Sunday, April 28, 2013

Sunday word, 28 Apr 2013

Bumper Sticker Evangelization
5Easter (28 Apr 2013)
Homily of Fr. Paul Panaretos, S.J.
If no one has heard that phrase, it’s because I made it up in Du Bois. During this month’s spiritual direction with clergy my host told me a bumper sticker he noticed on a car ahead of him that day. “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.” “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.”
The mystery of Jesus’ cross-resurrection is divine love’s power on behalf of humans. The mystery of Jesus’ cross-resurrection is not divine love separate from us. The mystery is divine love embodied in our humanity. Jesus embodied the fullness of divinity along with the fullness of our humanity. Freely and for all Jesus powerfully transformed us to be our redeemed selves. Freely and for us says selflessly. Selfless, free, for another describe love and name its power.

When we are compelled—by things or others—we are not free. Unfree we are unable to be for another’s good. If I behave kindly toward you so I gain something, I am neither free nor selfless, am I? Not selfless is obvious: I am behaving kindly with myself in mind not you. Not free is also true: if I behave kindly to get something, then I’m in the control of something or someone. Humans are inclined to behave neither freely nor selflessly. Our inclination finds expression in scripture in its phrase of the world. For us and for the world Jesus gave us his new commandment: love one another.

We appreciate Jesus’ words when we recall their entire scene. Our gospel selection happened during Jesus’ Last Supper. He had washed the feet of his Apostles—all of them; his betrayer Judas, too. Jesus grew troubled in spirit over his betrayal.1 When the disciples learned who Jesus meant, Judas left.

The gospels do not describe Judas as selfless; he certainly was unfree: he dithered a lot about Jesus’ ministry then colluded with the chief priests, who wanted to get rid of Jesus.2 He finally decided to hand over Jesus. Money seemed to sway him.3

When Jesus gave his new commandment to love one another he did not say to do it they would have to be crucified as he was. Yet to love is not easy. Jesus warned that suffering, even cruelty inflicted by others for his name, would be part of Christian living. Early the disciples realized that was so for they preached, It is necessary to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God. While every Christian’s particulars to fulfill Jesus’ commandment vary, the manner of loving is the same: Âs I have loved you, so also you ought to love one another. Freely and selflessly is our Christian way to love.

So, if free and selfless loving is our way, why are we here? The answer: the mystery of our Messiah’s cross-resurrection. Jesus reminded us in last week’s gospel that he and his Father are one. Jesus used the word abide4 for their living unity. Because Jesus abided in his Father he was able to lay down his life and take it back again.5 By his divine nature Jesus abides in his Father. The mystery, though, is not one way. By our human nature, which Jesus shared fully, we abide in Jesus, and he abides in us through the sacraments.6 Here we allow Jesus to nourish, strengthen and comfort us to live his commandment anew each day. Comfort well describes love’s power. When we weep, for example, we feel power from those who comfort us, unique power that is not of the world.

We easily forget Jesus wept. After he wept and died and rose, Jesus returned to wipe every tear from his disciples eyes. Jesus did not return to shock and awe with power. He returned to do what he had done in other ways: to comfort; to reassure; to enliven; to bless; to rejoin; to enkindle; to inspirit; to empower; to companion—in a word, to love. To wipe away tears scripture states is God’s vocation, how God continues creating us. When we comfort, we are powerful in a new way, the way of our crucified and risen Messiah. Making his power ours heals not only individuals; it heals our world.

In your daily 15 minutes with Jesus this week, pause and rest in our triune God. Ask Mary and the saints to present you to Jesus. Chat with him: praise Jesus for abiding with you even when you are unaware he walks with you; thank him for the privileged way he abides with you in his sacraments and shares his divine nature with you. Ask Jesus for grace to grow freer to following him more closely and to love more selflessly. Close saying slowly the Lord’s Prayer.  His words guide us to live his new commandment with others and for our world.

In your daily 15 minutes this week
  • Rest yourself in our triune God.
  • Ask Mary and the saints to present you to risen Jesus.
  • Chat with him: praise Jesus for abiding with you even when you are unaware he walks with you; thank him for the privileged way he abides with you in his sacraments to share his divine nature with you.
  • Ask Jesus for grace to grow freer to follow him more closely and to love more selflessly.
  • Close saying slowly the Lord’s Prayer. His words guide us to live his new commandment with others and for our world.

Link to this homily’s Spiritual Exercise

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  1. John 13.21-30
  2. Matthew 26.14-16; Mark 14.10-11.
  3. The woman anointing Jesus’ feet precedes Judas‘ decision in both Matthew and Mark.
  4. It appears 41 times in the Fourth Gospel. Its primary meaning, to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy), is translated variously: abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry (for).
  5. John 10.17-18.
  6. These three sentences closely follow St. Hilary of Poitiers and his On the Trinity, Book 8.15.
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