SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER YEAR B, 2024 BY FR. MARTIN EKE, MSP

Acts 1:15-17, 20-26; Psalm 103:1-2, 11-12, 19-20; 1 John 4:11-16; John 17:11-19

We see in the first reading that St. Peter, now transformed by the power of the resurrection, took charge of the Christian community. The words of Jesus have come to fulfillment, “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). St. Peter recalled the prophecy concerning Judas and his replacement in Psalm 109:8, “May his days be few; may another take his office.”

St. Peter proceeded to give the community the directives and the criteria for electing Judas’ replacement: one of the men well known to them, who had been a disciple the whole time, beginning from the baptism of John until the resurrection. Two men, Justus and Matthias, who met the criteria, were put forward. The disciples prayed and cast lots, and Matthias was chosen. The result was accepted by all. No deceiving and lying campaigns, no election irregularities, no controversial result, no violence. The election of Matthias stands as a model for all elections, civil or religious. The lack of integrity surrounding elections everywhere is a far cry from the election of Matthias.

St. John tells us in the second reading, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another” (1 John 4:11). Those who want to lead others must eschew self-interest and love those they want to lead by having their best interests at heart. Jesus gives the following rule, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:42-45).

Scripture scholars refer to John chapter 17 as Jesus’ Great Intercessory Prayer or The High Priestly Prayer of Jesus. The entire chapter is Jesus’ prayer in which he commended his disciples and all believers to his Father as his passion and death drew near. There are, at least, four prayer points in the gospel reading:

One: “Keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are” (verse 11). Jesus prays that we remain united in his name. We, therefore, pray for Christian unity and unity in our homes, communities, churches, and country instead of suspicion and antagonism. We pray for peace and unity in our world instead of war and destruction.

Two: “I speak this in the world so that they may share my joy completely” (verse 13). It is the prayer of Jesus that we share in his joy. Jesus prays in John 15:11 that his joy may be in us and that our joy may be complete. Nehemiah 8:10 says, “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” May nothing take away the joy we have received from the Lord.

Three: “I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the evil one” (verse 15). 1 John 5:19 acknowledges, “We know that we belong to God, and the whole world is under the power of the evil one.”  St. Paul, also, says, “For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens” (Ephesians 6:12).  However, Jesus encourages us, “In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world” (John 16:33). Let us remain in him (the true vine) who is able to deliver those who remain in him.

Four: “Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth” (verse 17). Jesus prays that we are consecrated or sanctified in the truth. God’s word is the best cleansing agent for our soul and body. Therefore, if we ‘soak’ ourselves in God’s word, we will be sanctified. Jesus says, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). Further, he says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:16). May Jesus the word made flesh (John 1:14) and the truth free us from all falsehood and all entanglements that we may live new life in a new way.

Next Sunday is Pentecost Sunday when we will celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit. We are all encouraged to be drawn to the wonderful celebration. Everyone is invited to participate in a parish spiritual program for the celebration or a personal spiritual exercise. Remember the promise of Jesus, “If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the holy Spirit to those who ask him?” (Luke 11:13).

THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD YEAR B, 2024 BY FR. MARTIN EKE, MSP

 Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 47:2-9; Ephesians 1:17-23; Mark 16:15-20

The idea that Jesus was a political messiah remained in the minds of Jesus’ disciples, even up till his last moments on earth. We read in the first reading, “When they had gathered together, they asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom of Israel?’” I guess that Jesus’ answer astonished them further. He replied to them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The disciples might have wondered, “What’s the man talking about? We are talking about the restoration of the kingdom of Israel, and he is talking about the Father and the Holy Spirit and witnessing. What’s the connection?” Perhaps, that was why when Jesus disappeared into the cloud, the apostles stood in bewilderment and gazed intently at the sky until the angels came to minister to them. Then, they returned to Jerusalem and “went to the upper room … [and] devoted themselves with one accord to prayer…” until the descent of the Holy Spirit on them (Acts 1:12-14).  

What does the Ascension of the Lord mean to us?

First, Jesus ascended into heaven and is at the right hand of God interceding for us. In today’s second reading, St. Paul writes, “… the exercise of [God’s] great might, which he worked in Christ, raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens…” (Ephesians 1:19-20).  In Romans 8:34, he writes, “Christ who died, and better still, rose and is seated at the right hand of God, interceding for us?” Jesus himself says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).  The author of the Book of Hebrews writes, “Therefore, he is always able to save those who approach God through him, since he lives forever to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25). 1 John 2:1 tells us, “We have an intercessor with the Father, Jesus Christ, the Just One.”

Second, Jesus says, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you may be where I am” (John 14:3). Preface of Ascension 1 says, “Mediator between God and man, judge of the world and Lord of hosts, he ascended, not to distance himself from our lowly state but that we, his members, might be confident of following where he, our Head and Founder, has gone before.” We are, therefore, to be ready for his return and go with him. The Lord speaks of his coming in the Book of Revelations, “Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed” (Revelations 16:15). “Remains clothed” means to be prepared and to be ready.

Third, Jesus is no longer physically in the world. As his followers, we are to continue his good deeds by witnessing him to the world. He commands us in today’s gospel reading, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Jesus remains in the world through us, who are his disciples, ambassadors, and witnesses. St. Teresa of Avila appeals to us: “Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks with compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”

Jesus says, “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12). The works and greater works of Jesus are for us to become his body, his hands, his eyes, and his feet.

Fourth, when Jesus ascended into heaven, the apostles went to the upper room and devoted themselves with one accord to prayer until the descent of the Holy Spirit on them. We are invited to leave the noisy ‘lobby’ go into the quiet “upper room” of prayer, and pray for our personal new Pentecost. St. Paul prays for us in the second reading, “May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe, …” (Ephesians 1:17-19).

The surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe is as Jesus promises in today’s gospel, “These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons; they will speak new languages; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover” (Mark 16:17-18). May these signs accompany us as we witness him in the world. Amen.

SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER YEAR B, 2024 BY FR. MARTIN EKE, MSP

 Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48; 98:1-4; Psalm 98:1-4; 1 John 4:7-10; John 15:9-17

Acts of the Apostles Chapter 10 contains God’s directives that the Good News be preached to non-Jews, the Gentiles. They were to be baptized and welcomed among the believers. God’s directives were through two visions, the vision of Cornelius and the vision of Peter.

Cornelius was a Roman centurion but devout and God-fearing along with his family. His vision was to send for Peter (Acts 10:5-6). Peter’s vision was not to call any person profane or unclean (Acts 10:9-16). In the vision, God directed Peter to accompany the centurion’s messengers without hesitation.

“When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and, falling at his feet, paid him homage. Peter, however, raised him up, saying, “Get up. I myself am also a human being” (Acts 10:25-26). Peter’s humility is a challenge to us when we demand appreciation or respect, or recognition. To be appreciated or recognized or respected gives encouragement and gives a good feeling. But when there is a failure of our expectation, let us not be upset or discouraged. God’s appreciation is greater than human’s appreciation. His recognition is greater than human’s recognition. Whatever we are is by God’s grace; not by human thinking! Therefore, humility and goodwill accompany our gifts and talents.

In Cornelius’ house Peter preached, “You know that it is unlawful for a Jewish man to associate with, or visit, a Gentile, but God has shown me that I should not call any person profane or unclean” (Acts 10:28).  “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation, whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.” There was an immediate effect from Peter’s words. “While [he] was still speaking these things, the holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the word.” (Acts 10:34-35, 44-46).

The first reading reminds us of the painful past and present atrocities and evils of racism, tribalism, discrimination, slavery, holocaust, ethnic cleaning, genocide, xenophobia, and so on rooted in prejudiced judgement of fellow human beings as ‘profane,’ ‘unworthy,’ ‘worthless,’ ‘soul-less,’ ‘heathen,’ ‘outcast,’ ‘less human,’ and so on.

Unfortunately, too, sometimes, we discharge unwelcome and biased attitudes on one another in our homes, groups, churches, communities, neighborhoods, places of work, gatherings, institutions, organizations, and so on. The way out of these sins is for us to see one another with eyes of love that see each person as created by God in his image and likeness (Genesis 1:27). For this reason, St. John writes to us in the second reading, “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:7-8).

The admonition continues in the gospel reading. Jesus says to us, “As the Father loves me, so I also love you” (John 15:9). “This is the commandment: love one another as I love you” (John 15:12). Jesus repeats, “This I command you: love one another” (John 15:17).

Jesus uses himself as an example. “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). St. Paul tells us that love does not seek its own interests (1 Corinthians 13:5). Love without sacrifice is like a balloon. It does not endure. May God bless people of goodwill who have made or make various degrees of sacrifices for love of God and human beings.

We hear it often said that love is blind. The saying, in a positive way, means the love that does not discriminate; the love that treats everyone impartially. It is the love that is color blind, status blind, and blind to leanings and inclinations. St. Paul writes, “Let your love be genuine; … love one another with mutual affection …” (Romans 12:9-10).

Let us conclude with this story:

A rabbi once asked his pupils how they could tell when the night had ended and the day had returned. “Could it be,” asked one student, “when you see an animal in the distance and tell whether it is a sheep or a dog?” “No,” answered the rabbi. “Could it be,” asked another student, “when you can look at a tree in the distance, and you can tell whether it is a fig tree or a peach tree?” “No,” replied the rabbi. “Well, when is it then” demanded his students. The rabbi replied, “It is when you look at the face of any man or woman and see that he or she is your brother or sister. If you cannot see that, then no matter what time it is, it is still night!”