Unfailing Love and Support

Homily for Friday of the Sixth Week in Eastertide

As I mentioned yesterday, sorrow and grief are an ever-present part of daily life. Each of us can expect to endure sorrow and faced challenges. Yet as disciples of Jesus, we know that we are not facing these difficulties alone – that sometimes God’s loving presence can be experienced in surprising ways.

Today’s readings and the memorial we keep of the apostle of Molokai, Father Damien de Veuster remind us that unfailing love and support of God. Paul is instructed not to be afraid to speak out in Corinth because of God’s many people in that city. Ironically, one of those people is Gallio, a Roman official who refuses to put Paul on trial for a religious conflict. Paul is set free to continue his ministry to the Corinthians.

Just before his own suffering and death, Jesus reaches out compassionately to his apostles, assuring them that, even as they mourn for him, they will soon know a joy that cannot be taken from them. As we have been reading in the Acts of the Apostles throughout the Easter season, the early disciples went about the mission of spreading the gospel with great joy – in spite of the many hardships they faced – because of their assurance of Jesus’ presence among them. At times we even read of their joy at being called to suffer just as their Master had suffered.

Just as we have inherited the mission of the early disciples, so do we enjoy God’s presence and strength in our daily lives. We can rest assured that God is with us in the daily challenges we face – sometimes through the help and compassion of members of our community, friends, colleagues, or even strangers. Our daily Eucharist reminds us of that presence because our faith teaches us that Jesus is present in the consecrated bread and wine which we consume in our communion with the Lord.