“Rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” Lk. 10:20

Joy is one of the marks of the followers of Christ. In the Gospel the 72 disciples returned from their mission rejoicing. Since the Gospel is a treasure, all who are entrusted with it should be spiritually rich, and have hearts rejoicing. Although radical poverty was demanded of them, they did not mind because they knew that they had a Shepherd guarding and providing for them. The Gospel describes the disciples coming back rejoicing for the many wonderful things God had done through them. But most especially, it is because “their names are written in heaven.” Meaning, that there is a permanent home for them in the heart of God, and safety and security in His communion.

“Follow me.” Lk. 9:59

As Jesus went from one place to another, more and more people wished to follow Him. The first disciples, the Apostles “left everything and followed Him.” In the Gospel, many of those attracted to follow the Lord still have attachments to their old life, and their way of thinking is different from Jesus. Following the Lord oftentimes requires a radical “Yes” and commitment to a “way of life,” the Way of Life of Jesus. Sometimes the will and the spirit are willing to follow the way of the Lord, but at the same time seek recognition and approval of others. This kind of will and spirit will not lead to genuine holiness.

“Blessed and broke them and gave them to the disciples...” Lk. 9:16

The multiplication of loaves introduces the super abundance of gifts that is the sign and proof of the Messianic age and prefigures the Eucharist. When we receive the body and blood of Christ, we increase our communion with the Lord, forgive our venial sins, and it preserves us from grave sin. The Eucharist strengthens the bond of charity between the communicants and Christ, and reinforces the unity of the Church as the Mystical Body of Christ. (CCC 1416)

“He will glorify me, for He will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine...” Jn. 16:14-15a

These verses reveal the special relationship and the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. There is complete unity and equality in the three divine Persons of the Holy Trinity. In verses 14-15, everything that the Father has is the Son’s, and everything that the Son has is the Father’s, while the third person of the Trinity has what is common to the Father and the Son, in a knowledge known as divine essence. The encounter of the Father and the Son takes place in the Holy Spirit.

"Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." Jn. 20:23

The Lord instituted the Sacrament of Reconciliation after his resurrection, he breathed upon them, and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit…” It is the belief of the Fathers of the Church that by this uplifting action of Jesus, and the words that followed this gift, the power of forgiving and retaining sins was granted upon the Apostles and their lawful successors. This was the will of the Father expressed through the Son, the power to reconcile the faithful who have fallen after their baptism. (Council of Trent, De Penetentia, chap. 1)

I often lead group prayer with similar words: "Give us the wisdom to know Your will for our lives and the courage to follow it as we seek to make our community a clearer reflection of the Kingdom of God." The words acknowledge that we need to be about God's will, not our own, and in that journey, we will bear greater witness to the transforming power of Jesus Christ.

We talk about how we are called to live a stewardship way of life and that we have been given many good gifts, but it is never truly about us. We are never the main thing. In the same manner, it is never really about our parish. Our combined stewardship may lead to many fruits, like an increased offertory or more vibrancy in parish life. However, it is always about the Kingdom of God and the King, Jesus Christ.

The concept of hospitality is fundamental discipleship. When we envision hospitality, we naturally think of offering a sincere and warm welcome — to those new to our parish, for instance. We picture inviting them in and making them feel at home and at ease in our presence, communicating to them that they are highly valued.

Today’s Gospel reading from John invites us to think of hospitality in a slightly different way. We hear Jesus speaking this to his disciples: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.”

In our Small Christian Community we often discuss how simple and straight forward Christ’s instructions are. How easy His directives are to understand. And despite this; how challenging they can be to follow and live. This week’s Gospel is a prime example. Jesus tells his disciples, and by extension each of us: “My children, I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.”

Now, Christ’s love isn’t puppy-dogs, rainbows and unicorns. Christ’s love means putting the good of the other above your own. It’s sacrificial. It’s heroic. This is why I say discipleship is an action word. It’s not thinking. It’s doing… doing His will.

Throughout the Easter season, our readings have given us glimpses into the life of the newborn Church and the bold witness of the early disciples in spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ to all who would listen. These disciples were the first to live a stewardship way of life and their example is as relevant today as it was 2,000 years ago.

In the First Reading, from the Acts of the Apostles, we catch up with Paul and Barnabas in Antioch. While they certainly have some success in reaching many people there with the message of salvation, others are downright infuriated by their words and send them packing. Yet, we read that “the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.” Overall, it seems as if Paul and Barnabas had failed in Antioch. But this seeming failure has not robbed them of their joy. What’s more, they are filled to the brim with the abundant gifts of the Holy Spirit. How is this possible?

In our lives, many of us have somehow bought into the notion that there is so much in the world that can take us away from God. We believe that worldly values, immorality, or evil itself can take us away from God's love and protection. But there are few greater lies than this. The reality is that if we find ourselves far away from God, the only force that carried us away was our own choices.

In John's Gospel, Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me...No one can take them out of my hand." Yes, we are tempted at every side, but no temptation can take us away from him. Unfortunately, sometimes after initial choices, we find ourselves in addiction or dependency, making our reconciliation with God impossible without the help of friends and loved ones. But make no mistake, no one or nothing can take those who are His sheep away from God.

You’re correct; technically, it’s not a verb but bear with me… As we move through the Easter season we see a transition in how the risen Christ instructs the disciples.

The parables, metaphors and symbols have been replaced with clear directives. He "opened their minds to understand the scriptures" making known the connections between his own words and deeds and "everything written about [him] in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms."

I am struck by how Jesus addresses the disciples in the 21st chapter of John. They have been fishing all night, and when the dawn comes, Jesus asks, "Children, have you caught anything to eat?" They hadn't caught a thing, so he tells them what to do to finally fill their nets. These children thought they knew best, but they couldn't get the job done until they listened to Jesus. Like a child who needs a parent, these early followers of Jesus were learning that real maturity of faith requires trusting in and listening to the Teacher.