May 10, 2015
Dear Parishioners,
It seems that not a day goes by that there is not some horrific and senseless act that has been carried out in the world. Hatred seems to be running rampant day after day. Conflict in our families, our communities, and yes, even in our churches, is rubbing against the Gospel message of Jesus. In fact, reading today’s Gospel made me to think about the state of our world and our relationships with one another. In doing so it makes complete sense that love and friendship are the two human intuitions that have the best chance of keeping this world from falling apart at the seams. One might say that love and friendship are meant to keep us human and humane. They call on our higher faculties, our deepest intuitions to show one another such human qualities as respect, regard, admiration, esteem, deference, devotion, honor, reverence, even awe or astonishment. Love and friendship have as their objective the recognition that the other is a human person with inherently created gifts that deserve respect – qualities that make each one a sacred person, a child of God. When we love another person or consider them our friend, it is not because of external characteristics. We do so because of some deep and mysterious quality that we can hardly describe or define but that we know is there because we are both human. Could that be the reason why we are so shocked and dismayed when we hear of incidences where people hurt others with unkind words, bullying, gossip or physical abuse. Such acts offend our deepest human sensitivities because we know that we are all created from the same love of God and it offends us deeply when one of our own is treated so poorly.
These thoughts came to mind when I re-read Jesus’ conversation with his disciples before his death, quoted in the Gospel for this Sixth Sunday of Easter. It is possible that one might have the sense that Jesus, because of his divine nature, had no need for human friendship or support. He could “handle it” as we say. Well, obviously, he couldn’t handle it. Being human like ourselves, he needed all those same human supports that we find ourselves in need of each day. Jesus could not handle it any better than we can. Later, in his fear, on the night of his capture, he would complain to his friends that they could not stay awake with him for even one hour. It was a kind of plea made in desperation. Without the support of his friends he was afraid that he might not be able to get through it all. Unfortunately, their friendship with Jesus turned out to be rather shallow; “they all turned and ran,” the text tells us.
Most of us, when we read the transcript of Jesus’ passion and death, think that the physical beating he took must have been the worst part. My sense is that Jesus was a very sensitive person who tried to assist others in their human difficulties and pain. For that reason he often experienced the same emotions that we do. He cried when he heard of the death of his friend Lazarus, he could not stand idly by when the blind, the lame and the mute came to him for assistance, he had to do something for people in their suffering because they were also his friends. He loved everyone – adults, kids and, yes, even teenagers! Jesus was human in every way and felt the same human needs that we do. It is for that reason that he could say: “This is my commandment to you, that you love one another as I have loved you.” It was as though he was saying, Here is how I would like you to plan your future: stay together and show your love for one another, and you’ll make it. I would like to think that this last command of Jesus is meant for all those friends of Jesus who have been part of his Kingdom, the Church, over the centuries – that’s us! If there is one way for us to keep our Church from failing apart, it might be a good idea for us to look around at one another each Sunday when we gather for Mass and say to ourselves: Wow! Without all these friends around me, it would hardly have been worth coming here today!
Fr. Leonard+