Fifth Sunday of Easter /
Msgr. Owen F. Campion
The Sunday Readings
The Acts of the Apostles once again furnishes the first reading for the liturgy in the season of Easter.
This weekend’s reading is about Paul and Barnabas. In the story, Paul, who was converted on the road to Damascus and then spent much time learning about Jesus, attempts to join the Christian community in Jerusalem. The community understandably fears him. After all, Paul had been a strident opponent of the Christian Gospel, and had persecuted Jerusalem’s Christians.
Understandably, these same Christians must have wondered what dark purpose lay beneath Paul’s wish to enter their community. Was he looking for ways to entrap Christians or to gather evidence regarding them to take to the authorities?
Barnabas, already part of the community, spoke for Paul, urging his admission into the community. Eventually, Paul was accepted.
Paul remained in Jerusalem, speaking boldly about Jesus wherever he went. Such fervor was not always appreciated among those not of the Christian fold. Some tried to kill him, but the Christians rescued him by taking him to Caesarea, the Roman capital of the region, a seaport on the Mediterranean located slightly north of modern Tel Aviv. There, they put Paul on a ship bound for Tarsus.
Meanwhile, as Acts says, the Church in Palestine was growing and its faith was deepening.
The First Epistle of St. John again supplies the second reading.
As was the case in the readings for the past weekends, this passage is moving and compelling in its eloquence. John refers to his readers as “children” (1 Jn 3:18). This form of address in itself is highly expressive.
Believers, as all humans, are vulnerable. They are weak. They are limited. They are “children,” but God’s children. If they are without sin, God will protect them from peril.
St. John’s glorious Gospel provides the last reading.
Last weekend, the Lord gave us the beautiful image of the Good Shepherd. He is our leader. He guides us away from danger.
This weekend, the image is no less telling and descriptive. Jesus is the vine. We believers are the branches. This image was as immediate in its message to the first hearers of these words as was the story of the Good Shepherd. The society in which Jesus lived was agrarian. Viticulture was popular. Everyone knew about vines, and everyone knew what vine growers did for a living.
Reflection
In last weekend’s Gospel, Jesus appeared as our guide and protector. In this weekend’s reading, the link between believers and Jesus is revealed. His life is within believers. He is bonded with believers. Without Christ, they can accomplish nothing. In Christ, they can live forever.
The key to this wonderful relationship is our willingness to love the Lord. His love for us is uncompromising, constant and complete.
Our love requires absolute trust and commitment.
Achieving this supreme level of love means recognizing the Lord, and setting nothing above our desire to be disciples. Paul is a good model of this. After despising Jesus, he changed his heart, completely, totally.
The Church is frank this weekend in giving us these details about loving God absolutely. It is more than a question of good intentions or personal conviction. Christ lives in the Church, and we must spiritually incorporate ourselves into the Church to be joined into the vine that is the Lord.
To look again to Paul as a model, he indeed was converted, but the process was not instantaneous. Elsewhere, Acts speaks of his intense study and reflection as he sought to learn about Jesus. For him, discipleship was no solitary experience. He wanted to be part of the Church.
A secondary lesson is about evangelization. Barnabas reached out to Paul to bring him into the community. †