Scripture Reflection and Prayer : Journeying together

Monday, 3 May 2021

STRENGTHENING OUR CATHOLIC COMMUNITIES IN THEIR TRIALS

20210504 STRENGTHENING OUR CATHOLIC COMMUNITIES IN THEIR TRIALS

04 May, 2021, Tuesday, 5th Week of Easter

First reading

Acts 14:19-28 ©

They gave an account of how God had opened the door of faith to the pagans

Some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium, and turned the people against the apostles. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the town, thinking he was dead. The disciples came crowding round him but, as they did so, he stood up and went back to the town. The next day he and Barnabas went off to Derbe.

Having preached the Good News in that town and made a considerable number of disciples, they went back through Lystra and Iconium to Antioch. They put fresh heart into the disciples, encouraging them to persevere in the faith. ‘We all have to experience many hardships’ they said ‘before we enter the kingdom of God.’ In each of these churches they appointed elders, and with prayer and fasting they commended them to the Lord in whom they had come to believe.

They passed through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia. Then after proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia and from there sailed for Antioch, where they had originally been commended to the grace of God for the work they had now completed.

On their arrival they assembled the church and gave an account of all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith to the pagans. They stayed there with the disciples for some time.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 144(145):10-13a,21 ©

Your friends, O Lord, shall make known the glorious splendour of your reign.

Alleluia!

All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,

and your friends shall repeat their blessing.

They shall speak of the glory of your reign

and declare your might, O God,

to make known to men your mighty deeds

and the glorious splendour of your reign.

Your friends, O Lord, shall make known the glorious splendour of your reign.

Alleluia!

Yours is an everlasting kingdom;

your rule lasts from age to age.

Your friends, O Lord, shall make known the glorious splendour of your reign.

Alleluia!

Let me speak the praise of the Lord,

let all mankind bless his holy name

for ever, for ages unending.

Your friends, O Lord, shall make known the glorious splendour of your reign.

Alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Lk24:46,26

Alleluia, alleluia!

It was ordained that the Christ should suffer

and rise from the dead,

and so enter into his glory.

Alleluia!

Gospel

John 14:27-31 ©

A peace the world cannot give is my gift to you

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you,

a peace the world cannot give,

this is my gift to you.

Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.

You heard me say: I am going away, and shall return.

If you loved me you would have been glad to know that I am going to the Father,

for the Father is greater than I.

I have told you this now before it happens,

so that when it does happen you may believe.

I shall not talk with you any longer,

because the prince of this world is on his way.

He has no power over me,

but the world must be brought to know

that I love the Father

and that I am doing exactly what the Father told me.’

STRENGTHENING OUR CATHOLIC COMMUNITIES IN THEIR TRIALS

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ACTS 14:19-28; PS 145:10-13,21; JOHN 14:27-31 ]

In the first reading, we read of the conclusion of the First Missionary Journey of St Paul. They went to Cyprus and Antioch in Pisidia. After winning some converts, they were expelled by the Jews who influenced the leaders of the city to persecute them. (Acts 13:48-52) They fled to Iconium where the same situation happened. After some became believers, the Jews again incited the people to go against them and they had to flee to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia. Again, we read “some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium, and turned the people against the apostles. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the town, thinking he was dead.”

In spite of the persecutions, the spirit of the apostles remained high. Paul took the stoning calmly. When the stones were hurled at him, he would have remembered how Stephen bravely and calmly endured the stones thrown at him. But Paul was not discouraged nor vindictive. He won a silent victory over evil because he got up almost immediately to go back to the city. It was almost an instantaneous recovery. Later when he wrote to the Corinthians, he recounted that we might be “persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies.” (2 Cor 4:9f) Indeed, Paul could say to the Galatians, “From now on, let no one make trouble for me; for I carry the marks of Jesus branded on my body.” (Gal 6:17)

Secondly, they remained focused on their mission all the time they were under persecution. They did not complain to God or were cowed by the opposition they faced. They remained defiant and persevering in proclaiming the Good News. Instead of feeling discouraged, they remained positive about the spread of the gospel. Instead of withdrawing because of persecution, “they went back through Lystra and Iconium to Antioch. They put fresh heart into the disciples, encouraging them to persevere in the faith. ‘We all have to experience many hardships’ they said ‘before we enter the kingdom of God.'” This is such an irony for we would think that they would be needing consolation from the rest. On the contrary, they continued to strengthen those that were just converted, giving them new inspiration and courage to persevere in their faith especially when facing opposition and hardships.

Thirdly, they used their suffering to strengthen the Christian Communities. The truth is that the disciples were not immune to persecution and physical suffering. Through the persecutions that Paul went through, he had the authority to strengthen the disciples’ faith and endurance in the face of trials. He wanted to teach them not to give in to the pressure of the Judaizers’ attempt to turn them away from salvation by faith in Christ and to turn to the law instead. Just as the Lord had to “suffer these things and then enter into his glory” (Lk 24:26), so too the followers of our Lord “‘have to experience many hardships’ they said ‘before we enter the kingdom of God.'” This remains true today. Entry into the Kingdom of God demands much sacrifices and suffering. There cannot be a resurrection without death or a crown without the cross.

But, it is not enough to know that to be a Christian entails taking up our cross and following after Jesus. We must carry the cross with joy and confidence. This is where we need to turn to the gospel to find strength to carry the cross positively. It is significant that the gospel began with Jesus assuring His disciples of peace. He said to them, “Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” Jesus came to give His disciples peace. But it must be made clear that it is not the peace of the world that He is giving us.

The peace of Christ does not denote the absence of wars, suffering and persecution. It is not the ceasing of hostilities from our enemy. The world’s idea of peace is just the opposite of Jesus’ peace. The world understands peace as a situation when all enemies are conquered. It is an emotional peace. Indeed, the Pax Romana during the time of the Romans was a peace based on the Roman’s subjugating all the other states. It was an apparent peace. On the contrary, a Christian is called to find peace in the storms of life. The peace of a Christian is being calm and confident in the trials and challenges of life, because he is in union with the will of God. It is a peace that comes from a generous heart and a clear conscience. His peace is grounded in Christ and in the gospel, not on the external situation or the circumstances. It is a peace born of a living personal relationship with Jesus through the Holy Spirit.

This precisely was the peace of Christ, knowing that He was doing the Father’s will. It was His union with the Father that gave Him the confidence to face the trials ahead of Him. The Lord said, “I have told you this now before it happens, so that when it does happen you may believe. I shall not talk with you any longer, because the prince of this world is on his way. He has no power over me, but the world must be brought to know that I love the Father and that I am doing exactly what the Father told me.” When we know the Father and when we do everything in union with the Father, we do it with confidence. This is why this peace is not like that of the world. It is still felt within us when there are troubles outside. This is a peace that exists within the storms of life. So long as we know that we are doing God’s will, even in the face of opposition, we are at peace.

Peace is ours when we are certain of our end. Jesus assured them that He was going to the Father and that filled them with joy because they too would follow Him. He said, “You heard me say: I am going away, and shall return. If you loved me you would have been glad to know that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.” Indeed, Stephen could die peacefully because he could also commend his life into the hands of our Lord, as he said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” (Acts 7:59) When there is fear, it is because we are focused on ourselves and are uncertain of our future. But knowing that our final destiny will be with the Father, will give us peace in our suffering.

Peace, in the final analysis, is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Peace is a word rich in meaning. It sums up the blessings of the messianic age. When the Lord appeared to the apostles after the resurrection, He said to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When He said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (Jn 20:23) This peace is the consequence of reconciliation through the forgiveness of our sins. Peace is when we have a clear conscience before God and man.

With such words of encouragement, the disciples continued to strengthen the communities under persecution. They helped them to look beyond their suffering. To ensure that they would always have shepherds to lead them, they appointed a body of elders in each church. They made provisions for them. “In each of these churches they appointed elders, and with prayer and fasting they commended them to the Lord in whom they had come to believe.” Every community needs to have strong and faith-filled leaders to show them the way and to remind them to be faithful to Christ. So they appointed the elders to instruct them in their faith so that their knowledge of Christ could grow in maturity.

Finally, they demonstrated that prayer is the only way to secure divine faithfulness. They commended the leaders and their communities to the grace of God. As leaders we cannot be with those communities we started all the time. That is why we need to surrender them to the Lord and leave them to manage their own affairs. Jesus will somehow guide them, and send the Holy Spirit to guide and protect them.

Sunday, 2 May 2021

SEEING GOD THROUGH INCARNATIONAL MEANS

20210503 SEEING GOD THROUGH INCARNATIONAL MEANS

03 May, 2021, Saints Philip and James, Apostles

First reading

1 Corinthians 15:1-8 ©

The Lord appeared to James, and then to all the apostles

Brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, the gospel that you received and in which you are firmly established; because the gospel will save you only if you keep believing exactly what I preached to you – believing anything else will not lead to anything.

Well then, in the first place, I taught you what I had been taught myself, namely that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; and that he was raised to life on the third day, in accordance with the scriptures; that he appeared first to Cephas and secondly to the Twelve. Next he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died; then he appeared to James, and then to all the apostles; and last of all he appeared to me too; it was as though I was born when no one expected it.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 18(19):2-5 ©

Their word goes forth through all the earth.

Alleluia!

The heavens proclaim the glory of God,

and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands.

Day unto day takes up the story

and night unto night makes known the message.

Their word goes forth through all the earth.

Alleluia!

No speech, no word, no voice is heard

yet their span extends through all the earth,

their words to the utmost bounds of the world.

Their word goes forth through all the earth.

Alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation

Jn14:6,9

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, says the Lord.

Philip, to have seen me is to have seen the Father.

Alleluia!

Gospel

John 14:6-14 ©

To have seen me is to have seen the father

Jesus said to Thomas:

‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.

No one can come to the Father except through me.

If you know me, you know my Father too.

From this moment you know him and have seen him.’

Philip said, ‘Lord, let us see the Father and then we shall be satisfied.’

‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip,’ said Jesus to him ‘and you still do not know me?

‘To have seen me is to have seen the Father,

so how can you say, “Let us see the Father”?

Do you not believe

that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?

The words I say to you I do not speak as from myself:

it is the Father, living in me, who is doing this work.

You must believe me when I say

that I am in the Father and the Father is in me;

believe it on the evidence of this work, if for no other reason.

I tell you most solemnly,

whoever believes in me

will perform the same works as I do myself,

he will perform even greater works,

because I am going to the Father.

Whatever you ask for in my name I will do,

so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

If you ask for anything in my name,

I will do it.’

SEEING GOD THROUGH INCARNATIONAL MEANS

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ 1 Cor 15:1-8; Ps 1:2-5; Jn 14: 6-14]

In the gospel, Philip expressed his desire to see the Father. Philip said to Jesus, “Lord, let us see the Father and then we shall be satisfied.” Like Philip, people are looking for God, especially in the world today because of secularism and materialism. Without God, life has no foundation and no purpose. Without God, the soul remains incomplete because nothing in this world, not even all the pleasures can fulfill the thirst of his spirit. Indeed, we all know that we are more than sensual beings even though many of us strive for money and wealth. We have aesthetic and affective needs as well because the spirit cannot be satisfied by the material things of this world. In truth, those who have plenty of food and pleasures no longer find them a great joy because such pleasures have their saturation point.

So why does the world not believe in God or in the spiritual? Because they want to see before they believe. In this empirical and scientific world, people need to see to believe. They want proofs and tangible evidence. But we cannot see God directly or else we die. Moses asked to see God. But God said, “you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live.” (Ex 33:20) Indeed, beatific vision is only at the end of this life when we will see God face to face. St John wrote, “What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.” (1Jn 3:2)

Even St Paul did not see the Risen Christ directly. What he saw was a bright light at noon and heard the voice of the Risen Lord. Fourteen years later, he wrote, “whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows – was caught up into Paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat.” (2 Cor 12:3f) Whatever was his experience of God in Christ, it was indescribable. He was caught up in the heavens. But this vision was given to him only because God had a mission for him so that he could find the strength to endure the persecution ahead of him. God instructed the reluctant and apprehensive Ananias to restore his sight because, “he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” (Acts 9:15f) Yet the real measure of seeing a vision is not the experience itself but how that claim is seen in the person’s life, by his courage to suffer selflessly for God and his fellowmen, by his humility and faith. St Paul wrote, “For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.” (2 Cor 4:17f)

Clearly to see God does not mean that we see Him directly but indirectly through the effects of His presence. This was what the Lord told Moses. He can see His shadow, that is His goodness and mercy. “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you the name, ‘The Lord’ and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. See, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock; and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.” (Ex 33:19,21-23)

In other words, for most people, they have all the evidence of God in nature. They can see God through His works of wonder and mercy and in nature. St Paul wrote, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse!” (Rom 1:18-20) Isn’t that what the responsorial psalm declares as well? “The heavens proclaim the glory of God, and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands.”

However, in Jesus, we see God in person, not just in His works but in His words. Jesus is the embodiment of God. Jesus said to Thomas: “I am the Way, the truth and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you know me, you know my Father too. From this moment you know him and have seen him.” Through Jesus, we not only see but hear the Word of God speaking to us in person. When the Jews said to Jesus, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Why do I speak to you at all? I have much to say about you and much to condemn; but the one who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” (Jn 8:25-26) He reiterated this later when He said, “I have not spoken on my own, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment about what to say and what to speak. What I speak, therefore, I speak just as the Father has told me.” (Jn 12:49f)

Most of all, in Jesus, we see the works of God seen in His works of mercy and compassion. Jesus told the Jews, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to stone me? If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” (Jn 10:32, 37-39) Above all, it is in His passion, death and resurrection that God reveals His unconditional love and mercy. Jesus told Nicodemus, “No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (Jn 3:13-16) This is affirmed by Paul when he handed on the tradition, “Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; and that he was raised to life on the third day.” Hence, Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Jesus is the sacrament of God. A sacrament is a sign that makes real what it signifies. Today, we are called to be the sacrament of Jesus. The Church is the sacrament of Jesus. This is because the Lord works in and through His Church. Jesus lives in us and we in Him because He is the vine and we are the branches. (Jn 15:1-5). He promised that “whoever believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself, he will perform even greater works, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask for in my name I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” He reiterated this again later. “Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (Jn 15:5,7) On this basis, we have seven sacraments and sacramentals based on the incarnational approach to God. Through the Word and the liturgy, not in some form of esoteric, transcendental meditation, using the mind and breath but words, actions and sacramental, we are led into the presence of Jesus.

But the litmus test that we have encountered the Lord in the liturgy and in worship is in works of mercy and compassion. St James wrote, “If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” (Jms 1:26f) Again, he said, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe – and shudder. (Jms 2:14,17-19) As we celebrate the feasts of Philip and James, both of them lead us to see God through a personal relationship with Him and through the works of mercy and charity we do for our brothers and sisters.

FRUITFUL WITNESSING

20210502 FRUITFUL WITNESSING

02 May, 2021, 5th Sunday of Easter

First reading

Acts 9:26-31 ©

Barnabas explained how the Lord had appeared to Saul on his journey

When Saul got to Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him: they could not believe he was really a disciple. Barnabas, however, took charge of him, introduced him to the apostles, and explained how the Lord had appeared to Saul and spoken to him on his journey, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. Saul now started to go round with them in Jerusalem, preaching fearlessly in the name of the Lord. But after he had spoken to the Hellenists, and argued with them, they became determined to kill him. When the brothers knew, they took him to Caesarea, and sent him off from there to Tarsus.

The churches throughout Judaea, Galilee and Samaria were now left in peace, building themselves up, living in the fear of the Lord, and filled with the consolation of the Holy Spirit.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 21(22):26-28,30-32 ©

You, Lord, are my praise in the great assembly.

Alleluia!

My vows I will pay before those who fear him.

The poor shall eat and shall have their fill.

They shall praise the Lord, those who seek him.

May their hearts live for ever and ever!

You, Lord, are my praise in the great assembly.

Alleluia!

All the earth shall remember and return to the Lord,

all families of the nations worship before him;

They shall worship him, all the mighty of the earth;

before him shall bow all who go down to the dust.

You, Lord, are my praise in the great assembly.

Alleluia!

And my soul shall live for him, my children serve him.

They shall tell of the Lord to generations yet to come,

declare his faithfulness to peoples yet unborn:

‘These things the Lord has done.’

You, Lord, are my praise in the great assembly.

Alleluia!

Second reading

The commandment of faith and love

My children,

our love is not to be just words or mere talk,

but something real and active;

only by this can we be certain

that we are children of the truth

and be able to quieten our conscience in his presence,

whatever accusations it may raise against us,

because God is greater than our conscience and he knows everything.

My dear people,

if we cannot be condemned by our own conscience,

we need not be afraid in God’s presence,

and whatever we ask him,

we shall receive,

because we keep his commandments

and live the kind of life that he wants.

His commandments are these:

that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ

and that we love one another

as he told us to.

Whoever keeps his commandments

lives in God and God lives in him.

We know that he lives in us

by the Spirit that he has given us.

Gospel Acclamation

Jn15:4,5

Alleluia, alleluia!

Make your home in me, as I make mine in you.

Whoever remains in me bears fruit in plenty.

Alleluia!

Gospel

I am the vine, you are the branches

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘I am the true vine,

and my Father is the vinedresser.

Every branch in me that bears no fruit

he cuts away,

and every branch that does bear fruit

he prunes to make it bear even more.

You are pruned already,

by means of the word that I have spoken to you.

Make your home in me, as I make mine in you.

As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself,

but must remain part of the vine,

neither can you unless you remain in me.

I am the vine,

you are the branches.

Whoever remains in me, with me in him,

bears fruit in plenty;

for cut off from me you can do nothing.

Anyone who does not remain in me

is like a branch that has been thrown away – he withers;

these branches are collected and thrown on the fire,

and they are burnt.

If you remain in me

and my words remain in you,

you may ask what you will

and you shall get it.

It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit,

and then you will be my disciples.’

FRUITFUL WITNESSING

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Acts 9:26-31; PS 22:26-28,30-32; 1 John 3:18-24; John 15:1-8]

Being a Christian is more than just getting baptized, attending church services regularly, receiving the sacraments, doing our little part in giving to the poor and to the maintenance of the church from our abundance. Being baptized is not simply to save our soul and get a passport to heaven. This individualistic view of salvation is contrary to the gospel. We are called not just for ourselves but we are called for others. The only way to save ourselves is to save others with us. The best way to grow in faith is to evangelize others, for by sharing our faith with others, our understanding of our faith is crystallized and reinforced. Secularization does not want us to do this. By marginalizing faith, not only is religion taken out of public life, but without witnessing to his faith the believer will gradually lose his faith. Either we evangelize the world or the secular world will secularize us even more.

When the Lord called Saul, it was not simply for his salvation but he was called to be the apostle to the Gentiles. He told Ananias, who was horrified in being instructed to pray over Saul for healing, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” (Acts 9:15f) This was true for all the apostles called by the Lord. All of them were called to be fishers of men. (cf Mt 4:19) The Lord reminded the apostles at the end of His life, “It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit, and then you will be my disciples.”

How can we be His fruitful witnesses? The scripture reading gives us three fundamental principles. Firstly, we must remain in Him. This is the first and most important foundation of discipleship and witnessing. Three times in the gospel text today, Jesus underscored this absolute necessity when He said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that bears no fruit he cuts away. Make your home in me, as I make mine in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself, but must remain part of the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me.”

But what does it entail to remain in Him? Christian Faith is not an ideology or a philosophy or some doctrines that we assent to. It is our personal relationship with the Lord. Our faith is primarily in a person, not a set of doctrines. So to remain in Him requires us to be one in mind and heart with Him. To be a Christian is to be identified as another Christ. The Hebrew word for Christ is Messiah, the Anointed One. Christians are anointed with Chrism at baptism, and are identified with Christ in His desire to save humanity. Without falling in love with Jesus and motivated by His love, we are not truly His disciples.

A clear expression that we belong to Him is when we obey His commandments. Obedience is not imposed on us from without but from within because of our personal identification with Him. The only way we know that we are abiding in Jesus is when we keep His commandments. Hence, following today’s gospel text, the Lord continued, “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.” (Jn 15:9-11) When we love someone and are identified with the person, his/her will and desires become ours. This was certainly the case of Jesus who was obedient to His Father’s will even unto death, not because He had to but because He wanted to. At the end of the last chapter of John, as He proceeded to Jerusalem to meet His passion, He said, “I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us be on our way.” (Jn 14:31)

But to remain in Jesus is also to remain with the Church, which is His Body. There is no question of an individualistic Christian. This is why there is a danger in attending on-line Masses and services only without belonging to a physical Christian community. Our relationship is not just with God or Christ directly but meeting Him in the Christian community. After Saul’s conversion, Ananias welcomed him into the Christian community at Damascus. Later, when his friends heard of a plot by the Jews to kill him, “they took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket” so that he could escape to Jerusalem. (Acts 9:19-25) Again at Jerusalem, when the Christians were suspicious of him, it was Barnabas who “took him, brought him to the apostles, and described for them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus.” (Acts 9:27) Without the encouragement and support of Ananias and Barnabas and the Christian community, Paul would never have made it to be the apostle to the Gentiles. We, too, need our Christian brothers and sisters to support us in our faith and to encourage us, especially when we are struggling, not just with personal trials but even in ministry and in mission and evangelization.

Secondly, fruitful witnessing requires pruning. Jesus said to His disciples, “Every branch that does bear fruit he prunes to make it bear even more. You are pruned already, by means of the word that I have spoken to you.” Quite often when people take up ministry and mission, they are unaware that they are still much wounded and that the sin of Adam still lives in them. We need to be purified of our conscious and unconscious motives and weaknesses through a daily meditation on the Word of God. We must never forget that we can go from worldly cravings to spiritual worldliness as well. The sins of the flesh and the world still follow us when we are baptized, such as lying, dishonesty, greed and lust. Often in ministry and mission, pride, egoism, insecurity, defensiveness, arrogance, unforgiveness and vindictiveness still live in us. Only God’s word can purify our motives and intentions.

Pruning also calls for setting our priorities. Just like the vinedresser who has to decide what branches to cut off so that the remaining branches can bear more fruit, so too not all good things are always good for our ministry and mission. The devil can tempt us to do many good things until we find ourselves burnt out. Rather, we must be prudent to know our limits and our strength and choose which battles to fight. We cannot fight all battles. We are not the Messiah of the world. There is only one Messiah. We cannot do everything. Even Jesus had His priorities. When the people were looking for Him, He said, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” (Mk 1:38) Everything is urgent but not everything is important. And even if they are important, we need to do what is critical for our mission.

Finally, the Lord said, we must pray. “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask what you will and you shall get it.” We need to understand the mind of Christ and feel with Him in His heart for humanity. Prayer is the way by which our will and His can be aligned. Only because we are one in Him, our prayers will always be fruitful. Also, in prayer, by listening to His Word and allowing His word to live in us, we will know our priorities, and understand our true motives in what we do.

When we have done all we could, then we will not be disturbed even when our conscience condemns us, as St John wrote in the second reading. On the contrary, we can rely on the mercy of God and His providential plan for us. God is more understanding and compassionate to us than we for ourselves. Indeed, when the devil seeks to accuse us and unsettle us and condemn us for our failures and shortcomings even when we have done our best, then we should entrust everything to God’s mercy. This is because we remain in Him and He in us as “we keep his commandments and live the kind of life that he wants. His commandments are these: that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and that we love one another as he told us to. We know that he lives in us by the Spirit that he has given us.”