Love Song Of A Savior

If you really knew me you would know that I rarely get sick, but when I do get sick it is pretty intense. I’m convinced God needed me to rest this week and so I’ve come down with this nasty virus that makes me lie down in the green pasture of my bed. Someone asked me the other day if I really only need four hours of sleep because I get up so early to write, and the answer is no, I absolutely need more than four hours of sleep. Well God heard that cry and so here I am on day three of having to rest because I cannot go to work sick. Of course I wanted to fill my “rest” with “doing” such as getting to that book that I’ve been meaning to read, cleaning out my closet, organizing my photos on my computer, etc. No big deal, right. Why do I feel guilty when lying on my couch is all I can manage to do? Why do I feel the need to be productive at all times? Why can’t I simply rest? I’m pretty sure we all suffer from this need to “do” constantly as our culture really preaches productivity as a benchmark for success. Today’s gospel gives me reason to pause just a bit. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day.” I have been in a season of God drawing me so fervently and it has been steeped in amazing grace, tremendous growth, and lots of inner work. Just like in school, breaks are needed for teachers and students to replenish mind, body, and soul, I am being called to rest and replenish so that I can continue to be drawn in by the Father. “Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.” God speaks in whispers and in silence and so we need to be still to listen. Perhaps I’ve been really busy “doing” lately, really busy applying all that I’ve learned into daily life, really busy striving to be the best version of myself, and really busy trying to live a certain way. The Father draws me in close so that He can whisper sweet nothings in my ear, and perhaps there was too much noise, too much going on, to much activity for me to really hear those whispers. 

So, I’ve been leaning in these past three days and what He says is that Jesus is my love song to you, Jesus is my bouquet of flowers sent to woo you, Jesus is my letter that arrives in the mail on a day that you feel unlovable, Jesus is my hug on a really bad day, Jesus is my fragrance meant to sooth you, Jesus is my warmth meant to wrap around you, Jesus is my serenade meant to soften you, Jesus is my gentle breeze meant to refresh you, Jesus is my essence meant to fortify you, Jesus is my breath meant to give you life, Jesus is my wonder meant to inspire you, Jesus is my joy meant to tickle you, Jesus is my love meant to pour over you, and Jesus is my rest meant to lie down with you. It’s amazing what you can hear when you are still. What does any of this have to do with Jesus as the Bread of Life in today’s gospel? A fortified life is what Jesus offers us when we receive and consume him as living bread from the Father. He is the way that the Father draws us, and so a relationship with Jesus is the Life. We have the unique and beautiful blessing to be able to actually receive Jesus into our being through the gift of the Eucharist. He wants us so badly that he chose to become a part of us, but we must open our hands to receive him, open our hearts to let him in, and open our minds to consume him. Today, the Bread of Life offers you wholehearted union. Let the Father draw you in so you can listen and receive His love song. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 ACTS 8:26-40

The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip,
"Get up and head south on the road
that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route." 
So he got up and set out. 
Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch,
a court official of the Candace,
that is, the queen of the Ethiopians,
in charge of her entire treasury,
who had come to Jerusalem to worship, and was returning home.
Seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
The Spirit said to Philip,
"Go and join up with that chariot." 
Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said,
"Do you understand what you are reading?" 
He replied,
"How can I, unless someone instructs me?" 
So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him. 
This was the Scripture passage he was reading:

Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who will tell of his posterity?
For his life is taken from the earth.

Then the eunuch said to Philip in reply,
"I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this?
About himself, or about someone else?" 
Then Philip opened his mouth and, beginning with this Scripture passage,
he proclaimed Jesus to him.
As they traveled along the road
they came to some water,
and the eunuch said, "Look, there is water. 
What is to prevent my being baptized?" 
Then he ordered the chariot to stop,
and Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water,
and he baptized him. 
When they came out of the water,
the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away,
and the eunuch saw him no more,
but continued on his way rejoicing. 
Philip came to Azotus, and went about proclaiming the good news
to all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

Responsorial Psalm PS 66:8-9, 16-17, 20

R.(1) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Bless our God, you peoples,
loudly sound his praise;
He has given life to our souls,
and has not let our feet slip.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare
what he has done for me.
When I appealed to him in words,
praise was on the tip of my tongue.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed be God who refused me not
my prayer or his kindness!
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia JN 6:51

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven, says the Lord;
whoever eats this bread will live forever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel JN 6:44-51

Jesus said to the crowds:
"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him,
and I will raise him on the last day.
It is written in the prophets:

They shall all be taught by God.

Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.
Not that anyone has seen the Father
except the one who is from God;
he has seen the Father. 
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes has eternal life. 
I am the bread of life. 
Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;
this is the bread that comes down from heaven
so that one may eat it and not die. 
I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give
is my Flesh for the life of the world."

Pondering

“For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.” Raise your hand if you want to go to heaven. Then look at Jesus and believe what he says! I feel like ending this reflection with that one sentence, but I think we all know that I might have more thoughts on the matter! Jesus is the Way. We learn the Way on the way, to quote a friend of mine (who may or may not read this blog). Walking with Jesus is also walking to Jesus and it is in the walking with that we learn the where we are walking toward. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. It’s so simple, friends, but we somehow want to complicate it with lots of practices, and routines, and scorecards, and check lists for getting into heaven. EVERYONE who sees the Son and believes will have eternal life. So how do we see him? How do we increase our faith in him? These are great things to ponder today. Someone just told me that my middle name is “pondering” and yep, that’s right. Pondering is our starting point and we can learn this gift from Mary who often pondered God’s mysterious ways in her heart. If we move these things into our heart, they become roommates with Jesus who dwells there, and eventually our "ponderings" will start to emulate and resemble their roommate and we will be able to recognize Jesus in a world that tries to hide him. 

I’ve always loved the Victor Hugo quote from Les Miserables, “To love another person is to see the face of God.” Why don’t we all start there in our pondering and we will start to see Jesus in the distressing disguise of our loved ones, co-workers, friends, and yes, in ourselves too. I know for me, I see Jesus every day in my sweethearts in memory care, and I guess I have realized that they also see Jesus in me, and in that seeing they somehow believe that they are loved and cherished. “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.” Sometimes we might be the only face of Christ they will see and the only expression of Christ’s love they will believe. So it goes both ways today, friends. Look for him, and look like him. Believe in him, and give others an opportunity to believe in him through your love, compassion, kindness, and peace. It is well with my soul. 

Until It’s Time

By Jennifer Lyn

Theirs is not the end, but the very beginning.

They stand on the threshold of heaven and 

I get to push them closer everyday. 

I get to serenade their walk.

I get to dance with them until their Dad cuts in and 

spins them into the arms of eternity.

I get to hold their hand until they feel ready. 

I get to play with them and pray with them until it’s time. 

Until it’s time is my daily mantra.

Until it’s time, I get to have them as mine. 

Not only are they mine, but I am theirs 

and eternity also peeks in at me 

through their eyes, 

through their touch, 

through their singing, 

through their dancing, 

through their hand holding. 

They push me and I push them and 

we stand on the threshold of forever,

We stand until it’s time. 

Reading 1 ACTS 8:1B-8

There broke out a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem,
and all were scattered
throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria,
except the Apostles.
Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him.
Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the Church;
entering house after house and dragging out men and women,
he handed them over for imprisonment.

Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.
Thus Philip went down to the city of Samaria
and proclaimed the Christ to them.
With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip
when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing.
For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice,
came out of many possessed people,
and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured.
There was great joy in that city.

Responsorial Psalm PS 66:1-3A, 4-5, 6-7A

R. (1) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth,
sing praise to the glory of his name;
proclaim his glorious praise.
Say to God, "How tremendous are your deeds!"
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
"Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you,
sing praise to your name!"
Come and see the works of God,
his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has changed the sea into dry land;
through the river they passed on foot;
therefore let us rejoice in him.
He rules by his might forever.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia SEE JN 6:40

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Everyone who believes in the Son has eternal life,
and I shall raise him up on the last day, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelJN 6:35-40

Jesus said to the crowds,
"I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst.
But I told you that although you have seen me,
you do not believe.
Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day."

Space Time

Have you ever lived across the country from a good friend and some days you just wish you could drive to their house and share a meal or a glass of wine? There is an ache to be in each other’s presence, have face time, and be able to share the same space. Today’s gospel is God’s version of this same ache to be near to us. The crowd was asking Jesus to perform again. We love to be entertained don’t we? They even give him a specific request for his performance and use manna from heaven as a suggestion. The word manna literally means, “What is it?” So Jesus takes the challenge because the ache of God to be intimate with His children burns within him, and he reminds them that his Father is the one that gave them bread in the desert. Since this generous gift had them confused, “what is it?” God knew He needed something more substantial, something more defined, something more real, and something that would also allow Him to share the same space with us. Bread from heaven would now have a Name and there would be no question mark at the end of it, “I AM the bread of life.” There is no more “what is it?” because the “it” is God’s Son, who is in fact, I AM, and who will never leave us hungry again. 

Hunger and thirst are two of the most basic human necessities and God is so super smart that He knew He needed to use these two basic human needs as His platform to remain with us. Spiritual hunger and thirst is our ache to be in His presence and so He gave us a way to be in His actual presence every single day, by consuming His actual presence. There is no better way to ensure intimacy with Him than to allow Him to physically be a part of us. We give God “space time” when we take the Bread of Life that He has so generously offered us in Christ Jesus. This space-time is essential for our thriving in His Holy Spirit. This Bread fortifies our own spirit in His Spirit and as it courses through our veins, God’s very essence makes His home in us. Where God is, the Son, and their Holy Spirit dwell and this is the answer to the Hebrew’s notorious question, “what is it?” It is “I AM” and “I AM” is all we need to satisfy our hunger and thirst. “Whoever who comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” This is a precursor to when Jesus hits them with the scandal of all scandals…eat me!!! If we come to him and believe in him, we will never hunger and thirst. I feel like the word “never” is an absolute that some practical thinkers might find an exaggeration, however, it’s been my observation and experience that the most faith-filled people I know have a certain peace even in the midst of the worst possible storms, and I think that peace is evidence that they are fortified by the Bread of Life. It doesn’t eliminate the storms in our lives, but it does give us that same peace that allowed Jesus to sleep through the storm when all hell was breaking loose. 

God aches for space-time with us. He longs to share a meal with us. He wants to fortify our souls with His essence. He loves us so very much. The Bread of Life is Jesus and he invites us to come to him and to believe in him so that we will be filled. Chew on his word, dip it in the essence of God, and wash it down with the Spirit. This is a meal that will never disappoint. It is well with my soul.

Reading 1 ACTS 7:51—8:1A

Stephen said to the people, the elders, and the scribes:
"You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears,
you always oppose the Holy Spirit;
you are just like your ancestors.
Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute?
They put to death those who foretold the coming of the righteous one,
whose betrayers and murderers you have now become.
You received the law as transmitted by angels,
but you did not observe it."

When they heard this, they were infuriated,
and they ground their teeth at him.
But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit,
looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God
and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
and Stephen said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened
and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
But they cried out in a loud voice,
covered their ears, and rushed upon him together.
They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him.
The witnesses laid down their cloaks
at the feet of a young man named Saul. 
As they were stoning Stephen, he called out,
"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice,
"Lord, do not hold this sin against them";
and when he said this, he fell asleep.

Now Saul was consenting to his execution.

Responsorial Psalm PS 31:3CD-4, 6 AND 7B AND 8A, 17 AND 21AB

R.(6a) Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety.
You are my rock and my fortress;
for your name's sake you will lead and guide me.
R. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.
My trust is in the LORD;
I will rejoice and be glad of your mercy.
R. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your kindness.
You hide them in the shelter of your presence
from the plottings of men.
R. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia JN 6:35AB

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the bread of life, says the Lord;
whoever comes to me will never hunger.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel JN 6:30-35

The crowd said to Jesus:
"What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you?
What can you do?
Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written:

He gave them bread from heaven to eat."

So Jesus said to them,
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven;
my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 
For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world."

So they said to Jesus,
"Sir, give us this bread always." 
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,

and whoever believes in me will never thirst."         

Exhausted In Love

Mondays after a retreat weekend might be some of the hardest days and at the same time, some of the richest days. The “retreat high” is a real condition that affects the way one sees things and it can either make your glasses rosier in color or it can invoke a certain disappointment in the world that remained down in the valley. I, myself, am having my very own Monday after retreat kind of day and my eyes are pink with optimism, my heart is still “pentecosting” with joy, my hair remains tousled by the rushing wind of the Spirit, and I feel the glow of Transfiguration on my face. I spent the weekend with a lovely group of faith-filled women and men and we didn’t feed 5,000+, but we did pour into 35 beautiful daughters of God on a Cursillo retreat weekend. The theme was “I am yours, and you are mine” and we fed them with the gift of God’s belovedness. While there was no miraculous multiplication of loaves and fish, there was a miraculous multiplication of love that satisfied our souls with grace. Needless to say, I’m exhausted. Exhausted in love. 

I imagine Jesus must have also been exhausted after having just performed a miracle for over 5,000 people, yet that retreat high was so profound that as he was sneaking to get away and pray, he walked on water. Raise your hand if you have ever had an encounter with God that made you feel like you could walk on water. It occurred to me that the miraculous also fills Jesus up so much so much so that he can float across the water. God loves to be exhausted by generosity, exhausted in love, exhausted in pouring out grace, exhausted in pursuing us, exhausted in finding us, exhausted in wooing us, and exhausted in feeding us. When the crowds went and found Jesus across the lake, they were curious and intrigued as to how he got there. He told them that essentially what they were impressed with was the natural, such as free food. I do love me some free food! He needed to teach them to be impressed with the supernatural, the love behind the food, the generosity behind the miracle, the hospitality behind the serving, the mercy behind the wanting to satisfy them, the peace behind the offering, the fortification behind the togetherness, and the list goes on and on. Jesus shows up in the natural to be the filter that we look through into the supernatural. The closer we come to him, the better we can see through him. 

Jesus wants us to see through the filter of his heart. That’s why God sent him, to show us his heart and to bestow us his heart. When we look through these filtered lenses of grace, love, mercy, kindness, joy, laughter, abundance, peace, and wonder, we get a glimpse into heaven and in heaven everyone walks on water because of their retreat high. In the meantime, we walk grounded, side-by-side, following the one who pursues us, receiving the free food he offers us, and hopefully we are exhausted in love. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 ACTS 6:8-15

Stephen, filled with grace and power,
was working great wonders and signs among the people.
Certain members of the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen,
Cyreneans, and Alexandrians,
and people from Cilicia and Asia,
came forward and debated with Stephen,
but they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.
Then they instigated some men to say,
"We have heard him speaking blasphemous words
against Moses and God."
They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes,
accosted him, seized him,
and brought him before the Sanhedrin.
They presented false witnesses who testified,
"This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law.
For we have heard him claim
that this Jesus the Nazorean will destroy this place
and change the customs that Moses handed down to us."
All those who sat in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him
and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Responsorial Psalm PS 119:23-24, 26-27, 29-30

R.(1ab) Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
Though princes meet and talk against me,
your servant meditates on your statutes.
Yes, your decrees are my delight;
they are my counselors.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
I declared my ways, and you answered me;
teach me your statutes.
Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous deeds.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
Remove from me the way of falsehood,
and favor me with your law.
The way of truth I have chosen;
I have set your ordinances before me.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia MT 4:4B

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
One does not live on bread alone
but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel JN 6:22-29

[After Jesus had fed the five thousand men, his disciples saw him walking on the sea.]
The next day, the crowd that remained across the sea
saw that there had been only one boat there,
and that Jesus had not gone along with his disciples in the boat,
but only his disciples had left.
Other boats came from Tiberias
near the place where they had eaten the bread
when the Lord gave thanks.
When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there,
they themselves got into boats
and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.
And when they found him across the sea they said to him,
"Rabbi, when did you get here?"
Jesus answered them and said,
"Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me
not because you saw signs
but because you ate the loaves and were filled.
Do not work for food that perishes
but for the food that endures for eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give you.
For on him the Father, God, has set his seal."
So they said to him,
"What can we do to accomplish the works of God?"
Jesus answered and said to them,
"This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent."

Above All

Some things that came to mind when I read the first line of today’s gospel, “the one who comes from above is above all”, were an umbrella, a waterfall, and a blanket. These three things are different ways in which we can be covered. The umbrella protects us from the storm, the waterfall washes us, and the blanket covers us in warmth. Above all Jesus protects, washes, and covers us when we give him permission, when we accept his testimony, and when we trust in his Spirit. We have a part in placing Jesus above all that we say and do. We have a part in opening the umbrella, standing under the shower of grace, and wrapping his presence around us. These things require us to pay attention, to be awake, and to spend time with the desires of our heart. The desires of our heart will always lead to the one who comes from above because that is how love made us. When we start to listen to earthly voices and what this world says will cover us, we lose sight of the one that rests upon us. The world is about striving and achieving and deserving and doing. Heaven is about being and receiving and listening and resting. I don’t know about you, but the world seems exhausting and heaven seems like the loveliest vacation. I know it’s crazy to suggest that we stop “doing”, but what if today we all stood under (or understood) and let love cover us, let it wash over us, warm us, and keep us safe. My favorite line in today’s gospel is, “He does not ration the gift of the Spirit.” Just ponder that one for a bit. How beautiful, how lovely, how right, how noble, how perfect, and how amazing is the non-rationed flow of the Holy Spirit for those of us awake enough to let it rest upon us. I know it’s a paradox to be awake in order to rest, but that’s just it, the eyes of our heart need be opened so that we can see the resting of the Spirit upon us. It is limitless and free, it is available for all, and it is all. Spending time in His Word is the only way for us to accept the testimony, to know the voice of the Father, and to be blanketed in the Holy Spirit. 

One of my memory care friends named Lola often shows up to activities, meals, or just walking through the halls with a great big fuzzy blanket wrapped around her. She loves the comfort, the warmth, and the being held. She knows that being wrapped in softness is what she needs and of course Lola is right. Let the softness of God wrap around you today. Let the love of Jesus cover you today. Let the unlimited gifts of the Holy Spirit pour over you today. Then go and do the same for others. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 ACTS 5:27-33

When the court officers had brought the Apostles in
and made them stand before the Sanhedrin,
the high priest questioned them,
"We gave you strict orders did we not,
to stop teaching in that name.
Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching
and want to bring this man's blood upon us."
But Peter and the Apostles said in reply,
"We must obey God rather than men. 
The God of our ancestors raised Jesus,
though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree.
God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior
to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.
We are witnesses of these things,
as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him."

When they heard this,
they became infuriated and wanted to put them to death.

Responsorial Psalm PS 34:2 AND 9, 17-18, 19-20

R.(7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
Many are the troubles of the just man,
but out of them all the LORD delivers him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia JN 20:29

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me, says the Lord;
blessed are those who have not seen, but still believe!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel JN 3:31-36

The one who comes from above is above all.
The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things.
But the one who comes from heaven is above all.
He testifies to what he has seen and heard,
but no one accepts his testimony.
Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy.
For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God.
He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.
The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,
but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life,

but the wrath of God remains upon him.   

God Is Bigger Than…

I’m convinced that we can all quote John 3:16…ready go… Now, let’s look at the next sentence that we do not have memorized, but we should absolutely know by heart. “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned.” I would like to just sit with these two statements for a bit. PAUSE. God didn’t send His heart into the world to be a voice of blame or doom or accusation, but he gave us His heart to save us FROM death so that He could save us FOR heaven. Why? Because He “so loved the world” and I’m going to make it personal, because He so loves me, and because He so loves you. I find that when I use general terms like God loves the world or everyone that I start to think that because He loves all that His love is somehow not personal, but unspecific. The fact of the matter is that God’s love is personal and He would send Jesus if I was the only one in the world and He would send Jesus if you were the only one in the world. It has to be this way or else I get caught up in lies such as “well God is so busy tending to everyone else in the world, He doesn’t have time for my silly little self,” or “other people are suffering so much more than I am so God is focused on them,” or “how can He possibly love me when I am just one among 8 billion?” 

God is so much bigger than our finite mind can imagine and it is that mystery that woos us into relationship. Years ago we had a youth retreat called “God Is Bigger Than” and on our t-shirts we had a list of all kinds of things such as, “God is bigger than Wal-Mart, God is bigger than a California Burrito, God is bigger than the Beatles, etc.” We also listed deeper level things like, “God is bigger than my fear, God is bigger than shame, God is bigger than religion, and God is bigger than hate.” The bigness of God knew that we needed a face to connect with, eyes to gaze into, a heart to place our ear against, a voice to listen to, and a hand to touch, so He sent us His Son. Jesus is the face of love, the eyes of grace, the voice of mercy, and the kiss of peace. He is ours to behold and he is ours to be held by. He lives in every single one of us that believe because in our believing we have set a dwelling for him inside our soul. This light gently warms us into blessedness, tenderly pierces the darkness with which we have become so comfortable, and slowly adjusts our eyes to see the way he sees. His presence is never bossy or rude, but a loving and intimate gift waiting for us to notice. The bigness of God is an ocean of lovely all around us, but the personal love of God is a still small voice within us. It sings when we are lonely, it whispers when we can’t see, it breathes when we are afraid, it calls when we are lost, it shouts when we need to know, it speaks life when we want to choose death. The one thing His voice does not do, as our gospel so powerfully reminds us today, is condemn. Any words or voices of condemnation are NOT of God, friends. I am going to lovingly repeat that. Any words or voices of condemnation are NOT of God, friends. Jesus came to save, not condemn, so I encourage all of us to let him be your savior today. It’s what he came to do and it’s what he loves to do more than anything else. Our weakness, our sin, and our limits allow God to be God and Jesus to do what he loves doing most. God is bigger than…you fill in the blank with something that you need to surrender today. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 ACTS 5:17-26

The high priest rose up and all his companions,
that is, the party of the Sadducees,
and, filled with jealousy,
laid hands upon the Apostles and put them in the public jail.
But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison,
led them out, and said,
"Go and take your place in the temple area,
and tell the people everything about this life."
When they heard this,
they went to the temple early in the morning and taught.
When the high priest and his companions arrived,
they convened the Sanhedrin,
the full senate of the children of Israel,
and sent to the jail to have them brought in.
But the court officers who went did not find them in the prison,
so they came back and reported,
"We found the jail securely locked
and the guards stationed outside the doors,
but when we opened them, we found no one inside."
When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this report, 
they were at a loss about them,
as to what this would come to.
Then someone came in and reported to them,
"The men whom you put in prison are in the temple area
and are teaching the people." 
Then the captain and the court officers went and brought them,
but without force,
because they were afraid of being stoned by the people.

Responsorial Psalm PS 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R.(7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R.The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia JN 3:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God so love the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel JN 3:16-21

God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.
And this is the verdict,
that the light came into the world,
but people preferred darkness to light,
because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light
and does not come toward the light,
so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light,
so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.