First Reading: Acts 14:21-27
Reflection:
This Sunday’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles records the end of Paul’s first missionary journey. He and Barnabas had departed from Antioch in Syria and gone through the island of Cyprus and then onto the mainland of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). In this reading, they are making their return journey through many of the cities they had already visited and ending up back at Antioch, a major hub of Christianity in the early Church, where they reported what had happened on their journey and that many Gentiles (i.e. non-Jews) had come to faith in Jesus. Along the way back, they exhorted the believers “to persevere in the faith,” explaining that the Christian life will not be easy. In fact, in that time, Christians could expect to be severely persecuted for their faith, even to the point of being killed. While we might not experience that severe of persecution as Christians in modern America (although many Christians still do in other parts of the world), we still can expect to experience hardship on our journey toward heaven. That is because we live in a world full of suffering as a result of sin. But, as Christians, we can find purpose, peace, and joy even in the midst of the most difficult hardships because of our faith in Jesus. This is because we can see hardship through the eyes of the cross. Out of that horrible suffering, came the greatest good—salvation.
Second Reading: Revelation 21:1-5A
Reflection:
The Apostle John records here his vision of the end of time when Jesus will return. At that time, there will be a new heavens and a new earth. God will re-create, making “all things new.” God will also unite Himself to humanity forever. The image portrayed here is heaven coming down to earth. In other words, the kingdom of God is being established on earth. This will happen in its fullness at the end of time. Those of us who have persevered in faith will be united with God forever and dwell with Him on the new earth. Sin and death will be defeated once and for all. There will be no more tears, death, mourning, wailing, or pain. We will be one with God forever. This will take place after the final resurrection when our souls will be reunited with our glorified bodies and we will face the Final Judgment. The kingdom of God will then be fulfilled and the righteous will reign with God forever on the new earth. John’s vision, therefore, gives us a snapshot into the future and teaches us that eternal union with God is our ultimate goal and, hopefully, our greatest desire. Let us, then, persevere in faith.
Gospel Reading: John 13:31-33A, 34-35
Reflection:
This Sunday’s gospel reading records some of Jesus’ last words to his disciples before his crucifixion. He spoke these words to them at the Last Supper, after Judas departed to betray Jesus. All the words of Jesus are important but you can envision these words as having special emphasis because they act as a sort of last will and testament given by Jesus to his closest followers. The message is simple: “love one another.” Living out that message is the challenge. The word “love” is thrown around so much in our culture, it seems to have lost its meaning. Still, love is the heart of the Christian message because “God is love” (1 John 4:8). So what is love? To love, according to St. Thomas Aquinas, means to will the good of another. In other words, love is selfless. It involves actively seeking the best for another person without seeking anything in return. This is what Jesus is calling us to when he says, “love one another.” We are to take care of one another’s needs, pray for one another, and seek the best for one another, which ultimately is found in faith in God. It is by this love for fellow Christians that the world will know that we are Jesus’ disciples. Thus, our radical, selfless love for one another is the best way to witness the love of God to the world.
Application:
- Prayerfully reflect on who you need to love better than you have. What action steps do you need to take in order to selflessly express love to that person? Make a plan to take those steps this week.
