11 May 2024 – Novena Day 2, 7th Sunday of Easter (Year B) (Sunset Mass)

by Fr Fabian Dicom

In today’s Gospel, the Gospel of John, in this Chapter 17, Jesus speaks to His Disciples before His crucifixion. The context of all the Readings in John, in these chapters, have been between the Last Supper and the Crucifixion.

Now we are here at this time when the Disciples’ (you need to feel with the Disciples) uncertainty of fear of darkness. Now in the midst of all that, He offers a prayer to God. And in the verses 17-19, He says: Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth, He cries out to the Father. 

Now here, Jesus is asking God to sanctify His Disciples through the truth of His teachings. And that is the truth He is referring to. The word ‘consecrate‘ means to set apart for a holy purpose. And Jesus desires that His Disciples be set apart by truth. 

Now His teachings, the truth, are equated with God’s word. And by immersing themselves in this truth, the Disciples would be made holy. The Disciples would be made holy. Likewise, that is the invitation and the call to us, to be set apart.

Now Jesus goes on in these verses also to say: Just as You sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. This means for them and for us, we have a mission. Just like the Disciples did, we are here to spread the truth of God’s love and salvation, bringing hope and healing to a world that needs it. That is our call, our mission.

And then He goes on. He adds this: I am consecrating myself for their sake so that they can be consecrated by the truth. Now Jesus knew He was going to sacrifice Himself for us out of love. His sacrifice makes us holy, set apart by truth.

Today, we respond to this sacrifice by aligning our lives with the teachings of Jesus, standing up for the truth even when it is uncomfortable, living lives that reflect this life-changing power. It is power. Life-changing power of His truth.

Therefore, being consecrated in truth means:-
1. Immersing ourselves in Jesus’ teachings.
2. Spreading this truth to others, and
3. Living lives that reflect His sacrificial love and commitment to truth.

So as followers of Jesus, we are called to become beacons of truth in a world that desperately needs it. Just as Jesus was and is.

Now, seeking the truth and proclaiming the truth, takes courage and hope. Sometimes speaking the truth can backfire as this short story illustrates:

Now a very conscientious doctor told his patient the truth that his days were numbered.

‘You have one week to live at most. It is time to get your affairs in order. Is there anyone in particular you would like to see before you die?’

The man opened wide his eyes, looked up and said, ‘Yes, another doctor.’

Several places in scripture, the Spirit of Truth is offered to us, a truth that will set us free.

Fr Richard Rohr who I refer to quite a bit today said:
Before we are set free, we will be disturbed and made uncomfortable. Now Jesus assures us that ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.‘

We live in a time, I am not sure whether you would agree with me, I would say we live in a time of false promises. People are finding that promises made in the media, social media, mass media, that offered us much are delivering very little. Many today are eager to search deeper to find the truth. They are spending a lot of time and energy seeking for lesser gifts when God wants us to have it all and live our lives with hope and meaning and fulfilment. 

Now where do we begin in our search for truth? Of course, obviously, the teachings of Jesus, but where? Where or how?

I think we start our search for truth by looking within ourselves, and within the areas, the realms under our own influence. Fr Richard Rohr emphasises the importance of inner truth. We need to recognise and embrace our inherent value as individuals capable of great goodness. We need to acknowledge that, that we are capable of great goodness.

This also involves acknowledging our flaws, without self-condemnation but with an understanding of God’s mercy, understanding of God’s goodness within us and others. Often, it is easier to blame others for problems, seen both on the national and international levels, when there are conflicts and wars. And we have heard this countless number of times. The blame game goes on in Malaysia and in the world as well.

Now by recognising the beauty and goodness within ourselves and others, we can foster a reverence, a reverence for life which lies at the core of truth and justice. In our current era, there is a crisis of truth and belief in objective truth. There is a crisis.

Culture often shapes our faith, blurring moral lines. Fr Timothy Radcliffe, a Dominican Friar, highlights this, citing our violent century as proof. War, poverty and other ills stem from our inability to seek truth together.

We must form circles of truth, seeking and guided by the Holy Spirit to define our lives and our lifestyles.

By living truth, we bring hope to a chaotic world and pave the way for God’s future. It emphasises. This truth emphasises human dignity and rights, shaping a better world for all. And as adults change, so will our children and the youth. 

F Remy Diederich, a Pastor. Now (while referring to Fr Richard Rohr again), Richard Rohr summarises his feelings and he wrote this. I am not sure whether he is quoting directly or he is just paraphrasing. Now this is what he wrote.

Remy, he says this:
The truth comes from the edges of society. Jesus’ reality is affirmed and announced on the margins, where people are ready to understand and to ask new questions. The establishment at the centre (and I believe he refers to the establishment at the centre not just to countries and governments but more so religious institutions and of course the church), the establishment at the centre is seldom ready for truth because it has got too much to protect. It has bought into the system. 

I think it is obvious. And he goes on to write:
Yes, the edges, the margins (and I know we are very uncomfortable listening to these words). That is where he says: I spend my time with people where things aren’t working well. Sadly, people apologise all the time to me for being there, he says. They are sorry to be there, sorry to waste your time, they say. But I want to push, I want to pause and I say, ‘No, wait! This is rich. This is where really good questions in life come from. This is where we find clarity. Don’t apologise. Invite God into this moment and listen to what He is saying. It could change your life.’

That is what he says. 

We all know what it is like to placate the establishment, to ‘kao tao‘ to that. But here is a way that perhaps we don’t even think is the way of the Lord. It is a way of our Christian life. Perhaps, perhaps that is where we need to head to. Perhaps that is where the truth awaits us – the margins, to those in need, to welcome the stranger, to build bridges of understanding and reconciliation thus making peace with others. And in doing so, we embody the truth of God’s love.

So my dear brothers and sisters, as we prepare for Pentecost, let us open our hearts to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. And that is what we are praying very hard for in this parish. For transformation.

Let us pray for a deeper sense of truth within our parish community. A truth rooted in love and grounded in God. This truth is the foundation of our unity as a parish community.

In the Acts, the First Reading, we see Disciples gathered together, united in prayer and purpose to choose their leaders. They understand the importance of community and collaboration. Just as we do, I believe.

We too are called to come together as a parish community, supporting, encouraging one another on our journey of truth and faith. Now the essence of the truth that unites us is love.

And according to the Second Reading from 1 John, God is love. And those who remain in love remain in God. Our love for each other connects us as one body, the body of Christ. And it connects us to the margins.

Try that. Turn our work, turn our ministry, turn our activity around and see how it works for us. Through our love, the world sees Jesus in us. This love, this Agape that I even mentioned last week, is the foundation of the truth we are called to embrace and live.

Perhaps we need to rethink the way we are as parish and let the margin be the centre. Let the margin be the centre.

In God, All Are One.

Let this truth guide us as we continue our journey of faith, knowing that we are never alone but always united in the love of our Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

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