Father, you wait for us until we are open to you.
We wait for your Word to make us receptive.
Attune us to your voice, to your silence.
Speak and bring your Son to us – Jesus – the Word of your peace.

Take a moment to read our text!

At the first reading it really seems very difficult to understand what the writer is saying.  This is a good sign.  So often after reading a text just once we jump to the conclusion that we understand it completely.  There is a wise saying related to this instant understand syndrome. “It is almost certain that the first message you receive from a text is not the message that God has for you.”

Lesson number one: Read the text reflectively, over and over again. Use your imagination.

If you do this with today’s text you may well see that short as it is it divides up into parts that we can then tackle one at a time.  Here’s my division.

¹² I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 

¹³When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth: 

for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

¹⁴He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

¹⁵All that the Father has is mine.  For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

* * * * * *

¹² I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

Am I hearing correctly?  Is this saying that Jesus did not have sufficient time to complete his mission? No!  He told us everything necessary for leading a full and fruitful life.  However we are living in a very different world to that in which Jesus lived.  We have situations and difficulties that nobody even dreamt about two thousand years ago.  Yet we are all in need of help.  Jesus is telling us that the Holy Spirit will continue to guide us all.  It is important that we realise that the Holy Spirit is active in all our lives and not in just a select few.  “As for you, the anointing which you received from Jesus Christ remains with you; you need no other teacher; you learn all you need to know from this anointing.  (1 John 2: 26)

We are all called to learn from Jesus.
We are all called to learn from the scriptures.
It is so important that we do not do this alone.  As we share with each other in groups the Holy Spirit is at work within the group.  What one person misses somebody else will notice.  My insights will enrich those around me.  My mistakes will be gently corrected by the group.

Prayer

Father, forgive us that as followers of Jesus, we think we have a monopoly or even a first option, on the truth.  Teach us to welcome truth wherever we find it; remind us that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.  Help us to act upon what Jesus taught us:

“I am the bread of life.” Jn 6: 48
“I am the light of the world.” Jn 8: 12
“I am the resurrection and the life.” Jn 11: 25

* * * * * *

¹³When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth:
and declare it to you.

How do you and I relate to TRUTH.  Let us examine our lives.  Are there things in the way we conduct our lives that suggest that in some aspect of our lives are dishonest.  Do I fail to admit to short-comings?  Is my way of speaking contradicted by my behaviour?  Do I kneel down in church, a picture of piety, and yet at home I make life miserable by my selfish behaviour.  Come let us live out of truth.

To read the gospel with an open mind is to see beyond all possibilities of doubt that You, Jesus, came to bring us, not only a new life, but also, a new physical power of acting upon our world.
Speak Lord, your servant is listening.
You have the words of eternal life.

Chapter 17 of John’s gospel is sometimes titled, Jesus’ Prayer, by the editors of the particular edition of the Bible.  It is the climax of John’s account of the Last Supper.  Today’s reading is made up of the first verse and the last seven verses of this chapter.

¹Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:

“Holy Father, ²⁰I pray not only for these, but for those who through their words will believe in me. ²¹May they all be one. Father, may they be one in us as you are in me and I am in you, so that the world may believe it was you who sent me. ²²I have given them the glory you gave to me, that they may be one as we are one. ²³With me in them and you in me, may they be so completely one that the world will realize that it was you who sent me and that I have loved them as much as you loved me.

²⁴Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they may always see the glory you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. ²⁵Father, Righteous One, the world has not known you, but I have known you, and these have known that you have sent me. ²⁶I have made your name known to them and I will continue to make it known, so that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and so that I may be in them.

In our everyday talking to each other we usually succeed in making ourseves understood.  However, when we turn to religious topics we often use the ‘right words’ without really understanding the meaning of what we are saying. One such word is ‘glory’ and closely related to it is, ‘eternal life’.

In your imagination place yourself in the front row at a university graduation ceremony.  As a parent you listen to the master of ceremonies as he extols the glorious achievements of your son or daughter. Again and again he is interrupted by spontaneous applause for your child’s achievements. Your child is covered in glory and so are you. You are smiling all over. You bask in the glory of what your child has done.

Perhaps this gives some insight into how God feels about our achievements. Our God wants us to live out our lives to the fullest. He wants us to be the very best that we can.  He wants us to make the best use of the many talents he has showered upon us and in so doing to make life better for all those around us. This is eternal life.

I pray not only for these (you and I), but for those who through their (our) words will believe in me.

In chapter 17: 3 we are told, “And eternal life is this: to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” If we really know Jesus we will certainly model our lives on his example. In 15: 8  we are told, “By this is my Father glorified that you bear much fruit.”

This is the fruit that we will bear.

This world will be a better place for our having passed through it.

Our kindness to others will be reflected in the lives of others. The prison bars of revenge, resentment, retribution will not dampen our enthusiasm for bringing joy to the world.  Each day we will make God’s presence more tangible. His patient unconditional love for all humanity will be there for all to see and experience. This is the fruit that we will bear.

This wonderful new world is described in the climactic verses of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew’s gospel.

“For I was  hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cured for me, in prison and you visited me.” Mt 25: 35

“I give you a new commandment: love one another.
As I have loved you, so you should also love one another.
(I have loved them as much as you loved me.)

“This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Jn 13: 34-35

Early History of CBF

The Catholic Bible Foundation was born in a remote village near, Elandskop, in rural Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Some twenty years ago two Holy Family Sisters entered the home of Mrs Mdaweni.  It was the humblest of homes and Mrs Mdaweni was among the poorest of the poor.  At the time her son was dying of cancer. Her dearest possession was a picture of the Sacred Heart.  She owned very little else.  Sr Mary Doyle and her companion had come to enquire if they could do anything to assist this poverty-stricken family.  Much to their surprise Mrs Mdaweni responded in these words.  “Sisters, we know that you can do nothing about our poverty.  We will handle that ourselves.  What we want you to do is bring us the Word of God – the Bible”

Mrs. Gumbi also echoed the request for the Bible.  Out of this grew a Bible Sharing Group in which all denominations found a home.  Sr Mary treasured these memories. In time she would be able to devote her life to answering God’s call coming to her from the people of rural Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Little did anyone present on these two occasions realize the far-reaching impact the words, “Bring us the Word of God – the Bible”, would have.

A thousand kilometers away in Klerksdorp, Bishop Daniel Verstraete omi was busy preparing for the day when he would be able to realize his dream to establish an organization that would have as its sole aim the promotion of Scripture in the Church.  Providence took over.  The time came when Sr Mary wrote a letter to Bishop Verstraete telling him about her wish to respond to what she knew was the prompting of the Holy Spirit.  Thirty years before, the Second Vatican Council had promulgated the document Dei Verbum calling for a renewed interest and love of Scripture among all Catholics.  As Bishop Verstraete read that letter he went down on his knees praying in thanksgiving.  And so the Catholic Bible Foundation of SA came into existence.

The Vision of the Catholic Bible Foundation is:

To help people enter into a living and dynamic relationship

with

the Word of God, Jesus Christ,

through

the Word of God in Scripture.

Our Roots

At the close of 2012 Bishop Daniel Verstraete omi left South Africa to take up a retirement post in Belgium.  We pay tribute to him and to Sr Mary Doyle hf for their courage and insight over the years.  They were the two people responsible for bringing the dream of the Catholic Bible Foundation into reality.  The Church in South Africa owes much to these two people.  They heard the call of Vatican II.

“In the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven meets His children with great love and speaks with them; and the force and power in the word of God is so great that it remains the support and energy of the Church, the strength of faith for her sons, the food of the soul, the pure and perennial source of spiritual life.” (21)

Dei Verbum is as relevant today as it was in 1965.  All involved in the formation of the people of God need to realise that Scripture should be at the centre of all formation programmes.

Verbum Domini calls on us to, “Rediscover the centrality of God’s Word in catechesis.  God’s Word must accompany the journey of the People of God.”

The Church is defined as “a community that hears and proclaims the Word of God”.  (51)  “We are encouraged to a “greater ‘biblical apostolate’, not alongside other forms of pastoral work, but as a means of letting the Bible inspire all pastoral work.”  (73)

These are the ideals that inspired both Bishop Daniel and Sr Mary.  These are the ideals that energized all those who have worked in the Catholic Bible Foundation of SA: Sr Dympna Travers, Mary-Anne Ralston,  Sr Cynthia Thompson, Br Joe Bell, Br Mike Chalmers, Maureen Lawson, Lynn Harrison, Sr Marie-Andre Mitchell, Lucia Sithole, Betty Harvey, The ABIL facilitators (Too many to mention), Fr Chris Schonenberg, Bobby, Aileen, Uget, Inga, Ruth and Dot;  to all who have gone before us we thank you for your inspiration to us and  dedication to the Pastoral Biblical Apostolate.

Bible Sunday

Over the past ten years the Foundation has worked tirelessly to promote the celebration of Bible Sunday.  Each year has seen a significant growth in the importance and understanding of this Feast.  Parishes have become more aware of the centrality of the Word of God in the spirituality of the People of God.  More and more parishes celebrate Bible Sunday each year.  Nine hundred and sixty parishes received the ‘Guide for Celebrating Bible Sunday.’   In 2012 ten percent of all parishes contributed towards the running expenses of the Foundation.  It is hoped that many more marked the day in a special way.  We thank all for their growing interest in God’s Word and their enthusiasm for and love of Scripture.

We continue to work with the Bible society of SA on this activity.  We thank them, in particular, Rev Shane, for the wonderful co-operative spirit that exists between the two organizations.

Bread for the Journey

This programme consists of teaching the Gospel of the year.  We concentrated on the Gospel of Mark and will be doing Luke’s Gospel in 2013.  Participants commit to attend three Saturdays each year.  Some of the topics covered are:

Introduction to Mark, Journey through Mark, Discipleship, Portraits of Jesus, the Kingdom of God, Three Mighty Deeds, Jesus calms the Sea, Apocalyptic language, The Last week of Jesus’ life, in Jerusalem and Love Conquers Everything.

The second half of the day is devoted to one of the following practical programmes;

Windows on God’s Word, Exploring Scripture Together and Lectio Divina.

Bread for the Journey has been most successful among the Zulu-speaking people.   The reasons for this are: the strong partnership between Durban Archdiocesan authorities and CBF, the full support of the clergy; and the enthusiasm of the people of God.  Along with this we give thanks for the hard work and skills of Sr Chrysostoma Bele and Mrs Fisane Nene.

We have been similarly blest in the dioceses of Polokwane, Witbank and Kimberley.

In all, the Johannesburg office worked in eight venues and Durban in twelve.  At all venues a significant number of persons completed the three year programme and were invested as ‘Apostles of the Word.’  This was a proud moment for all concerned.

At this point I will quote from a letter from Father Wenceslaus Kwindingwi CMM.  “This is to express our sincere gratitude for the services rendered by your office in the persons of Sr Chrysostoma Bele and Mrs F Nene in the training workshops for our lay ministers and voluntary catechists.  Last year, 2012 we engaged the services of Sr Chrysostoma and Mrs Nene to help in the training of our lay leadership.  This proved to be a success story.  We really will appreciate the Catholic Bible Foundation continuing to contribute to the development of the local Church and indeed the universal Church through the services of its personnel.  We are grateful for the donation of Bibles to our lay leadership.

On behalf of the parish I do count on your generosity in spreading the Word of God.”

This letter highlights the wide range of services that the CBF renders to the Church in South Africa.

Bible distribution

Over the years we have continued to make good Catholic Bibles available to our people.  We promote the African Bible which has accurate translation, sound biblical commentary and explanations as well as cross-reference and notes.  We extend our gratitude to the donors, who have made it possible for us to donate Bibles to the neediest.  Through people working in the prisons, we have made Bibles available to these often forgotten people.  Bibles have been donated to many groups in dire need.  The Bible group at an inner-city parish received one hundred Bibles for the homeless.  Those who facilitate this group expressed thanks for the gift that our donors made possible.

Apostolate to youth

We offered programmes in schools from Grade 1 – 12. The Johannesburg office visited ten schools.  The time spent in each school varied from one to eleven days.  First communion and pre-confirmation retreats form part of this outreach.  Many retreats were offered by the Durban office.

Priests and Religious.

This year we had our first invitation to present a retreat for Priests.  This took place in the Diocese of Keimoes and Upington.  The formation work with young religious continued though we did not have as many calls as in the past.

Basic Bible Seminar

This is one of the earliest programmes developed.  We are indebted to our co-workers in the Philippines for this very useful, balanced and informative introduction to the Scriptures.  During the past year it has been used with great effect for the people in Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Restructuring of Catholic Bible Foundation of South Africa

The economic crises that hit the world also had an impact on the future funding of the Foundation.  The announcement that Bishop Verstraete would no longer be residing in South Africa added to the problems of financial planning for the future.

In order to secure future funding the Board decided to form a holding entity for all future funding received for the Foundation.  The Board of Directors will be Mr John McKay, Mrs J Seland and Br Michael Chalmers.  The application for NPO status is with SARS.

Financially the Foundation should remain a viable organization for the next eight years.

A decision was taken to close the apostolate to the English speaking community in Durban.  Mrs M Lawson had reached retirement age.  She will however render managerial services to the CBF in her private capacity.  Mrs L Harrison accepted retrenchment as of 31 January 2013.

At this point it is fitting to pay tribute to these two people who have given such faithful service to the work of the CBF.  They worked in the Biblical Apostolate for twelve and fourteen years respectively.  We extend our thanks to them and look forward to a long friendship in the future.

I am pleased to be able to give the assurance that the apostolate to the Zulu-speaking will continue.  They are fully booked for 2013.

The Johannesburg office has lost the services of Ms N Sango.  She decided not to renew her contract at the beginning of 2013.

Preparing for the future.

As early as November 2011, all staff received training in John’s Gospel from Br Kevin McDonnell of the Catholic Bible College.  In September of 2012 all made presentations on a topic of their choice from John’s gospel.  At the conclusion of this exercise it was decided to present John’s gospel in two formats. One, as a weekend retreat and the other, as a five evening programme of two hours each evening.  During 2013 we will present John‘s gospel in five different venues.

Towards the end of the year we advertised for a new National Director.  The aim is to have a new director in place prior to the time when Br Mike Chalmers will no longer be able to continue to hold this position.  Once applications have been received in 2013, interviews will be conducted and the way forward planned.

Use of the Media

We continue to make contact with a wider audience through the electronic media.

Our website is regularly fed with new material.  Some of the features on the website are:

Information about the Catholic Bible Foundation of South Africa

Programmes offered by the Foundation

A weekly commentary on the Gospel for the Sunday.  This commentary is written from the perspective of the Windows approach to Scripture.  We offer a different view of the Gospel in that we approach the text as “Story”.

Once a month, an article on scripture is published in the Archdiocesan News of Johannesburg.   These articles are also published on the website and made available to the editors of a number of Diocesan newspapers and newsletters.  To date 49 articles have been published.  This project will continue in 2013.

On facebook we give:

A Scripture thought for the day.

Notice of upcoming events.

Photographs taken at recently presented programmes.

Feedback on comments made by readers.

We thank Br Richard de Maria cfc who works in Nairobi for keeping this going.

Administration

The financial administration is done by Mrs S de Ponte, Mrs J Seland and Mrs T Wilsnagh.  We thank Mrs Wilsnagh for her outstanding contribution in this and all divisions of the CBF.

Thanks

Our thanks go to all those who have helped make the work of the CBF possible.  We are very grateful to Bishop Verstraete for his interest, advice and support.  We thank our Chairman, Brother Atty Sobayeni, for his interest, support and advice. To our staff we extend sincere thanks for their creativity, hard work and devotion to the Apostolate of the Word.

GENERAL INFORMATION

STAFF

Br Michael Chalmers cfc: National Director

Johannesburg

• Mrs Teresa Wilsnagh: Deputy Director
• Mrs Sandra de Ponte
• Ms Nomawetu Sango
• Mr Tiyiselani Msimango (Probation)
• Sr Mary Doyle hf (Volunteer)
• Br Richard de Maria (Volunteer)
• Mrs Flora Maziza

Durban

• Mrs Maureen Lawson: Regional Leader
• Mrs Lynn Harrison
• Sr Chrysostoma Bele F.S.F.
• Mrs Fisani Nene
• Ms Precious Gumbi                 
• Mr Zenzo Nkabinde

BOARD OF GOVERNORS

• Br Atty Sobayeni: Chairman
• Br Mike Chalmers: Vice-chairman and National Director
• Sr Maureen Yenson OP: Secretary
• Mr John McKay: Treasurer
• Mrs Fisane Nene: Staff Representative
• Ms Bernadette Chellew: Catholic Bible College, Rector
• Fr Michael Morrissey OMI
• Fr Terry Barnard OMI
• Mrs Connie Nkoane
• Mrs Teresa Wilsnagh: Minute Secretary

FINANCE COMMITTEE

• Bishop Daniel Verstraete
• Br Mike Chalmers
• Mr John McKay
• Mrs Janice Seland

PUBLICATIONS

• Guide to Daily Liturgical Readings 2012/13
• Exploring Scripture Together – Old Testament – New Testament
• Ilizwi Bible Course | Basic Bible Seminar
• Windows programme | Scripture Rosary
• Prayers before praying Scripture

WEBSITE AND FACEBOOK

www.catholicbible.org.za

Facebook page: Catholic Bible Foundation of South Africa

Name: “Yeshua CBF”

PROGRAMMES

• Bible Seminar
• Windows on God’s Word
• Lectio Divina
• Exploring Scripture Together | Old Testament | New Testament
• Bread for the Journey | Breaking open the Word
• Parish, School and Adult Retreats.
• Lectors workshops
• Lenten programmes
• Women’s Day Programme
• Participation in Catechetical Festivals
• Bible Sessions on requested themes.
• Psalms
• Support for people active in the Prison Apostolate.

Lord, you are divine energy and living irresistible might;
Since of the two of us it is you who are infinitely the stronger,
it is you who must set me ablaze and transmute me in fire that we may be welded together and made one.

Chapter 13 of John’s Gospel begins with Jesus giving us a graphic lesson on the meaning of service as he washes the feet of his disciples. This is followed by his pain filled prediction, “one of you will betray me.” The atmosphere in the upper-room must have been filled with many emotions.  This is the moment Jesus chooses to give us his Last Will and Testament.

Time now for the reading of his will; gather round

 * * * * *

Last Will and Testament of Jesus Christ

³¹When Judas had gone from the upper room,

Jesus said: “Now has the Son of Man been glorified, and in him God has been glorified.  ³²If God has been glorified in him, God will in turn glorify him in himself, and will glorify him very soon.

³³My children, I shall not be with you much longer. You will look for me, and, as I told the Jews, where I am going, you cannot come.

³⁴I give you a new commandment: love one another; just as I have loved you, you must love one another. ³⁵By this love you have for one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples.”

* * * * *

“My children” he addresses us:

“Now has the Son of Man been glorified, and in him God has been glorified.  ³²If God has been glorified in him, God will in turn glorify him in himself, and will glorify him very soon.

Throughout Jesus’ life he never compromised his mission. He remained true to his belief in our loving God – he lived this truth and preached it. He identified with the poor, broken, oppressed and marginalised. Again and again this brought him into conflict with the authorities and still he challenged their false, legalistic view of God. His views had brought him into conflict with the authorities and with some of the Twelve. Perhaps he even suspected what Judas was up to.  Filled with fear of what might lie ahead of him he tells Judas, “What you are going to do, do quickly”, and Judas left.  Jesus had made his final commitment to the Mission given him by the Father – “God has been glorified in him.”

* * * * *

³⁴I give you a new commandment: love one another; just as I have loved you, you must love one another.  ³⁵By this love you have for one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples.”

“Commandment”

Commandment is often interpreted in an almost military sense; do this or else. We should rather see it as sound advice which will guide us towards living a full and rewarding life.  This is a pointer indicating the means to sound living and sound relationships. Far from seeing this as a burden imposed from above we should respond to this advice by joyfully committing ourselves to living by the norms God offers us.

“³⁴I give you a new commandment: love one another.” This is not a new commandment. You can find it in Lev 19: 18 and in Lk 10: 27. What is however, new, is the measure of our love; “as I have loved you, you must love one another”. Three times we are encouraged to love one another. Jesus really sets a high standard for us to follow, but then he wants only the best for us. His own mission statement is a wonderful guide for us:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to bring glad tidings to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to let the oppressed go free,

and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. Lk 4: 18 – 19

Jesus’ society is founded on love. This must be a first. His society is opposed to the world view so many of us have; a world of competition, winner takes all, power over others.

Come, let us make this our motto.

³⁵By this love you have for one another,

everyone will know that you are my disciples.”

Each year on the fourth Sunday after Easter we are invited to reflect on the parts of John 10. This chapter is justifiably given the title “Good Shepherd” as is the Sunday. However there are other images and relationships put before us in this chapter.  Be alert to discovering something new.

It is time now to read the text.

1. John 10: 27 – 30. It is best to read it from your bible.

Now I suggest that you read the entire chapter so that you will be able to understand today’s reading within its context. I list a few key points that you can watch for as you read.

John Chapter 10

1 – 6
The sheepfold
Jesus the “gate”
Jesus the “shepherd”

6b                   “They did not realise what he was trying to tell them.”

This challenges us to ask, “Do I realise what Jesus is trying to tell me here and now.”

7                      “I am the gate.”
9                      “I am the gate.”
11 – 18            “I am the Good Shepherd”

19                    Divisions ?

24                    In reply to the question, “Are you the Messiah?” Jesus responds, “Do my works”- This is how we will experience Jesus as Messiah.

John 10: 27 – 30         Today’s text

31                    “For which of my works do you want to stone me?” ?

Division ? in the community

42                    Many began to believe.

Reflect back on this chapter and the movement that you see in the characters. Recall the movement you see going on in your relationship with Christ and the people around you.

2. It is time now to look closer into our text.

3. It is now important for us to become aware of the characters here.

²⁷Jesus said, “The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; I know them and they know me. ²⁸I give them eternal life; they will never be lost and no one will ever steal them from me.

²⁹The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone, and no one can steal from the Father.  ³⁰The Father and I are one.”

4. Divide the text into parts and give each a title that expresses how it is touching your today. When you have done this see how it compares with what I have done.

My relationship with Jesus

²⁷Jesus said, “The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; I know them and they know me. ²⁸I give them eternal life; they will never be lost and no one will ever steal them from me.

The Father and humanity

²⁹The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone, and no one can steal from the Father. ³⁰The Father and I are one.”

5. Having become aware that John is telling us about our relationship with God and humanity let us highlight what in this text tells is important for us.

²⁷Jesus said, “The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; I know them and they know me. ²⁸I give them eternal life; they will never be lost and no one will ever steal them from me.

²⁹ The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone, and no one can steal from the Father.

³⁰The Father and I are one.”

Take
TIME NOW TO REFLECT ON THE WORD and TO RESPOND TO IT (PRAY)  each of the qualities of God, how he relates to us/humanity, what he does for us. We have identified these by using colour.

The Father is greater than anyone.
In the Apostles Creed we say: “I believe in God the Father Almighty.” Do not be afraid of this quality of our God. Often we are tempted to sell God short and limit His greatness

6. Movement
“The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice.”
This is our early encounter with the Jesus. We open ourselves to his Word. As we continue to experience the Word of God transforming our lives this contact becomes an encounter with the Word; the Word, Jesus and the Word of God. We enter into and ever deepening and close relationship with him. As this relationship grows it is extended to the Father and we are able to call out just as Jesus did, “Abba, Father.”

7. Our relationship with Jesus and the Father is expressed in the pairing of phrases in the text.

²⁷Jesus said,
“The sheep that belong to me           listen to my voice;
I know them and                                 they know me.
²⁸I give them eternal life;                   they will never be lost and no one will ever steal them from me.
²⁹The Father gave them to me           no one can steal them.

THE FULLNESS OF OUR RELATIONSHIP.

³⁰The Father            ONE with                   I  (Jesus)
Jesus                           ONE with                   Us
We                               ONE with                   Father
Prayer
Spend time with the Lord allowing yourself to come to some understanding of the privileged relationship we have with our God.

Paul writes to us   “Now the Lord is the spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  We, with unveiled faces, reflect like mirrors the brightness of the Lord.   All glow brighter and brighter as we are turned into the image that we reflect; this is the work of the Lord who is spirit.”  (2 Cor 3: 17 – 18)

Note:  “We reflect the brightness of the Lord.  We are turned into the image of the Lord.”  Can this really be true?  Think about it!

The following verse puzzled some women in a Bible Study group.

 “He/God will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.”  (Mal 3: 3)

They wondered what this statement could mean.
One of the women offered to find out the process of refining sliver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.  That week, she called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work.  She did not mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining sliver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up.  He explained that in refining sliver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire, where the flames were hottest, so as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: “He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.”  She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refines. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire.  If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?”

He smiled at her and answered, “Oh, that’s easy – when I see my image in it.”

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

Paul assures us: “You are our letter, a letter of Christ, written by the Spirit of the living God on your hearts.  God has indeed appointed us as ministers of a new covenant. (2 Cor 3: 2 – 6)  All of us, gazing with unveiled face on the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image. (2 Cor 3: 18)

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,  .. teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  I am with you always.”  (Mt 28: 19 – 20)

1. 9/11
2. 11 March 2004
3. 20 March 2003

My guess is that most of us got just one right.

1. 9/11            Destruction of World Trade Centre       5000 dead
2. 11 March 2004    Madrid station bombed
3. 20 March 2003    Bombing of Iraq      100 000 dead

If we can only remember the first date, what does this say about the impact, each of these events, had on us?  Why do we remember 9/11, when the symbol of wealth was destroyed, and no longer remember the poor people of Iraq?

Perhaps the parable of the of the ‘unjust judge’ or ‘the nagging widow’,  has something to teach us all.

1 Then Jesus told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always and not to lose heart.

2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. 3 In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, “Grant me justice against my opponent.’ 4 For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, “Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.’ ”

6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? 8 I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them.”   (Lk 18: 1 – 8)

This parable is usually interpreted as encouraging us to persevere in prayer. Perhaps there is another way of understand it.  In Verbum Domini, Pope Benedict tells us that, “Prayer is listening to God speaking to us and we responding to God’s Words.”  God, speaking through the nagging widow, in the parable, continues urging us to act justly to the poor and the powerless of our society.  Perhaps we are too self-centred, so concerned about our busyness, that we no longer have time to think of others.  We often focus on the large tasks we can do little to change.  The small deeds are also important; a slice of bread, a kindly remark, a gentle word of advice, will bring comfort to those in pain.

Our God is pushing us, through today’s prophets.  “Give the poor and the powerless what they need!”

God says to Moses  “I have seen the misery of my people here in Egypt; I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters; I know well what they are suffering; therefore I have come down to bring them up from that land and to bring them to a beautiful spacious land flowing with milk and honey.”  Moses is then given his mission and so are we:

“Go now!  I am sending you.”  (Ex 3: 7 – 8, 10)

How are we going to respond to our “nagging widow God’s” invitation to help the poor?  Will our God find us true to the highest values of our humanity, feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, caring for the ill and visiting the imprisoned?  (Mt 25: 35 – 36)

(After Br Philip Pinto)

Be with us, Lord Jesus. Be our companion on our way. In your mercy inflame our hearts and raise our hope, so that, in union with one another, we may recognise you in the Scriptures and in the breaking of Bread.

“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples.” Jn 20: 30

It is with these words that John’s Gospel originally ended. Sometime later another member of John’s community added what is now Chapter 21. The author integrates the same spirit and links with the themes of the rest of the Gospel. He seems to have felt free to do this in the light of John’s ending. There were some things that Jesus did that he thought should be included in this Epilogue.

It is possible that a number of different stories could have been woven together. Keep this in mind as you read the text.

1-8  The miraculous catch of fish.
9 – 14  Breakfast with Jesus; another resurrection experience
15 – 17  Jesus welcomes Peter back into friendship
18 – 19  Peter’s destiny

One more piece of advice before you read the text.

“A lot of the details are symbolic. It is not easy to say what actually did happen. What the evangelist really wants us to know for certain is that the apostles experienced the presence of the Risen Christ, but he is also, at the same time, giving a catechetical lesson to the Christians of his time.”1  Try to identify the details that are symbolic.

* * * * * *

Did you count the number of disciples  present? There were seven. Seven is the symbol of perfection, of wholeness, so Peter and the other disciples represent all the disciples of Jesus. However there are two who are not named. One is “the disciple whom Jesus loved” v7.  The other is, you, the reader.

Many of the Jesus’ appearances took place on a Sunday. In Luke’s Gospel all the appearances including the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus and the Ascension take place on Easter Sunday. However this fishing incident occurs on a working day. The evangelist wanted Christians to know that the Risen Christ is experienced in our daily lives. Our relationship with Christ is not confined to Sunday worship.

We find this same story in Luke’s Gospel (Lk 5: 1 – 11). Both writers are conveying a similar message. The sea, for the people of Israel, was a symbol of all the forces hostile to man. We are all to be “fishers of men”. It is our task to draw people out of situations that restrict their freedom to love and to live happy, fulfilling lives.

In Luke’s version the nets break. (Lk 5: 6) This suggests that there were so many fish that we will never catch them all without Jesus help. John tells us that the nets did not break.  He is giving us the assurance that all will be saved. He goes on to say that there were 153. There are many explanations of this number. According to the teachers of the time, there existed 153 species of living creatures. Everybody will be saved.

* * * * * *

We are inclined to think that the early Christians came to belief in the Risen Christ   instantly.  As we read the resurrection stories we realise that it was a step by step journey.

The story begins with, “After this Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples.” (v 1) One would imagine that after three appearances they would have got the message that Jesus had risen, apparently not.” The disciples did not realise that it was Jesus” on the shore.  The first person to recognise him was “the disciple whom Jesus loved”. (v 7a)   Peter had to be told  “It is the Lord”. (7b) Only then did he recognise Jesus. Only after being invited to breakfast did everyone else come to believe in the Risen Christ, or did they.  ‘None of them dared to ask him, “Who are you?”’ (v 12)

The story closes with, “This was the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead.” (My counting and John’s do not agree.)

* * * * * *

15 – 17  Jesus welcomes Peter back into friendship
Refresh your memory now by reading these verses.
Unfortunately most translators ignore the fact that Jesus uses a word meaning ‘really love’, while Peter uses a different word which means ‘we are friends’. Here is my t ranslation of the conversation.

Jesus: Simon, son of John, do you really love me?
Peter: Yes, Lord; you know that we are friends.
Jesus: Simon, son of John, do you really love me?
Peter: Yes, Lord; you know that we are friends.
Jesus: Simon, son of John, are we friends?
Peter: Yes, Lord; you know that we are friends.

It is wonderful how Jesus calls us to a deep, loving relationship.  However, just like Peter, we are often unable to respond to this call. Jesus is happy to accept our lesser response and wait till we are able to love him more deeply.

1          Armellini, F;  Celebrating the Word.  P92

When the women announced that,  they had been told Jesus “had been raised”, the eleven and all the others were convinced that “their story seemed like nonsense and they did not believe them.”

At this point Luke introduces us to a couple who were on The Way to Emmaus.

“Now that very day two of them (his disciples) were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem.”  Along The Way they converse with a stranger.  They tell him all about “Jesus of Nazareth who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God.”  He was crucified and some women reported that “he was alive .. but we did not see him.”

We are all familiar with how the story on the road to Emmaus unfolds.  Jesus goes to great lengths to explain how the Scriptures relate to him.  “Were not our hearts burning (within us) while he spoke to us on The Way and opened the scriptures to us.”  Luke is using this story to teach his community and us the importance of the Scriptures in their spirituality.  Four times he repeats this lesson.. (27, 32, 44, 45)  We, too, are encouraged to visit the Word of God, frequently.

Do I experience, Christ Risen, in my life?  Yes!  A two year old girl was struck down with polio.  Mary never ran, jumped, danced or skipped.  With great courage she overcame her challenges. One day, on opening the Book of Genesis, she read,           “Truly, the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”  (Gen 28: 16)  A whole new joy entered her life.  “My heart was burning as he opened the word to me,’ became her prayer.  Mary’s struggles now had meaning.

“He took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them.  With that their eyes were opened.”  The Eucharist is the second corner stone of our spiritual lives.  Vatican ll tells us:

The Church has always venerated the divine Scriptures just as she venerates the body of the Lord, since from both the Word of God and the Body of Christ she unceasingly receives and offers the faithful the bread of Life.  (21)

Doubt continues to hinder the disciples from coming to the realisation that, the risen Jesus is active in their lives.  In response to Jesus’ greeting, “Peace be with you,” “They were still incredulous.”

“Everything about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.  Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.”

Look at the transformation that takes place in them.  “They returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising God.”  This is the change that we will experience as we receive the Body and Blood of Christ at the table of the Word and the table of the Body of Christ.  (Verbum Domini 56)

Father, you wait for us until we are open to you.
We wait for your Word to make us receptive.
Attune us to your voice, to your silence.
Speak and bring your Son to us – Jesus – the Word of your peace.

It is important that you now read the text once or twice so that you are familiar with what John has written. Pay particular note  ALL to the characters in the story.

In verse 2 we are told the Jesus, “sat down and taught”. It will be interesting to hear what he has to say to the people. How he structures the lesson. We might even call it a sermon.

His audience turns out to be a cross-section of society. The Pharisees arrive, full of indignation and self-righteousness, with a woman caught committing adultery.  The woman is obviously the victim of a setup. Why else would the man be missing?  Their malice towards Jesus is obvious. They have little concern for public morals. Their concern is to get Jesus. They quite happily lie when they quote the Law. Yes they quote it correctly but only half of the text. They leave out the part that lays down that the man should also be stoned. Look at the cruel way they treat the woman publically exposing her for their own vicious ends.

Then there is the crowd and of course many of Jesus’ disciples would have been present, including the apostles.  Twice we read that Jesus “bent down”.  There was quite a lot of bending down done that morning.  Just look at those openly picking up rocks.  Others at the back did so rather more furtively. Not one of the “crowd” came to her defence. Not one person spoke up demanding that the man be produced. Nobody questioned the obvious injustice. People sin by what they do not do.

The values of the Pharisees, crowd, disciples, placed the Law above the well-being of the person. There was no place for compassion. The institution was far important than mercy and concern for the victim.

Oh, yes, the woman had sinned. She had committed adultery.

What about that sermon/teaching that Jesus was giving? The only thing he has to say is, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”  Twice he we read, “He bent down and wrote on the ground.” We have no idea what he wrote and any suggestions are pure guess work. However he is conveying an important truth about our God. Our God, if he records our sins, writes them down in the sand. That being the case the record is not going to last very long. Our God does not have a computer that remembers every last mistake we have made. Do not forget the final lesson. “Do not sin anymore.”

Jesus does not say one word of condemnation of anyone. The only thing he says is, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Every single person went away, one by one. They go away accepting responsibility for their wrong-doing. No longer do they hide their sinfulness (for whatever reason) under the cloak of “pious virtue”.

¹⁰Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”  ¹¹She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you.

As Jesus “straightened up” we can see the same thing happening to the woman.  This battered, abused, humiliated, non-person has her dignity restored.  She becomes a person again. Jesus addresses her politely and she responds in like manner, “No one, sir.”

Jesus reaction to sin is to heal, to restore self-esteem, respect the person, to bring us to repent.  Consider all the people who went away healed; the Pharisees, the crowd, the disciples, the apostles and the woman.

One can almost hear each person hearing the gentle,
“Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”

Can you hear Jesus saying to you,
“Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”

Some sermon!!