Journey of Faith

Once again today we hear Jesus proclaiming that his disciples should not surrender to fear as they carry out their mission. He even tells his followers that they are worth more than an entire flock of sparrows and that every hair on their head has been counted. Jesus assures us that God’s loving, fatherly care accompanies us in all of life’s diverse situations.

Our Gospel reading today presents the beginning of the famous “mission discourse” by the Evangelist Matthew; it covers all of chapter ten of Matthew’s Gospel. Since our Catholic Church is missionary by her very nature and identity, much has been written about missionary evangelization over the centuries. To enhance your meditation and reflection, this presentation simply provides a series of quotes from various sources to enrich your missionary journey of faith.

Our feast today is Corpus Christi, the Body of Christ; more formally, it is termed: The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. Today’s Gospel is drawn from chapter six of John’s Gospel, often termed the “bread of life” chapter. Here Jesus declares: “I am the bread of life…. I am the bread that came down from heaven…. My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.” Hearing Jesus’ words, many of his ordinary followers abandoned him. The Twelve stayed with Jesus; Peter declared: “Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Today is Trinity Sunday; it comes just one week after the beautiful feast of Pentecost that celebrates the dynamic presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church and in the entire world. Our “Trinitarian” Christian faith asserts that there is one God who is three distinct persons existing as a community of self-giving and loving relationships with each other. Yes, God is love (1 Jn 4:8); each person (Father, Son, and Spirit) is fundamentally a fountain of overflowing love!

On this beautiful feast of Pentecost, we affirm that the Holy Spirit is alive in the Church. Diverse Spirit-given gifts flourish in Christian communities across the globe. Today we Catholics are privileged to live in a renewed Church, in a unique age of “a new Pentecost”! Recall that just last year the Church rejoiced as she observed the 60th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council by Pope John XXIII in 1962. Vatican II was only the 21st ecumenical council in the Church’s entire history.

As we celebrate the feast of the Ascension today, we are reminded that the task of Christians is to preserve the dynamic, enriching, and salvific memory of Jesus. Mission permeates the entire New Testament; some important mission texts are simply listed here: Matthew 28:16-20 (today’s Gospel); Mark 16:1-20; Luke 24:45-48, 10:1-16; John 20:19-23, 13:12-15; Acts 1:8; 2 Timothy 4:2-5. All these passages contain Jesus’ “mission commands.”

Today’s Scripture readings all speak of God’s continuing and abiding presence with us. The first reading narrates how God remains with the people of Samaria as they receive the Holy Spirit. Next, the Apostle Peter speaks of Christ’s presence in people’s hearts. In the Gospel Jesus promises the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, assuring his followers: “I will not leave you orphans” (Jn 14:18). God’s loving presence has been shown to us in numerous ways. Personally, since today is Mother’s Day, I think of how we have experienced genuine love from our dear parents.

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In today’s Gospel we hear Jesus saying: “I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full” (Jn 10:10). Reflecting on this passage about the “fullness of life,” I am reminded of a special anniversary the Church is celebrating this year: the 150th anniversary of the birth of Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-2023). This “little flower” has helped many appreciate what “fullness of life” can mean.

The narrative from Luke’s Gospel of the journey of two disciples to Emmaus is well known and loved (Lk 24:13-35). We can imagine the scene: two men are walking; they are dejected, sad, and overwhelmed by recent events. Jesus, their dear friend and presumed messiah, met with a terrible end: an ignoble death by crucifixion on Calvary. There is nothing else to do: leave Jerusalem; return home to Emmaus; begin life all over again. That chapter of life has been permanently closed!

With deep faith and courageous hope, Saint Maximilian Kolbe endured the extreme horrors of Auschwitz, the notorious Nazi concentration camp in Poland. He proved that self-giving love and compassion can thrive even in extreme darkness and cruelty. His heroic life inspired other prisoners, giving them hope that kindness and self-sacrifice were possible—even in Auschwitz. This “factory of death” functioned from 1940 until 1945; studies demonstrate that between 1.1 and 1.5 million people perished there.