Gospel & Homily of Sunday - May 07, 2006

Gospel of 4th Sunday of the Easter
According to the Chaldean Catholic Rite
John 16: 16-33

16"A little while and you will no longer see me, and again a little while later and you will see me." 17 So some of his disciples said to one another, "What does this mean that he is saying to us, 'A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me,' and 'Because I am going to the Father'?" 18 So they said, "What is this 'little while' (of which he speaks)? We do not know what he means." 19 Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, "Are you discussing with one another what I said, 'A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me'? 20 Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy. 21 When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world. 22 So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. 23 On that day you will not question me about anything. Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. 24 Until now you have not asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete. 25 "I have told you this in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures but I will tell you clearly about the Father. 26 On that day you will ask in my name, and I do not tell you that I will ask the Father for you. 27 For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have come to believe that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and have come into the world. Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father." 29 His disciples said, "Now you are talking plainly, and not in any figure of speech. 30 Now we realize that you know everything and that you do not need to have anyone question you. Because of this we believe that you came from God." 31 Jesus answered them, "Do you believe now? 32 Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived when each of you will be scattered to his own home and you will leave me alone. But I am not alone, because the Father is with me. 33 I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world."

The Homily

"For the Father Himself Loves You!"
4th Sunday of Resurrection (2006)

1- The whole discussion is in fact about the Father. Jesus is speaking about his soon leaving and later coming, about mourn and joy...what is this?

2- All what happened to Jesus (to be born and live like us humans, suffers, being crucified, and resurrected) is together to complete the will of God the father.

- Jesus is the son of God, and we are his brothers; so, if we love him, we become the adoptive sons and daughters of God.

3- How can we love God?

a- St. Ephrem lived in 4th century, recommends: “Keep the word of God in front of your eyes day and night.” This way we’ll never forget to love God.

b- The Goal: That means we have to have a Goal in our life that we never forget about it day and night. As somebody he wants to be: attorney, or physician, so he/she must do his/her best to reach this goal! Spending money, time, energy, suffering… all that just to complete this goal, why? Because we want to make our own success, our Goal builds our life, personality, self esteem.

c- What if we loose our goal? Like the new monk who went after a nice bird running from garden to garden to the wood, when he got tired he got lost!

4- Jesus came to bring us back to the of God’s garden, to the Paradise, do we insist to stay outside of it or to come in?

Maran Itha “Jesus is coming” St. Paul said, so let us be serious and ready when Jesus comes back, let us walk in the way that leads us to the Father’s paradise, “For the father himself loves you!”

Amen!