The God who Frees Us: The Fifth Sunday of Easter

                                                   The God who Frees Us

The Fifth Sunday of Easter

May 15, 2022

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Acts 14:21-27; Psalm 145; Revelation 21:1-5; John 13:31-35

 

          Last week, our Scripture told us about the travails of Paul and Barnabas as they faced opposition from the traditionalists within their community and then had to move onto places of safety in order to build up the faith. Today we find about their success in Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch while the church continued to grow joyously, and he acknowledged that the forces of angry traditionalists would continue to assault the young church. The Gentiles were perceived of as enemies of the faith, and were not welcome by this conservative group, but the will of God continued to bring more Gentiles into the faith as people of goodwill who became concerned for the common good. 

 

          This period of the church becomes a time of celebration, and that factors into the type of God that Paul and Barnabas preached, so they spoke of a Crucified God, a broken God, but that this God preached by Jesus as a loving Father calling persons to a new freedom. This type of God was good news to the people, who otherwise only knew a remote, impersonal God, who was largely unconcerned with the welfare of the people and for whom death has a final, complete obstacle. For Paul to preach about these new characteristics of God as the warm, loving Father of Jesus, who was intimately concerned about the friends of Jesus was a welcome message that changed the face of the earth and gave hope to countless billions of people. 

 

          Our loving God calls us to a new freedom. That’s what the Resurrection affords us. We are free from fear, death, and being slaves to sin, and we are freed for courage, and eternal life, with the conscience to make choices that contribute to the better life of the community. We know that God is our friend and advocate and will support our ability to flourish and to reach our potential with the help of many friends. We need this type of God today if we are to let our past go so we can embrace the possibilities for a renewed life in Christ.

 

          The promises of God are renewed in each believer’s heart as we are called to something new, something personal, and the church is called to the same type of reform – to one that is more synodal favoring dialogue and enrichment so we can figure out the solutions to our problems together. While society and the church are beset by problems and we have people who want to hold us back as in the days of Paul and Barnabas, we have the same God who is moving us forward so we can be a part of the solutions. We have to see this as a time of new beginnings with great possibilities, but first we must accept the freedom offered to us by God so we can experience the same range of openness that the early church realized, and by doing so, we will give glory to God. 

 

Scripture for Daily Mass

 

First Reading: 

Monday: (Acts 14) As Gentiles and Jews in Iconium were about to attack Paul and Barnabas, they fled to Lystra where Paul healed a lame man.  

 

Tuesday: (Acts 14) The crowds began to put their faith in Paul and Barnabas as gods, but the men protested and told the story of the Christ event. Opposition to Paul increased shortly afterwards and he was stoned. They left for Derbe to strengthen the disciples in those cities and encouraged them during their times of hardship.

 

Wednesday: (Acts 15) Some of Paul’s Jewish opposition raised the question of circumcision and adherence to the Mosaic laws. Along the way to Jerusalem to seek the advice of the Apostles, they told everyone of the conversion of the Gentiles.

 

Thursday: (Acts 15) After much debate, Peter and James decided that no further restrictions were to be made on the Gentiles.

 

Friday (Acts 15) The Apostles and presbyters chose representatives and sent them to Paul and Barnabas with word that the Gentiles were indeed welcomed into the faith with no extra hardships placed upon them. The people were delighted with the good news.

 

Saturday (Acts 13) In Derbe and Lystra, Paul heard of a man named Timothy who was well regarded by the believers. Paul had him circumcised and they travelled to Macedonia to proclaim the good news.

 

Gospel: 

Monday: (John 14) In the Farewell Discourse, Jesus reassures his disciples that he will remain with them if they keep his commandments to love one another. 

 

Tuesday: (John 14) To punctuate his message of consolation, he tells them he will send an advocate to teach and remind them of all he told them.

 

Wednesday (John 15) Jesus leaves them with his lasting peace that will help them endure many difficult times. This peace will allow us people to remain close to him – organically as he is the vine and we are the branches. 

 

Thursday (John 15) Remaining close to Jesus will allow us to share complete joy with one another. 

 

Friday (John 15) Jesus once again proves his love to his friends by saying that the true friend, the Good Shepherd, will lay down his life for his friends.  

 

Saturday (John 14) However, even with the love of Jesus, his followers will experience hatred in this world, but as his friends and as God’s elect, their harm can never really harm the souls of a believer.

 

Saints of the Week

 

May 15: Isidore (1070-1130), was born in Madrid to a family of farm laborers. With his wife, he worked on an estate and became known for his piety and generosity. His remains are the cause of several miracles most notably the cure of King Philip III who became his sponsor for canonization. 

 

May 16: Andrew Bobola, S.J., priest martyr (1591-1657), is called the Martyr of Poland because of his excruciatingly painful death. He worked during a plague to care for the sick, but he became "wanted" by the Cossacks during a time when anti-Catholic and anti-Jesuit sentiment was high. His preaching converted whole villages back to Catholicism and he was hunted down because he was termed a "soul-hunter."

 

May 18: John I, pope and martyr (d. 526), was a Tuscan who became pope under the rule of Theodoric the Goth, an Arian. Theodoric opposed Emperor Justin I in Constantinople who persecuted Arians. John was sent to Justin to end the persecutions. He returned to great glory, but Theodoric was not satisfied, though Justin met all his demands. John was imprisoned and soon died because of ill treatment.

 

May 20: Bernardine of Siena, priest, (1380-1444) was from a family of nobles who cared for the sick during plagues. He entered the Franciscans and preached across northern and central Italy with homilies that understood the needs of the laity. He became vicar general and instituted reforms. 

 

May 21: Christopher Magallanes, priest and companions, martyrs (1869-1927) was a Mexican priest who served the indigenous people by forming agrarian communities. He opened seminaries when the ant-Catholic government kept shutting them down. He was arrested and executed with 21 priests and 3 laymen. 

 

This Week in Jesuit History

 

• May 15, 1815. Readmission of the Society into Spain by Ferdinand VII. The members of the Society were again exiled on July 31, 1820. 
• May 16, 1988. In Paraguay, Pope John Paul II canonizes Roque Gonzalez, Alfonso Rodriguez, and Juan del Castillo. 
• May 17, 1572. Pope Gregory XIII exempted the Society from choir and approved simple vows after two years of novitiate and ordination before solemn profession. In these matters he reversed a decree of St Pius V. 
• May 18, 1769. The election of Cardinal Lorenzo Ganganelli as Pope Clement XIV. He was the pope who suppressed the Society. 
• May 19, 1652. Birth of Paul Hoste mathematician and expert on construction of ships and history of naval warfare. 
• May 20, 1521. Ignatius was seriously wounded at Pamplona, Spain, while defending its fortress against the French. 
• May 21, 1925. Pius XI canonizes Peter Canisius, with Teresa of the Child Jesus, Mary Madeleine Postal, Madeleine Sophie Barat, John Vianney, and John Eudes. Canisius is declared a Doctor of the Church.