Faith Daily | 4 May 2021
PRAYER of the DAY - EASTER FIVE APBA p513
Saving God,
who called your Church to witness
that you were in Christ reconciling the world to yourself:
help us so to proclaim the good news of your love,
that all who hear it may be reconciled to you;
through him who died for us and rose again
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen
GOSPEL for the Day: John 14: 27-31
27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. 28You heard me say to you, “I am going away, and I am coming to you.” If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. 29And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe. 30I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me; 31but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us be on our way.
GOSPEL Reflection: Contributed by Angela Back
If we had been disciples of the Lord, listening to him then, we would never have believed the way the story unfolded. I find it astounding. Yes, as apostles, Jesus was no longer with them, but now they were learning to walk the Jesus way, the way of the Beatitudes. After all the bungling and questioning, they were living their way into key roles in the dawning of the Kingdom. There were growing communities learning about the depth of love found in the company of the Trinity. Now we too belong in that depth of love of the Spirit of the Father and of Jesus. The Book of the Acts of the Holy Spirit describes it all.
I am constantly amazed by the warmly matter-of- fact, companionable Spirit. When I was young I was always a willing student, and faithful reader of the Bible. I realise now, the older I get, I don’t want more information about the Master, as much as I want to know him. Knowing makes a difference. It seems the best way to know him is to see him at work around me, to see his touch on the details of my life, his lovely way of transforming messiness. Yes, Jesus came back to those early ones, through the Spirit, the Comforter, the Counsellor. And because of that, we also can know him. Over the centuries, the Spirit has sifted, transformed and shaped the little churches. We can be glad that Jesus left them because of that perfect plan of the Father, not to leave them comfortless. Jesus said, ‘When it does happen, you will believe.’
Jesus’ comment that the world must learn of Jesus’s love for the Father God, seems to point towards the energy of love which we too gain as the Spirit grows us in love.
FINAL PRAYER: Donal Harrington “A Listening Heart”
We bless you, O God,
for how dignified we feel when somebody listens to us.
We thank you, O God,
for times when we have blessed others with a listening ear.
We praise you, O God,
for listening to the cries of your people.
Through our ministry and the ministry of many others,
make us a listening community
where each person is noticed,
where each voice is heard,
where each gift is appreciated,
where each one comes to know that you are a listening God.
Bless this faith community with the gift of listening.
May we listen and hear what each other is saying.
May we step into each other’s shoes and see things from there.
May we hear the wisdom of the Spirit in each other’s voices.
We pray in the name of our great listener, Jesus the Christ.
Amen