Homily for 5 Easter C
My sisters and
brothers, in Christ we really are called to help build a new world!
In our first
reading, we get to watch the first Christians discovering that people normally
viewed as unworthy are being given the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These outcasts, unrighteous gentiles, are
accepted first by Peter and then officially accepted by the Christian community
in Jerusalem.
Leading up to
this Peter has been in the coastal area northwest of Jerusalem, an area where
there are already believers of Jewish origin.
Further up the coast, in Caesarea Philippi, Cornelius (an officer in the
Roman army, a Gentile) has seen a vision in which a messenger from God has told
him to send for Peter. As Peter has
approached the town, he too has seen a vision.
At Cornelius’ house, he has told the assembled company (both Jews and
Gentiles): “You ... know that it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with or to
visit a Gentile; but God has shown me that I should not call anyone unclean;
God shows no partiality. Peter is later
challenged as we heard today but his explanation is deeply compelling to the
other believers.
In our second
reading John the Divine shares his vision of a recreated universe. All that brings pain into the world has
passed away and is replaced by a perfected world in which God will rule. He has told of the destruction of the old
city, Babylon (code name for the Empire of Rome) and of the old heaven and
earth. The ungodly have been driven off
to punishment. Now, only the godly
occupy the new creation. This is a
vision of a perfected end of time which all Christians seek.
In our gospel
story, John the Evangelist articulates Jesus’ most fundamental identifier for
an authentic disciple: love for one another.
Judaism required a person to love their neighbor as them self. Jesus’ commandment is “new” because his
self-offering is the model for his commandment.
Mutual love will show who truly follows Christ.
It is important
that we view all this in the reality of our Christian lives today. God lays a gift of salvation before us that
requires us to participate in the work of his Kingdom. Today we heard some specific expectations of
Jesus: 1) that we follow the Holy Spirit
even when “undesirables” are being blessed; 2) to recognize that the Kingdom is
about changing all we know of the universe around us into a more Divine place;
3) that to love one another without qualification is a hallmark of authenticity
for Christians.
It is a very idealistic
and demanding calling. None of us will
live this calling perfectly; rather we are all called to strive toward the
ideal. It means that we all must rely on
God’s forgiveness and Grace and guidance.
We all must avoid the temptation to bury our heads in the sand and
ignore the calling. We all must avoid
the temptation of simply picking sides and entrenching ourselves. In short, we are called to cooperate with the
Holy Spirit in God’s plan!
The “New Heaven
and New Earth” that we heard about today is another image for the “Kingdom of
God.” Yet another image for the quest we
are on is Paul’s “Mystical Body of Christ.”
What is most important is that we contribute to God’s project of
building up the Kingdom (or body) as we are able.
None of us can
do everything. None of us can change the
world single handedly. All of us can do
something, all can work together, all can help build a lasting statement to
faith, all can contribute to the transforming of a piece of this world. My brothers and sisters let us not shy from
doing our part.
Posts
