Word to the Wise
Monday, May 15, 2017 - 5th Week of Easter - Mon
[Acts 14:5-18 and John 14:21-26]"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 - he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you." [John]
The Farewell Discourse at the Last Supper continues as Jesus prepares his disciples (and us) for what is to happen to him (and to them and us). The passage today shows us something that Jesus has been saying all through the gospel, and then how this will continue. What he has been saying is that anyone who believes in him as the one whom God has sent already has eternal life. How this will continue after his physical departure is the work of the Spirit who will be the presence of the Father and the Son in us and in our midst.
All of this requires an intentional faith on our part. Catholics have been suspected by other Christians as worshiping the Church as an institution instead of God. This is why we hear that question, "Have you accepted Jesus as your personal savior?" All of the wonderful richness of Catholic tradition has one purpose: to lead us to union with the Blessed Trinity. Consider how we touch the holy water at the entrance of the church and make the Sign of the Cross. (Most of us could do a better job by also saying the words!) This traditional gesture is a reminder of our baptism and our relationship with the Trinity. That Trinity became flesh in Jesus Christ. If we keep his words, and believe in him as the one whom the Father has sent, then the Trinity dwells in us. It's pretty powerful theology, but it's also an everyday thing that we just don't dwell on much. But rich rewards come from an attentiveness to this truth - every day! AMEN
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