Heart to Heart: Faith Seasons Podcast

Today's story seed has an estimated 300 million reasons to pay attention.

Deuteronomy 26:8-9
He brought us out of Egypt with his strong hand and outstretched arm, with terrifying power, with signs and wonders; and bringing us into this country, he gave us this land flowing with milk and honey.

 Many call the United States of America the greatest nation on Earth, but one doesn’t have to look far to see people suffering, and most likely that includes you.

We all have hardship and pain. We struggle to repair broken relationships. Our health, or that of a loved one, may be slipping away. Unemployment can strike without warning. Some of us wake up every day in grief or despair.
Is God big enough to help each of us? Keep in mind there are more than 7 billion people on our planet. How could God possibly keep up with everyone? It’s a good question to ask during Lent. For just a moment, let’s consider news that recently came from top NASA scientists.

The Kepler spacecraft was sent deep into the Milk Way to chart and calculate how many stars are in our galaxy, and how many of those stars have planets that are similar to earth in size and orbital distance from their sun.

After a decade of research, the answer is—you guessed it—300 million! That’s right, in our galaxy alone, some of the smartest people in the world estimate there are 300 million earth-like planets.

As we look into the sky from our cities and towns, it is hard to see what is shining in the skies above us. Our Milky Way galaxy has perhaps 100 billion stars in it. And there are estimates that there are some 200 billion galaxies in the universe.

We cannot fathom the depth and breadth of the possibilities God contains, but yes, if God created the cosmos, God can keep track of each of us.
Every star shines through the night, and every one of us is part of this beautiful universe. God urges us to shine brighter, to get along with the billions of other people on our planet, and find our place in the land of milk and honey that we call the Milky Way.

Now let’s take 30 seconds to water the seed…

What are the big dreams that God has put in your heart?

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Today’s story seed is Ice Cream Alms.

From the Book of the Prophet Isaiah 58:6-7
This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly…Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; Clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own.

Listen to this story seed. From the starting moment he was elected, Pope Francis has kept the poor and vulnerable on his mind. He modeled for the world that he didn’t need a driver and a special car, that he would be happy to take the bus and to carry his own bags. These were acts of solidarity with the poor.

In recent years, he has turned to the Our Father prayer to convey a simple but often overlooked message. When we pray “give us this day our daily bread” the Pope says we must remember that the bread we ask for is not mine but ours.

The Pope teaches us that the bread is not just bread, but “water, medicine, home, work…all that is necessary to live.”

And as it turns out, ice-cream, as well.

Like much of the world, Rome experienced record hot days this summer and fall. Conditions in the prisons were very difficult. The Pope and his charitable team arranged to have a special delivery to two Rome prisons. They brought 15,000 ice-creams to be distributed to the prisoners.

They were delivered in the Pope’s name by Polish Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, who is known as “the pope’s almoner.” That is the person who distributes alms to the needy.

As reported in the Vatican News, the ice-creams were part of a series of “small evangelical gestures” designed “to help and give hope to thousands of people in Rome’s prisons.”

The donations and thoughtful gestures from Pope Francis didn’t stop with ice-cream. They have given food, medical equipment, and money to needy people around the globe.

Alms giving is one of our traditions during Lent. But, notice these charitable gifts given by Pope Francis’ team did not take place during Lent. That’s because what we do in Lent is not about the 40 days before Easter. It is about changing our lives for the long run.

Ideally, we don’t reach out to the poor to fulfill simply an obligation during Lent. Reach into your heart and find what God is asking, inviting, encouraging you to do—not just during Lent, but throughout the rest of your life.

Here’s the final scoop. Share your ice cream!

Now let’s take 30 seconds to water the seed…

How can you show your solidarity with the poor?

Written by Tom Sparough
Dramatized by Fr. J. Michael Sparough, SJ
Produced by Nathaniel Stubblefield
Copyright 2022 by Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry Inc.

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Today’s story seed is Man of the World.

Luke 8:24-25
“For whoever wishes to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit oneself?”

Listen to this story seed. There was a young salesman who was eager to please his boss and worked hard at his job. His sales were adequate. One day his boss told him that he could sell more product if he would put some pressure on his clients to buy more quickly.

“How do I do that?”

“You tell them,” instructed the boss, “that we are running short on product and that if they want it in the next two months, they have to order now.”
The new salesman asked, “Are we running short on product?”
“No,” said the boss, “but they don’t know that.”

“But why would I lie to them? Don’t they need to trust me?”

The boss shrugged his shoulders slightly and said, “It’s how the game is played. You have to instill a need for urgency. If you want to be a winner, you have to learn the tricks of the trade. Give it a try and see what happens.”

Using this technique, the young salesman doubled his orders. With his boss’ help, he mastered one slightly dishonest technique after another. He went on to become the manager of the company. He expertly coached his team to sell with no remorse.

He became wealthy. He was always watching the bottom line, which just kept increasing. Even though he married and had kids, money, and the things the almighty dollar could buy, were what mattered to him most. And he had everything—more than one house, more than one boat, the most stylish clothes, a wall of TV, and a manicured lawn.

Eventually he retired. He played golf almost every day. He was not one for charity or service. But he did like to travel. When he died, no one had anything particularly good or bad to say about him. One of his golfing partners said, “He was a man of the world. He traveled everywhere, drank the best scotch, but couldn’t sink a putt to save his life.”

That is what is at stake here—saving your life. The world has a way of shaping us, dictating to us what we supposedly should care about—money, prestige, pride. It is hard to buck that system. It is tempting to let go of your moral compass to embrace the glamour of the world.
There is a career opportunity for you this Lent. Come, find out what life God has in store for you. There is a requirement, though. You will have to spend time in prayer. You will have to share your life with God and listen to what God says to you.

We don’t usually hear God speak out loud to us. In prayerful moments, things stir inside us. Ideas come to mind. Your heart may begin to yearn for something new.

None of us are permanently lost here on earth. God always offers us the chance for new life, a kind of career advancement. When you compare the calm, the joy, and the perseverance that God offers with the glitz, the buzz, and the worry that the world offers, you start to see the benefits of living in the Lord.

You may find ridicule instead of honor, and pain instead of pleasure. That happens when we open ourselves to those truly in need. God leads us on a life well lived even if it may not be easy. That said, it may include the best scotch, and sinking putts, but it won’t be centered on worldly, media-driven desires, or anything dishonest.

The truth will set you free.

Now let’s take 30 seconds to water the seed…

What is your heart’s desire?

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Today’s story seed is the Perfect Party.

From the Book of Joel 2:13
Rend your hearts, not your garments,
and return to the LORD, your God,
For he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love,
and relenting in punishment.

Listen to this story seed. A family was about to host an annual party. They had invited all of their friends and many other acquaintances. Each member of the family truly wanted the party to be perfect.

They wanted people to see their beautiful house. They cleaned and decorated until it looked remarkable. They wanted their friends to notice the details, like the way the napkins were folded, the way the fresh-cut flowers were displayed, and how the family was providing expensive wines and top-choice meats.

Yet the preparations were filled with arguments over who was to do what chores. They refused to help each other. They begrudgingly finished the tasks to prepare for the party. Once finished, they were disgruntled as they put on their nicest clothes for the gathering.

When the guests arrived, the family smiled, but to each other they sneered. Their clean house, elaborate decorations, and expensive food and drink were not enough to change the atmosphere of the party. The guests were cordial, but didn’t stay long. Laughter was stifled. The whole affair was uneasy.

And everyone was glad when it was done.

Can you picture a party like that? Perhaps you have even experienced it. You see, this well-intentioned family, missed the most important part. It is not the appearance that matters most. It is the authentic hospitality of the people that truly matters.

Who wants to go to a party where the hosts are fighting with each other?

As we start this Lenten season, we do well to pay attention to what is most important. The scripture today tells you to “rend your hearts, not your garments.”

In other words, you have to do the work inside yourself. It is not about the things people see you do. If you make extra charitable gifts, recite more Our Fathers, and don’t eat chocolate, all those can be good things. But they make no difference if they don’t affect you from the inside, if they don’t rend your heart, if they don’t tear at your callous behavior and allow room for you to grow closer to God.

And the good news is that as you get closer to God, you find mercy, forgiveness, and love. That is the generous hospitality of our Lord who invites you into the sacred house. Most people don’t think of Lent as a party, but when you visit God’s house, you will always be welcomed with open arms. Come, and be refreshed during this annual gathering that invites us to find what matters most in life.

Join the party smiling from your inside and out.

Now let’s take 30 seconds to water the seed…

How can you let go of appearances and truly draw closer to God this Lenten season?

Written by Tom Sparough
Dramatized by Fr. J. Michael Sparough, SJ
Produced by Nathaniel Stubblefield
Copyright 2022 by Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry Inc.

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Luke 2:16-21
The Shepherds went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger; once they saw, they understood what had been told them concerning this child. All who heard of it were astonished at the report given them by the shepherds. Mary treasured all these things and reflected on them in her heart. …

Mary, of all the saints, is the most important, so it is ideal that we honor her first in the New Year.  She is the Mother of Jesus and, through Him, our mother as well.  Those who celebrate this feast realize the loving care Mary has for us and how powerful her intercession is for us.  We know she wants to be involved in our lives every single day, and we can ask her to help us give ourselves completely to whatever God calls us to be and to do, just as she did.

Mary understood, from the beginning, the importance of not just jumping into anything we think is a call from God.  She reflected, as today’s Gospel says, on all that was happening. Growing up as a faithful Jew, Mary would have been familiar with the words of the Old Testament prophesying the coming of the Messiah.  So, when the Angel Gabriel came to her, she understood the Angel’s words in the context of the Old Testament. They resonated with truth. Also, Mary was unafraid to ask for specifics on how this could happen, and she listened to the Angel’s explanation. Of course, she said to let everything happen to her in accordance with God’s will.  Finally, the Angel told her about her cousin Elizabeth being with child.  So, Mary set off to help Elizabeth, and Elizabeth confirmed what the Angel had told Mary.  

These are good lessons for us, too.  Let us listen to the voice of God as He speaks in our hearts, but let us not be afraid to ask the Lord to confirm what we believe we have heard.  Is what we heard in keeping with Scripture?  It is important to check. Is there someone holy and truthful who can pray with us to help confirm what we think God is asking?  Is it really of God?  Do we feel the peace of Jesus and Mary within us as we accept our call?  Do we continue to reflect on the Spirit’s actions in our lives and on how those around us are benefiting from our choices?  The shepherds certainly rejoiced because of Mary’s acceptance of God’s call, and we find joy that Mary helped to bring us God’s salvation in Jesus.

Since Mary has the most successful experience in discerning and accepting the will of God, let us ask her for help.  Mary treasured her child’s life from the beginning all the way to the end.  She treasures, as our mother, all that happens in our lives as well; so, we would be wise to turn to her with whatever needs we have.  She will nurture us along our journey; she will rejoice with us when we are happy, and she will hold us close in times of sorrow. She will never desert us.

At the Annunciation, she said, “Let it be done to me according to your will.”  At Cana, she directed, “Do whatever he tells you.”  She reinforced with words what she had already shown by example.  She accepted her call to be our mother as Jesus was dying on the Cross and said, “Behold your mother.”  As her children, we are brothers and sisters of all.  Embracing our brothers and sisters everywhere is the only path to peace.

OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS

How can you show that you are a true child of Mary by embracing a brother or sister who is different than you in some way, perhaps racially, socially, religiously, or politically?

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from Colossians 3:12-17
Because you are God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with heartfelt mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another; forgive whatever grievances you have against one another. Forgive as the Lord has forgiven you. Over all these virtues, put on love which binds the rest together and makes them perfect. …

St. Paul reminds us in today’s second reading that we are chosen and beloved by God, a God who does not make mistakes. Since we are chosen and loved, we are called to practice mercy, kindness, meekness, patience, and love. We cannot do this alone.  We do this as part of our human family. 

God, Who loves us, deigned that we would be born to an earthly mother and father.  We might not know the mother who gave birth to us or the one who fathered us, but someone made sure we survived as babies and children.  From that person or those persons, we learned about life from an early age. Jesus was no exception.  Happily, He had two very holy people as parents: Mary and Joseph.  They taught Him to pray, to read Scriptures, to do household chores and to ply a trade. Best of all, they taught Him, by example, to obey God and to find joy in doing so. 

Jesus did not grow up alone; nor do we grow up alone, even if we have no living parents, no cousins or siblings.  We grow as part of a community, and we can, at any age, choose to grow within a community of faith.  When we embrace our brothers and sisters in a community of faith, we learn to love.  As God’s children, we will find joy in learning to practice the virtues St. Paul outlines in today’s reading.  If we practice these good habits, God will wrap them all together in love, making them perfect.  

Jesus needed to practice how to bear with others in His community as He grew.  People are sometimes unkind, cruel, thoughtless or unaware.  Bearing with all kinds of people along His early journey helped Jesus endure His later journey, one filled with difficulties and sorrows.  He had to be patient in teaching His followers and in facing the challenges the Pharisees and Sadducees threw at Him. He had to endure desertion by his good friends when He needed them most. 

Horrific suffering followed by a death on the Cross were His lot; yet, He forgave those who put Him to death. Families today need to learn endurance as well, how to bear with one another within community; for no life is without difficulties that try faith and have the power to destroy it. 

Joseph and Mary obeyed God and found joy in that obedience.  Look at Joseph’s quick and unquestioning response when the angel told him to flee to Egypt. He did not groan about losing material possessions or worry about what he would do to support his family in a new land. He obeyed immediately, saving Jesus’ life.  

Read Mary’s joyful song of praise in the Magnificat. She did not question God’s calling her to be the Mother of the Messiah, even though it might bring public disgrace and an uncertain future.  She simply trusted, finding great joy in humble obedience. 

So, while Jesus was blessed with great example from His parents, we might not be.  Nevertheless, God will always supply what we need – teaching us to love.  We are His beloved children, born into a holy family, the whole human family.  ...

OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS

How can you help your family prepare for difficult days ahead by obeying God joyfully?

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1 John 2:12-17
Little ones, I address you, for through his Name your sins have been forgiven…Have no love for the world, nor the things that the world affords. If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love has no place in him, for nothing that the world affords comes from the Father. ...

While most recognized today for his highly successful works of fantasy such as The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings about a world called Arda and, within it, Middle Earth, J.R.R. Tolkien wrote about a wide variety of subjects. Born in 1892 in the South African Republic, his father was a bank manager. When Ronald (the name his family called him) was three, he went with his mother Mabel and his brother to visit family in England. Before his father could join them, he died of rheumatic fever, leaving the family without a means of support. So, his mother took Ronald and his brother Hilary to live with her parents in Birmingham. Mabel taught the boys at home, and Ronald was eager to learn.  She showed them the beauty of plants and taught them basic Latin. By the time he was four, he could read, and his mother encouraged him to read all kinds of books. 

Over the protests of her Baptist family, Mabel chose to enter the Catholic Church in 1900. By 1904, the family cut off all financial support for Mabel and her two boys. She labored long and hard to support her sons in a rental cottage, teaching them the Catholic faith as well as secular subjects. Sadly, Mabel died of diabetes when she was only 34 and Ronald 12. Insulin had not yet been discovered, so Mabel lived as long as any diabetic could in those days. She had given guardianship of her two boys to a Father Francis, a priest she admired greatly. He ensured they received an education and were brought up in the faith.

At just sixteen, Tolkien and Edith Mary Bratt fell in love.  Both had been orphaned and both shared a great deal in common. Fr. Francis told Ronald he was too young and should cut off all communication with her until he was twenty-one. Ronald was obedient.  Even though Edith was going to marry someone else by then, he contacted her on his 21st birthday.  Soon afterward, Edith cut off her engagement. She became a Catholic and married Ronald. In the beginning, he had nothing to offer her except his love. 

When England entered World War I, Ronald finished his degree and then served in the army. There he got trench fever and was sick with it often throughout the war.  When World War II broke out, Tolkien was asked to be a code breaker.  He attended school for this work but was never called to use his skill.  Together Tolkien and Edith had four children. Both parents loved the children fiercely. 

J.R.R. Tolkien was particularly devoted to his faith and once wrote to someone seeking the answer to our purpose in life.  He said that it was “to increase according to our capacity our knowledge of God by all the means we have, and to be moved by it to praise and thanks.”  Seeing Tolkien living his faith helped his good friend C.S. Lewis move from atheism to Christianity. 

J.R.R. loved the Eucharist deeply and urged all to receive Communion frequently.  He once wrote to his son: “The only cure for sagging or fainting faith is Holy Communion.”  That is where his treasure was – in God.  He did not care about wealth or fame, things that came to him in later years.  Rather, his focus was on doing God’s will.

J.R.R. Tolkien is today’s Ornament of Grace.

OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS

Is your faith more important to you than riches and career and power?  How can you tell?

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1 John 2:3-11
The way we can be sure of our knowledge of him is to keep his commandments. …Dearly Beloved, it is no new commandment that I write to you, but an old one which you had from the start. …The man who claims to be in light, hating his brother all the while, is in darkness even now.  The man who continues in the light is the one who loves his brother… .

Today’s Gospel speaks of a holy old man named Simeon.  He exemplifies John’s words in the first reading since he lived in the light.  Simeon could recognize Jesus as soon as Mary and Joseph brought their Son into the Temple to present Him to the Lord because his sight was not merely human sight.  There is no way he could, with ordinary human vision, have picked out Jesus from all the other little boys being brought to the Temple day in and day out, including the day recorded in the Gospel.  Simeon had waited patiently many years for this moment.  Because he lived a life of faithful, patient prayer, he could see with the eyes of the Holy Spirit Who lived within him. The Spirit is light.

John’s letter today tells us that if we want to live in the light and not be blinded by darkness, then we need to love one another.  This is the command he heard from Jesus; the command he saw Jesus carry out in His earthly life.  Simeon, while born long before Jesus, knew the command.  He prayed, and so he was in relationship with the God of love. He understood how he was loved, and he knew how to love others. He studied scripture and waited patiently for the Messiah to come.  What joy he had when he picked up Jesus and held Him after so many years!  He was so excited that he lifted up this prayer, “Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace; you have fulfilled your word.  For my eyes have witnessed your saving deed displayed for all the peoples to see: a revealing light to the Gentiles, the glory of your people Israel.” 

If we want to recognize Jesus in our midst as Simeon did, we need to walk in the light.  Simeon called God His Master and himself, God’s servant.  Simeon was called by God to serve in the Temple, to wait patiently in prayer, to look for the Messiah and to welcome Him.  He did this right up until the end of his life, and his life ended in joy because he had light enough to reach for Jesus.

We are called to serve, but we have been given a vision of Jesus through the Gospels, something Simeon did not have.  We know Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you.”  We know He went about feeding the hungry, healing the sick, teaching those who wanted to know about God, praying, and forgiving.  At the Last Supper, washing His disciples’ feet, He called us to serve one another in the same way.  Finally, Jesus offered His life for us. 

The Old Law required love of neighbor to protect the other’s life, interests, and welfare.  Jesus brought love to a whole new level, asking His followers to love unconditionally.  Sharing in another’s delight, showing compassion to a person in pain, and patiently waiting in prayer, we can begin to have light – not night – vision, the kind of vision Simeon had.  

To really see Jesus and reach out to hold Him this Christmas season and always, we need to see Him among the many who stream into our lives each day. That kind of vision only comes if we live in the light of love. 

OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS

How has the light of the Holy Spirit helped you love intensely, making you eager to serve others?

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1 John 1:5 – 2:2
Here, then, is the message we have heard from him and announce to you: that God is light; in him there is no darkness.  If we say, “We have fellowship with him,” while continuing to walk in darkness, we are liars and do not act in truth.  But if we walk in light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin.

Today’s first reading is, like that of yesterday, from John. Today he does not mince words.  He tells Christians to quit pretending that they are good and holy if they continue doing sinful deeds. Of course, everyone sins, and that is why Jesus came to save us.  But hypocrisy runs rampant in our country and our world, dividing people and causing little children the greatest harm. We cannot say we are for life if we fail to act in life-giving ways.  

Today is the Feast of the Holy Innocents, a day when we remember those boy babies under the age of two who were slaughtered in and around Bethlehem by order of King Herod.  Herod, thinking Jesus could be the Messiah, wanted to eliminate him for fear he would someday usurp his power.  Herod’s lust for power caused unimaginable suffering. Lust for power still does today. 

An average of around 15,000 children under the age of 5 die each day.  Some die because of preterm birth or birth trauma, some from infectious diseases, others from injuries and drowning.  Most die from treatable diseases and other preventable causes.  Poverty, inequality, discrimination, and illness still stalk and kill our children.  War and other conflicts deny children the safety they need to grow in security.  They lack healthcare and intact family life in war-torn regions, so they cannot be properly nurtured.  

Children everywhere, even in our own country, lack proper nutrition. Many more children are in school than ever before, but more than half the children do not achieve even minimal educational goals.  Often, in some countries, girls are denied education altogether.  Children of all ages often suffer violence or the threat of violence in their own schools and neighborhoods.

Walking in the light means working so that all the children have clean water, clean air and a safe climate.  Obviously, our changing climate is endangering the lives of many – if not all – children.  It contributes to drought, flooding, and the destruction of crops.  Malnutrition and starvation result.  Many children die painful deaths daily.  Others have to flee from their homes due to increasing natural disasters driven by climate change.  Some die in the process of migration; others make it to a new destination, only to live in dire poverty, with little or no healthcare, facing a slow death.  

Nearly 300 million children live in areas with severe toxic outdoor pollution – air, groundwater, toxic waste areas.  Over 600,000 of these are under five and will die.  Those who survive will suffer damage to their bodies and minds. If we do not work against all these evils, then we walk in darkness, not in the light. 

Little children are the first victims of war and poverty. How are we working for peace in order to save our Holy Innocents today?

Herod, by other names, still seeks to kill the little children.  God entrusted the care of his children to us.  Let us walk in the Light of Love. 

OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS

How will we help to stop Herod’s forces today – forces of environmental degradation, war, poverty, hunger, fear – from killing our little ones?

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1 John 1:1-4
This is what we proclaim to you: what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked upon and our hands have touched – we speak of the word of life. …This fellowship of ours is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.  Indeed, our purpose in writing you this is that our joy may be complete.

Today’s first reading is from the short letter of John, proclaiming the same idea as the Gospel of John with a slightly different emphasis.  In John’s Gospel, the divine nature of Jesus is prominent.  We hear about Jesus’ resurrection from the dead today.  But, by the time the letter of John is written well after the resurrection, some people based everything on Jesus’ divinity and tended to forget that He was truly human as well.  So, John’s letter reminds us that Jesus, while one with God, became one of us, truly sharing in our humanity.

Having just celebrated Christmas, when Jesus became man, it is a good time to remember that Jesus spent His time on earth loving.  That is John’s message over and over.  God is love, and Jesus is love in the flesh.  Love, for Jesus and in John’s messages, is not an abstract concept.  It is love embodied in human actions.  John says today that Jesus invites us into communion with His Father and with Him.  So, we, too, embody love in the way we speak, in the way we are present to one another, in our actual living in this human community.

John’s emphasis is also on joy.  If we live in right relationship with God and one another, then he says our joy will be complete.  John knew Jesus personally and loved Him as a human walking this earth; he heard Jesus, touched Him, and saw Him reaching out to the poor, the sick, the marginalized.  John knew what Jesus was about and, therefore, what we need to be doing if we want to experience true joy.

John, along with his brother James, was among the first apostles called by Jesus, after Peter and Andrew.  Early in Jesus’ ministry, John witnessed many signs and miracles performed by Jesus.  He was present when Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead.  Jesus took him up the mountain at the Transfiguration, where he witnessed Jesus’ glory and heard the voice of the Father.  He heard Jesus prophesy about the last days when they were on the Mount of Olives, and he was nearby when Jesus suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Jesus trusted John with the care of his beloved mother when he was dying on the Cross.  John saw the empty tomb after the resurrection, and he was in the upper room when Jesus appeared.  John was present at Jesus’ last appearance at the Sea of Galilee prior to the Ascension. Likely, these are just the highlights, but John knew Jesus extremely well and wants us to know Him, believe in Him and love as Jesus did so that we, too, can know perfect joy.

In establishing the early Christian Community, John worked first in Jerusalem along with Peter.  He was with Peter when he healed a lame man in the Temple.  When Peter went to confer the Holy Spirit upon the Samaritans converted by Philip, John accompanied him.  His mission of preaching never ended during his life, and he tells us today the same message:  God is Love.  We can listen to John, for he knew Jesus intimately.

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