JOHN 14: 23-29
TODAY WE HEAR OF THREE PROMISES THAT
JESUS MADE TO HIS FOLLOWERS: FIRST, IF WE KEEP HIS WORD, THE FATHER
AND JESUS HIMSELF WILL DWELL IN US. SECOND, WE ARE TO BE GIVEN
PEACE, JESUS' OWN PEACE, WHICH IS NOT LIKE THE PEACE OF THE WORLD.
THIRD, WE ARE TO BE GIVEN THE ADVOCATE, WHO WILL REMIND US OF ALL
THAT JESUS TAUGHT US, AND WILL TEACH US “EVERYTHING”. THOSE ARE
CERTAINLY POWERFUL PROMISES. AND THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN IN THIS
LIFE, NOT THE NEXT.
JESUS TOLD US MANY TIMES THAT HE AND
THE FATHER ARE ONE, THAT HIS FOOD AND DRINK IS TO DO THE WILL OF THE
FATHER, THAT HIS WORDS ARE REALLY THE FATHER'S WORDS. SO WHAT DOES
IT MEAN THAT THE FATHER DWELLS IN US? ONE THING IT MEANS IS THAT WE
DON'T HAVE TO GO FAR TO FIND THE FATHER. SAINT AUGUSTINE TALKED
ABOUT HIS OWN SEARCH FOR GOD; “LATE HAVE I LOVED YOU, O BEAUTY EVER
ANCIENT, EVER NEW, LATE HAVE I LOVED YOU! YOU WERE WITHIN ME, BUT I
WAS OUTSIDE, AND IT WAS THERE THAT I SEARCHED FOR YOU. IN MY
UNLOVELINESS I PLUNGED INTO THE LOVELY THINGS WHICH YOU CREATED. YOU
WERE WITH ME, BUT I WAS NOT WITH YOU. CREATED THINGS KEPT ME FROM
YOU; YET IF THEY HAD NOT BEEN IN YOU THEY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AT
ALL.” HUMAN BEINGS DOWN THROUGH THE AGES, REGARDLESS OF THEIR
RELIGION, HAVE HAD THE IDEA THAT GOD IS PRESENT IN A SPECIAL WAY IN
CERTAIN PLACES. FOR JEWS, IT'S JERUSALEM; FOR MOSLEMS, IT'S MECCA.
FOR CATHOLICS, THERE IS A WHOLE LIST OF PLACES WHICH ARE VENERATED BY
THE FAITHFUL – LOURDES, FATIMA, MEDJUGORE, GUADALOUPE – WHERE
MARY, THE MOTHER OF GOD, MADE THE PLACE HOLY. AND YET, THE HOLIEST
PLACE ON EARTH IS THE HEART OF THE PERSON WHO KEEPS THE WORD OF GOD.
NOT ONLY SHOULD WE REALIZE THIS ABOUT OURSELVES, BUT WE SHOULD LOOK
AT EACH OTHER WITH AWE AND REVERENCE; THE FATHER, AND HIS SON, DWELL
IN THAT PERSON.
WE ARE GIVEN PEACE. THE WORLD'S PEACE
IS THE KIND OF PEACE JESUS TALKED ABOUT WHEN HE TOLD THE STORY OF THE
WEALTHY FARMER WHO DECIDED TO TEAR DOWN HIS BARNS TO BUILD BIGGER
ONES, AND THEN HE SAID, “I WILL TELL MY SOUL, 'SOUL, YOU HAVE MANY
GOODS LAID UP FOR MANY YEARS. TAKE YOUR EASE, EAT, DRINK, BE MERRY."'
AND GOD SPOKE TO HIM, “YOU FOOL, THIS VERY NIGHT YOUR SOUL WILL BE
DEMANDED OF YOU. THE THINGS YOU HAVE PREPARED, WHOSE WILL THEY BE?
SO IS HE WHO LAYS UP TREASURE FOR HIMSELF, AND IS NOT RICH TOWARDS
GOD.” THE WORLD'S PEACE IS VERY FRAGILE; THE STOCK MARKET CAN
CRASH; A TORNADO CAN DESTROY YOUR HOUSE; YOUR HEALTH CAN GO, A LOVED
ONE CAN DIE – WE HUMANS HAVE VERY FEW MOMENTS OF THE KIND OF PEACE
THAT THE WORLD GIVES, AND WE KNOW IT WILL COME TO AN END. BUT JESUS'
PEACE IS DIFFERENT. IT IS THE KIND OF PEACE WHICH WE KNOW WILL NEVER
END, PEACE THAT ASSURES US THAT IN THE END, GOD CARES FOR US AND WILL
STAND BY HIS PROMISES. IT'S THE KIND OF PEACE THAT JESUS HAD ON THE
CROSS, WHEN HE SAID, “FATHER, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMEND MY SPIRIT.”
A LOT OF TIMES SINCERE CHRISTIANS ARE TROUBLED. IF YOU HAVE A
CHRISTIAN FORMATION, IT'S ALL TOO EASY TO SEE HOW VASTLY DIFFERENT
THE WORLD IS FROM HOW IT SHOULD BE. BUT CHRISTIAN PEACE MEANS THAT
WHILE WE GLADLY TAKE UP THE BATTLE TO EXTEND THE REIGN OF CHRIST IN
OUR WORLD, WE KNOW THAT ULTIMATELY THE OUTCOME IS ENTIRELY IN GOD'S
HANDS – AND ULTIMATELY ALL WILL BE MADE RIGHT. THAT'S JESUS'
PEACE.
FINALLY WE ARE ASSURED THAT THE HOLY
SPIRIT WILL TEACH US ALL THINGS AND REMIND US OF ALL THAT JESUS HAS
TOLD US. WE CATHOLICS BELIEVE, ALONG WITH OTHER CHRISTIANS, THAT THE
BIBLE IS THE PRIMARY REVELATION OF GOD TO THE WORLD. WE BELIEVE IN
ADDITION, THAT OUR CHURCH, WHICH GAVE US THE BIBLE, IS THE PRIMARY
AUTHORITY IN INTERPRETING THE BIBLE. THE BIBLE, TRADITION, AND THE
TEACHING AUTHORITY OF THE CHURCH GIVE US A BROAD SET OF GUIDELINES TO
LIVE BY. BUT ON AN INDIVIDUAL LEVEL THE SPIRIT TEACHES US AS WELL.
UNFORTUNATELY PEOPLE CONFUSE WHAT THE SPIRIT TEACHES WITH WHAT COMES
FROM HUMAN DESIRES; WE LIKE TO KNOW SOMETHING OTHER PEOPLE DON'T
KNOW; WE LIKE TO FEEL THAT WHAT WHAT WE KNOW MAKES US IN SOME WAY
SUPERIOR TO PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW IT. HOW DO WE TELL WHETHER WHAT WE
KNOW IS OF THE SPIRIT?
FIRST, IT CAN'T CONTRADICT WHAT THE
CHURCH CLEARLY TEACHES. AFTER ALL, JESUS PROMISED THAT THE GATES OF
HELL WOULD NOT PREVAIL AGAINST IT; THAT HE WOULD BE WITH IT, TO THE
END OF THE WORLD; THAT IT WOULD HAVE THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH. THOSE WHO
HAVE DECIDED THAT THE CONCLUSIONS OF THE SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL WERE
NOT INSPIRED, AND WERE IN FACT WRONG, ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING
AGAINST THE CHURCH. SECOND, WHAT WE BELIEVE HAS TO BEAR FRUIT, AND
GOOD FRUIT. A FEW YEARS AGO PEOPLE WERE SEEING AN IMAGE OF THE
BLESSED MOTHER IN A WINDOW IN MERCY HOSPITAL; EACH NIGHT A CROWD
WOULD GATHER. YET NOTHING LASTING CAME OF THIS. WE HAVE TO BE VERY
CAREFUL OF THINGS LIKE THAT THAT DISTRACT US FROM THE PURSUIT OF
HOLINESS. SIMILARLY, ATTRIBUTING ALMOST MAGICAL POWERS TO SAYING
CERTAIN PRAYERS OR PASSING ON SOMETHING YOU GET THROUGH EMAIL TO TEN
PERSONS IS A DISTRACTION. IF THROUGH SOME FORMULA I CAN ACTUALLY
MANIPULATE THE FUTURE, THEN I'M NOT DEALING WITH GOD. FINALLY, IF WE
FEEL THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS SPEAKING TO US, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO
PRAY OVER IT, AND TO BRING IT TO THE ATTENTION OF SOMEONE WE TRUST –
OUR PASTOR, A SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR, OUR CONFESSOR. THE GREAT SAINTS
WHO HAD SPECIAL REVELATIONS ALWAYS DID THIS, AND SOME, IN OBEDIENCE,
KEPT THE REVELATION SECRET UNTIL THEY WERE FINALLY PERMITTED TO
REVEAL IT. NEVER TRUST SOMEONE WHO BRINGS A NEW MESSAGE WHICH HAS
NOT BEEN RUN BY THE LOCAL BISHOP, AT LEAST.
THREE GIFTS: THE FATHER AND SON DWELL
IN US SO THAT WE KNOW WHERE TO FIND GOD; WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN PEACE,
THE PEACE OF CHRIST HIMSELF, A PEACE THAT WE CANNOT LOSE; AND WE HAVE
BEEN GIVEN THE SPIRIT TO TEACH US ALL THAT IS IMPORTANT TO GROW IN
FAITH AND GAIN OUR SALVATION. LET US RECOGNIZE THESE GIFTS AND PRAY
THAT WE USE THEM TO BECOME SAINTS.
