John 17:20 “I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us”.
Here is a quote from a book I recently purchased.
“Whenever that sacrifice of Christ is memorialized in the Church, there is an application to a new moment in time and a new presence in space of the unique sacrifice of Christ Who is now in glory. In obeying His mandate, His followers would be representing in a unbloody manner that which He presented to His Father in the bloody sacrifice of Calvary. After changing the bread into His Body and the wine into His Blood: He gave it to them (Mark 14:22). By that communion they were made one with Christ, to be offered with Him, in Him, and by Him. All love craves unity. As the highest peak of love in the human order is the unity of husband and wife in the flesh, so the highest unity in the Divine order is the unity of the soul and Christ in communion.”
— Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, p. 401-2 from his book, “The Life of Christ”
You can see many of Archbishop Sheen’s TV sermons on UTube or purchase them in religious stores or online. He was a television preacher in the 1950’s through the 1980’s. He was an awesome preacher and speaker in his day.His comment and the scripture for today talks about union with God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit. Jesus goes on to say in today’s readings “so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me.”
When the scripture for today came up, the question that I had was how do I show in my life that union with the Jesus? I certainly don’t think that I am that holy. When I get behind the wheel of a car and someone cuts me off while I would not use any hand gestures, that would be rude, but I don’t have the warm fuzzy’s within me. It is not enough to recognize the real presence in the Holy Eucharist, we have to show that union in our actions which is what Christ is trying to tell us in our message today.
One of the unwritten messages in our gospel today is the sense of calmness in Christ message. Jesus is saying, do not let your hearts be troubled, I am with you till the end of the age.He says that the Kingdom of God is at hand( the third Luminous Mystery of the Rosary) and all around us. If you think that Jesus is in you how could anyone be troubled by the minor troubles of the day. This is why holy people are so calm. They recognize that Jesus in them not just in Holy Eucharist but always.
I have admitted that I am not always calm, but I have an inkling of how to get there if I stop myself and take a breath.My approach is threefold. Prayer and the Eucharist are always available. When you are praying you are not thinking about the problem of the moment and when you participate at Mass nothing else matters. Every Thursday evening I meet with three brothers-in-Christ. I have been doing similar meetings like this for over thirty years. Sometimes we get off message and talk about computer problems. They are all techies. This sometimes leaves me flat, but we all will eventually get back on message which is how Jesus is working in each one of our lives and by the example of that life. Because we are honest with each other we confess that we sometimes fail, but the beauty of failure is there is an opportunity to do better next week. (Prayer, Eucharist and Community)
The good we do and the bad we do are witnesses to others and through it all Jesus is walking with us. With the bad there is no calm and with the good there is. In Monday’s Gospel John 16:32-33 “But I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you this so that you might have peace in me.In the world you will have trouble,but take courage, I have conquered the world.”
I have been honored to substitute for Mary Ortwein today. I miss her scholarly approach to the readings each week. I pray she is resting well and look forward to her return in a couple of weeks.
Your life is a sermon to the news that Jesus has conquered the world and that Jesus is working through each and every one of us. Go preach and be calm.
God Bless.
Bob Burford
Readings : Acts 22:30 23:6-11; Psalm 16:1-2A, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11; John 17: 20-26
