Readings for the Fifth Sunday of Easter
Pondering Peter’s statement in this Sunday’s Second Reading, a memory was triggered by his comment about building a spiritual house and carefully setting the cornerstone.
Several years ago, I started to build a garden shed. The foundation was a bed of gravel with 4″ x 4″ posts placed on concrete blocks. Everything I read said to make very sure that this foundation was perfectly level all around.
Well, to make a long story short, they weren’t kidding. What I ended up with was a foundation 5/8″ off level in one corner, but I figured, “Ah, that won’t matter that much. After all, it’s a 10′ x 12′ foot shed!” W-r-o-n-g. When it got to the top of the walls and the roof joists, it did indeed make a difference and I had to use some “persuasion” (both verbal and with a hammer) to get things aligned right.
So that gives rise to the question that comes from the Gospel: What is the foundation of our spiritual life? From where do we get our understanding of the Father?
So often people talk or write about how God hates certain types of people or behaviors or how God will condemn people to hell or how angry God gets. A lot of this is based on the God of the Old Testament.Much of it is also based on our own fears and prejudices and we therefore think God blesses and approves of them.
But as Jesus makes very clear in the Gospel, “Those who see me see the Father.” If we look at the works of Jesus and the way he treats people, we’ll we get a stunningly clear picture of who God is, how God feels about us and what God desires for us.Then we can truly build for ourselves a home filled with faith, hope and love.
Love deeply, laugh often, pray faithfully!
Fr. Herb Yost, C.S.C.
