Homily Seventh Sunday of Easter Year B: Fr.
Michael Ufok Udoekpo
- · Acts 1:15-17, 20a, 20c-26;
- · 1 John 4: 11-16
- · John 17:11b-19
Divine Necessity that We Be One!
“Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus
prayed, saying, “ Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me,
so that they may be one just as we are one”(John 17:11b).
There
is no better day to read the priestly prayer of Jesus than on the occasion of
Johannine Jesus’ last discourse, preparing his disciples for the Post-Ascension
or Pre-pentecost periods of evangelization. The question is what becomes of the
Church and Christ’s disciples after his ascension?
Going by the scriptures Christ recommends unity
and trust in his Divine will, purpose and fulfillment. He will never abandon
his church, his disciples.
This will make sense for us who, today, live in a broken world, plagued with wars, inadequate inter-religious and
cultural dialogues, threats of wars, high of rate divorce, terrorism, kidnappings,
proliferation of churches, religious fundamentalism and extremism, divisions of
all kinds, racism and discrimination on our streets, shopping centers,
offices, places of work and worship centers.
Scripturally, in Luke’s view, the writer of
the first reading (Acts 1:15-17, 20a, 20c-26), the definite plan or purpose of God for each of us underlies all the “events” he narrates. This plan is evident from
vocabulary he uses, such as “the plan” or “purpose of God” (hē boulē tou theou), the divine
necessity that certain things “must’ (dei) happen, the manner in which
God ‘appoints” or “determines” (horizō) what happens or
must be “fulfilled” (plēroō). David
served this plan (Acts 13:36), and the Messiah was crucified “according to the
definite plan and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23, cf. 4:280. At Miletus Paul
reminds the elders of Ephesus that he never failed to tell them “the whole
purpose of God’ (20:27). By refusing John’s baptism, the Pharisees and lawyers
rejected this plan (Luke 7:30), and even after the resurrection of the Messiah
they still oppose it (Act 5:38-39).
Because God’s plan or purpose underlies all that happens
in Israel’s history, certain things “must” (dei) occur. The
twelve-year-old child already knows that he must be in his Father’ house (Luke
2:49). Jesus must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God (4:43). There is
a divine necessity underlying his journey to Jerusalem (13:33) because the Son
of Man must suffer, die, and rise from the dead (17:25; 24:7), and the Messiah
“must suffer in order to enter into his glory” (24:26), and ascended into heaven
(Luke 9:51; Acts 1:1-11) as we saw on Ascension Day. In short, everything
written in the scriptures about Jesus must be fulfilled (22:37; 24:44): who
betrays him, and who is elected to replace his betrayer were all in God’ plan.
So it’s that divine necessity and fulfilment that
continues in today’s first reading, about Judas and Matthias elected to replace
Judas. What this means is that God knows our in and out. He watches over us who
believe. Since he knew from the beginning as we heard in John’s Gospel
17:11b-19 that a time will come when he will no longer be with his disciples,
with us, physically, his priestly prayer is that they remain one, we remain
one, united in faith, soul and mind.
Also in light of the second reading 1 John 4:11-16, he wants us to remain with the Father and
stick around him in love and unity with one another. He prayed that through the
gift of the Holy Spirit each of us may be brought into that kind of deep union
of hope and friendship that he had shared with God His Father.
Besides
faith, hope and love, stressed in the 2nd reading, prayer and
openness for the guidance of the Holy Spirit are key principles for true
discipleship in the divine plan of God. The union of the disciples and the
church can be achieved through incessant prayer, even in making choices or key
decision like the selection of Matthias to replace Judas who had betrayed
Christ and gone his way.
In doing this we are told in that first
reading, the church prayed and said:
“You,
Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two (Judas called
Barsabbas and Matthias) you have chosen to take the place in this apostolic
ministry from which Judas has turned away to go to his own place.”
How many of us have not turned away once in
a while or tempted to do so from the teachings of the Church, from the
teachings of the Holy Scripture from our faith tradition, from the teachings of
Christ, love, charity, peace, serenity, gentleness, humility forgiveness,
unity, or from pursuing dialogue and oneness, especially in those moments we
experience hopelessness, and perhaps thought God must have abandoned his plans
an wishes that we be one?
God never abandon his plans and wishes for
us, that we be one. With prayer everything is possible. With prayer we can
make a U-turn back to Christ, for those who had gone astray or may have lost
faith in divine necessity. With prayer we can remain with him trusting in his
plans, praying for one another, promoting inter cultural and religious dialogue
wherever we are. We can be one in the choices that we make—those choices that
benefits the community as well.
Prior to our decisions and choice
making, be it that of the college to go to, a particular doctor to visit,
suggestions to make at family and executive meetings, which mass to attend
or what menu to choose from, a particular book to read, movie to watch or
friends to hang out with, at the United Nations, cabinet meetings, parish
councils, diocesan senates, we want to pray, we want to always consult our
advocate; counselor, the Holy Spirit, through prayers- that God may guide our
decision according to his divine plans that we may all be one!
Reflection Questions:
- 1. How often do we realize that in everything God has a plan and a divine necessity?
- 2. In what ways have we worked to promote unity and dialogue in our broken homes, families, societies, dioceses, offices and religious communities?
- 3. How often do we pray before we make our choices and life decisions?
