5th Sunday of Easter- Year A
Acts 6:1-7
Ps. 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19
1 Pt. 2:4-9
Jn. 14: 1-12
Jesus
invites us to live in people’s hearts and allow people to live in our hearts
My
Dear People of God, did you pay attention to the last sentence in our first
reading of today? It reads: “even
a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith”. That struck and
reminded me of how stubborn and disobedient we priest can be. The two retired
priests in this parish, Fr. Geary and Fr. Herzog are very obedient and they
inspire me a lot. But I know Fr. Seda and I are very stubborn so on behalf of
Fr. Seda, and me, I would like to thank you very much for putting up with us.
You guys are saints:) We love you:).
Beloved
in Christ, our gospel today is part of Jesus’ final conversations with his
disciples before his Death and Resurrection. As part of that conversation, Jesus
told them: “I
am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I
will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may
be”. This
reading is one of the most popular readings for funeral masses because it reminds
us of God’s promise of eternal life. However, the reading does not only refer
to God’s invitation to us to join him in heaven. God does not live only in
heaven, but he also lives in the world he has created. He lives in this temple
and every place dedicated to him. Above all, God lives in the heart of each
human being. Therefore, God is inviting us not only to be with him in heaven,
but also to allow him to take us into people’s hearts and allow him to bring
people into our hearts in such a way that his kingdom will be established here
on earth.
Beloved, that is what Jesus
meant when he taught us to pray and live in such a way that God’s Kingdom will
come and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven. St. Peter reminds us of
this in our seconding reading today when he tells us to allow ourselves to be
built into a spiritual house, which is pleasing to the Lord: “let yourselves be built into a spiritual
house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God
through Jesus Christ.” If we are the house of God, then every human person
and indeed all created things should find room in our hearts and we in turn
must find room in people’s hearts. Which means we must want to be in people’s
hearts and be ready to welcome people into our hearts.
However, as the first reading indicates, this is not easy to
do. It is not easy to get along with everybody, but the fact that it is
difficult does not mean it is impossible. If you struggle to get along with
some people, you are not alone. The early church had the same struggle of how
to make room for everybody and be a spiritual house pleasing to the Lord. Yours
may not be confusion about how to share food. It may be somebody or a group of
people who do not like you or people you do not like and do not get along with.
It could even be people in your family. Husbands: Is it easy to always get
along with your wives? Wives: Is it easy to get along with your husbands?
Siblings: Is it easy to always get along? No! It is not easy to always get
along with friends, church members, or co-workers who have offended you and you
don’t want to associate with. Nevertheless, we cannot say because it is
difficult to get along we are going to give up on people. No! What is striking in
our first reading is that the early Christians did not say oh it is too difficult
to get along with everybody so we are giving up. No! They worked at it and
sought different solutions until they could be in one another’s heart.
My Dear Sister and Brother in Christ, our second reading
tells us that it is only through mercy and sacrifice that we can bring life to
the world. The reading tells us we are all called to be priests. And what do
priests do? They bring God’s mercy through sacrifice and by offering their own
lives to serve all people. Beloved, you and I are the chosen race, the royal
priesthood. Today let’s ask ourselves: Who are they that do not have a place in
our hearts? In whose heart do you not want to be?
Jesus has told us where he is, in people’s heart, in our
hearts; and that is where he is inviting us to be and allow others to be. When
we show mercy and sacrifice our lives for others, we become true spiritual
houses pleasing to the Lord. We dispel the darkness in our world and allow
Christ to shine in our hearts and shine in his church. It takes Mercy and Sacrifice
to keep people in your heart and be in people’s heart. Jim Lohr , one of our parishioners once sent
me a beautiful line form a poem written by Edwin Markham and I want to
share that with you: "He drew a
circle that shut me out…But love and I had the wit to win: We drew a circle and
took him In! Let’s draw a circle that will let people in so that the Love of
Christ will win and Christ will shine in our hearts and in his Church.
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