Fifth Easter Sunday A

1.       “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God.” Ah, but as Hamlet would say,  “ay, there's the rub”   My heart is troubled because my belief in God is weak. I have been through this in the past, and I know that there will be other occasions in the future, when I question everything: Catholicism, the Priesthood, the Church and why am I doing all this. And right in the middle of all this, a young woman wants to see me. Her parents are in their homeland, far away from Canada. She is all alone, and the doctor tells her that she might have invasive Cancer. “I am so afraid. I sit alone in my apartment and I cannot handle it.” I think of the Gospel, “do not let your heart be troubled, Believe in God.” But how can I tell her that when I myself am slipping and sliding. And she continues: “If it were not for my belief in God, I do not know what I would do.” Often it is the wounded who are the best healers, the victims who have to take the first step in forgiving. Those who are suffering that bring faith to those who seem to have their act together.

2.       And then there is the case of another young person, a man of 25. Even when he was in high school several companies were offering him scholarships because of his talent and expertise. He has just finished his Ph.D in Silicon Valley, California. His parents are devout catholics, fully involved in all sorts of church and social activities. He does not go to Church because God does not mean anything and the Church is irrelevant. So far he is sailing smoothly, he has a top paying job, his house is paid for, the future is glorious. But he has no “invisible means of support” what happens when or if his whole world comes crashing down around him? Will he believe in God, when his heart is troubled?

3.       We often think of the Catholic church in the time of the apostles as being like Paradise, the Garden of Eden. If we read the Acts chapter 2: 43 -47, ch. 4:32-36, ch 5:12-16, we find the Church in an idyllic stage. The church lived in harmony. They would gather in the synagogue or in people’s houses to pray. They would break Bread together. They would hold all things in common so that no one was in need. A large number of people were attracted to join them. They were not troubled. They believed in God.     But there were cracks in Structure of the Church. It was not all a seamless garment of Christ, which the soldiers cast lots rather than tear up at the Crucifixion. First there was Ananias and Sapphira who were not honest about their church contribution and met with a “spectacular death”. Now we find that there is racial discrimination in what in present day we would call the St. Vincent de Paul Society. The poor: the widows and orphans of one ethnic group were not getting equal treatment. They were being discriminated against in the distribution for the needy. And so the Church has to take some practical steps to see that harmony is restored.

4.       With the new Pope, a lot of people have been overjoyed. As Peter Gould BBC writer says “For those who believe in the traditional values of the Church, the election of Joseph Ratzinger is a blessing.” And then again, there is a large segment of the church who need to hear once again the first line of today’s gospel. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God.” They fear because of the hard line stance taken as Cardinal Ratzinger ran the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. He firmly opposed to birth control, supported the celibacy of the priesthood. He stood  against the ordination of women. He has also spoken out against homosexuality, and once denounced rock music as "the vehicle of anti-religion".

5.       However, among the balanced words on Pope Benedict 16, are the words of Leonard Boff - a Liberal Theologian who was supported by Cardinal Ratzinger, when the Cardinal was a professor. Then Boff was forbidden to teach when the same Cardinal ran the Congregation of Doctrine of Faith. Boff says:I really believe that the Church is much more than the pontificate in the Vatican.

The Church is enormous and comes from the dream of Jesus Christ, which extends all over the world.  I personally believe that Cardinal Ratzinger has a profound spirituality. He is a man of great virtue.

But more than all these thoughts for and against as we have a new pope, are the words we read in our second reading today: The Letter of Peter. It gives us tremendous grounds for us “Not to be troubled.” Peter says to us, You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people set apart.

a.       CHOSEN RACE. It does not mean that we are better than others, but rather it means that we are marked out by God as belonging to God. We heard that in the story of Cain and Abel. If anyone harms you, he will answer to me, God. We will always be special no matter how far we stray. Just like a child will always be to his father or mother:

-there is no other child like mine

-he is the smartest kid on the block

-he is the best looking kid in the pediatric ward.

b        ROYAL PRIESTHOOD  Way back in the time of Abraham, we had the Priest called Melchizedek. He was the King of Salem (Jerusalem) but also a priest. The one picture that comes out of the Old Testament is that as soon as Abraham defeated his enemies, Melchizedek offered BREAD AND WINE - the same food we will be offering on this altar in a few moments. Abraham gave him one tenth of all he possessed.

Today it is not just I, the priest - but each one of us that has to continue this work of consecrating to God everything around us. Everything has to give praise and glory to God. Unfortunately, many things are in animate - YOU have to be the voice that gives praise for them, you are the hands that have to lift them up to the Lord:

Things like your car, and your computer, your company and your hobbies - everything that gives you joy, you can offer glory and praise to God.

c.       A HOLY NATION: Holy does not mean only a HALO over your head. But it means a healthy and wholesome product. You judge a tree by its fruit. A good apple sauce comes from a good apple tree. The Tree of this community - will be judged by the people that come from this village: the happy marriages, the priests and sisters, single men and women who continue to bring glory to the Community and to God.

d.                  A PEOPLE SET APART: This does not mean an elite Society: Deutschland uber alles.  But rather like Quebec;

the way they cook

their wine and cheeses

their arts and music

their Napoleonic laws

They are different and march to the tune of a different drummer. St. Thomas, the Apostle did the same. “You may say the Lord has risen. But I must see the wounds made in his side, and holes made by the nails in his hands. Only then !”

 He did dance to his own tune. Any I hope you have the courage to do the same.