Pastor's Message
6th Sunday of Easter
"Peace, I leave with you; My peace I give to you. A peace that the World cannot give." John 14:27
In the First reading, today we hear in the Acts of the Apostles about the first General Council (a meeting convoked to give answer to a problem bothering the Church at a particular time) ever, held by the Church; The Council of Jerusalem. Many of the Jews converts in Jerusalem felt that Gentiles, who were then flocking to the Church, were necessarily bound, to fulfill some of the requirements, as them, of becoming the People of God.
The Jews; the God’s Chosen People, through a Command of God through Abraham, had to perform the rite of initiation into the “People of God:” In Gen. 17:9-19; “God further said to Abraham, you in your part must keep my covenant, you and your descendant after you … every one of your males must be circumcised.”
Some converts who were themselves Jews, were preaching that, as, for Gentile Christians, circumcision was an obligation to become Christians. In Acts 15:1 we read; “Some who had come down from Judea were instructing the brothers, “unless you are circumcised according to the Law of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
St Paul and Barnabas and others considered this practice, unnecessary. The question was brought to Jerusalem to be solved in a Meeting of the Apostles and elders including Paul and Barnabas. The answer of the Council was that circumcision was not necessary for Salvation and should not be imposed on the Gentile converts; “it is the decision of the Holy Spirit and us not to place any burden beyond the necessities;”
The Gospel reading, which is a discourse of Our Lord on the last Supper before he suffered, is selected this Sunday, in preparation of the Ascension of Our Lord, that is to take place this coming Thursday or Sunday according to the advice of the local bishop.
In the Gospel addresses two moments in the future of the Disciples; the Near Future after Jesus’ departure and the distant future; when the Father and the Son will come to make their permanent dwelling with them.
It is the distant future, that the Seer in Book of Revelation sees. He is given a vision of God’s permanent dwelling with the Human race; “the holy city Jerusalem coming out of heaven from God.” The very construction of this new city with its clear crystal walls radiated the glory of the Lord Almighty and the Lamb, the Divine Presence.
That same radiant glory can be experienced even in the Near Future; the time Jesus is no longer with the Disciples; the time in-between the Ascension and the Christ second coming. This is the time of the Church, where the fruits of Love in the Holy Spirit would be experienced
The Disciple who Loved Jesus and showed this union of love by holding fast to his commandments, would experience the never unfailing flow of the Love of God the Father. And even a greater experience of Oneness with the Divine; The Father and the Son will come and they will establish an abiding presence with the disciple! “And we will come to him and make our dwelling with him!” Jesus promised.
“Peace, I leave with you; My peace I give to you. A peace that the World cannot give.”
This Peace, is that which flows from the Oneness with the God the Father and the Son; That Peace that flows from their intimate relationship. The Disciple who loves God will experience his Love and share in the oneness existing within him; this experience will result in peace that is real and unique!
This reality is a complex, but the good news is that we are not on our own. We have a Helper, a Consoler, an Advocate; the Holy Spirit.
