Fifth Sunday of Easter Cycle C
04/22/2013
April 28, 2012
In the Gospel reading we hear Jesus speaking at the Last Super. He has given the Apostles, and us, the key to eternal life. I think most of us can love the other to some extent. But the real test is are we willing to really go out of our way for the other?
The other day as I was coming out of the market, a teen was sitting on the curb. I knew what he was going to say. "Can you spare some change?" Here was the opportunity to see what Jesus was talking about. Did I just judge the kid? Or did I at least talk to him? Or did I just walk the other way? This was a opportunity to love the other.
It seems that we can truly see our own spirituality, our Christianity, in the times when we are confronted by another, especially if that means going out of our way. If we fail, we can still see the gift the Lord is offering us. The opportunity to pray to be able to love the other, even the one who is difficult and appears at the moment as the ENEMY.
Yes, a Christian is to love the enemy. Is to give his or her life for the other. That can sound so strange in our society today. But, it is the way to eternal life.
The first reading continues to show us the experience the journey of Paul and Barnabas. They make a journey of some 600 miles in a trip that took two and one half years. Wow! And this first missionary journey was the shortest of the three that were made.
Are we will to make that journey of going out of our way for someone else? Of giving a listening ear? Of show compassion without judgement? For sure every day each of us makes a missionary journey. The question becomes, will we learn from the journey of the day? We we learn that we need to convert and see that we are to make the love of Christ present to the other, even the ENEMY.
The second reading gives us a taste of eternal life. I hope we can continue to see that this world is not eternal life. Our imagination can not grasp what it will be like. Nothing can compare to it. For sure it will be different. And just think, it was the love that Christ showed and asked us to also demonstrate that can give us a glimpse of what is to come.
Or do we still think it is all about me and my comfort zone. Well, many who have gone before us who have shown us something different. Certainly, Paul and Barnabas were willing to love even in moments of trials, sufferings, rejections, etc.
Now it is our turn to ask for the grace to be able to do the same.