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Contents: Volume 2:
7th Sunday of Easter -C- May 12th 2013
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Subject: 7th Sunday of
Easter
My mind went all
over the place after reading this Sunday's scripture
selections! The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles
tells about both Stephen and Saul and the reaction of the
crowd to them. The mentality of the crowd prompted me to
think about Jesus and the reaction of crowds toward him at
various times in his short ministry. I also thought about
some bumper stickers that I have seen recently
including "Jesus was a radical" and "Jesus was a liberal".
What is true in each
of my mini mind-scenarios is that crowd mentality does not
usually favor anyone who is different from the mainstream
population. People are often quick to judge others and
usually on first appearances or even hearsay. Changing the
mind of a crowd is also difficult at best. We often need a
reminder to love one another.
I found myself
guilty of too quick judgment myself in a situation this
week. I was surprised (and convicted) at my own negative
reaction (thinking how little prejudice I usually feel) when
I saw a shocking pink spiked haircut on the TV screen. It
turns out that the person sporting it was advocating a most
worthwhile cause!
We know we are
called to see Jesus in everyone that we see; sometimes that
is harder than others. The underlying reason for
unconditional and universal love is based on the Gospel
message given in this Sunday's reading. Jesus talks about
the oneness with the Father, for Him and for all of
us. Jesus prayed for us (and still does) "that they may be
brought to perfection". Each and every one of us is well
loved... even if each of us is still a work in progress!
God works in all of
us in ways we do not know. Remember that Saul became Paul,
thankfully for us Gentiles. Who we are and will become is
in God's time and that holds true for those we meet as well.
Many times those who
are counter-cultural are also prophetic. Christians are
supposed to be that way; perhaps someone we have shunned,
laughed at, or even ridiculed was one of God's unusual
instruments. May we tune our ears and train our eyes to be
more open to the surprising ways of God and to the unlikely
people often chosen to do the greatest things! Only then
will we become one.
Lord, may we
remember how much we are loved even though we often fail at
the work of loving ourselves and others. Lord, may You help
us to see You in everyone we meet. Lord, may You help us
to filter our reactions to people and temper our human
impulsivity with your divine wisdom.
Dr. Elaine (Lanie)
LeBlanc OP
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"'You see how it is
written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day
rise from the dead, and that, in his name, repentance for
the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all the
nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses to
this.'"
I have a friend who is a
politician -but don't hold that against him. Unfortunately,
he's not a very good politician. After 25 years of trying
really very hard, he has never yet been elected to
Parliament. And, no, this time he still didn’t make. But
he's still hopeful. His problem, however, is that the place
where he lives is a stronghold of one main party and he
belongs to the other main party. So the chances of him ever
getting elected are really pretty slim. A few years ago,
shortly after his latest ballot-box disaster, we met up in a
convenient location not far from here. And I asked him what
he would do if he ever was actually elected to power. And I
told him that I didn't really want to hear what was in the
party's manifesto - I wanted to know
what he would really do
if the people chose to give him the opportunity. He thought
for a moment and then he said: "I would find out what people
really want - what they truly need - and give my life to get
it for them."
Today we celebrate the
Resurrection and the Ascension of Jesus - his return to the
Father - to his position of Power and Kingship. And we hear
what he wants for us - his manifesto - the program to which
He has given His life and the Gospel that he sends out his
disciples to preach - It is this: Repentance for the
forgiveness of
Sins. He does not preach
lower taxes, better schools, more health centers, more
Police or a stronger army - he asks Repentance for the
forgiveness of Sins. Why is that so important that the Son
of God died and rose so that we might have it?
One of the sorrows of
being a doctor - as St Luke the physician probably once
knew - is that there are diseases - cancers of the Soul -
which no medicine can cure. So many people live lives of
quiet desperation. There are truly amazing numbers of people
whose lives are blighted by a suffering, a memory, a fear or
a guilt which they can never - ever - relinquish. It may be
the guilt of an action they have never ceased to regret. Or
it may be a crime done to them which they cannot either
forgive or forget, or in any other way put behind them. It
may be a critical failure in themselves or in someone else
which has prevented them from achieving their hopes and
deepest desires in life. It is one of the sorrows in the
life of a doctor that there is no tablet, no injection which
helps people like these. My clinic is full of them.
But it is one of the joys
in the life of a priest that frequently people like this do
find rest, peace, repentance and forgiveness - even after
many years of carrying a burden of guilt, anger,
disappointment or whatever - in the love of God and
especially in the sacrament of reconciliation. Of all the
things I have ever done in life, I have never felt more
useful to humanity than the time I have spent hearing
confessions.
Just recently, I gave a
woman of 34 her First Holy Communion. She had been baptised
a Catholic, but not brought up in any Faith. Her short life
had been dominated by drugs, abuse and other things I’d
rather not talk about. And when I met her, she was dying of
AIDS. She asked for Confession and Holy Communion because
she wanted to die at one with God, and at peace with
herself, her family and friends.
By then, I had been a
priest for some years. But it was only after that I realised
why it is that when the Lord at his Ascension, sends out his
disciples to bring the Christian Good News to the ends of
the Earth, the message he sends is repentance for the
forgiveness of Sins. In the End - the real End - the Final
End - there is nothing else that matters.
Let us pray that we too
may be given the grace to know God’s Peace in our own lives
-- and to bring it to the very many people in this world who
need it so desperately.
Let us stand and profess
our Faith in God and in the only things that really matter.
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7th Sunday of
Easter -C- May 12th 2013
One of the situations in
today's society that distresses me is the deep divisions and
rancor among people, even Church people. Differences of
opinion have always been a part of life, and I believe that
they can lead to "thinking" which is a healthy sport that
pushes us to learn and grow.
But we seem so willing to
rush in and help stone people who we don't "approve of". Or
if we don't actually throw the stones, we will take care of
the "garments" of those who do. Excommunicate, shun,
verbally attack, emotionally batter, ... hate.... so much of
it "in Jesus' Name". I guess it's an improvement over
stoning, or burning people in the town square, but barely.
Now we can destroy others on FaceBook.
There is much to grieve
in our world and in our Church.
A recent NOVA program on
PBS traced the evolution of life on earth from the initial
formation of our planet to the present day. Through billions
of years, earth has baked and froze, become rain forest and
desert, evolved all kinds of fascinating life through the
changes in the environment. We, humans, are the first life
form that has an influence on the future of our planet and
all who live on it. The Ice Age, extinction of species,
development of new species, the miracle of trees and plants,
water and desert, all happened without human agent.
Like that creation, I
think we have a tendency to float along and "go with the
flow". ... and yet!
Here we are, with the
ability to make choices. Perhaps that is the sweet
side to today's bitterness - it's harder to just float
along. We have to choose. Will we choose to fight, or
cooperate? Will we destroy our planet through greed and war,
or will we learn to respect and preserve it? Will we wake up
and make some choices, or just drift along encased in our
shell? Will we kill like Saul and the crowd, or will we be
open and receptive when the Spirit moves us? Will we rise up
to new life with Jesus, or prefer the dark, safe place of a
tomb?
"The Spirit and the bride
say, "Come" Let the hearer say, "Come" Let the one who
thirsts come forward, and the one who wants it receive the
gift of life-giving water."
God's grace is always
present and active to transform us. How thirsty am I? What
kind of water do I want to drink?
Vancouver Island, BC
Canada
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Sunday Scripture
reflections with Elaine Ireland
“May the eyes of your
hearts be enlightened.”
(Eph 1:17-23)
Have you ever had an
“eye-opening” experience, when the way you’ve looked at
something or someone suddenly changes? Like Paul’s
conversion, “scales” fall from your eyes and you see things
as they are. This happens when the eyes of your heart have
been opened.
It sometimes takes
others, like the angels in today’s reading from Acts, to
awaken us. And, like the disciples, we may need to be told,
“Get your heads out of the clouds, open your eyes, and get
moving. There is much work to be done in the Kingdom.” If
our view is only skyward, if we ignore the kingdom in our
midst, we are missing Jesus’ message and his command.
We pray: May the eyes of
our hearts be enlightened, that we may know the hope that
belongs to his call: Go; make disciples of the whole world.
Look at each other through eyes of love, compassion, and
peace. Amen.
© 2012, Elaine H.
Ireland. (If you’re interested in receiving Elaine’s weekly
Scripture reflections, email her at
ehireland@loyola.edu.)
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