Fourth Sunday of Easter
Acts 13: 43-52; Rev 7: 9, 14b-17; John 10: 27-30
By Deacon Larry Brockman
It sounds so easy. Jesus says that all we have to do to experience eternal life with God is to believe in him, listen to his word and follow him. If we do that, then Jesus, the good shepherd, will protect us from anything and everything; and we cannot be snatched away by anything the devil throws at us. It sounds easy; but in reality, it is the challenging path. Because it takes fortitude to do all three of the required things- believe in, listen to, and follow Jesus.
First, there is the belief part. That’s kind of what the first reading is about. You see, right after Jesus’ resurrection, there were hundreds of eye witnesses to the Resurrection. And these people were fearless in the Lord; they were truly zealous witnesses of all the Jesus said and did. And, as the story in the first reading shows, they met with great success in the synagogues. Why? Because the Apostles and the Disciples told their story with conviction. The witnessing that Paul and Barnabas did was so effective that thousands of people believed.
They believed that a poor carpenter led an inspired life; performed miracles; claimed that he was the son of God made man out of God’s love; preached repentance and conversion of heart to do God’s will; suffered because of his message; died, was buried, and rose from the dead to eternal life to show us the way to eternal life if we followed him. These people believed all this on the basis of the Apostles’ word alone. That took real faith for the folks of the time. And it takes great faith for those of us separated from these events by 2000 years.
But you know what? Paul, Barnabas, and the Apostles are present today to all of us; they are the Church. And the Church preaches with the same conviction. What we are to believe is called the Creed, which we will all recite in just a few minutes. That Creed has all of the elements I mentioned above and a few more. Yes, it is a challenge to believe all of it just on the word of the Church. But that is what all of us are called by God to do- to first of all believe.
And then there is the “listen” part. That’s maybe the hardest part of all for us- to listen to the word of God. Perhaps it’s because we are so busy with life; and perhaps it’s because we don’t really want to know. Ignorance, after all, is bliss; but listening means more than just coming here on Sundays for an hour a week. Listening means taking time out for really getting in tune with God. How can you do the last part, following the Lord, if you don’t know what you are following?
Now all of you here today are part of a family. Indeed, you are Holy Family; but aside from that greater family, all of you are part of a nuclear family. Are you listening to what God wants for your family?
Pope Francis has just issued an Apostolic Exhortation to all of us on the Family. It is based on the results of the Synod of Bishops that has been meeting to discuss Family matters in Rome over the last couple of years. And let me be clear about this- what you hear on radio and TV and the press about the document is probably not accurate. Because, despite what you might have heard, the document reaffirms all of the traditional teachings of the Church on the family. It does recognize that times have changed So that the Church must present these traditional teachings in a way which is relevant in today’s society; and it exhorts the Church to always, always, be pastoral in dealing with persons who have gone astray.
But it doesn’t change any of the traditional positions of the Church. In fact, the document strengthens them by giving justifications for the church’s classic positions on controversial topics such as gender identity, gay marriage, cohabitation; and divorce. It is well worth reading; and I encourage all of you to read it. It is a free download on the internet and, although it is 257 pages long, the type is large and one single column.. Reading it would be a big part of what it takes to listen to the Lord on what his pattern is for families.
And lastly, we are called to follow. With respect to the teaching that the Pope issued on the family, that means a lot of challenges to all of us. For example, when you read the document you will see that the primary responsibility for educating children rests with the parents, not the Church; and that the primary purpose of marriage is procreation of children out of mutual love; and that the family includes the elderly and those who are marginalized with infirmities. These later categories of people are opportunities for all of us to learn patience, humility, and a spirit of service.
In the second reading, we hear about those called to the heavenly wedding feast of the Lamb. There is cause for great rejoicing in those words from Revelation, words such as the fact that those saved are: “A great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue”; and: “For the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Yes, this is what is in store for all of us who follow- and it is a great throng of people. And it includes all of us who believe in, listen to, and follow the Lord Jesus.
