The Way, the Truth and the Life May 4

My brothers, children of the family of Abraham, and those others among you who are God-fearing, to us this word of salvation has been sent. Acts 13:26

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. John 14:6

Piety

Jesus, you will always be connected to us. Yet we often disconnect ourselves from you, from the Father and from each other. Comfort us when we feel distant from you and isolated from our community. Help us to move into the place that you have prepared for us in your Father’s house. There we will live in communion and continuity with you and our ancestors back to Adam and Abraham. Amen.

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/050407.shtml

Communion and Continuity…there is a closed loop stretching from God to Adam to Abraham to Jesus and to you and back to Jesus who prepares our place in his Father’s house. The word of salvation has been sent to the disciples and also to you. “What God promised our fathers he has brought to fulfillment for us, their children, by raising up Jesus, as it is written in the second psalm, ‘You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.’ ”

Communion and Continuity…the Galilean witnesses described in Acts signifies the connection between the teachings of Jesus and the teachings of the church. These stories seek to guarantee the fidelity of the church’s teachings to the words of Jesus that we hear resonate once again in the discourse at the last supper in today’s Gospel.

Communion and Continuity…between Jesus alive on earth and Jesus who prepares a place for us in heaven and Jesus who “will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.”

Communion and Continuity…Jesus is “the way, the truth and the life.” Before the spread of the term Christianity, “The Way” was an early expression that believers used to refer to the Church. That way can be seen historically as our connection back to the early Church.

Communion and Continuity…Our connection with Jesus by its very nature connects us with God the Father and with everyone else in the dwelling place called the Father’s House. “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?”

Action

Think about the importance of communion and continuity. If these are so important, why do so many troubled and isolated young men turn to violence against innocent people in society? Why do we celebrate violence so much? Think about some of the most memorable movies of recent years.

1. The Wild One
2. Apocalypse Now.
3. A Clockwork Orange.
4. Natural Born Killers.
5. The Birth of a Nation (portraying the rise of the KKK)
6. The Godfather.
7. Pulp Fiction.
8. Psycho.
9. The Silence of the Lambs.
10. Platoon.

Rebel against the culture of violence. Avoid spending money and time on violent programming and instead, this weekend, read a book, do volunteer work, or visit a museum (after going to Church on Sunday – or Saturday night).