Gospel Reflections for May 3 2020
Jesus looks for you!
The hardest thing we all face now is the Stay at Home order. When will it come to an end? Many are now openly defying this order across the country while others insist on keeping it. I can understand the frustrations of the good and sincere people on both sides.
Today’s Gospel offers a powerful image of a person also staying at home. This Gospel is probably heard more than any other, because families often choose it …at funerals.
When Jesus mentions that “In my Father’s House there are many mansions” and that “I am preparing a place for you” and then “I will come back and take you to myself,” people today hear that as a message about going to your final “home” in heaven.
Archaeology tells a different story, for it is actually about …a wedding! In those days, a groom would first prepare his house to receive his bride, while she was hidden away in her own home. On the wedding day, he would walk to her house across town and escort her back through the village and into his own house. That was the entire wedding ceremony!
The main image throughout the entire Bible for your relationship with God is a “marriage.” After all, the Bible starts with a marriage; Adam and Eve, and ends with a marriage feast in the Book of Revelation. In the New Testament, Jesus is the “Groom” and you are the “Bride” that He seeks.
You are the one Our Lord seeks! How amazing is that! You might feel hidden away now with these Stay at Home orders, but He will soon come and take you to Himself, and into His house at your parish for Mass.
So just how do you relate to Our Lord? …as a loving spouse! You are loyal, committed, faithful, honest, sincere, and always helpful.
Today is Mother’s Day, and remembers the very beginning of your life with your mother. No matter how things turned out later, that is your very first relationship. Your mother loved and cared for you as a baby when you were completely helpless and long before you could do anything in return.
Well, today is the day you can return that love in special ways, in words of affection for a mother still with you, or in prayers for one who has passed on.
Both marriage and maternal love is sincerely doing something good for another, for helping them be the person God calls them to be. We celebrate both today.
God Bless!
Fr. Dave
Fr. Dave,
How wonderful! That is a beautiful image that Jesus is going to come to & take us to our parish for mass!
We have been eagerly waiting for the eucharist. We will be so happy to receive the Eucharist & perhaps more people will believe in the REAL presence of our LORD in it.
I pray that I will not take the Eucharist for granted again !
My relationship with my sweet Jesus is the center of my life & I am glad to proclaim that fact.
God Bless the priests that ordained to bring us the Eucharist !!
I think many more people now are realizing the same insights that you express here.
Thank you!
Thank you for this beautiful reflection,, Fr. Dave. I will look forward to returning to our parish church once it reopens in a way I hadn’t thought of previously. The bridegroom and bride image captures patience, thoughtfulness, preparation, and generosity. All are very important for one’s spiritual life—and so worthwhile!
You are very welcome! Yes, marriage is the main image throughout the bible, and for the reasons you indicate.
Fr. Dave,
Simply masterful! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Thank you!
Hi, Father Dave, what a beautiful comparison. We revere God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit as God but then seeing your lovely comparison to marriage and Our Lord in this way is something that never occurred to me. I was blessed to have a good 47 year marriage he passed in 2003. All of the words you used is what is needed to show our love for Jesus as well as in our marriage. Again, I always say in your articles the way you reach us in a unique and clear way. Thank you for that.
I am praying that being away from our Churches and finding so much evil in our culture by bring Our Lord home again.
Will be with you at our Sunday Mass.
Stephanie
I hope your trip to Israel hasn’t had to have been canceled.
See you at the video Sunday Mass!
Love your precious homily Father Dave!!!Love our Jesus taking me to Mass and my receiving Him so preciously in Holy Communion!!! These days at home Dick and I have been comforted with the beauty of having received Jesus for almost all our lives and the beautiful thought He lives in us!! We must therefore share His precious loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! Can’t wait to receive our Jesus again for we keep growing in His love!!! Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee our precioous Faith!!Happy, beautiful Mother’s Day for all our mothers have given us the gift of LIFE and we must protect the sactity of life!! Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee living, love our Faith and Dick and Ilove you for being the beautiful priest you are and giving us the most precious gift of all our Jesus of love!!! Thank you our Blessed Mother for our Jesus and our God for our Mary toooooooooooooooooooo!!! We are soooooooooooooooooooooo blessed!!! Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee being beautifully catholic!!!
Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, franca and Dick
Thank you!
United in Christ. I miss the ability to serve others formally as a Eucharistic minister, Catechist, and assisting with other community services like food pantry. I miss praising God in community. Thank you for sharing the image of marriage and the love and sacrifice that are a part of that union. I am doing my best to be Christ’s presence to others under the current circumstances. I appreciate your ministering to feed our souls through the Word of God. I look forward to being united in Christ through the Eucharist. Kathryn.
Yes, hopefully soon we will all be back in CHurch!