Word to the Wise
Sunday, May 22, 2022 - 6th Sunday of Easter - C
[Acts 15:1-2, 22-29; Rev 21:10-14, 22-23; John 14:23-29]"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." [John]
I once heard a preacher say that if we are accustomed to genuflecting before the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle, why aren't we genuflecting to each other after we receive communion at Mass? As interesting as that question might be, I think it raises a broader question if we take seriously Jesus' words, quoted above that anyone who loves him will have God dwelling within him or her.
The Gospel According to John places a strong emphasis on belief in Jesus as the one whom God has sent. Faith in Jesus is the beginning of eternal life. Faith, then, is our response to God's offer of love, which goes beyond the simple fact that we owe our very existence to God's creative power. Human experience teaches us that even if our parents have given us life, we may very well reject their love, even though we carry them in us by virtue of DNA!!!
Jesus says that we are his friends, not his slaves, but that friendship is based on following his command to love one another. He is present within us by virtue of our faith in him and we are meant to show that presence and love to one another. This is an everyday matter, not an abstraction or theological theory. Christianity demands an everyday love of neighbor that reflects the love of Christ that is within us. It is not an easy task even with those who are closest to us in human friendship. We do fail one another even as we love one another. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a reminder to us of our weakness in loving.
The assurance of God's presence within us as long as we love Him and one another is a powerful consolation. Receiving "communion" at Mass is a witness to this love. We don't have to genuflect to each other, but we do have to respect God's presence in one another! AMEN