Friday Gospel Recharge: A Reflection on the Gospel of John 21: 15-19

 

Friday Gospel Recharge Series

Friday Gospel Recharge

A Reflection on John 21: 15-19 

(7th Friday of Eastertide, Year B of the Liturgical Calendar, 2024)

Lessons from St Peter

The essence of this gospel centres on St Peter’s role and leadership in the Church, as well as the death he faces for following Jesus.

Leadership in this Gospel is highlighted in Jesus’s conversation with Peter. Jesus speaks only to Peter her, asking him to feed his sheep, despite the presence of the other ten apostles. This private exchange underscores St Peter’s unique leadership role.

The nature of St Peter death is not detailed here, only that he will die for Jesus’s sake. Tradition holds that St Peter’s death was excruciating; he was crucified upside down at his request, feeling unworthy to be crucified in the same manner as Jesus.

Contrary to popular culture, the upside-down cross is not a satanic symbol. Etched on the Chair of Peter, where the pope sits, is an upside down cross, signifying the martyrdom of St Peter. Our tradition teaches this, so any accusation of belonging to a satanic cult is unfounded.

This Gospel, while focused on the Apostle’s death, also speaks to us. Like St Peter, who was crucified for following Jesus, we too are all called to follow Him, and be prepared to lay down our lives for the Good News. This is easy said than done. However, we are reminded of Jesus’s love shown on the cross. If he died for us, should we not be willing to die for him too?

Following Jesus means promising to nourish others. Jesus tells the Apostle three times to “feed my sheep,” emphasising the cost of discipleship. Jesus never demands more than we can give. He asks us to give from what we have, not from what we lack. This recalls the miracle of the loaves and fish, where Jesus fed five thousand people with just two loaves and three fishes from his disciples.

We can achieve much with the very little we possess. Our task is to be faithful to Jesus’s call, trusting he can use our small contributions to change many hearts. From the calling of the twelve, Jesus was able to transform countless lives across cultures worldwide. It takes a few dedicated spirits to work wonders.

Like St Peter, we are called to die to our own self-interests for the Gospel’s sake and embrace the possibility of martyrdom if it is so God’s will when carry the Gospel with us. Remember, Jesus said to St Peter - and He tells us - to feed his sheep. Nourishing the flock even at the prospect of martyrdom.

On this seventh and final Friday of Eastertide, let us be brave enough to say yes to following Jesus, even if it costs us the ultimate price of our own lives.

Friday Gospel Recharge: A Reflection on the Gospel of John 16: 20-23

Friday Gospel Recharge Series

Friday Gospel Recharge

A reflection on John 16: 20-23 

(6th Friday of Eastertide, Year B of the Liturgical Calendar, 2024)

Hope in Suffering

The question of why do good people suffer is an ancient one and has puzzled humanity for centuries. Various attempts to answer this complex question have been made, but none has satisfied everyone. From a Catholic point of view, suffering is seen as meaningful, as it allows us to participate in the saving work of Christ. Conversely, modern atheistic views reject this perspective, arguing that if God exists and is good, suffering would not exist. Thus, secular thinkers tend to view the phenomenon of suffering purely a natural and social factor, addressed solely by human effort alone.

Suffering in itself is inherently linked to evil. However, evil is found within us rather than outside us as an existing force. The definition of evil isn’t the devil, or some other being; it’s more accurate to think of it as a deprivation of a good within us. An apt analogy is the hole in a sock; just as a hole deprives a sock of its function, evil deprives us of goodness. This evil has persisted since  the fall of our first parents and is an inevitable part of our temporal existence, ceasing when we die.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus forewarns his followers about the suffering they will endure, likening it to the pain of childbirth followed by the joy of new life. Here Jesus speaks to them about the sorrow they will experience of his crucifixion, but also the joy they will experience afterwards. Similarly, as modern day believes, we are called to endure suffering for our faith in Christ, knowing that it is temporary and will ultimately lead to joy.

Dealing with suffering demands an outward-thinking perspective on life. We should refrain from harbouring desires for vengeance or bitterness towards the hurt we have endured or may yet endure in or devotion to God in Christ. Instead, we must bear it like the woman in childbirth, maintaining an inner serenity while fixing our gaze on the promise of the resurrection, where joy awaits us despite the inevitability of our suffering, Jesus accompanied us through it and awaits us at its conclusion.

In recent events, the stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, an Iraqi-born bishop head of the Assyrian Church in Australia, served as a stark reminder of the reality of suffering by believers. Despite controversy surrounding him, Bishop Mar exemplifies unwavering faith in the face of adversity, refusing to respond to violence with hatred but instead clinging to the hope of the resurrection.

As Catholics, we are reminded that suffering, though inevitable, is without hope.  By embracing our crosses for the sake of Christ, we can find peace amidst the struggles of life. As an exercise this week, let’s ponder on areas in our lives where we have abandoned hope and shunned our crosses, and look towards Christ’s example of enduring suffering with faith and hope.

Friday Gospel Recharge: A Reflection on the Gospel of John 14: 6-14

 

Friday Gospel Recharge Series

Friday Gospel Recharge

A Reflection on John 14: 6 - 14 

(5th Friday of Eastertide, Year B of the Liturgical Calendar, 2024)

In Jesus name we pray

In the last two verses of this passage, Jesus makes a promise: anything we ask for in his name he will do it. To add the strength of this promise, Jesus says not once but twice: “I will do it.” So, if we ask for it, he will indeed fulfill our requests. Anything he does in response to prayer, however, is not for his own glorification - although we glorify him because our faith teaches us he is God- but for the majesty and glory of the Father in heaven. Jesus, in his ministry, did all things in the Father’s name, and so, to demonstrate this, he acts when we beseech him.

When we pray in Jesus's name, we can ask for anything that speaks to our hearts. If we desire winning the lottery, ask that in prayer; if we have a broken bone and want it to heal well with no complications, we can ask for healing in Jesus name; if we yearn for High Distinctions when facing academic challenges - again, ask in Jesus's name. However, many times our prayers don’t materialise right away, making us think Jesus isn’t listening. This assumption is wrong because Jesus always listens to us, as his Spirit resides in the sanctuary of our hearts. When Jesus doesn’t seem to respond, we must persist in prayer. Our perseverance signifies our reliance on divine providence rather than solely on our own strength. Sometimes, we might make that common mistake of not having praying earnestly enough. Perseverance and genuine prayer are two pivotal habits in the Christian prayer life.

When we fulfil the requisites and pray accordingly in Jesus name, it’s true that Jesus doesn’t grant all our prayers. Jesus has good reasons for this. The succinct answer is that Jesus knows what’s best for us, and sometimes, what we request may not align with our ultimate wellbeing, despite our innate pursuit to be happy. Indeed, if we are emotionally or physically broken, God desires healing in those areas, and it’s important that we petition God’s grace for healing. To neglect this would erroneously assume that God is indifferent, which is far from the truth. However, healing in these domains often involves a gradual process. In instances where things are not promptly improving, Jesus, in his infinite compassion, provide us with grace to endure the pain, transforming our sufferings into a source of beauty and a testament to his boundless love for us.

In the context of today’s Gospel, Jesus promises the disciples that he will sustain their vocations as disciples when they pray in his name. Jesus wants the world to know the Father’s love for them, and he chooses to only achieve this with our cooperation, now that he has risen and ascended to heaven. We cannot effectuate the conversion of the world through our own efforts alone; it necessitates the grace of God to transmute the heart of men through our testimony to Jesus. Therefore, St Paul urges that when we pray, we should do so in a manner that beseeches God to open doors for the Word to touch the hearts of many (Colossians 4:2-6).

Being a witness of Jesus is not solely arduous work; it also requires a rigorous way of life. It demands relinquishing worldly attachments and enduring significant trials and tribulations because of the world’s opposition to God’s message. When challenges cross our paths as witnesses, only the solace of God’s providence can alleviate the burdens inherent in the work of discipleship. Undoubtedly, the charity of God’s people, be it material or emotional support, eases some of the hardship, but the transient goods of this world pale in comparison to the enduring grace of God. When we implore God’s support, he lightens our load by sustaining us with the hope of the resurrection, the fortitude to persevere and all the other gifts of the Holy Spirit, empowering us to be effective agents in the world.

Heaven holds treasures for us- whether it be the reunion with lost loved ones, a perfect and glorified body, or eternal relief from trials and tribulations. Yet, the most sublime gift awaiting us is God himself. Nothing surpasses the gift of God over all other blessings he could bestow upon us. Let us pray in such a manner that we may be reunited with God once again. This is the one request that Jesus will never deny to those who sincerely seek this communion. In prayer, let us petition for the giver rather than solely for the gifts bestowed.