Fifth Sunday of Easter Cycle C
05/12/2022
May 15, 2022
In this reading Paul is on his first missionary journey that lasted about 2 1/2 years. Paul, with his travel companion Barnabas, had such love for the people and situations they found as they traveled that they were willing to endure it all. Apart from the sea journey, Paul traveled on foot some 600 miles over mountains and difficult terrain. Both endured many difficult situations.
They were so strong in their experience of Jesus Christ that they were willing to put others first so that the people would hear the word of God.
We can find ourselves in a similar situation when we are called to put others first so that they can experience the love of God through us as did Paul and Barnabas.
Are we willing to go out of our way for the other; even for the difficult one?
Do our actions give reason for others to think that God does exists?
St John saw a new heaven and a new earth, the future place where all will be happiness and peace.
We are given a brief view of heaven, a place where we will be free from everything that makes our earthly life difficult.
We should not worry so much as what heaven is like, but does our life reflect the fact that we love God and show it in our daily lives by our words and actions so we will one day experience this new place where all will be made new.
In this reading, which is part of Jesus last discourse to his apostles at the Last Supper, He spells it out....
That's a challenge for each of us as we look at our own lives and see if we love the other as Christ loved us.
We may even discover we only do that when it is convenient, or when we have the time, or when we are in the mood.
That could be the time to pray for our own conversion so that the next time we deal with a difficult person or a difficult situation we can go out of our way for that person.
We have the power to make the love of God present in the world today.
Use that power...
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