Gospel Reflections for May 15 2016
Never been done before!
Pentecost is the day the Holy Spirit sent the first Christians out to baptize the whole world! That was unique. No one had ever done this kind of convert seeking before.
No other ancient religion ever sought converts; not ancient Assyrians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, or Persians. Only Christians.
I heard this in a dramatic way at a biblical archaeology lecture at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles a few years ago. A famous Jewish archaeologist asked how many were familiar with ancient religions. A few hands went up. He then reminded us that Christians, who already had their own scriptures, chose to add the Jewish scriptures to their New Testament to form one large bible. They then took both Testaments around the world. He indicated that if Christians had NOT included the Jewish scriptures in their journeys, then Judaism itself would be as obscure today as those other ancient religions!
That is an amazing yet undeniable fact. Christians took the story of both Judaism and Jesus around the world. So why did they do that?
After all, the Jewish community rarely sought converts to Judaism, and had little impact on surrounding cultures. Pagan nations would, of course, accept converts if they made their own empires larger and more powerful, even using force if needed.
Christians were different. They had no empire to expand …so why did they leave their homes after Pentecost and travel to distant lands to spread the good news about Jesus? They sincerely believed that following Jesus would be good …for you! They only wanted to make your life happier with the Good News of Our Lord. It worked. Soon all of the Middle East and Europe were converted!
That God-given happiness remains our motive today. Everything Catholics do at parishes, whether at Mass, in school, Religious Education programs, Confirmation programs, Bible Studies, or sacraments, are meant to help us live happier lives just as God designed.
It is no accident that the very first power that Our Lord bestows on His disciples at Pentecost is the power to forgive sins. I cannot think of a better prescription for what ails us today. Guilt from past behavior often weighs people down. But forgiveness for the hurt we have caused is a powerful medicine for healing and strength. Forgiveness allows us to start over with new energy and zeal for life. Jesus knows just what we need to help our life move forward again and find the happiness and joy He wants for us.
That message of forgiveness, happiness, and joy has never happened before!
God Bless!
Fr. Dave
Image: Public Domain work of art
Yes! And they have been doing it for over 2,000 years!
Well said!
Loved your reflection on *mercy and forgiveness”
Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves.
The world was ready for something new, something different, and the Christians had
the right answer “Praise the Lord”
Well said!