My friends, this 4^th Sunday of Easter and as those before and those to come, each, call us, as I have previously said, “back to life.”  This Sunday’s readings have a “shepherd” theme, and the action is that of “shepherding the People of God.  And even though none of us are shepherds, and perhaps never have been, nor will be, we can understand the concept of “shepherding” others in the broader context of simply, “caring for them. It is what Jesus did, and it is what we are called to do. 

   Those of you who have been with us for a while, know that I will always take the Scriptures of any given Sunday and direct us back to our everyday lives, because as Jesus’ followers, “Christians” by name, that is what he always modeled for us—what we say we believe coupled with how we live our lives. 

   And further, we must recognize and be aware that connecting what we read in the Scriptures to our daily lives will often get us into trouble, as it did Jesus, with those who choose to look at life in a very, “black and white” way. 

   A case in point of course is the discussion across our country about possibly overturning Roe v. Wade—the right of a woman over her own body—more specifically, the right—should she choose to seek an abortion.  Friends, as you may know already and accept, but I need to say it anyway for clarity here; this is not a “black and white” issue.  For those who want to see Roe v. Wade overturned, it is of course, “black and white”—thus the problem. 

   Those who have been part of this nearly 50-year-old fight to overturn the 1973 Supreme Court decision to make abortions legal across our land call themselves, “pro-life.”  Unfortunately, as we know, this desire to “protect life” only seems to extend to the life within the womb— “a life” that most times would be unviable outside of the womb. 

   Whenever women and men who advocate for an end to Roe v. Wade, are asked about the life outside the womb, should a woman carry the pregnancy to term, these same advocates for life early-on, have no plan for their care once here, and will often be against the social programs needed to care for these individuals, which for their lack, many times caused the women to seek abortion in the first place.  Perhaps those who so stridently claim to be “pro-life,” were to support care for those already here, they would be doing more to end the need for abortions in the first place. 

   I believe the part of this discussion that is most disconcerting to women is the complete lack of consideration for the women carrying the potential new lives.  Why, many ask, are their lives not considered as well, when we discuss the right-to-life? 

   The stories abound of women who sought the care to terminate their pregnancies in order to save their own lives, yet their lives are seldom, if ever considered by those who advocate to overturn this right for women, which, by the way, is also a right for men.  And if you don’t believe that, then consider how this discussion would go if it were the men asking for the right to choose about the care of their own bodies.  When we are making “life” decisions for our world, we must consider all who will be affected; that is what makes life good for all.  So, suffice to say, this current discussion is messy.  There is not a “one size fits all.” 

   Looking back to the Scriptures for today, the first reading from Acts gives us a few ideas to consider:  We are told to, “hold fast to the grace of God” [because], “I have made you a light to the nations.”  For me, this says, in the “messiness” of life, to always believe that our God is with us, giving the “grace” needed to do the most, “loving thing” for all considered. 

   Such “life” decisions call each of us to be responsible persons in the “life” we say, “yes” to.   Not just bringing life into existence but doing all that we can to assure that such life becomes “meaningful” and “viable” throughout its entire existence. 

   The month of May also calls us to reflect on a very special woman in our religious history.  Of course, I am speaking of our mother, sister, and friend, Mary of Nazareth—not at all, a “wallflower” or a “yes-woman,” which generally means, unfortunately, “a door mat” for the hierarchy.  To be clear, saying “yes” was definitely part of Mary’s life—but her “yeses” had to do with supporting justice, mercy and most of all, love—as did her son, Jesus. 

   This Sunday is also Mothers’ Day, a day we remember all mothers; those blessed with giving physical birth, but also those who have gifted many with emotional and spiritual mothering.  All are so important because just as we need those who can give physical birth, we likewise need women who can have others’ backs supporting them through the ups and downs of life.  Sometimes “physical” moms can give emotional and spiritual mothering too, sometimes not and thus the need for mothers of all kinds.  I personally am grateful for all the mothers I have had in my life and so grateful too for those who helped me to mother my own kids. 

   Again, this “mothering” issue is not, “a one size fits all.”  We get a sense of this too in the second reading from Revelations where John speaks about, “the shepherd… [and how this one] will lead [the sheep] to springs of water.”  This [mother] we might say, “knows [their young] “and will never let them perish”—words spoken also by John in the gospel today.

   So friends, much on our spiritual plates again!  I think sometimes we can get frustrated when all is not, “neat and clean”—at peace, perhaps—but life calls us to all of this.  We have been promised “the grace” we will need, and we must anchor our hope in that belief and trust it.  I know personally that if I thought I had to do what I do all alone, I know I could not do it!  I depend on God, in Jesus, on all of you, on family and friends, to all help me and to help those in all our wider worlds to do what is most loving in every situation. 

   And for that reason, as we are all called “to be light” in our world and I will end with this; I find it so discouraging that those in positions of leadership within our Church are so reluctant to lead.  Where are they in promoting “life” for all people, not just in the womb, but for children and adults—all along the life continuum?  Where are their voices when it comes to eliminating the real threat to life by the proliferation of guns in our society—where are they when it comes to valuing the lives of all our non-binary, LGBTQI+ folks—where, when it comes to taking lives by execution –many times innocent lives—where, when this country incarcerates black people at 5 times the rate of white people?  I often wonder why these so-called Catholic leaders don’t drop “Christianity” from the names used to describe themselves. 

    My friends, as you can see, the right to a decent, good, and peace-filled life is so much broader than those who claim to be “pro-life” are willing to look at.  When they can see beyond the beginning of life, they will acquire so much more credibility in the view of those who consider right-to-life from birth to death as the Good Shepherd did. Amen? Amen! Alleluia!

   Friends, if we are taking a careful look at the events of this Easter Season, which, by the way, are the same during each season of Easter; we have to notice that the Resurrection of our brother Jesus, leads us right back into action.  So, what do I mean by that?

   The Scriptures for today give us a clear explanation of what I am saying.   The reading from Acts finds the apostles proclaiming “the truth” as they know it to be—Jesus of Nazareth, came, taught about the best ways to live, and paid the civil price in his time for speaking against the State. 

   For those without faith, his death was the “end of the story.”  For those with faith, he rose to a new life that continued his life and goodness in the same ways that he first demonstrated in his own humanity, but now that “goodness” would continue through the lives of his followers should they, should we, choose to continue his work. 

   In the reading from Acts, Peter clearly states the choice that he and the other apostles have made: “Better to obey God than people.”  I often talk about laws and rules that we humans come up with as “head stuff” that causes us then to propose “black and white” answers to complex world problems that show themselves in more “gray” ways.   In other words, the solutions aren’t always clear.  

    John’s gospel selection today gets at the problem we all must face as we live out our Christian lives.  Recalling the apostle Peter’s life with regard to his following in Jesus’ footsteps, we remember that when “push came to shove” during Jesus’ passion, Peter was identified by others three times as Jesus’ follower, to which we know that Peter denied three times to even knowing him. 

   Today’s gospel gets at this seeming discrepancy. Jesus isn’t reprimanding Peter for his denial, but is clearly showing him a better, truer way to go.  By asking Peter three times of his love for his master, Jesus lovingly and without anger or malice shows Peter just what “love” means—the words aren’t enough, Jesus says, there must be action too. 

   And as Peter and the others will find out, “feeding and tending the sheep” won’t always be easy—and will probably even be “messy” at times, as Robert and I have been discovering of late in trying “to launch” our Honduran family on a path that will lead to success for them in their new country. 

   I think the “messiness” in any endeavor where we start from a seemingly apparent place of love, comes especially when a group of people such as that working with our Honduran family, bring with them all the baggage of their own personal lives and somehow try to work out all that “baggage” by doing “good” for others.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.  Sometimes our basic humanity gets in the way of the good we would do.  Peter learned that, but moved past it in order to do the good that his brother was calling him to. 

   My friends, most of us have experienced some measure of suffering in our own lives and hopefully our personal suffering has made us more attentive to the suffering that others in our world experience, which many times, if we are truthful, is far worse than our own. 

   The Easter story, which our Church in wisdom dedicates six weeks to, does each of us a good turn.  Why so?  As we initially rejoice in the resurrection of Jesus, the Christ, as is displayed in the readings from Revelations, our brother and savior, Jesus, calls us through the other readings to our new, and continual work in the world.  Jesus’ physical presence won’t be there, except in us, in the ways we now choose to “touch” our world, but his spiritual presence will be, supporting and inspiring us “to feed” and otherwise care for our sisters and brothers as he did. 

   And I would be remiss if I didn’t say—to remember ourselves in the equation—we can’t share out of “an empty cup,” anymore than should we keep all the contents for ourselves—it’s a balancing act. 

   I just finished a very good book by Fiona Hill, who came to our country’s attention during the first impeachment of Donald Trump.  Her book, entitled, There is Nothing for You Here, is her personal story of growing up in poverty in Northeastern England and of how she was eventually able to make a success of her life through many others giving her a needed, helping hand. 

   Over her lifetime that began in 1965, she tells of how she made connections with others who believed that people basically wanted to succeed in life, but that many times, the “doors” just weren’t open to do so.  She makes many like comparisons to her second country and its people, the United States of America, with regard to what people need to make their way in life.  She quotes a philanthropic friend who wisely said, “We don’t try to make things easy for people, but to make things possible for them.”

   In reflecting on my work as a Christian in general and specifically in my present, daily life, the above quote seems to give that balance that not only looks out for others but for ourselves.  Amen? Amen!  Alleluia!

My friends, each Church Year, we are taken scripturally through the life, death and resurrection of our brother, Jesus.  During Lent especially, we are called to ponder just who this God-human-person was.  During Holy Week we are encouraged to spend time with our human brother, trying to understand as fully as we can, why he came among us, for what purpose, what his death and resurrection meant for him and for us—but even more so, what his life meant. 

   Now for me, growing up in the 50’s and 60’s, before the 2^nd Vatican Council, the message was always clear— “Jesus came, died for our sins, so that we could go to heaven one day and be happy with him, there forever.”  That sounds good on the surface, but I feel that Jesus’ coming was much simpler, much more loving than that. 

   I believe for many people, it is easier to get our “heads” around the fact that “God needed to come and clean up the mess we humans made, taking our failings, placing that guilt upon Jesus’ shoulders and “wha-la,” all is good!”

   But you see my friends, the above is much more of a human outlook than that of the Loving God, that Jesus, in his life presented to us.  Jesus was always more about applying the “heart” than the “head” in any situation. 

   In our Catholic church today, just as in the Jewish faith of Jesus’ time, men ran the show and we would all probably agree that setting up a list of dos and don’ts (the Jews had over 600 and Christians, a good many too) and a storyline that neatly answers all the questions is much easier than suggesting, as Jesus often did, that we simply do, the most loving thing!  Granted, doing the most “loving thing” is a lot messier! 

   Throughout history, the virtues of goodness, kindness, mercy, long-suffering, and so on have been looked at as the “gentler” virtues and relegated to the “gentler, weaker sex”—that of women.  But make no mistake, my friends, doing the “most loving thing” in any situation is far harder than following a set of narrow rules and regulations as Jesus proved throughout his life.  We must always remember that Jesus’ one, beautiful human life was taken because he relentlessly chose to do, not what the law said, but what “love” said—the two, as we know, are often not the same.  And for any of us who have ever followed his lead, we know that it is not easy, nor a weak action. 

    The Scriptures chosen for us to hear in the days and weeks after the Resurrection show the apostles sometimes in the same situation as Jesus in his life—people were attracted to him many times because of the physical cures that he was able to do.  The same was true for the apostles, after his death.  But for Jesus and the apostles, as we read today in Acts— “through [their] hands, many signs and wonders occurred among the people—women and men, in great numbers were continually added to their number.” 

   Given the above words, we can only imagine that there were many others, for Jesus and the apostles, who experienced what Jesus was really after in them, “a change of heart.” Those who were just after a messiah who would vanquish their physical enemies or cure their physical bodies, didn’t discover the “messiah” who Jesus ultimately was. 

   In the simplest of terms, Jesus came out of the loving heart of God who wants only good for us, not bad.  Such a God would never ask for reparation for the failings that were part of the humanity given us.  But such a God would give us chance, after chance, after chance, to get it right.

   Look at our Scriptures today:  The Revelations’ reading is about things not understood, except for our God’s words, “Don’t be afraid”—the piece understood, but not said is— “I will be with you.”  In the gospel reading from John we read times two— “Peace be with you—just as the Creator sent me, I [am] sending you”—to do, like me, the most loving thing! This gospel selection also lets us know that we will have great powers—the power to forgive and many other loving things, if we so choose. 

   Eastertime my friends, is all about gratitude for a God who has loved us so much in Jesus as well as a great time of grace to choose a “change of heart” –big enough to follow him, doing always what is most loving, in our world, that today, as we all know is in need of, just that!  Amen? Amen!