FIFTH SUNDAY IN EASTER: A. April 20, 2008

Acts 26 : 1-7 Psalm: 33 1 Pet 2: 4-9 John 14: 1-12

A few months ago, some Dominicans in Holland declared that a critical priest shortage justifies a return to an “old tradition,” which associates Eucharist more closely with the local community. They proposed that “men and women can be chosen by the community itself to preside at the Eucharist. They wanted this choice to be followed by a confirmation or blessing of ordination by the local bishop.” Needless to say, the Vatican were quick to put a stop to this. It is easy to see how chaos would follow - when local communities among a billion believers kept on proposing local priests.

So why are there so few priests? It is not solely because of the sexual abuse scandal. It is not solely because of celibacy either. Vocations to the priesthood have been generally speaking fostered by families, especially by mothers. They are responsible for encouraging, fostering, nourishing, and supporting priests. They see the priests overworked, tired, called to do tasks which has nothing to do with preaching the Word of God (as we read in the Acts of the Apostles). They see priests involved in going to meetings, attending committees, stressed out with raising funds. Subconsciously they say, “I do not want my son to go through all that.”

2. In the first reading we find the Apostles were caught up in precisely such type of work. These were simple fishermen, tax collectors, patriotic zealots who were chosen to preach the Word of God. Soon they found they were like Moses in the Old Testament. He was tired and bone weary sorting out the squabbles and disputes in his community. Thank God, he had a father-in-law with common sense. He taught Moses to delegate authority and power. (Exodus 18:17)

The Apostles had the same problem. They had become the 2008 version of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. They were making sandwiches and soup for the needy. These were good acts especially in light of Matthew 25, “I was hungry and you gave me to eat.” However, Jesus sent them out in Acts. 1:8 “you will be witnesses to me till the ends of the earth”. That was their job description. As much as food distribution was good, that job was to be delegated to the deacons.

3. Proclaiming and preaching the Word of God is still the main purpose of the priest today.

(Optional addition: Praiseworthy is the priest who reads and starts his homily preparation the Monday before the coming weekend. Not to be imitated is the priest who simply down loads a homily from the Internet on a Saturday morning. Definitely not advisable is the practice of simply repeating what the people have just heard and understood when it was read by the lectors.)

Preaching the Word of God involves the same hazard of Jesus himself when he brought the Good News. Simeon had taken the child Jesus in his arms in the Presentation in the Temple. Simeon had prophesied, “this Child will be there for the rise and the fall of many in Israel.” The Call of the Preacher is precisely to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable. We have remarkable examples to name just a couple from El Salvador: Archbishop Romero and Fr. Rutilio Grande. These made the ultimate sacrifice in proclaiming the Gospel. Priests and Lay people in Canada have the mandate to proclaim the Gospel in Word and in action. We are never in danger of loosing our lives in this ministry.

4. The second important facet of our priesthood is found in the Second reading. The priest is “to offer spiritual sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ.” The Bread and Wine offered on the altar are only symbols of the sacrifices that the People of God have been making in their every day lives since the last Eucharist. It is the care, the concern, the sacrifice people make in relationship to family, fellow works and the church community. It stands for

the parent who sits all night with a child who is sick

the mother who talks with a teenage daughter who is broken hearted

the acceptance of the single word answer -Yes/No of a teenager.

the waiting up at night to hear the door of a child on its first date

the acceptance of an aging parent in a senior’s home.

These are the sacrifices that are joined to the “spiritual sacrifices offered to God through Jesus Christ.” They are offered on the Altar together with Bread and Wine.

People do this with a generous heart, a caring heart, a forgiving heart. No wonder the writer of the letter 1.Peter would call us, “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people set apart.”

5. If we do preach the Word of God and offer the Sacrifice, we will hear the words, “well done good and faithful servant enter into the Kingdom of God prepared for you from before all time.” Our gospel speaks of Jesus telling us that in his Father’s house there are many dwellings. The danger in understanding this passage is to look at the passage with the eyes of a Real Estate agent. We would like a dwelling with 5000 square feet, and location, location, location. We would be in good company if we thought like that. The Apostles James and John wanted to sit at the right and left hand in the Kingdom. We have to beware of thinking of Heaven and Eternal life in terms of Space and Time.

The late Pope, John Paul II spoke of Heaven not as a place but as a state of life. And a learned theologian has spoken of Eternal life not as a time span but rather as a Person and our relationship with that Person.

This is not our traditional way of thinking. We want things logically and in terms that the world understands. Thomas and Philip had the same problem even as Jesus talked to them. We should not be discouraged if we find the understanding of the Kingdom and Eternal life very mysterious. It is precisely that.

What we should not have difficult with is our ardent desire for the Kingdom of God and for the Eternal life that is offered to us.

What we should find easy to accept is that believing in Jesus we can and will preach the Word of God. Jesus says we will do even great works than he did. We may find that difficult to accept, but in a way it is true. Jesus preached only to a limited amount of people in the three years of public life. Our message of the Gospel can go to thousands via the TV and by a single click on a computer.