6th Sunday of Eastertime
May 1, 2016
Reading I: Acts 15:1-2, 22-29
Reading II: Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23
Gospel: John 14:23-29
Reading 1 Acts 15:1-2, 22-29
Some who had come down from Judea were instructing the brothers,
“Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic practice,
you cannot be saved.”
Because there arose no little dissension and debate
by Paul and Barnabas with them,
it was decided that Paul, Barnabas, and some of the others
should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders
about this question.
The apostles and elders, in agreement with the whole church,
decided to choose representatives
and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.
The ones chosen were Judas, who was called Barsabbas,
and Silas, leaders among the brothers.
This is the letter delivered by them:
“The apostles and the elders, your brothers,
to the brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia
of Gentile origin: greetings.
Since we have heard that some of our number
who went out without any mandate from us
have upset you with their teachings
and disturbed your peace of mind,
we have with one accord decided to choose representatives
and to send them to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So we are sending Judas and Silas
who will also convey this same message by word of mouth:
‘It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us
not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities,
namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols,
from blood, from meats of strangled animals,
and from unlawful marriage.
If you keep free of these,
you will be doing what is right. Farewell.’”
Reading 2 Rev 21:10-14, 22-23
The angel took me in spirit to a great, high mountain
and showed me the holy city Jerusalem
coming down out of heaven from God.
It gleamed with the splendor of God.
Its radiance was like that of a precious stone,
like jasper, clear as crystal.
It had a massive, high wall,
with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed
and on which names were inscribed,
the names of the twelve tribes of the Israelites.
There were three gates facing east,
three north, three south, and three west.
The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation,
on which were inscribed the twelve names
of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
I saw no temple in the city
for its temple is the Lord God almighty and the Lamb.
The city had no need of sun or moon to shine on it,
for the glory of God gave it light,
and its lamp was the Lamb.
Gospel Jn 14:23-29
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words;
yet the word you hear is not mine
but that of the Father who sent me.
“I have told you this while I am with you.
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
You heard me tell you,
‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’
If you loved me,
you would rejoice that I am going to the Father;
for the Father is greater than I.
And now I have told you this before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe.”
“Don't be troubled or afraid.”
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.
'Advocate' is variously translated as Helper, Comforter and Counsellor. The word points to the trial scene where disciples of Jesus might be called to give an account of their faith before a court, often in peril of their life. It also applies to the individual or the community caught in the fork of hard decisions to be made.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
This is one of those occasions where, to catch the meaning, it seems necessary to re-write the sentence, as the Living Bible does: "I am leaving you with a gift - peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid.”
******
It's a gift that does not come naturally, to have peace of mind and heart. Not that we shouldn't work towards it and practise it with every means we know of. But Jesus gives the promise of a peace that would be stronger and deeper than anything the 'world' can give. In terms of spiritual awareness it is expressed in those enigmatic words of Julian of Norwich (1342-1416): “All will be well and all things will be well.” [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_of_Norwich ]
In her thirteenth 'showing', Julian received a comforting answer to a question that had long troubled her:
“In my folly, before this time I often wondered why, by the great foreseeing wisdom of God, the onset of sin was not prevented: for then, I thought, all should have been well. This impulse [of thought] was much to be avoided, but nevertheless I mourned and sorrowed because of it, without reason and discretion.
“But Jesus, who in this vision informed me of all that is needed by me, answered with these words and said: ‘It was necessary that there should be sin; but all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.'
“These words were said most tenderly, showing no manner of blame to me nor to any who shall be saved.”
In this she recognizes the compassion she had prayed for. She is impressed with her need to be joyful in all circumstances, however adverse, and for no particular reason, except this: that all things will ultimately be put right by Christ. She comes to such a sense of the awfulness of sin that she reckons the pains of hell are to be chosen in preference to it. Indeed, to one who recognizes the horror of sin, sin itself is hell. “And to me was shown no harder hell than sin. For a kind soul has no hell but sin.” [ https://www.christianhistoryinstitute.org/incontext/article/julian/ ]
This year marks 700 years since Julian's death, and with her feast day celebrated on May 8 or 13 (both rather crowded days!) we could benefit from a small excursion around her teaching, especially her perception that sin is nothing, and that all is well.
Just google the name and you will have an abundance of material about Julian. This interesting item, for example:
Julian's theology was particularly optimistic, especially considering the times in which she lived. She saw God as a mother—perhaps the first Catholic writer to express this idea—and believed that God feels no wrath toward mankind but will one day make "all things well." Although never formally canonized, she is known as "Saint Julian of Norwich," and is commemorated in the Catholic Church on May 13, and in Anglican and Lutheran churches on May 8. [ http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Saint_Julian_of_Norwich ]
*****
At this time, when many hear the death knell of the churches, we do well to want that peace the world cannot give. Today's first reading recalls the earliest major crisis for the followers of Jesus. I think Luke's short account would need to be expanded for the trauma implied in it to be appreciated, but this is beyond my abilities.
Luke tells of the problem that arose in Antioch when self-appointed inspectors from Jerusalem came along, telling new converts that they could not be christian unless they were first Jewish, that is, circumcised, with the consequent obligation of living by the Law of Moses with its vast complex of prescriptions.
The meeting that was called in Jerusalem is reported as a peaceful affair, though Paul gives some idea of the difficulty of the decision to be made in his account in Galations 2. What would be the repercussions of agreeing with Paul, that circumcision was not necessary?
They were almost unthinkable: first, the covenant with Abraham was expressed in every circumcision; then, the very constitution of the chosen people was embodied in the Mosaic Law; even admission to the temple would be denied to these new converts.
To this point the community in Jerusalem had lived always according to the law, adding some fixed times of prayer for themselves, teaching in the temple courts, and holding their fellowship meals in the privacy of their homes. There was no thought of separating from Judaism. On the contrary, they believed the messiah had come in the person of Jesus, and they expected the fulfillment of all the promises to happen in their lifetime.
But if new converts were not under the law, what structure would their community have? Could the bonds be purely spiritual? If they were allowed to live the Way of Jesus outside of legal structures, would they be able to develop their own forms of community, not subject to a common pattern imposed by a central authority? Could the leaders in Jerusalem trust that the Spirit would guide them all?
There must have been some fierce debates, as different ones tried to warn against the chaos that would ensue. Those who had no concept of a godly life outside the Jewish context would have protested most vigorously. Yet Peter and James approved, and no doubt their explanations were much more elaborate that is reflected in Luke's very brief summaries.
“The Holy Spirit will make known to you everything I have said to you.” Even the end of the old ways. Even a new beginning without the constraints of the law. Even a community life in the Spirit without temple worship. " I saw no temple in the city for its temple is the Lord God almighty and the Lamb."
*****
We should not stand here looking back down the corridors of history. This Spirit is poured out anew, ever newly upon us. This is a time of boldness in confronting issues at their most complex, in their deepest roots. It is not the time for patching up, for cosmetic modifications. That was the way of Vatican II, an attempt to open up some new approaches which largely ended up pressing things into different shapes. The history of God's dealings is a never-ending series of new beginnings. Do not be afraid.
What if the communities as they existed after the council of Jerusalem were taken as the model?
Gradually every community takes on shapes and forms, rules and regulations, customs and laws that over time become constraints. Periodically these need to be stripped away. All living communities undergo transformation in renewal. It is a peculiar blindness for churchmen to want to hold on to every tradition, as if a godly community were exempt from the necessary conditions of growth.
Are we exoskeleton or endoskeleton? Do we hide within the institutional shell like the crab and the lobster? Or are we strong and flexible because our skeleton structure is hidden deep inside the community and never seen. The exo in it's protective shell is safe, of course, but growth becomes a problem, as does adaptation to changing environments. The endo is vulnerable, bruises easily and bleeds, but is proven to be the more successful form of life, provided the spirit is strong enough.
Our strength is of the Holy Spirit. “All will be well, and all manner of things will be well.”