Today’s Gospel passage is from John 19.  Jesus, from the cross, is looking out for others.  Most especially, he looks out for his own mother.  First, ‘he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.”’

In the first century, the family took care of their elders.  There was no Social Security, no Medicare or Medicaid, and no nursing homes or assisted living facilities.  A widow facing the death of her only son was also facing an existential threat.  Her survival was in jeopardy.  So, Jesus gave his mother to John so that he would care for her.

This passage is also significant because, in giving Mary to John, Jesus was also giving Mary to the Church.  The Mother of God also became the Mother of the Church.  While we never worship Mary, we do pay a special veneration to her.  The Greek word used is hyperdulia to distinguish from the lesser veneration, or dulia, that we pay to the saints.  Mary is God’s greatest creature. 

Some struggle to have a devotion to Mary.  They cannot distinguish between the worship due only to God and the veneration that we have for Mary.  But we are called to allow ourselves to be conformed to Jesus Christ.  That resistance to a Marian devotion is resistance to conformance with Christ.  We cannot be fully conformed to Christ if we cannot also accept Mary as our mother too.  We cannot be fully conformed to Christ if we cannot be devoted to his mother too.  And Mary does not exist to gain glory for herself.  She wants to point us toward her Son. 

As Marcia Vinje writes, in an article on the University of Dayton website, “Mary is often depicted in icons, and one of the most common types of Marian icons is known as ‘Hodigitria,’ which means ‘Pointer of the Way’ or ‘Guide of the Church.’ This style is associated with Mary’s words at the wedding feast of Cana, ‘Do whatever He tells you.’ The mother points to her child as if to say, look at Him, not me.”

As Mother, Mary points the way for the Church.  She points toward her Son. 

How have we embraced Mary as our mother?  Do we recognize the role that she plays as Mother of the Church?  Do we allow Mary to point us toward her Son?  How is our Marian devotion evident in our prayer life?

Today’s Gospel passage is also the first part of the Gospel for Divine Mercy Sunday.  Jesus enters the Upper Room for the first time after the Resurrection.  And his words to those gathered there are “Peace be with you.”  Then, he gives them the ability to forgive sins.  This ability was clearly reserved to God alone before Jesus gives this gift to them in the Upper Room.

James 2:13 tells us that God’s mercy triumphs over judgement.  God is a God of infinite love.  When that infinite love encounters a repentant sinner, his mercy is beyond measure.  If we repent, we do not receive what we deserve.  What we deserve would be justice.  Instead, our debts are forgiven.  We receive what we do not deserve.  We receive the gift of God’s mercy…of God’s forgiveness. 

This is the reason for the sense of urgency regarding our repentance.  Jesus’ first words in the Gospel of Mark are “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”  We do not know the hour at which we will be called back from this world to the next.  Jesus tells us to always be ready.  We are called to repent of our sins.  Not later.  Now.  That we might experience God’s mercy now.  Not later.  And certainly not such that we miss the opportunity entirely. 

This gift of forgiveness of sins given from Jesus to the Apostles that is passed on to bishops who share it with priests at their ordination is a gift from a God of mercy.  It is the Sacrament of Reconciliation, or Confession.  God knows our flawed human nature and that we fall into sin.  He does not condone our sins.  But he offers a rescue from them.  He does so that we might get back on the path that leads to good habits, or virtues.  A path of virtues leads us back toward that for which we were made – eternal life with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

God gives us this great Sacrament of Reconciliation that is essential for forgiveness of mortal sins.  But, for those isolated in a health care facility in this time of pandemic and unable to see a priest, the Church provides the alternative of a perfect Act of Contrition with a promise to make a good confession with a priest at the earliest opportunity. 

This Act of Contrition prayer is a good practice regardless.  It is a part of Night Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours that priests pray daily.  It is a good idea for all Catholics.  Plenary indulgences remit temporal punishment of forgiven sins.  But they must be forgiven.

So, we want to make use of what we have through Jesus and the Church to experience God’s mercy, to receive forgiveness, and to remain close to God always.

In today’s Gospel, Peter asks what will happen to John.  Jesus tells him, “What if I want him to remain until I come?  What concern is it of yours?  You follow me.”

Each of us is called to follow Jesus by our own unique path within the Church.  Jesus does not want us to compare our path to someone else’s.  Some of us might be called to very prominent positions or to do things that draw a lot of attention.  Others of us are called to be anonymous saints, simply toiling quietly in the vineyard, and doing what God has asked us to do.  What someone else is called to do is not our concern, except to the extent that we might be able to support another in following their path. 

At the same time, this passage speaks to the diversity of the Church.  The Body of Christ necessarily has many different and unique members.  Just as the body has diverse parts and systems that all must function well for one to be in good health, the members of the Body of Christ all have different roles to play in making the whole Body realize its potential.

Hans Urs von Balthasar, the famous 20^th century theologian (and a favorite of Pope Benedict XVI) described four archetypes: Peter, Paul, John, and Mary.  With each are associated characteristic expressions of the new mode of grace given at the Incarnation of Jesus Christ.  Their archetypal experience shapes our experience of the Church.  The Petrine contribution (associated with Peter) is the apostolic preaching and the sacraments.  The Pauline contribution includes charismatic and visionary graces which inspire missions.  The Johannine contribution (with John) is contemplative love.  The Marian archetype is the most important of the four.  It is Mary’s “spousal-maternal presence providing a Marian unity at the core of the earthly-heavenly Church.”

Peter’s mission leading the origins of the Church hierarchy is essential.  But so is John’s mission of building up contemplative love within the early Church community.  From both, we enjoy the benefits today.

Within our Church today, we can see these four archetypes if we look for them.  More generally, we also see great diversity.  Culturally, spiritually, geographically, and in many other ways, the Church is a diverse Church.  And each of us is trying to answer our individual call while supporting others in theirs. 

But, within this diversity, there is unity.  Centered on Jesus Christ.  On our relationship with him (even in diverse ways).  And centered on the gift of the Eucharist.

Can we see the benefits of Peter’s contribution to the Church?  Can we see those of John also?  Do we appreciate the diversity found within the Church?  Do we continue to work toward greater unity within the Church?

Today, Jesus asks Peter three times, “Do you love me?”  After each of Peter’s responses, Jesus tells him to care for the flock.  “Feed my lambs.”  “Tend my sheep.”  “Feed my sheep.”

Peter, of course, publicly denied Jesus three times.  Yet, Peter did not fall into despair.  He cried over his failure.  But he did not lose hope in Christ’s love for him.  He did not think that he was incapable of being redeemed.  This was a key difference, perhaps the key difference, between Peter and Judas.

There is no unforgiveable sin.  There is only the sin for which forgiveness is never sought.

Peter is forgiven for his sin against our Lord.

God sometimes pricks our conscience to remind us of our need for him.  Here Jesus addresses Peter as Simon rather than as Peter.  He thus reminds Peter of his position before meeting Jesus.  This also indicates how Peter’s failure has damaged his relationship with Jesus.  And Jesus’ threefold question of Peter would clearly remind Peter of his threefold denial of Jesus.  But as Peter professes his love for Jesus, Jesus gives Peter his mission to care for the sheep.  Jesus is restoring Peter to right relationship with God but also entrusting him with the responsibility of tending the sheep.

God always forgives when we humbly ask for forgiveness.  And sometimes we need to be reminded of how dependent on God we really are.  By ourselves, we are capable of so little.  But God works through us.  He has a plan for each one of us.  If we answer our call and submit ourselves to God’s will, God can do great things with our very fragile selves.  Peter was impetuous and sometimes fearful.  But God led him to greatness.  We are called to greatness, perhaps not in a public way.  But we are called to heroic virtue in our own lives.  To sainthood in the unique way that God has planned.

Are we aware of our dependence on God?  Are we cognizant of our own sinfulness?  Are we willing to ask forgiveness on a regular basis for our failures?  Can we abandon ourselves to God and allow God to work through us?

In today’s Gospel passage from the end of John 17, we hear Jesus say in verses 20-21, ““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, that the world may believe that you sent me.”

“That they may all be one.”

This is Jesus praying for Christian unity.  It is a key verse, and perhaps the key verse, that serves as the call to ecumenism, or promoting the unity of Christian churches.  Vatican II put a special emphasis on having the Catholic Church work to promote this unity with other Christian faiths.  At the highest levels, Church leaders and theologians continue to work toward that unity with the leaders of these other faiths.

But I am neither a key leader of the Church in this effort nor a theologian tasked for this effort.  What can I do?  The Vatican II “Decree on Ecumenism” points toward two things that we can adapt to our individual situations to allow us to help promote better relations with our Christian brothers and sisters on a local basis.  

One is attitude.  Do we make “every effort to avoid expressions, judgments and actions which do not represent the condition of our separated brethren with truth and fairness and so make mutual relations with them more difficult?” 

Second is dialogue.  Do we engage our brothers and sisters in productive (and not combative) dialogue to understand their perspective and to find common ground on which we can agree?  Do we allow them to explain and then truly listen to those explanations without trying to find an opening to exploit to win an argument?  Do we look first for common ground?  Of course, we can only go out to others in such discussions as thoroughly Catholic people fully formed and completely grounded in our own faith first. 

We must seek unity not only with brothers and sisters in other Christian faiths, but especially with Catholics within our own faith.  We must focus on what unites us as the Body of Christ and not on what divides us.  Confusion and division are tools of the Evil One who rejoices when the Body of Christ is split by division.  We may disagree, but we must do so in a way that does not divide.

In what ways have we contributed to unity? In what ways have we contributed to division?

Today, we hear more from Jesus’ priestly prayer in John 17.  His words are clearly the words of the Good Shepherd.

“Holy Father, keep them in your name

that you have given me,

so that they may be one just as we are one.”

“When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me,

and I guarded them, and none of them was lost

except the son of destruction,

in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled.”

The shepherd is praying for the protection of his flock.  His love for them is clear.  As he enters his hour, the beginning of his Passion, he prays especially for them.  This is the love of Jesus Christ.  This is the model for all shepherds.

I realize that it is easier for a parochial vicar than for a pastor.  I have none of the many temporal responsibilities about which a pastor can worry.  People joke that my budget is going to be cut.  Well, it is tough to cut something that is already at zero.  Personnel issues, physical plant maintenance, and diocesan accounting systems are also not things which I have to manage.

Nonetheless, there is a great temptation for priests to worry too much about these things.  We can try to protect the institution rather than to care for the flock.  All those temporal things only exist to support our care for the flock.  As priests, our mission is to serve the people of God…to care for the flock.  The people then are called to sanctify the world.  Yes, we have a responsibility to be good stewards of temporal things like the budget, buildings, and the grounds.  Yes, we must comply with federal and state laws and regulations about things like payroll and employment.  But those are tangential to our need to care for the flock.

Good shepherds’ care for their flock is rooted in their prayer life.  Their pastoral care is an imitation of Jesus’ pastoral care that we see expressed in the Gospel.  Priests need to make time for that prayer.  I make a morning holy hour every day plus take time for the Liturgy of the Hours at other times during the day. And I always try to pray before the Blessed Sacrament in the rectory (admitting that I need to pray more in Adoration in the church).  Our work is not our prayer.  Our work is done well by God’s grace and because of our prayer.

Pray for your shepherds.  Pray that they do not lose focus on their responsibility to care for the flock.  Pray for their holiness.  When you see them in prayer, give thanks to God.  If you can, allow them to remain in prayer rather than be interrupted.  Good shepherds are holy shepherds.  It is only through our relationship with Jesus Christ and our devotion to the Blessed Mother that we can be the priests that you need us to be.

If we choose the Easter season readings, today is the first of three Gospel readings that cover John 17, Jesus’ priestly prayer.  It is prayed before the Apostles in the Upper Room.  It is sometimes called the “prayer of the hour of Jesus” because his hour has now come.  For us, it is a privileged entry into communication between the Father and the Son.  It is a window into the Trinity.  In witnessing the love between the Father and the Son, we see the Holy Spirit.  This entire chapter is a great gift. 

The whole prayer is full of beautiful sayings, any one of which could prompt a significant amount of time in mediation.  Almost at the very beginning, there is this:

“Now this is eternal life,

that they should know you, the only true God,

and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.”

What does it mean for us to know the Father?  Or to know the Son?  It is not just to know about them.  It does not mean that we become theology experts.  It does not mean that we can quote Church Fathers with ease.  Or even Scripture.  It means to know the Father and the Son by experiencing them.  And we know that we come to know the Father because we know the Son. 

The very next part is this:

“I glorified you on earth

by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do.”

Jesus glorified the Father by completing the mission.  He glorified the Father by doing the Father’s will.  And Jesus himself is glorified in this too.  The will of the Father is not different from the will of the Son.  The union of the Father and Son also means that we do not speak of separate divine wills.  Rather, we speak of one divine will.  The Son does not subvert his will to the Father.  The will of the Son is not different from the will of the Father.

In our own prayer life, as we come to know the Son (and thus to know the Father) through experience, our will becomes more aligned with the will of God.  As we become one with God, we want what God wants.  We do not toss aside our wants.  Rather, we allow God’s grace to transform our will to align with God’s will. 

In our current state, do we find ourselves with two lists – one for what we want and another for what we know God wants?  Are we willing to want only what God wants?

John 13-17 is known as the Jesus’ Farewell Discourse.  These are Jesus’ last words before his Passion begins.  John 13 is the Washing of the Feet and the announcement of Judas’ betrayal.  John 17 is known as Jesus’ priestly prayer.  It is a prayer to the Father.  So, John 14-16 is the heart of the discourse.  Thus, John 16 is the last teaching before the Passion to the Apostles.  When I read John 14-16 straight through, I see a final review session.  Jesus is working with the Apostles in a cram session on what they need to know before his Passion.  But he also covers a lot of what they need to know after he ascends to the Father. 

I am struck by how much of this discourse focuses on telling the Apostles to have peace.  It also brackets the whole section.  John 14 begins, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.”  Jesus’ last words in the Upper Room at the end of John 16 that we hear in today’s Gospel are “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 am also struck by how much Jesus’ reassurance is based on what awaits us in the next life.  He does not promise an easy life here.  Quite the contrary.  “In the world you will have trouble.”  But we are told to have peace because, in the next life, there are many dwelling places prepared for us (Jn 14:2). 

We are also promised that he will be with us in this life.  He will not leave us orphans (Jn 14:18).  Twice, he promises to send us an Advocate.

We live in this world now.  As we will hear on Wednesday, we do not belong to this world, any more than Jesus belonged to this world.  In this world, we are given what we need to stay on the road that leads back to Christ.  We are given the Advocate, the Holy Spirit.  We are given the Church and the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist.  We are given promises of what lies beyond…reasons for hope. 

Amid our difficulties, we are not to lose hope.  Because we are not left as orphans.  Jesus is with us.  The Holy Spirit is with us.  And, whatever we think about the problems of this world, we know that Jesus has conquered the world. 

Are we able to keep our eyes focused on our destination?  Focused on Christ?  In the midst of the storms of this world, can our faith, our hope, and our trust in God keep us from panic?  Do we really believe that the victory has already been won?

I once heard another priest at daily Mass in another parish tell the assembly that one of the most important things for any Catholic was to know what Matthew 29 tells us.  He said that, in his home country, many other denominations were convincing Catholics to leave the Church because those Catholics did not know what was in Matthew 29.  He then asked the assembly whether they knew what was in Matthew 29.  So, people started to shout out their guesses.

Then, he told us what we needed to know about Matthew 29.

That Matthew only has 28 chapters.

Today’s Gospel is from the end of Matthew 28.  It includes Jesus’ final instructions to the Apostles.  This is what we call Matthew’s version of the Great Commissioning.

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father,

and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,

teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

In the corporate world, visions and mission statements are important.  I often tell the story of New York Yankee baseball players Yogi Berra and Phil Rizzuto in the car together.  Phil said, “Yogi, I think we’re lost.”  And Yogi said, “Yeah, but we’re making great time.”  Visions define a common goal.  Mission statements help makes sure that organizations are not merely hubs of often conflicting activity in perhaps only nominal pursuit of that goal.  Both statements help groups of people to align their activities toward the common goal.  They make sure that all are headed toward the same destination.

As Catholics, our vision already exists.  It is that we all become saints.  To become saints and to help others to be the same. 

As Catholics, we might feel a need to also create a mission statement.  But, if we really think about it, we already have one of these too.  This one…the Great Commissioning.  This is what Jesus asked us to do.  Certainly at least with evangelization.

Pope Benedict XVI said that the Church does basically three things.  I paraphrase slightly, but those are worship and the sacraments, evangelization, and care for those in need.    Of the first, Mass and the Eucharist are most important.  So, if we really want a mission for us as Church, we should focus on Mass (and the Eucharist), evangelization/formation, and outreach. 

Have we recognized this vision for our lives and for the Church – to become saints and help others to do the same?  How do we live this out?  Have we embraced our call to evangelization via this Great Commissioning?  What else can we do to fulfill our commission? 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus says, “I came from the Father and have come into the world.  Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

One can only imagine how the disciples are dealing with this message.  Jesus says that the disciples have come to believe that he had come from God.  However, they do not understand what Jesus’ departure means.

Sometimes we struggle to understand situations.  They can seem overwhelming.  Events seem to spin out of control.  We might seem powerless to stop them.  Some can hold their ground during the storm.  They somehow focus on the few things that they can do and let the others simply happen. 

Many of us are familiar with first part of the Serenity Prayer:

God grant me the serenity

To accept the things I cannot change;

Courage to change the things I can;

And wisdom to know the difference.

Some things we cannot control or change.  For the Apostles, Jesus’ Passion and death had to be one example where one feels caught in a crazy series of events for which the best you can do is simply witness what happens.

So often, we understand new things by relating them to what we have known or experienced before.  Jesus’ description of his return to the Father likely did not fit anything to which they could relate.  This inability to understand the end meant that it would be much more difficult to deal with the things that led up to that end.

Sometimes, we too, have to simply stand back and witness events happen.  They are out of our control.  We might be able to respond or react in some small way.  But this small way is not one that effects the events themselves, it just determines our own limited response to those events.

Our faith can be our rock in such instances.  We do not understand, but we trust in God.  We cannot change what is happening, but we know that God can.  And, even if God does not change certain events of this world, we have a belief that what is to come in the next is what is most important. 

When have we felt overwhelmed by happenings in our life or in our world?  Certainly, this pandemic is one example.  How has our faith been our rock in such times?