5th Week of Easter, Monday, May 8
Acts 14:5-18 / John 14:21-26
Jesus gives parting advice: “Keep working on love."
Richard Bach wrote a story called Jonathan Livingston Seagull. One of the characters in it is an old teacher named Chiang, who has had a great influence on Jonathan. The day finally comes when old Chiang must leave his young student forever. Jonathan knows it's a special moment and wonders what parting advice his old teacher will give him. Chiang's farewell message contained just four words: “Keep working on love."
This is the same parting advice that Jesus gave to His own
disciples: “Keep working on love."
***
How faithfully are we carrying out Jesus' parting advice? “We
have learned to fly in the air like birds and to swim in the sea like fish. But
we have not learned the simple act of living together like brothers.” Martin
Luther King, Jr.
*****
The Rector of a major seminary would periodically lament, half-jokingly and half-seriously: “I am tired of showing good example to the students. Give me a break!” Many of us can identify with his frustration. It is hard to keep doing good things and be “a model.” But, in truth, this is hard only when love hasn’t swept us off our feet. Anyone in love would know that he or she would go any length to do anything for the beloved. No work is hard for the one in love. Jesus is spot on when he says if anyone loves him, he or she will truly keep his word, and if one doesn’t, it would be hard for that person to keep the word. Love always affects a spring on our feet. It is love that makes our feet like the hind’s feet and helps us climb and dance upon the mountain heights (cf. Hab 3:19).
***
It should be of no surprise to us that life has its cycle of ups and downs. One moment we can be happy and next moment we can be angry. One day, we can be effective and productive and the next day we can be like a zero. Connected with the cycle of ups and downs is the reversal of fortunes. In one place we find acceptance but, in another place, we find rejection.
That was the experience of Paul and Barnabas in the 1st reading. In their mission, they faced persecution and they had to scramble for safety to Lycaonia. There in the towns of Lystra and Derbe, they preached the same Good News and Paul even healed a crippled man.
They not only found acceptance from the people, but they were also even treated like gods, which of course they tried to resist. So Paul and Barnabas knew what it was to preach the Good News. There were ups and downs together with a reversal of fortunes.
But whichever way it was going and in whatever way it was turning out, they kept the Word of God and were faithful to it. The Word of God made its home in their hearts and they found refuge and consolation and strength in the Word of God.
So, as we go through our ups and downs in life and see our
fortunes reversing for better or for worse, let us turn to the Word of God. May
the Word of God give us consolation and strength and may the Word of God make
its home in our hearts.
***
Prayer: Lord God, loving Father, we look for your presence in the temple of nature and in churches built by our hands, and you are there with your people. But above all, you have made your temple right here in our hearts. God, give us eyes of faith and love to recognize that you live in us, with your Son and the Holy Spirit, if we keep the Word of Jesus Christ, your Son, and our Lord forever. Amen
