever Loving God, help us celebrate our joy in the resurrection of Our
Lord & to express in our lives the love we celebrate. Yes, what does it
make me feel when I hear that Our Lord wants to emphasize a joyful closeness
& intimacy between himself & me? The language of Jesus’ ‘Farewell
Discourse’ is such that we are brought into an intimate relationship with Our
Loving God. We are called -& are- Jesus’ friends, meaning that we
are invited to feel & live-out with Him a relationship of equality - of
complete openness - of sharing life & experience - of mutual concern &
interest... How wrong we have been, when we have thought of God as
‘all-mighty’, as a scary figure of wonder, or even -sadly- as ‘the old man
with a stick’, ready to punish us for any wrongs!! On
their part, the disciples of Jesus failed to understand that Jesus would soon
die & rise again, & that they really needed to be reassured of his love
for them as friends, of his presence until the end of times, & of their
mission to share Jesus’ love with all nations. If they (& if we) do this,
then ‘my own joy will be in you and your joy will be complete’. Choosing to live ‘IN-LOVE’:
The ideal relationship that Our Lord proposes, may seem rather naive,
patronizing & pietistic to us today. In fact the strong exhortative language
which is used in today’s & next Sunday’s Gospel, & in all of
Jesus’ ‘Farewell Discourse’, forces us to ask some very pointed questions:
why is Jesus made to speak so forcefully? What
hidden issues & what deeply divided relationships is the author of John’s
Gospel addressing? As we reflect on our ‘brokenness’ in promises -
relationships- divorces & aggressiveness, what help can we get from Jesus’
‘Farewell Discourse’. Is it possible that even in situations of extreme hurt
& disappointment, we can choose to stay IN-LOVE? The Christian answer is:
Yes, not only it’s possible, but it’s worth it & indeed fortunate are we
if we choose to love, without counting hurts or costs, knowing that Jesus’
choice to remain in love is still the best option. And Jesus does say: All is
possible, if you remain in my love - abide in my love, and let you and your love
abide in me. Lifted on the Cross, even now, Our Lord says to any hurting
believer: I know how you feel; remain in my love & know how much I am
hurting with you... stuck as I am on the cross. Jesus’ Farewell Discourse
urges us to believe that even in extreme, tragic & deeply hurting
situations, there is -for us Christians-, one last option: to hold strongly to a
conviction that our love
relationships are unconditionally precious - they are worth living & dying
for. This conviction requires faith in God, personal motivation,
humble trust & profound respect for the human person: love always
makes the difference. In the end, blessed are we if our love-relationships
continue to nourish in us & others: trust, self-esteem,
security & sense-of-worth. In your prayer today, go gently with unmet
needs: yours & others’. As Christian believers we have no choice but to
love: Jesus has made the choice for us. ______________________________________ |
