Homily for the week of May 9, 2010

SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER, CYCLE C, 2010

Acts 15:1-2, 22-29

Rev 21: 1-23

John 14: 23-29

Most Americans today do not know that Mother's Day was born in a church in West Virginia. Mother's Day was first suggested in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe as a day dedicated to peace. But 35 years later Ana Jarvis, from Philadelphia, began a campaign to establish a national Mother's Day. Ms. Jarvis persuaded her mother's church in Grafton, West Virginia to celebrate Mother's Day on the second anniversary of her mother's death, the 2nd Sunday of May. Ms. Jarvis wrote to priests and ministers, and rabbis to celebrate a Mother's Day in their church or synagogue. In 1914 President Wilson made it a national holiday.

At times we refer to each one of us as members of a one big family which we call the Church. But this family is 2000 years old, and as with all families, throughout history there have been a variety of conflicts within the family. A times it was messy. Such a situation was described in our First Reading. The Catholic Church was just about 50 years old. Remember that Jesus' first followers were all Jews. They would worship in the Temple on Saturday and then then celebrate Mass and receive Holy Communion on Sunday. Jewish law demanded that males be circumcised as a sign that they believed in God.

This practice became a problem, however for those who were not Jews and who wanted to be Christians. There were heated debates over whether these Gentiles as the newcomers were called, should keep the entire Jewish law. Does a Gentile have to become a Jew to become a Christian? Some said yes, some said no, and others argued for a compromise position: keep some observances, but not others. How would a mixed community be able to eat together if some were keeping kosher and others not?

There came a point when a group from Jerusalem came to Antioch, where Paul and Barnabas were recounting all that God was doing through them in their missionary travels among the gentiles. The Judeans, who were arguing for full observance of the law by gentiles, created no little dissension and debate, as Paul and Barnabas took them on, holding that gentiles should not be bound by the law. How did they solve it? Church leaders met. they honestly and passionately argued things out. As they discussed they realized that God's hand was with them in the form of the Holy Spirit.

First there was intense listening by all sides. After much debate, Peter finally stood and put forth a decisive argument: it was apparent that God had given the Holy Spirit to the gentiles as well as to Jewish Christians, making no distinction between the two. Jesus had arranged to have the Holy Spirit guide the church after his resurrection into heaven. These young Catholics call on the Holy Spirit to help them daily for assistance especially when they had to make serious decisions.

The role of the Holy Spirit in the Church and in the lives of all Christians is to preserve and protect the revelation that God has given us. There are times in the lives of many of us when we are tempted to doubt about what we are called on to believe, or to hesitate with regard to what we are called on to do. It is on such occasions that the help of the Holy Spirit is especially necessary. He will not fail us if we turn to him earnestly and sincerely

Today we hear Jesus say, Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Not as the world gives it. At Mass, Catholics have a rite of peace. After a brief prayer, the priest says, Let us offer each other the sign of peace. We then offer a sign of that peace to those nearest to us. This offer is an acknowledgement of the deep human need for our unity with God and with each other. For Catholics, the reception of Communion is the ultimate expression of unity in God and with each other.

This peace is not a ''feel good'' peace. Rather it goes back to the Jewish offer of ''shalom.'' The Hebrew word ''Shalom'' is used as a common greeting such as ''hello'' and ''goodbye,'' but its true meaning is deep and profound. It is the peace of God. This is a gift from God. This is what Jesus gave us when He said, ''My peace I give to you.'' It is not peace meaning the absence of bad things going on. It is the peace that exists within us precisely when bad things are going on. It is the peace that can only exist when we are in union with God.

Our ''Sign of Peace'' can become a moment when we offer each other God's love. It expresses our desire to be in union with those around us, yet it is meant to be so much more. In fact, it is meant to be a little bit of a reconciliation rite, so that we can approach the one who gives us peace precisely because we are reconciled both with God and each other.