Sixth Sunday of Easter, Cycle A

JOHN 14:15-21
JOAN AND I ATTENDED A CONCERT IN HOLYOKE LAST NIGHT. IT WAS PUT ON BY THE RIGHT TO LIFE GROUP AT OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE PARISH. THIS PARISH IS IN THE OLDER PART OF HOLYOKE AND AS PARISHES GO, IS PRETTY POOR. BUT THEY HAVE A STRONG RIGHT TO LIFE GROUP. AT THE NATIONAL MARCH FOR LIFE IN WASHINGTON DC THIS YEAR, THERE WERE NINE BUSES FROM OUR DIOCESE CARRYING PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE. TWO OF THEM CAME FROM OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE PARISH.
AT THE CONCERT A YOUNG LADY NAMED KEILA RAMON WAS THE FEATURED SINGER, ALONG WITH DAN KANE ON THE SYNTHESIZER, AND SOME OF THE OTHER DAN KANE SINGERS HELPING OUT. AND I HAD THAT OLD FEELING AGAIN, WHEN I SEE REALLY GREAT MUSICIANS. I WISH THAT I COULD SING, OR PLAY, LIKE THEY DO. I WISH THAT I COULD MAKE A SYNTHESIZER SOUND LIKE A SWING BAND FROM THE 20'S OR A ROCK AND ROLL BAND FROM THE 90'S. I WISH THAT I HAD A VOICE THAT COULD ALMOST HYPNOTIZE THE PEOPLE WHO LISTENED, OR STAGE PRESENCE LIKE THESE PERFORMERS HAD. BUT I DON'T, AND I NEVER WILL.
TODAY IN THE GOSPEL, JESUS CONTINUES TO SPEAK FROM HIS HEART TO HIS DISCIPLES AND TO US. IF YOU READ THE SECTION OF JOHN'S GOSPEL FROM WHICH TODAY'S READING IS TAKEN, YOU WILL SEE THAT IT IS FULL OF PROMISES. "I WILL ASK THE FATHER, AND HE WILL GIVE YOU ANOTHER ADVOCATE." WE DON'T HAVE A TRANSLATION FOR THE GREEK WORD PARACLETE. A PARACLETE WAS SOMEONE WHO INTERCEDED FOR SOMEONE ELSE, OR SOMEONE WHO TOOK YOUR PART IN A DISPUTE, OR SOMEONE WHO HELPED YOU MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION. BUT SOMEONE WHO ENCOURAGED YOU TO DO THE RIGHT THING, THAT WAS ANOTHER WAY OF USING THE WORD, AND PERHAPS THAT'S THE BEST ONE HERE.
HE MAKES ANOTHER PROMISE: "I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU ORPHANS, I WILL COME TO YOU." AND WHEN HE COMES, HE PROMISES, "YOU WILL REALIZE THAT I AM IN MY FATHER, AND YOU ARE IN ME, AND I AM IN YOU."
AND FINALLY, HE PROMISES: WHOEVER LOVES ME WILL BE LOVED BY THE FATHER, AND I WILL LOVE HIM, AND REVEAL MYSELF TO HIM."
WHEN I WAS IN GRADE SCHOOL, I SANG IN A BOY'S CHOIR. I WAS TOLD BY OUR DIRECTOR THAT I HAD A VERY GOOD VOICE AND I SHOULD TAKE LESSONS. I NEVER DID. IN HIGH SCHOOL I WAS A MEMBER OF THE BAND. OUR MUSIC TEACHER WAS VERY AMBITIOUS AND NOT ONLY DID WE LEARN TO PLAY WHILE WE MARCHED AT FOOTBALL GAMES AND PARADES, BUT SHE WOULD HAVE US PLAY CONCERT MUSIC AS WELL. SHE TOLD ME I HAD TALENT AND HOPED I WOULD KEEP WORKING ON MY MUSICAL SKILLS. I HAVEN'T TOUCHED A CLARINET FOR FIFTY YEARS. SO WHEN I LISTEN TO REALLY GOOD MUSICIANS, I HAVE A SENSE OF REGRET. I WASN'T TONE DEAF, I COULD CARRY A TUNE, I COULD PLAY AN INSTRUMENT -- BUT I CHOSE A DIFFERENT PATH. I'M NOT SORRY, BUT THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A LITTLE PART OF ME THAT WONDERS WHAT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN LIKE TO BE A SKILLED MUSICIAN.
JESUS MAKES SOME REALLY FANTASTIC PROMISES. BUT THEY ARE CONTINGENT, THEY START WITH THE WORDS, "IF YOU LOVE ME". MOST OF US IN THIS CHURCH WOULD REPLY, IF WE WERE ASKED THAT QUESTION, "I DO LOVE JESUS, OF COURSE I LOVE HIM." BUT JESUS MAKES IT VERY CLEAR WHAT HE MEANS. "IF YOU LOVE ME, YOU WILL KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS." AND HE ALSO SAYS, "WHOEVER HAS MY COMMANDMENTS AND OBSERVES THEM IS THE ONE WHO LOVES ME."
JESUS, BY THE WAY, DOESN'T MEAN THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. IN ANOTHER PLACE HE IS ASKED, "WHICH OF THE COMMANDMENTS IS THE GREATEST?" HE SPEAKS ABOUT "MY COMMANDMENTS". DO YOU KNOW WHAT HIS COMMANDMENTS ARE?
I'VE BEEN IN LOVE AND STILL AM. BUT I REMEMBER WHEN I FIRST FELL IN LOVE, AND PERHAPS FALLING IN LOVE IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN BEING IN LOVE. WHEN I FELL IN LOVE, MY LIFE CHANGED. IT CHANGED IN VERY CONCRETE WAYS. I STOPPED EATING SUPPER WITH MY FRATERNITY BROTHERS SO I COULD HANG OUT WITH MY BELOVED BEFORE SHE DROVE HOME. I CHANGED MY STUDY ROUTINE SO I COULD SPEND TIME SITTING AND TALKING WITH HER. I AM NOT A VERY SOCIAL PERSON, NOR AM I SKILLED AT DANCING, BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN I WAS GOING TO MIXERS AND EVEN DANCING, BECAUSE IT WAS AN EXCUSE TO BE WITH HER. IF YOU ARE IN LOVE, YOU ARE WILLING TO MAKE REAL CHANGES, EVEN PAINFUL ONES.
IF YOU AND I LOVE JESUS, WE WILL KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS. WELL, WHAT ARE THEY? WE'VE HEARD A FEW OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS: "DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME." "JUST AS I HAVE WASHED YOUR FEET, YOU ARE TO WASH EACH OTHERS FEET." "LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU". "UNLESS YOU DENY YOURSELVES AND TAKE UP YOUR CROSS, YOU CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE". "DO NOT LAY UP TREASURES ON EARTH ... BUT BUILD UP TREASURES IN HEAVEN." SOME PEOPLE HAVE MADE LISTS OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF JESUS. ONE LIST HAS 38 STATEMENTS. ANOTHER THAT I FOUND THANKS TO THE INTERNET AND GOOGLE, HAS 147 "COMMANDMENTS". THE POINT OF COURSE IS NOT THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE LISTS OR MEMORIZE STATEMENTS THAT JESUS MADE, BUT IF WE LOVE HIM, WE SHOULD WANT TO LISTEN TO HIM AND EXAMINE OUR LIVES IN LIGHT OF THOSE STATEMENTS HE GIVES TO HIS FOLLOWERS; TO THINK ABOUT HOW HIS COMMANDMENTS APPLY TO OUR CIRCUMSTANCES; AND TO MAKE THE NECESSARY CHANGES IN OUR OWN HABITS AND ACTIONS AND ATTITUDES, WITH THE HELP OF THE SPIRIT WHO IS ALWAYS URGING US ON, URGING US TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT, WHAT IS GOOD FOR US. IF WE DON'T MAKE THIS EFFORT, THEN WHATEVER WE FEEL TOWARDS JESUS, IT IS NOT LOVE THE WAY HE DEFINES LOVE. BUT IF WE CHANGE OURSELVES, WITH THE HELP OF THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, WE WILL BECOME MORE AND MORE LIKE JESUS, AND THE PROMISES JESUS MAKES WILL BE OURS, BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE PROVEN THAT WE LOVE HIM.
I COULD HAVE BEEN A MUSICIAN, POSSIBLY EVEN A GOOD ONE. BUT WHERE MUSIC IS CONCERNED, I'LL ALWAYS BE ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN. I HOPE THAT I WILL NEVER SAY, "I COULD HAVE RECEIVED THE PROMISES JESUS MADE TO THOSE WHO LOVED HIM AND SHOWED IT BY KEEPING HIS COMMANDMENTS. BUT I HAD OTHER THINGS TO DO, AND I DIDN'T EVEN BOTHER TO LEARN WHAT THOSE COMMANDMENTS ARE. "