Mercy

First Reading: Acts 12:24-13:5a
Psalm: Ps 67:2-3, 5-6, 8
Gospel: Jn 12:44-50

Friends,

And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them, I do not condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world. Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge him: the word that I spoke, it will condemn him on the last day - John 12:47-48

Today's reading speaks to us of God's great mercy.

At first, it is difficult to follow; Jesus is saying he won't condemn people who don't obey him? He's come to save us and not to punish those that didn't obey his commands? Then why should we bother being good at all? It is only once the second part of the statement comes in that the first part becomes easier to understand (another good reason for always taking verses in context!)

Jesus tells us in the second half of his statement that those who reject him, or do not accept his words are subject to judgment and condemnation. However, those who fail to hear his commands and yet fail to obey will not be condemned, because they have not rejected Jesus or thrown away his teachings. How can this be? Is one who is sinning not rejecting the teachings of Jesus?

There are some important things to note to clarify the issue. Sometimes, in order to obey a command of Jesus, we are forced to break another (hopefully, the lesser evil is chosen). See the story of Irena for an excellent example. More commonly, we make a mistake, we stumble, we fall. If we come back to Jesus and confess that we've made a mistake in breaking one of his commandments, then we are forgiven and not condemned. It is only those who are too proud to admit a mistake to God, or who refuse to acknowledge his teachings, that have something to worry about when the time comes for judgment. Jesus understands that we do not live in a world free from all troubles. That is why we are so fortunate to have a high priest who can sympathize with us.

Heavenly Father, we thank You and praise You for the gift of this day. We ask You to guide us in our journey of faith, especially when we are faced with difficult situations. We thank You for Your great mercy, and for coming among us to save us. We beg pardon for those who do not accept You. May your infinite love and mercy change their hearts. We ask all of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

By Their Fruits

First Reading: Acts 11:19-26
Psalm: Ps 87:1b-7
Gospel: Jn 10:22-30

Friends,

Today's gospel is an interesting situation. Jesus is at the temple and the people insist that he declare himself if he truly is the Christ.

Jesus answered them, "I told you and you do not believe. The works I do in my Father's name testify to me. - John 10:25

When dealing with people, we often like to question. "Did you do this or that?", "Where do you stand on such and such an issue?", or any of a vast number of things that can be asked about ourselves. The ones that I hear the most often from people that I meet are "What's your name (who are you)?", "Where are you from?" and "What do you do?"

The question asked of Jesus today covers the first two. They knew that they should be on the lookout for a Messiah, a messenger from God that would deliver them. Thus, they wanted to know both "who are you" and "where are you from". However, they seemed to keep missing the third question, which is unfortunate. It is the most important one of all.

When you want to know if someone is trustworthy, do you march up to them and ask them plainly? More likely, you would observe their dealings with others and then make a decision to trust or not. If someone were to ask whether you are a good person, you could give a simple yes or no, but the answer is meaningless if it is not backed up with examples. In any case, at some point, a leap of faith has to be made on whether to trust someone from the evidence of their works.

Jesus tells us "By their fruits you shall know them" (Mt. 7:16a), and again, at the Last Supper:

This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. - John 13:35

Do our own actions speak of our beliefs? The priest at my home parish has a saying that he likes to ask us. I leave it as a reflection for the day: 'If you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?'

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the gift of this day. As we continue our walk of faith, help us to be the light for the world. Let Your love shine in us, so that all may know wonder at Your name. Grant that our actions testify to the truth of our faith. We ask all of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Accusations

First Reading: Acts 11:1-18
Psalm: Ps 42:2-3; 43:3-4
Gospel: Jn 10:1-10

Friends,

Today, we listen to Peter as he gives an account for his association with the Gentiles. It begins with the believers in Christ that still follow the Mosaic law confronting Peter in a very accusatory way. The reading goes on to say that Peter "began and explained it to them step by step," telling the circumsized believers what he had seen and how the Holy Spirit had descended on the Gentiles. I particularly liked the closing of his explanation

If then God gave them the same gift he gave to us when we came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to be able to hinder God? - John 10:17

In our own walk, do we sometimes accuse others of some perceived wrong before getting both sides of the story? Are we quick to judge the actions of others? I certainly have sometimes. It sneaks in with the littlest issues. Someone might be late for a meeting and I'll begin to get angry. "Don't they know that this is important? Why aren't they more considerate?" Later, when I meet up with the person, I hear that they were sorry to be late, but they had to do something of great importance (I once had someone tell me that they were helping a friend that had lost their home). When I get an explanation as to why, it is most often a very humbling experience. I feel ashamed that I was angry with my friend and disappointed with myself for not considering they might have a good reason.

Friends, we must do our best to give the benefit of the doubt to our brothers and sisters. If we have misjudged them, we should ask forgiveness. If they are truly in need of correction, then we must do so in a gentle but firm way. In either case, we should seek to understand all we can to avoid any rash judgments and condemnations. In this manner, we will spread the teachings of our Lord and at the same time, make sure that those teachings do not lose their meaning in our lives.

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the gift of this day. We thank You for the many gifts that you have given us. Lord, grant that we might be patient with our brothers and sisters. Help us to avoid rash judgments and accusations, that we might seek out justice and the truth with a loving heart. We ask all of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.