FULLY ALIVE!

“The glory of God is the person fully alive.” ~ St. Ireneus of Antioch

As we continue to celebrate the Resurrection. It can be likened to a watershed of human history, because through the Resurrection humans are gifted with a new dimension of life through the sending of the Holy Spirit. Jesus, reminds us of this dimension in his farewell discourse at the last Supper, assuring his disciples it was better for them that he goes, for unless he departs, the Holy Spirit would not come, and only through the presence of the Holy Spirit are we humans “fully alive.”

Even amidst his persecution, Stephen was “fully alive.”  Filled with the Spirit, Stephen is blunt, straightforward, and outspoken in his indictment of the religious leaders. “Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute?” Then looking up to heaven tells them that “the Son of Man (whom they put to death) is standing at the right hand of God.” 

Luke tells us, almost as an aside, that during the stoning, the witnesses put their clothes at the feet of a young man called Saul, who looked on with approval. We can surmise it must have been this experience which sowed the seeds of Paul’s future Christian faith. As he saw Stephen dying with such dignity and grace, he must have been deeply moved and disturbed. “The blood of martyrs is the seed of faith.”

What we celebrate during the Easter Season is the rebirth of human nature through the sending of the Holy Spirit. Paul, after his conversion, refers to this new life as a “new creation”. So, during this season, we would do well to attend to the signs of this new life in us. The signs of this new presence are scattered throughout the New Testament and the world around us.

John gives us the first sign in today’s gospel: belief in Jesus: “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” The “I AM” strongly identifies Jesus with God and is the first of seven “I AM…” statements that appear in John’s gospel which speak of Jesus’ identity, fully alive.

“The glory of God is the person fully alive!” As we participate in sharing the bread of life, we can become fully alive when we soak ourselves in the life of Jesus, we penetrate deeply into “the Word” in scripture, and assimilate His Way into our own lives. Those who are fully alive are in close relationship with Jesus – here and now.

Are you a person fully alive?

TURN AROUND AND FACE THE SON

[1]Benjamin Franklin told the story of a man, who in buying an ax from a local blacksmith, desired to have the whole of its surface polished as bright as the edge. The smithy consented to grind the ax bright for him if he would turn the wheel of the sharpening stone. The buyer, agreeing, turned the stone while the smith pressed the broad face of the ax hard and heavily upon the stone. This made turning the stone very fatiguing and the buyer stopped, every now and then, to check on how the work progressed. Finally, exhausted, the buyer said, “I’ll take the ax without further grinding.”

"No," exclaimed the blacksmith, "turn more, turn more; we’ll have it bright by-and-by; as it is only speckled."

"Yes," replied the worn buyer, "But, I think I like the speckled ax best."

All the buyer needs to do is keep turning, a little longer, to achieve his initial desire. Jesus reminds the frightened and confused apostles with every visit how it “is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead, [so] that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem.” (Lk 24-48)

In the first reading, Peter is not shy about speaking this truth.  He doesn’t water it down with careful words, telling the people explicitly, “The author of life you put to death” by denying Jesus and choosing a murderer to be released. Yet, “I know … you acted out of ignorance.” So, here’s the way back to God. “Repent, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away.” (Acts 3:19) However, only those who own their part in the killing will dare to turn their faces to God in repentance.

Rev. Gerry O’Mahoney, SJ used to illustrate the idea of repentance in this way. Imagine you are walking down a road with the sun on your face. The sun symbolizes God and our desire to be close to God.  Sooner or later, we get distracted and turn a little. This happens again, and again, until we reach a point where we discover we are looking at our shadow on the ground in front of us. Which means we are now headed in the opposite direction of the sun. The point, all we need to do to reorient ourselves, to repent (return to the right path), is to turn around and once again face the sun.

It’s embarrassingly simple. All we need to do is turn around. Not accepting a speckled ax, but owning our part, and turning around to face the Son. This is the good news infusing all the readings today. The sun is always shining. God is always present.[2]

In our lives, we have choices each day. John says, “My children, I am writing this to you so that you may not commit sin.” (1 Jn 2:1) Not to sin would be the best path, but sooner or later, in our human weaknesses we will be distracted and turn away.

Benjamin Franklin reflecting further on the buyers’ willingness to accept a speckled ax says, this may be the case with many people; who having found the difficulty of obtaining the good or the challenge of breaking habits in other points of vice and virtue, have given up the struggle, refusing to continue turning, and concluding a speckled ax is best.

Perhaps the greatest challenge in our journey of faith is to own our part of our own brokenness.  Instead, we often point to other people or situations as the cause. It is profoundly difficult to own our part, because we find ourselves so hard to love when we face into the deep complexity of ourselves.

Whenever we struggle with sin— that so often are the same old speckles—we can turn back, we must turn back and live the commandments![3] Otherwise, those claiming to know Jesus and not keeping His commandments, John bluntly calls, “a liar, and the truth is not in them”. (1 Jn 2:4)

It’s because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, “if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father. He is expiation for our sins, and not only our sins but those of the whole world.” (1 Jn 2:1-2) Everyone has access, all it takes is to turn around and face the Son. This is how the world will “be sure that we are in Him,” the risen Lord. By our obedience and desire to live and witness to Christ’s victory through our daily choices. By the witness of our love, mercy, and compassion toward all God’s children, and should we get distracted, stray, backslide, fall, or just get turned around, we confidently turn around and face the Son

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[1] New American Bible Revised.  Acts 4:8-12; 1 John 3:1-2; John 10:11-18

[2] A Stranger and You Welcomed Me Edited by Deacon Jim Knipper. Story by Deacon Greg Kendra © by contributors.

[3] The Word on the Street, by John W. Martins © 2017.

WHY DO I HAVE GO TO MASS?

Why do I have to go to Mass? I know it is an odd question to lead off with, as I am addressing the 7:00 a.m. daily Mass faithful. But we’ve heard the mantras from so many others who don’t attend Mass regularly. "Mass is boring." "I don't get anything out of Mass." "Why can't I just pray alone?" Now there is a new mantra, “Live-streamed Mass is working great for our family, it’s a pandemic blessing.” These are common feelings, especially among young people, but also among many adults as well. How should we respond?

The great Bishop Fulton Sheen, when conducting a retreat for teenagers, once gave a talk on the meaning of the Mass. He said, "If you don't get anything out of Mass, it's because you don't bring the right expectations to it."

In the Gospel reading we hear Jesus and his disciples going up on a mountain, then realizing “a large crowd was coming to him … about 5,000 in number.” Why did they follow Jesus? As the story goes, it was the miracles. But the multiplication of loaves and fish, recounted in all four Gospels, is more, it has important eucharistic overtones. Yes, Jesus was concerned about people’s physical hunger, and he wants us to look beyond their stomachs, as this event is a sign foreshadowing Jesus’ feeding them and us with bread from heaven.

Why do we have to go to Mass every week? I think the best perspective is not so much why we have to go but rather how fortunate we are to be able to go weekly, even daily, with the ever-increasing priest shortages. When we truly understand what the Mass is, in faith, we’ll never want to miss! “For if this endeavor … this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, [no one] will be able to destroy [it, nor us]; they may even find themselves fighting against God.” (Acts 5:38-39)

When we approach the Mass with a deep faith and understanding of the great mystery we encounter, we are left with a longing and desire for more. When we receive Holy Communion, in faith, with an open heart, we enter into communion with the risen Jesus. He truly enters in, gives us Himself, as our sustenance for life and transforms the hardships and struggles of life into joys. The Mass, this bread from heaven, the body and blood of our risen Lord, has an unlimited amount of power to change us and draw us closer to God, to help us become all that God intends us to be. In the Mass we are made one with Christ so that we can say with St. Paul, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20)

During the pandemic many found themselves fasting from and starving for the Bread of Life because the churches were closed, and some are still now fearful of infection. May we learn from this difficult experience to be ever grateful for the food of this Eucharistic table, may we never neglect the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, and may we never forget those who are unable to regularly receive, because of health or shortage of priest, the bread that sustains us for all eternity.