Fr. Jerome Pistoni sx
The gospel that we will hear on the sixth Sunday of Easter is the conclusion of the 14th chapter of the gospel of saint John.
It started with the words: “Do not be afraid." The disciples at the departure of Jesus feel orphans, abandoned and Jesus explains that he doesn't abandon them, but he goes to prepare a place. We will understand that the place that he prepares is not very far from us, that place is inside us.
The initial statement: “If anyone loves me …” is provoked by one of his disciples—Judas (not Judas Iscariot)— who addressed a question to Jesus: “Lord, how come you have to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
In Israel, everyone expected a Messiah who, performing spectacular miracles, amazed the whole world. Faced with the humble attitude with which Jesus has always presented himself the apostles often asked the question that was formulated by Judas, on behalf of all, at the last Supper.
Also the Christians of the communities of Asia Minor, the time when the gospel of saint john was written, at the end of the first century, 60 years after the death of Jesus, do not understand the reason why the Lord does not come back, as he promised, on the clouds of heaven to manifest clearly who he is and what he is capable of doing.
To these doubts and uncertainties, St. John answers recalling the words of Jesus to the apostles who had the same doubts: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him” . Jesus wants to manifest, together with the Father, not through miracles, but by coming to dwell in the disciples.
The manifestation of the glorious Jesus will not be a public event, but will happen in the interiority of each Christian. We become the house of God.
It is not us who need to climb mountains to reach God dwelling far away from us, It is the Holy Trinity who want to come to us to dwell inside us. They become our guests, but there is a condition to receive them: to keep the word of Jesus.
We are not invited only to listen to the word, but to keep it, to recall it or, as the spiritual guides tell us, to ruminate it, that is to repeat this word in our mind and become familiar with it.
The sign of our love for Jesus is the keeping of his word: not only to practice other religious devotions, such as fasting, penance etc. but by keeping his word, remembering his message and allowing his word to influence our daily life.
It would be interesting to ask ourselves on Sunday night, before going to sleep: what do I remember of the word of God that I have listened today in the Mass; how much do I remember of the comment offered by the priest celebrating the mass?
Keeping the words of Jesus and not putting our trust in other words is the condition to invite God inside us.!!
Which words guide our daily life?
Armed robbers do not keep the word of Jesus, but the word of human beings who make them believe that they can become rich easily, just stealing other people’s property.
The word of Jesus that we remember and treasure in our heart is like a seed that, at the proper time, will produce fruit: we are not left alone in this task, the Holy Spirit will assist us.
He will teach and remind us the words of Jesus. Thorough him the word of God kept hidden in our heart will become alive and produce fruits of good deeds.
The gospel that we will hear on the sixth Sunday of Easter is the conclusion of the 14th chapter of the gospel of saint John.
It started with the words: “Do not be afraid." The disciples at the departure of Jesus feel orphans, abandoned and Jesus explains that he doesn't abandon them, but he goes to prepare a place. We will understand that the place that he prepares is not very far from us, that place is inside us.
The initial statement: “If anyone loves me …” is provoked by one of his disciples—Judas (not Judas Iscariot)— who addressed a question to Jesus: “Lord, how come you have to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
In Israel, everyone expected a Messiah who, performing spectacular miracles, amazed the whole world. Faced with the humble attitude with which Jesus has always presented himself the apostles often asked the question that was formulated by Judas, on behalf of all, at the last Supper.
Also the Christians of the communities of Asia Minor, the time when the gospel of saint john was written, at the end of the first century, 60 years after the death of Jesus, do not understand the reason why the Lord does not come back, as he promised, on the clouds of heaven to manifest clearly who he is and what he is capable of doing.
To these doubts and uncertainties, St. John answers recalling the words of Jesus to the apostles who had the same doubts: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him” . Jesus wants to manifest, together with the Father, not through miracles, but by coming to dwell in the disciples.
The manifestation of the glorious Jesus will not be a public event, but will happen in the interiority of each Christian. We become the house of God.
It is not us who need to climb mountains to reach God dwelling far away from us, It is the Holy Trinity who want to come to us to dwell inside us. They become our guests, but there is a condition to receive them: to keep the word of Jesus.
We are not invited only to listen to the word, but to keep it, to recall it or, as the spiritual guides tell us, to ruminate it, that is to repeat this word in our mind and become familiar with it.
The sign of our love for Jesus is the keeping of his word: not only to practice other religious devotions, such as fasting, penance etc. but by keeping his word, remembering his message and allowing his word to influence our daily life.
It would be interesting to ask ourselves on Sunday night, before going to sleep: what do I remember of the word of God that I have listened today in the Mass; how much do I remember of the comment offered by the priest celebrating the mass?
Keeping the words of Jesus and not putting our trust in other words is the condition to invite God inside us.!!
Which words guide our daily life?
Armed robbers do not keep the word of Jesus, but the word of human beings who make them believe that they can become rich easily, just stealing other people’s property.
The word of Jesus that we remember and treasure in our heart is like a seed that, at the proper time, will produce fruit: we are not left alone in this task, the Holy Spirit will assist us.
He will teach and remind us the words of Jesus. Thorough him the word of God kept hidden in our heart will become alive and produce fruits of good deeds.