Sixth Sunday after Easter

Stuart Rees recently wrote: ‘In the grinding weeks of an Australian Federal election, something needs to happen to change the language, to prompt debate, to craft vision, and even generate excitement. That something could be the goal of peace with justice.’ (Stuart Rees ’Reporting about Ukraine: peace difficult, war easy,’ Pearls and Irritations, April 20, 2022). There is increased cynicism and abuse in the electioneering as we saw in debates between the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader with fearmongering, lies, name calling, misinformation, dirty tricks, and media ’gotcha moments’. 

Fifth Sunday of Easter

The Easter readings have been about creating community where God’s/heaven’s priorities of peace, justice, equality, and healing are enfleshed, beginning with those nearest to us. The life we are called to does not remove us from the world but directs us toward a new community - new way of relating - that includes all people.  In the second reading we hear, ‘You see this city? Here God lives among humankind. God will make a home among them, and they shall be God’s people and God will be fully present with them. The Most High, will wipe away every tear from their eyes. And death, mourning, crying and pain will be no more, for the old order has passed away.’  We must ensure that Gospel values penetrate the very fabric of society if it is to be transformed to reflect God’s Reign where God is seen to identify with the vulnerable, the afflicted and disadvantaged.

Fourth Sunday of Easter Year

In the Acts of the Apostles, Jesus’ inclusive message provokes both faith and hostility. Following Jesus’ crucifixion, his followers were suffering persecution and hardship. Faith and hostility often come after Jesus’ inclusive message. Rejection and hostility caused the disciples to reach out to new audiences – moving outwards to new relationships and new ways of engagement. John was reaching out to them Jesus was the good shepherd; that he is trustworthy; that he is willing to give his life for them; and that we can safely follow his voice – "My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me" rather than the voices that can very often lead to a sense of hopelessness, despair, or emotional or spiritual trauma in directions not conducive to peace, love, forgiveness, reconciliation, compassion and kindness.

Third Sunday of Easte

John's Gospel, ‘written so that we may believe,’ continually offers us new insights so that we may see the risen Jesus present and revealing himself to us today. All this, so that we too will witness to him rather than be spectators. Elsewhere, in John’s Gospel, we are confronted with an invitation to ‘Come and see,’ to find where he abides. Jesus is constantly revealing himself to us in ever new ways. He comes to the shores of our everyday lives as to the disciples today. He comes to particular people: the poor, women, the vulnerable as well as those who betrayed him. He comes without waiting for us to come to him. Last week the disciples were locked up in a room out of fear and were given the Spirit of peace so that they could exhale justice and love and recognise Jesus in their streets. Today, the disciples are offered renewal with overwhelming generosity whilst fishing. This love and generosity enabled them to take responsibility for what they had seen and heard.

Second Sunday of Easter

Gregory Boyle in his book Barking to the Choir comments on ‘secular culture’ that is depicted as always being ‘hostile’ to Christianity. Boyle does not agree but says, ‘Our culture is hostile only to the inauthentic living of the gospel.’ People who no longer identify as Christian of say it is ‘because of Christians’ – what they see and do not see in their lives. The Acts of the Apostles depicts a community where people shared everything and cared for the needy. As Russian troops encircled the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and began to shell the city, almost half the population were forced to flee, Fr Aleksey Samsonov, a Catholic priest who runs Radio Maria, was determined to stay at his post to console, to encourage and be present with the people who sought assurance that God is still present with them.