The opening prayer, called the "Collect", is when the Holy Spirit "collects" all our personal prayers and merges them with this opening prayer, which gives us a clue about what the Word of the Lord will say to us. Today, the key words are: "eternal life".
1. What is eternal life?
- See John 17:3
- Jesus said: "And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."
- This means that eternal life begins even now, as we come to know the Father personally, through Jesus, in the power of the Holy Spirit....
2. But it's not that easy, is it?
- The Book of Wisdom tells us that we are at risk to criticize and judge God and others
- Our inclination to question, criticize, and judge God is the original sin. Adam, the first man, heard from God's own lips what he could do and what he should avoid. Eve, the woman, only got that second hand from Adam; which made her the weaker point. The devil always attacks us at our weakest points. He tempted her to believe his word, though a stranger, and prefer to believe him rather than what God had said to Adam. We still do that today: we're ready to believe almost anything else rather than take to heart the Word of the Lord.
- When we criticize and judge others, we stand aloof, as if superior to them
3. But it is not without hope. The Apostle James tells us that the Spirit makes divine light, wisdom, love, and mercy spring up within us to guide us in the right way... we have only to pay attention and follow the Spirit's guidance, and obey the Word of the Lord.
4. The Apostles didn't understand what Jesus was telling them about what the Father wanted Him to do.
- Jesus was to accept to endure evil, suffering and death
The Father wanted to glorify Himself in Jesus
- to reveal and manifest to humanity for all time what God is really like
- God wants to share with us life in abundance and eternal life
- Jesus made this plain by accepting even all the evil and harm we could do to Him and others
- Jesus demonstrated the authenticity of the Father's love, of his love as the Son, and of the Holy Spirit - the love between the Father and the Son - a love which will never change nor diminish, no matter what - God is never absent, nor indifferent, nor silent - not really - but rather the Most Holy Trinity cares a great deal about us, our lives, and about everything that happens to us and in our world....
The Father is restoring humanity and creation to his original plan of abundance and perfection.
5. How, exactly, is God - the Most Holy Trinity - restoring all things to the perfection of divine love?
- He began with naked Divine Love - Jesus naked crucified and loving, forgiving to the end
- Now, He calls us to follow Him as missionary disciples
- God the Father takes delight in depending on us - weak and sinful as we are - to continue this divine work of salvation of souls in our time
- Wherever we are, wherever we go, we are God's instruments to radiate his saving, healing love and mercy and warm souls that are cold, heal the wounded, repair the broken, strengthen the weak, warning us to be ready to face temptation and every possible trial of life - knowing that our lives are ever in the Father's hands....
6. The story of the foul-mouthed woman who used to shop at St. Joseph's House for the poor in Combermere - how for many months she kept griping, complaining, cursing and swearing, almost spitting in the face of the Madonna House Lay Missionary working the cash box. Finally, one day, the woman couldn't take it anymore and shouted at her: "Lady, what is wrong with you anyway? I've been bad mouthing you since I began coming here, and all you ever do is smile and say "Thank you". What's your problem? - Finally, by asking a question, this poor woman showed an openness and willingness to hear a word. That was the opening the staff worker had been praying for and waiting for - to be able to share the Good News of God's love with her....
