A Homily – The Gospel of John 14:23-29 ©

The Gospel of the Day – 2016.05.01

Do Not Be Afraid

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘If anyone loves me he will keep my word,

and my Father will love him,

and we shall come to him and make our home with him.

Those who do not love me do not keep my words.

And my word is not my own:

it is the word of the one who sent me.

I have said these things to you while still with you;

but the Advocate, the Holy Spirit,

whom the Father will send in my name,

will teach you everything

and remind you of all I have said to you.

Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you,

a peace the world cannot give,

this is my gift to you.

Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.

You heard me say: I am going away, and shall return.

If you loved me you would have been glad to know that I am going to the Father,

for the Father is greater than I.

I have told you this now before it happens,

so that when it does happen you may believe.’

(NJB)

We Are One

God, the creator of the universe, God is present in all of God’s children, and where God is present God is present fully.

There is no division in the divine. The divine is inclusive of all reality, of every living being that is it. No-one is excluded.

Every person who ever was, who is, who will ever be, everyone is present in the divine, as such they are present within each of us, for each of us carries the divine with ourselves.

Jesus was the son of God, as each of us is a child of God; a son or daughter.

Love one another, as God loves you.

Do not be afraid, life on Earth is merely a passage to another world, it is the unfolding a mystery, beyond which we will all see clearly.

Listen to your sister, to your brother, they have something important to say. Each one of us has the potential to speak for God, to be God’s prophet, to be the advocate of Christ, and be mindful for within that potential is also the potential to fail.

Everything, and everyone, returns to the creator, in so doing we come to the understanding that we never left.

6^th Sunday of Easter