Dear Parishioner,

You might have noticed that in Eastertide every year, from the 4th Sunday (Good Shepherd Sunday), the Church presents us with passages from the Gospel according to St. John.  John writes differently from the three other Evangelists, whose gospel accounts are known as ‘Synoptic Gospels’, ‘syn’ meaning ‘together’ and ‘optic’ meaning ‘vision’. He is the great theologian, writing his account of Jesus’ life theologically, reflecting on Jesus as the Son of God and what it means to be in relationship with him as a disciple. He often returns to major themes such as comm-union with Jesus, the commandment of love, and the struggle between light and darkness. John continues this reflection in his three Letters and in Year B we follow parts of his first Letter.

As we listen to the 2nd Reading today, we can imagine John in exile on Patmos, meditating on what he had lived with Jesus and speaking about it to his community. He constantly repeats the essential of his experience: “Since God has loved us so much, we too should love one another…” He says the same to us today, and we need to understand that he is talking about a love which is a choice, a decision, to regard and treat others positively.

The Gospel Reading is from chapter 17 of John’s Gospel. From chapter 13, John has been focusing on the Last Supper, gathering together what Jesus would want to say on the evening before his death. It’s perhaps unlikely that Jesus would have said all this at one time, but the important thing is that we hear Jesus’ concern that his disciples remain in trust and love of him through all the difficulties they will face, and remain united in that love; he encourages them and prays for them and for all who, like us, will receive their message. 

We hear the words ‘the world’ repeated nine times in nine verses. In John’s Gospel ‘the world’ stands for human society organised without God. In every generation Jesus sends his disciples into the world. In our everyday life Jesus wants us to make our world aware of God,  hard as that may sometimes be,  and lead it back to God. How can we do this in this coming week?

Yours in Christ,

Sr Catherine M. Afr