Contents: Volume 2

3rd SUNDAY of EASTER B

04/14/2024

1. -- Lanie LeBlanc OP - 3rd Sunday of Easter
2. -- Dennis Keller OP - 4th Sunday of Easter
3. -- John Boll OP - 3rd Sunday of Easter
4. --
5. --(Your reflection can be here!)

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3rd Sunday of Easter 2024

The selection for this Sunday's Gospel according to Luke does not identify "the two disciples" at the beginning of the passage. Going back to the beginning of the chapter, however, we find that these were the two who encountered the Risen Jesus on the way to Emmaus. After that encounter, they headed back to Jerusalem, exactly where we find them in today's reading.

When they were recounting their story to the other disciples, Jesus came and stood in their midst once again. "They were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost." Jesus's calmness and his eating a piece of baked fish in front of them turned their unbelief into incredulous joy and amazement. Jesus opened their minds and again explained the Scriptures to them. They became Jesus's witnesses, witnessing to us to this day. through the Scriptures.

I found it unusual that all the disciples were still so startled. I guess now living in the 2024 world of "right now", this story just seemed much like a repeat of the stories that those who had seen Jesus were retelling. Why didn't they all just believe each other?

Well, why don't we believe sometimes either after hearing something or seeing it more than once?

The human mind is interesting and complicated. Each person's mind is incredibly unique as well. Combine these two "non-standard" components across multiple people and there is the answer!

Humans like conformity and ease, but also creativity and a challenge, depending on the situation. The truth is that each person is unique and, somehow, God touches each of us to become witnesses to the Risen Lord in the best way for each of us. It really does seem that each of us must see for our own self or be brought to believe by God's unique plan in order to become a true witness.

What is familiar to us, however, we seem to extrapolate as being familiar to others. For me, that is the challenge of a lifetime... to see that my story may not be like the story of someone else and vice versa. Over and over again, it becomes abundantly clear that each of us must learn to listen not only to the voice within us, but also to just listen to what others say... no judgment, no comment, no question, just listen.

After hearing another's story comes understanding it by reflective listening and yes, some questioning. Friendships are formed that way and so the kingdom is built here on earth. Let us pray that we may tell the story of Jesus in our lives and willingly listen to the version Jesus has written or is writing in someone else's life as well.

Blessings,
Dr. Lanie LeBlanc OP
Southern Dominican Laity
lanie@leblanc.one

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Fourth Sunday of Easter

April 28, 2024

Good Shepherd Sunday

Acts 4:8-12; Responsorial Psalm 118; 1^st John 3:1-2;
Gospel Acclamation John 10:15; John 20:11-18

Just before Jesus identified himself as the Good Shepherd, we heard the narrative of the man born blind. The Pharisees were all in a tizzy because Jesus did this on the Sabbath. Jesus spit on the ground, mixed his spittle with dust, forming a clay he pasted on the sightless eyes of this man. This man was only a beggar. Being sightless he was unable to earn a living; he was a burden. Jesus was confronting the Pharisees about their rigid legalism to give them a lesson. The wonder of this man having sight after washing in the pool of Siloam was lost to them. Because the miracle was on a Sabbath surely this miracle worker was a grave sinner. Certainly, the Pharisees did not think about their own blindness and arrogance in their insistence on the Law of Moses. The Law was their god, not the giver of the Law.  There is not record of what they may have done for this blind man before Jesus’ intervention. Did these Pharisees think to empower this blind man to lead him to a sense of his own dignity and worth? Likely not: it is more likely they came to be accustomed to his sitting at the entrance to the temple begging for his food and drink.

Do we see someone suffering and are merely glad we are not them? Do we avoid those in physical or mental trauma because we do not want to be confronted with our vulnerability? What would Jesus do? It is what he did for this blind man. He healed him and brought him into the mainstream of community. We are not in the business of healing unless we are in the medical profession. We can love this person enough to bring him into our community. A greeting and recognition of a person’s God-given dignity and worth are a Christian start.  

After the confrontation with the Pharisees, Jesus teaches, describes his mission. He claims to be a good shepherd, one for the welfare and common good of the flock and its individuals. He contrasts himself with the hirelings who are not shepherds at all. They are there to serve their own needs, their aspirations. When threats to the flock or individuals come, the hireling shepherd runs away. The good shepherd stays and guards, protects, and leads to another place.

The message of Jesus comes from the Father. The Father loves the Son, and the Son loves the Father. It is the Father’s will that his love of the Son is shared with all creation, especially humanity. Creation is God’s expression of God-self. It is the Father’s will and the obedience of the Son that this love is shared with creation. Obedience, in this understanding, is not a matter of willpower but of the movements of the heart. We obey the commandments of the Father because we love, not because we are afraid of the wrath of God. Fear of punishment is the way of a child. God’s commands lead to rightful living which is the foundation of peace of spirit. Loving God unites us to the wonder of creation and especially to the magnificence of the diversity of persons. Each person carries the image and likeness of God. Even though that image and likeness can be dirtied with wrongful attitudes and actions, underneath there remains that unique person who has come into being as an image and likeness of God. When that attitude, that way of living is practiced, a person experiences peace and a quiet joy that even the worst suffering cannot kill. Each bit of suffering is attended to by the Good Shepherd. The suffering ones are returned to the flock to heal, to reconnect, to lush pastures and flowing streams. Therein lies the faith in the Messiah. That faith is challenged by the wolves and lions of worldliness.

Contemporary Pharisees continue to depend on gods of their own making. The God of Christians is the Good Shepherd, the Son of the Father who sends us the Advocate, the Spirit to return us to the flock. The challenge given to the flock is loving others in deed and in truth. We cannot walk by the blind, the lame, the mute and those who cannot hear and dismiss them as burdens to society. We have been washed in the waters of Baptism to see according to the Light that is the Lord. He never resorted to violence – well not entirely true. He was upset because the House of God, the Temple, was being used as a marketplace. The mission of the Messiah is to bring healing and the building up of a Kingdom which runs on love.

Communicating with the Lord daily is an essential way of getting to hear his voice. Starting the day with a “Hello, Lord, Jesus,” taking just a moment to say, “thank you Lord,” before meals, saying in secret “be with me, Lord” when we encounter difficult persons or situations – such simple thoughts coming from the heart establish a connection with the Lord. It is rare that anyone has a vision or an apparition. God’s response comes in a more spiritual manner. We are encouraged quietly, without words, without a written message. There is a written message, the voice of God found in the Scriptures – both Hebrew (Old Testament) and Christian (New Testament). The more we read those, the more we are attentive to their proclamation and explanation at Mass, the more we will hear the voice of the Good Shepherd. We become more of a follower of the Way of Jesus. The experience of following the Command to Love begins to make sense. Our blindness, our deafness, our lameness are progressively mended. We begin seeing as the Good Shepherd sees. Our sufferings – suffering, a part of human living – becomes a way of reaching an enhanced living. We come out of suffering learning of our vulnerability and of God’s help in become someone renewed.

Many persons over the centuries have been tortured and murdered because they loved God’s creation, especially humanity. We think of the age of martyrs as the days of Roman Emperors. Yet, even in our time there are legions of martyrs. In South and Central America many have had their lives taken from them because of loving the poor and indigenous peoples. In the Middle East there are many – Catholic, Reformed Christians, and Muslims who have lost their lives by loving in deed and truth. Those are the martyrs of blood who surrendered their lives by caring for the poor, the persecuted. Who can forget the heroism of the last century in Europe, Japan, in Korea, in Vietnam?

We should not forget those whose lives have been a martyrdom of the non-bloody sort. In a quiet way they followed the example and command to love the Lord gave us. They committed themselves to peace, to empowering the poor and marginalized. They reached out to the persecuted and those enslaved by systemic persecution economically, educationally, and in a lack of access to common health care. They did not run when the enemy came to kill, violate, rob, and torture for an increase of power and domination that is contemporary slavery. We saw in recent history martyrs who gave their life for civil rights, especially of the oppressed. The justice of God is their motivation. They dedicated and surrendered their lives for it. When the justice of God is made present, made effective, that justice leads myriads of people to lush pastures and flowing water. Lives are enriched and they contribute to others their unique talents and insights. God is creator of all – creation is an expression of God’s self. Thus, we say we are in the image and likeness of God. The bloodied and non-bloodied martyrs gave and continue to give their lives in truth and in deed for the marginalized. They understand and are committed to loving and liberating the oppressed. They are making the Love of God real here and now. Their prayer, “thy kingdom come,” is advanced because of their example and efforts. Should we not all join that vast crowd filling the valley of God’s judgment? An advancement of God’s justice is world changing.

Dennis Keller <Dennis@PreacherExchange.com>

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2024-04-14 Homily, Third Sunday of Easter -Year B
by John Boll OP

Based on the readings for today
. . . I think this might make a better Divine Mercy Sunday,...

We have heard from John in the past two weeks
and now Luke tells us his take on Jesus’
first appearance to the disciples after the resurrection.

And again Jesus’ greeting is “Peace be with you.”

Some years ago, A close friend and I parted ways,
It was not about something
we could not have worked through,
but I had just moved to a new assignment.
With the distance, and in my inner introversion,
I did not know how to reconnect.
As time went along I developed a fear
that it would not go well.
So I never did.

Years later, not too long ago,
I received a great gift!
I was once again living near where they live.
My friends came to Mass one Sunday,
I was glad to see them.
I do not remember how it was said,
but she broke through the barrier and invited me to be reconciled. In effect she said “Peace be with You.”
She dispelled my fear,
We both said we were sorry.
Now there is a door open and we have opportunity to reconnect and maybe, in time, build a renewed friendship.

But it was her gift of peace that made it possible.

The disciples seem to
have experienced something like this in Jesus’ appearance.

There was some effort in convincing them this was real,
(Jesus had to eat some fish and invite them to touch him.)

But with Peter’s later reaching out in ACTS to his fellow Jews
not only with truth, but with a tone of understanding,
acknowledging that they had acted out of ignorance,
he shows that he had learned the lesson.

John too, in his letter,
encourages us by telling us that Jesus is there for us:
“My children, I am writing this to you
so that you may not commit sin.
But if anyone does sin,
we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ... .”

In the Gospel Jesus reconnects with the disciples
who had fled in fear, betrayed and denied him.

We all hear his first words to them, “Peace be with you.”
By this, Jesus not only enters our locked hearts,
but breaks through our fear
and opens the way to a deeper connection
with God and one another.

This is a great gift given to us.

Jesus knows that it will take time
to build our relationship with the Him and with one another,

And so he has left us other gifts to help us along:

The sacrament of Reconciliation is his “Peace be with you,”

And the Celebration of the Eucharist,
by which His peace is established,
is his “lets stay connected.”

Now that’s Divine Mercy!

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Volume 2 is for you. Your thoughts, reflections, and insights on the next Sundays readings can influence the preaching you hear. Send them to preacherexchange@att.net.  Deadline is Wednesday Noon. Include your Name, and Email Address.

-- Fr. John Boll, OP

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