The Word Today - May 2004

“Unless I go, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” In a few days, we shall be celebrating the Lord's Ascension to heaven. Jesus said these words before his passion, death and resurrection. But he was already referring to his final departure from earth. Ten days after Jesus ascended to heaven, the promised Advocate came -- the Holy Spirit who descended upon the gathered disciples on Pentecost.

Yet Jesus continues to remain with us under the appearance of bread and wine in the sacrament of the Eucharist. This sacramental presence of Jesus is possible by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is a real presence, although we do not have Christ in the way he appeared two thousand years ago. Let us increase our faith in the real presence of Christ in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

“When the Spirit of truth comes he will lead you to the complete truth.” Jesus is telling the apostles about the coming of the Holy Spirit. The mission of the Holy Spirit, once Jesus Christ has died, risen from the dead and ascended to heaven, is to apply the fruits of Christ's redemption to the Church. This means, that the mission of the Holy Spirit is basically one of sanctification.

It is significant that Christ calls the Holy Spirit the spirit of “truth.” After all, sanctification requires the acceptance of the truth revealed by Christ. That is why faith, by which we come to possess the supernatural truths about God and ourselves, is considered by St. Paul to be the beginning of justification. Let us pray to the Holy Spirit to enlighten our minds and the minds of all men, so that we may all be receptive to the truths left by Christ in his holy Church.

The words of Jesus were meant to prepare the apostles for the trials they will undergo during the passion of Jesus. “You will be weeping and wailing, while the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy.” But these words of Jesus can also apply to the general situation of Christians. They must expect persecution and difficulties. In fact, many of the first Christians suffered martyrdom for their faith, but they were triumphant in the end because they entered heaven.

Nowadays, we can also apply these words of Jesus to our situation. When a Christian, out of fidelity to Christian principles and morals, suffers material setbacks, he can also rest assured that God will somehow reward him. Quite often, even in this life, a Christian's temporal sorrow is transformed into a deep joy. But above all, the sorrow will be transformed to joy when he receives the eternal reward of heaven.

Jesus Christ said, “I shall see you again, and your hearts will be full of joy, and that joy no one shall take from you.” This passage makes us consider the joy a Christian should have. Christianity, although its symbol is the cross (which is associated with hardship), is a religion of joy and happiness.

Anyone can have a good laugh and still be sad deep down inside. Joy is not just having a fun time. True joy, the one that “no one shall take from you”, is based on the deep conviction coming from faith that God is our father who loves us madly. When hardships come (and come it must for everyone because we live in an imperfect world), Christian joy is not removed. By uniting our sufferings with Christ on the cross, our joy becomes even more firmly rooted. A Christian can continue to smile in spite of external and internal hardships.

The existence of Jesus can be summarized in these words he addressed to his apostles: “I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father.” As we consider the Ascension of Jesus into heaven, let us remember that while he was in the world, in the words of St. John, he “gave us the power of becoming children of God.”

Whenever we think of Jesus seated at the right hand of God the Father or reigning over the universe as King of Kings, let us remember that we are now children of God through our identification with Christ. Through our Christian condition which began with Baptism, we are conformed to Christ. Hence, we can also relate to God as our father. This should fill us with a sense of dignity and holy pride, which will make us seek to behave as worthy children of God.

Today we celebrate Christ's final ascent into heaven. In the opening prayer, we pray that we may “follow him into the new creation, for his ascension is our glory and our hope.” It is our glory because we have a member of the human race elevated to the highest honor in heaven. It is our hope because if our Brother is in heaven, we can also expect to go there one day.

On a day like this, when we think of Christ seated at the right hand of God the Father, we can be encouraged to consider that heaven is for us. God wants all men to be saved. Therefore heaven is something attainable, it is not an “impossible dream”. It can become a reality if we correspond to God's grace

In today's gospel, Jesus foretold how even the apostles would end up abandoning him. “The time will come -in fact it has come already--when you will be scattered, each going his own way and leaving me alone.” At the same time, this does not disconcert Jesus. He is aware that there is a greater one who will never abandon him. “And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.”

How wonderful it would be if we all had the same awareness as Jesus. Indeed, God is always with us, whether or not we are aware of it. But if we were ever conscious of God's presence, we would always act in the best possible way. Besides, we would be filled with peace and joy.

Word Today, May 25, 2004 (Tuesday in the 7th Week of Easter)

Readings: Acts 20:17-27/ Jn 17:1-11a

In the last part of today's gospel, Jesus mentions that while he himself will no longer be in the world (an allusion perhaps to his Ascension into heaven), yet his followers remain in the world. “I am not in the world any longer, but they are in the world.” In the Latin language, the term for “world” is “seculus”. Historically, the term “secular” then referred to persons who are “in the world”. This is in contrast to those who, inspired by a special calling, decided to flee or get out of the world in order to dedicate themselves more to a specialized mission and to bear witness that “this world is passing away” so that we should not get misled by the wiles of the world.

Hence, we can say that Christ's words apply especially to those who are in a “secular” situation. This refers to most Christians, most especially the lay persons whom God has wanted to remain in their ordinary situation. Christ has prayed for them so that while they do remain involved in secular affairs, they may always realize that their true home is in heaven, with Jesus and the Father.

Word Today, May 26, 2004 (Wednesday in the 7th Week of Easter)

Readings: Acts 20:28-38/ Jn 17:11b-19

“I am not asking that you remove them from the world, but that you protect them from the evil one.” Indeed, although the world is full of evil and temptations, God does not want most Christians to get out of their own place in the world. However, Christ's prayer is also that they do not succumb to evil and to worldly temptations.

How can a Christian in the middle of the world be assured of being protected from the influence of evil? He or she must have a strong and vigorous spiritual life, sustained by prayer, sacrifice and the frequent recourse to the sacraments of Christ. Just like the phenomenon of osmosis, the Christian must have a higher concentration of goodness within him, so that instead of evil seeping into his system, he may influence his surroundings in a wholesome way.

Word Today, May 27, 2004 (Thursday in the 7th Week of Easter)

Readings: Acts 22:30; 23:6-11/ Jn 17:20-26

The gospel today contains the very important petition of Christ for unity. “That all may be one, just as you Father, in me and I in you; that they may be one, just as we are one.” This prayer of Christ was for the unity of all those who would follow him. It is the basis for our great yearning that divisions among Christians should disappear.

We must also recognize the fact that, even from the very start of the Church, there were factions that arose. In spite of these, the Church must continue along the path of unity and charity. One of the most important aspects of the ministry of the Pope is precisely the promotion and the preservation of unity in the Church. That is why we must all pray for the movement for the unity of Christians. We must remember that, while we acknowledge the existing differences, we must focus more on the numerous elements that unify us with all Christian Churches and ecclesial communities.

Word Today, May 28, 2004 (Friday in the 7th Week of Easter)

Readings: Acts 25:13b-21/ Jn 21:15-19

Three times did Peter deny Christ. Now, after the resurrection, Jesus Christ gives Peter three chances to affirm his loyalty to Christ. At each affirmation, Jesus confirmed the task of Peter, “Feed my lambs… feed my sheep.”

The successor of Peter in his apostolic ministry is the Pope, the bishop of Rome, where Peter died as a martyr. Hence, the Pope continues to have a direct and immediate responsibility over each and every member of the Church of Christ. Each bishop, successor of the apostles, is also immediately responsible for the faithful under his diocese. To take care of the sheep of Christ is a very great responsibility. Hence, we should all pray for the Pope and for all the bishops in union with the Pope. Our prayers will help them carry this burden put on their shoulders by Christ himself.

Word Today, May 29, 2004 (Saturday in the 7th Week of Easter)

Readings: Acts 28:16-20, 30-31/ Jn 21:20-25

The gospel today is the end of the gospel according to St. John. It contains a phrase that can answer the common error that whatever is not found in the bible is not part of Christ's teaching. St. John said, “There are many other things that Jesus did; but if every one of these should be written, not even the world itself, I think, could hold the books that would have to be written. Amen.”

So for those who say that everything should be found in the bible only, we must say that the bible itself says that there are other things that are not found in it. The Catholic Church has always maintained that while the bible is a very important source of what Christ said and did, we cannot be limited to the bible. We must also consider “Sacred Tradition”, referring to all the teachings and practices that Jesus taught, gave to the apostles to pass on, and is now faithfully transmitted and safeguarded by the Church.

Word Today, May 30, 2004 (PENTECOST SUNDAY)

Readings: Acts 2:1-11/ 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13 or Rom 8:8-17/ Jn 20:19-23

Today we remember that important event when the Holy Spirit descended upon the early Church in the form of tongues of fire and as a strong wind. The Holy Spirit transformed those cowardly people into fervent missionaries, ready to face persecution and death.

But the pouring forth of the Holy Spirit is not something that happened and ended about two thousand years ago. That was only the beginning. The Holy Spirit continues to be present in all the ages of the Church. The Holy Spirit is like the soul of the Church, which is the mystical body of Christ. As the Church is alive now in its members, in its teachings and in its sanctifying activities, so the Holy Spirit continues to act.

Let us pray to receive him: “Come O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love.”

Word Today, May 31, 2004 (The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

Readings: Zep 3:14-18 or Rom 12:9-16/ Lk 1:39-56

Today is the feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary went with haste to the house of her cousin Elizabeth, when she learned that Elizabeth was pregnant. Leaving aside the supernatural happenings involved in the meeting of the two cousins and the beautiful hymns in praise of faith and humility, we can focus on what this visit meant in itself.

Was Mary visiting just to exchange gossip with her cousin? Was she visiting in order to go sightseeing? No. It seems that Mary went to Elizabeth in order to help her. An elderly woman being pregnant for the first time would need the help of her younger cousin. Mary went there not to enjoy herself or to be pampered, but to serve, to work, to nurse her cousin. How wonderful Mary is! Instead of feeling proud and conceited for being the mother of the future messiah, she made herself available for the menial jobs that Elizabeth could not handle. Let us learn from her.