Hello Friends of St. Francis, Greetings in the name of Jesus. He is Risen from the dead!
Happy May!
Much like the happy time of Easter, this Sunday we have a very beautiful and brief reading from the Gospel of John. We might simply enjoy its message that, “They will know we are Christians by our Love.”
But, as we experience all the happy, happy greetings and food and such, we must not forget the unsettling questions. Questions about real suffering & real death. Troubling questions like, “What happened to Judas?” How does my life and my work help the world with all its suffering and injustice?
Enjoy the following Gospel reading and reflection.
May God bless you.
Scott Wright
http://stfrancisa2.com/service4justice/
The Fifth Sunday of Easter:
+ A reading from the holy gospel according to John (Jn 13:31-33a, 34-35)
When Judas had left them, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and God will glorify him at once. My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
REFLECTION:
I am thinking about the spirituality of work. Given the same ‘job’ as his brother apostles, and, counted among Jesus’ disciples, we can be sure that Judas had a very difficult ‘job’ and, yet, he also had the Most Loving Teacher & ‘Boss’. What then happened to Judas? I am thinking about the spirituality of work as this weekend we celebrate and unite with many around the world who honor the feast of St. Joseph the Worker & Labor Day. (See the prayer at the end here.)
Many of us can enjoy a relative confidence in our life’s work or career, yet we all at times harbor fears and doubts. We may wonder, “Is there something else that I’m ‘supposed to’ do. How does my life and my work help the world with all its suffering and injustice? What is the purpose of my life and my work? Jesus was executed by the empire because he challenged the socioeconomic-political power arrangements of his time and place. Are we also called to challenge the socioeconomic-political power arrangements of today in the place where we are living?
These are good, important questions, though unsettling.
We can’t entertain these big questions all the time. It is like uprooting a plant – too much is very disturbing and inhibits growth. But once in a while, perhaps during a spring gardening day or a summer retreat day, we can contemplate, how, through our work, do we co-operate with God in bringing new life and healing to our world?
Jesus tells us He has brothers and sisters who are poor, rejected, afflicted, abandoned, homeless, and jobless. Jesus calls us to care for each other. To serve the needs of the most vulnerable.
To the Colossians St. Paul offers something to ponder in reflecting on our work. “Whatever you do, do from the heart, as for the Lord.” “Over all these things put on love, that is, the bond of perfection.” (Col 3:14-15, 17, 23-24)
And, John witneses: “Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed away.” (Rev 21:1-5a)
———- ———-
Prayer to St. Joseph St. Joseph,
Patron Saint of Workers,
We ask for your blessing upon all of our efforts.
May our work each day be a blessing
Which allows us to recognize the dignity of human labor.
May we see our work as an opportunity
To build up the Kingdom of God.
With you as our model and example,
May we be instruments of the love and peace
Which the gospel calls us to share In every aspect of our lives.
Help us in our daily labor and encourage all those
Who seek meaningful work.
Amen
———- ———-
C. S. Lewis wrote that the most emphatic noise is the one we are trying not to listen to.