Do not let fear paralyse you

A reading from the holy gospel according to Matthew. Jesus said to his Apostles: ‘A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!

‘So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground unperceived by your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

‘Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven. This is the word of the Lord. (Mt 10:24-33)

“Have no fear of them” Jesus told his twelve apostles when he was instructing them before sending them on mission. Who are those who the apostles should not fear? What is the source of this fear? A few verses before today’s gospel selection Jesus warns the apostles: “See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of them.” I can imagine a question coming to their minds: “Why is he sending us like sheep to face wolves?” Indeed, he did not send them to face wolves, but he knew that wherever they went they would find wolves, and they would have to face them. Jesus himself faced this problem. When he became man, the Son of God knew that he would be among friends and foes, those who would listen to him and help him and those who were always planning against him. That is why he told them also that “it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master”. It seems to me that Jesus wanted to encourage them on their mission, so he told them not to fear, and he wanted to channel their enthusiasm at the power given to them, for the apostles could easily rejoice at their success so Jesus told them “not to rejoice that the spirits are subject to them; but to rejoice that their names are written in heaven”. (cfr. Lk 10, 20)

He set his face to go to Jerusalem

When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; but they did not receive him, because his face was set towards Jerusalem. When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, ‘Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?’ But he turned and rebuked them. Then they went on to another village.

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ To another he said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ Another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’ (Lk 9, 51-62)

At the beginning of today's Gospel, St. Luke tells us that "as the time drew near for him to be taken up, Jesus resolutely turned his face towards Jerusalem." I think that often we do not give much importance to this information. Jesus went to Jerusalem! What is important about this fact, if Jesus went regularly to the Holy City? For me this is a very important information for this trip comes at a crucial moment in the life of Jesus, and because it casts a light on the things that would happen later, in order to understand them better.

A throw away mentality

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew.  Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery.” But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell. ‘It was also said, “Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.” But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. This is the Word of the Lord. (Mt 5, 27-32)

At the beginning of Chapter 5 of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus teaches the crowd and the disciples that came to him. He starts by announcing what we now call The Beatitudes proposing them as sure ways of following him and of receiving God’s blessings. Then he says two very important things that will help us, I hope, to reflect on today’s Gospel selection.

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He stopped the funeral cortège

“Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the town. When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’ Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, ‘Young man, I say to you, rise!’The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus^[c] gave him to his mother. Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has risen among us!’ and ‘God has looked favourably on his people!’ This word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.” (Lk 7, 11-17)

St. Luke is the only evangelist to tell us about the miracle of the resurrection of the son of the widow of Nain, which the liturgy presents for our reflection today. Perhaps, Luke received information about this miracle from the "pious women" who followed Jesus and his disciples when he visited towns and villages, preaching and making miracles. Luke mentions these women in chapter eight of his gospel. Surely, they had been deeply impressed by such an extraordinary miracle, and they wanted to inform Luke in order to keep a memory of it.

What is so important about this miracle?

“DO YOU NOW BELIEVE?”

A reading from the holy gospel according to John. The disciples said to Jesus: “Yes, now you are speaking plainly, not in any figure of speech! Now we know that you know all things, and do not need to have anyone question you; by this we believe that you came from God.” Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each one to his home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!” (Jn 16, 29-33)

I find this short dialogue between Jesus and his disciples which John presents at the end of chapter 16 of his gospel very interesting. In it the disciples profess their faith in Jesus and he questions them: “Do you now believe?” I have been thinking about this question because I feel that … I have the lyrics but I do not know the tune! I am curious to know how Jesus pronounced the question. On which word did he put more emphasis? How did it sound to the apostles? Did it sound like “Do you now believe?” or “Do you now believe?” Is there another sound to these words?
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I will come back

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (Jn 14, 27-31)

Jesus said to his disciples: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.  You heard me say to you, “I am going away, and I am coming to you.” If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I.  And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me; but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.

This is a selection from Christ’s discourse at the end of John’s version of the Last Supper. Perhaps we can understand it better if we read it in context.

In Chapter 13 John speaks of the Last Supper and he reports that Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, a slave’s work, at which Peter was disturbed. When his turn came Peter told Jesus: “You will never wash my feet”. Jesus told him: “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand”. As Jesus insisted that he had to accept this humble service, Peter told his master: “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus answered: “You are clean, though not all of you!”

Then Jesus asked the disciples: “Do you know what I have done to you? … So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example.”

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Do you love me?

Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin,^[a] Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, ‘I am going fishing.’ They said to him, ‘We will go with you.’ They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 

Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, ‘Children, you have no fish, have you?’ They answered him, ‘No.’ He said to them, ‘Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.’ So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the lake. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.

When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.’ So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn.  

Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.