Third Sunday of Easter: April 18, 2010

Third Sunday of Easter

Passionist JPIC E-Bulletin

April 18, 2010

Greetings!

This week marks the Third Sunday of Easter and again the Lectionary Readings will walk us through the trail of Peter, John and the early Christian community. This week we will reflect on a Pharisaic wisdom known as Gamaliel's rule that is employed in the first reading for this week. As we examine this we will reflect on the social virtues of tolerance and patience which are generally lacking in our modern society. We invite you to visit the Lectionary Reflection blog to engage in the discussion over this reflection.

Earth Day is around the corner and with that observance in our calander we will promote actions by the Catholic Church in addressing the issues of ecological concern.

The Passion for Justice Blog is addressing issues related to the death penalty. Please visit the Passion for Justice blog site and be part of the discussion over this issue of social concern.

Please feel free to share this weekly resource and to invite others to be part of our Passionist JPIC community by contacting me and requesting to be on the mailing list. This resource is open to the public and we will be happy to share it with anyone or any group that would enjoy receiving our reflections. The Lectionary Reflection Blogs are adapted from the Education for Justice web service and they are designed and written by the Passionsit JPIC Office.

Peace,

John

Lectionary Readings:

Acts 5:27-32, 40-41. The Apostles respond to the High Priest and the Sanhedrin: God has raised up Jesus whom you put to death. The Sanhedrin, after being consulted by Gamaliel, dismissed the apostles after having them whipped.
Revelations 5:11-14. In a vision about heaven, John heard the voices of many angels, crying out "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches, wisdom, strength, honor and glory and praise!"
John 21:1-19. Miraculous haul of fishes. Jesus prepares a meal and eats with his disciples. Peter is commissioned and Jesus predicts that he will die a martyr.

Calendar:
April 21: Administrative Professionals Day [formerly professional secretary's day]
April 22: Earth Day http://www.earthday.org/

Quotes:
Catholic social teaching is built on a commitment to the poor. This commitment arises from our experiences of Christ in the Eucharist.
-US Bishops, Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions

"As individuals, as institutions, as a people, we need a change of heart to preserve and protect the planet for our children and for generations yet unborn.
-US Bishops, Global Climate Change: A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence and the Common Good

"Our nation has been blessed with great freedom, vibrant democratic traditions, unprecedented economic strengths, abundant natural resources, and a generous and religious people. Yet not all is right with our nation. Our prosperity does not reach far enough. Our culture does not lift us up; instead it may bring us down in moral terms. This new world we lead is still too dangerous, giving rise to ethnic cleansing and an inability to confront hunger and genocide. We are still falling short of the American pledge of "liberty and justice for all," our declaration to defend the inalienable rights of the person--"life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
-U.S. Bishops, Faithful Citizenship: Civic Responsibility for a New Millennium

In the Sunday Eucharist, the believing heart opens wide to embrace all aspects of the church. But ... far from trying to create a narrow "gift" mentality, St Paul calls rather for a demanding culture of sharing, to be lived not only among the members of the community itself but in society as a whole."
-John Paul II

Seeing creation as God's gift to humanity helps us understand our vocation and worth as human beings.
-Pope Benedict XVI, Message for World Day of Prayer for Peace 2010

Thoughts for your Consideration: By John Gonzalez

The lectionary readings continue to offer us the situation of Peter, John and the Early Christian community. The first reading touches on an important theological principle but unfortunately the reading will skip over this. I encourage the reader to take up their own Bible and read the omitted verses of Acts 5:32-40. Having had Jesus put to death they are now confronted with the community of disciples who are now preaching in the name of Jesus and who refuse to be silent. At first it seems that the Sanhedrin is contemplating putting them to death, but then a wise Pharisee by the name of Gamaliel offers this rule "if their purpose or activity is human in its origins, it will destroy itself. If on the other hand, it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them without fighting God himself." It was based on his wisdom that the Sanhedrin opted to flog the apostles instead and then having them released.

The situation of the early Christian community may give us the false romantic impression that the early Church boomed with great enthusiasm, success and undivided focus. But the fact of the matter was that this community faced all the challenges of identity, leadership, and even mission. The Sanhedrin and the Apostles saw themselves as one common family of faith; it was not until the temple was destroyed in 70 AD that saw the ultimate rift with the Jewish followers of Jesus and the evolving rabbinic form of Judaism. In the first reading Gamaliel's rule is based on his openness to the possibility that God works in mysterious ways. He humbles himself to think that perhaps this Jesus movement may have an authentically divine mission and if this is the case how does one go about defeating God Himself? Gamaliel suggest that the Jewish leadership apply tolerance and patients to another vision of hope for the Jewish community.

Many times we can get lost in placing all our hopes on a specific theological of social school of thought. We may become so ardently attentive to a specific ideological framework and point of view that we close our minds to any other creative possibility. Tolerance and patients are social virtues that are sorely lacking in our own contemporary society. Recently I offered a workshop on a structure for globalization based on the Catholic principles that were outlined in the Pope's recent encyclical "Caritas in Veritate." Because the principles were outside the norm of economic liberalism and national sovereignty some people found this structure much to challenging to accept. Sometimes Christian values may seem utopian and lofty. They are nice and all but they are simply not considered pragmatic. These are the times when we have to think outside of the box and apply Gamaliel's rule. The former social and economic ideologies pose many issues with regards to a globalized society, perhaps it is time to be open to a new vision based on a powerful faith tradition.

People usually want leadership that is decisive and immediate. The values of tolerance and patients are usually not prized characteristics for leaders. But in the Gospel the risen Jesus challenges Peter cross

to adopt the difficult commission of leadership that is tolerant and patient. While the final words that Jesus offers Peter is seen as a prediction of his own martyrdom there is another dimension to this passage. On his own Peter had the right and freedom to choose where he wanted to go and what he wanted to do. But in leadership this freedom is not his own. He has subscribed to a Will that is greater than him. Peter is to lead not based on his own will and interest but based on the Divine Will. Furthermore he has the challenging responsibility of nurturing a community towards a vision that will contradict social wisdom. Peter must employ tolerance and patience to lead a community that will express the creative vision of the Body of Christ. Peter, like Gamaliel, is humbled and open to the possibility of what God's divine plan might be, even if it forces him to sacrifice everything.

Gamaliel's rule has much to offer our own society. Social movements are developing that are not showing any tolerance or patience with creative possibilities for a future vision. We need not get stuck with dead end movements that can only react by endorsing yesterday's secular vision and ideologies. We need to be creative and open to new possibilities and we also must employ tolerance and patients to other ways of seeing things.

Actions - Links:

Passion for Justice: The Passion for Justice Blog is currently highlighting some stories and opportunities for people to engage with the social issue of the death penalty. We invite you to visit the blog discussions and to discover the valuable ministry of presence with prisoners in Death Row.

Catholic Mobilization Network: The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has organized the Catholic Mobilization Network to End the Use of the Death Penalty. Please visit this link and be part of this Catholic cause.

Earth Day, which occurs annually on April 22, involves tens of thousands of events, from rallies and teach-outs to concerts and earth fairs throughout the world. The Environmental Justice Program (EJP) of the United States Catholic Conference (USCC) "calls Catholics to a deeper respect for God's creation and engages parishes in activities that deal with environmental problems, particularly as they affect the poor." You can also visit the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change which was launched in 2006 with the support of both the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the National Religious Partnership for the Environment.

Also please visit the Passionist Earth and Spirit Center website. This Center is dedicated to the Passionist spirituality that is concerned with the suffering of all creation. Fr. Joe Mitchell offers retreats and workshops on a variety of topics related to the suffering of the earth and the New Cosmology. There are many excellent resources in this center, most recently they have developed a Lent 4.0 program that can offer your parish or faith community a way to integrate this ecological Passionist spirituality with next year's Lenten season.

Listen to the sermons of the flowers, the trees, the bushes, the heavens, the sun, and all the world. You will find they preach of love and praise of God, and invite you to magnify the greatness of the Sovereign Artist, who gave them being. - St. Paul of the Cross

North American Passionist JPIC Office