Jn 15:18-21

Our gospel is not an easy one to interpret for today but it may be for this very reason, all the more one to reflect upon and let its wisdom speak to us.

Jesus telling us that “If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you” These words  make me ask myself how they address the issues like abortion and those who are pro-choice on the one hand and on the other hand, our building a wall to prevent the poor and oppressed migrants from entering our country. And how do these words of Jesus apply to people going back to work to make a living, exposing themselves and their families to the virus and those saying they must stay at home to prevent further illness and death. We are being called to do some serious discernment in regard to climate change  and what needs to be done if human life is going to continue to exist on this earth. More than ever we need to be honest if we are not going to follow the ways of the world but of Christ who is right in the middle of all this.

Are we willing to suffer persecution as he did? May God give us honest and discerning hearts so as to follow Christ into the fullness of life.

Jesus’ gaze pierces hearts and he saw that his disciples’ hearts were troubled and so He is tender with them.  He knew how weak they are and it will show during his trial that was coming.   At this moment in time, Jesus tries to link their faith in God to their faith in him.   They are not clear as to Jesus’ relationship to the Father.  For them He is a man, he is the Messiah.  They could not know on their own they need help.   And so, he encourages them to be strong by promising them a place in heaven.

It was too much for them to comprehend this going away somewhere  and coming back to get them, the way where he is going.  So, Thomas wants Jesus to clarify for him where He is going and where is the way.

We can’t blame the disciples.  The way they see Jesus is the same way the Pharisees and the scribes see Him.   The one side of His nature.   We ourselves have not overcome completely the disciples’ one-sided understanding of Jesus.  The way is a directional orientation and not a person but Jesus answers them that He is the Way.  That must have been confusing for them.

John, the Evangelist is telling us here that truth is the divine activity of the Father manifested in Jesus Christ.  It is a revelation that the disciples will only understand later.  If they really understood the man Jesus, by looking at his person words and action, they would see that the Father would not act differently nor the Son as to what the father is doing.

As their faith in God is still unrelated to faith in Jesus, Philip asks Jesus to show them the Father and it will be enough for them.  Phillip is asking for a theopany, that God the father will show himself to them.  And so Jesus once more attempts to make Phillip and the rest understand that He Jesus is doing the will of the Father, the healing, the preaching of the good news to the poor, the raising of the dead, the forgiveness of sin –  these are the father’s work.  Jesus would not do less than this.  He only does what the Father is doing.  Jesus’ works is the Father’s.  So to see Jesus is to see the Father.

The whole purpose of Jesus’ life is to reveal the loving father to them through His loving kindness and forgiveness for all.  The will of the Father is to offer salvation for the whole of humankind.  We make things too complicated when the question is asked:  What is the will of God;  and we parenthetically add “for me.”  Holiness and spirituality is primarily to include ourselves into humanity which the God the Father longed to save, to share His glory and make children of us.

We have turned holiness into individual piety and devotion and if we have time spending our time to be holy then we can perhaps take care of others.  We must always have in mind what is the will of the Father for all;  so that our piety, spirituality or our efforts to holiness should flow from this will of God which we gladly make our own.

In short holiness is not possible without joining the will of God of loving everyone in the world and the people closest to us.  Otherwise our holiness becomes sentimental pieties, fervors like dry grass on fire but dies soon enough.   Holiness, just like Jesus’, is doing the work of the Father, that is, loving and saving the world.  All devotions and pious practices should be offered for the world.  The Father know what we need.  We become holy by loving the world as the Father did.  He so loved the world! Scriptures says.

And it is not an intermittent love of the world —  like every now and then.  The Christian life is spent on this work of the Father.  We would be lying if we deny that many a time in the beginning and fervor of our spiritual we prayed that God would show himself to us or something like that.   Let us heed what Jesus said to Philip.  Have I been with you for so long at time and still you do not know me, Philip.  Our relationship with Jesus had been going on for a long time and we still do not understand Jesus.  We want to see God and we refuse to see the works of Jesus.  We have seen God but we did not recognize Him.

It is in those who do the works of God, those who forgave no matter how big the offense they have received, those who died saving others in death threatening situations, the martyrs, those who died for peace, the protectors of the Amazon killed by logging magnates, the peace makers among warring factions who were killed because they dare  interfere with their wars, those who do good regardless of religion race and culture and other works which we call social action and therefore not our concerns especially those among us who are in prayer and contemplation.   I wonder if our private spiritual activities could stand as works of God at the end.  I wonder why we are still looking for visions of God.

St. Paul did encounter God in a vision and he had ecstasies in the desert but after these he did not ask for it and he spent his whole life doing the works of God.  I think it would be better to look around and see if we could see God at work.  The pious Christians who always prayed for the conversion of Russia did not publicly showed their joy and thanksgiving to  God when two political figures dismantled communism.  How many see the works of God in Ghandi,  how many see the works of God in Martin Luther King, and so on.  It is not only in our ideal person in whom we can see the works of God like a holy person but we can see the work of God even in the sinner.  For if they do any good deed it surely comes from God.  All good comes from God.  If we Christians and monks cannot see the good works as coming from God then we will never see God in this life .  What a pity.

Background note: 

In March 1996,  every monastery in the Cistercian Order received large photos of the seven monks who had been kidnapped in Algeria, with a request for prayers.

At Gethsemani,  we offered a Mass for the safe release of  the hostages,  followed by a Day of Prayer, during which their seven photos were across the front of Church,  with a votive candle in a white glass burning before each photo.

In May came  news of their deaths.

At Gethsemani, we offered a Mass for the Dead,  followed by a Day of Prayer, during which the seven photos were across the front of Church,  with a votive candle in a  red glass burning before each photo.

In 1996, we were praying for them.    Today, we are praying  TO THEM!

May 8 2020 Blessed Christian de Chergé and Companions, Martyrs

 Introit:  “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God!”   Alleluia!

My brothers,

Two dozen of us remember being here in March 1996, when the world was stunned by the kidnaping of seven Trappist monks in Algeria, being held for a prisoner exchange.

Our entire Order joined in days of prayer for their safe return.

56 days later, the world was electrified by news of their death.

France was horrified, every Catholic church tolled its bells at the same time in the monks’ memory.

Seven lives for God and for the Church of Algeria.

The fundamentalist rebels had warned all French:

“Leave Algeria or die! Algeria for Algerians! All foreigners out!”

but the monks chose to stay, sheep in the midst of wolves.

It was learned after the funeral, that Fr Christian had written a letter two years previous, forgiving his future persecutors, sealed the letter, left it with his mother in France, to be opened only upon his death.    It was his Last Testament,  an amazing account  of forgiveness.

In the face of this remarkable peacemaker,   who could forgive his enemies in advance,

let us be sorry for not being able to forgive    long  after the fact.

I confess, etc….

 The Gospel John 14:1-6

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Do not let your hearts be troubled.

You have faith in God; have faith also in me.

In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.

If there were not,

would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?

And if I go and prepare a place for you,

I will come back again and take you to myself,

so that where I am you also may be.

Where I am going you know the way.”

Thomas said to him,

“Master, we do not know where you are going;

how can we know the way?”

Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.”

 After the Gospel:

“Who are these wearing white robes, and whence have they come?”    – Revelation 7:13

These are the seven monks of Tibhirine, who lived together,  died together, and will be remembered together for all eternity:

Dom Christian, age 59, the prior, 25 years in Algeria, a scholarly man who read both the Koran and the Bible in Arabic.

The Lay Brother Luc, the oldest at 82, the main cook,  the doctor who treated thousands of  Muslims during his 50 years in Algeria.

Father Christophe, the youngest at 45, the cantor and guitar player, in charge of  workers in the garden and orchard.

Brother Michel, 52, the quiet one, in charge of readings for the Divine Office, the lector at Mass, a cook.

Father Bruno, 66, superior of the annex house in Morocco, just visiting to take part in the election of a prior.

Father Célestin, 62; a former diocesan priest, a helper of street people and addicts,

who ended up a monk  in Algeria to help.

Brother Paul, 57, a blacksmith, professional plumber, the jack-of-all trades who did all the maintenance  work needed  to keep the monastery going.

They died together almost 25 years ago, but they’re still spreading the message of peace.

All of the murdered monks came from French monasteries to Our Lady of Atlas, in Tibhirine, Algeria, where they formed a typical monastic community, each with his own personality, his  individual gifts.

They got  caught in a war between the army and  extremist rebels who wanted to force the French  out of Algeria,

a war of terror  which ultimately claimed  44,000 people, mostly civilians,

including 150  imams who dared preach against violence.

The monks’ neighbors were all Muslims who trusted them,  considered them friends,

no different than any other inhabitant of the village,

and repeatedly asked them not to go and leave them helpless.

When push came to shove, the monks were  united in their choice of remaining in Algeria,

continuing their life of prayer and work,

helping  poor families with hand-me-downs, shoes, food, medicine as best they could,

witnessing how possible it is for people to live in peaceful co-existence.

The seven monks died together after 56 days of detention.

But they’re still spreading the gospel  of Christ’s love,

and challenging  the romantic notions we have of SAINTS …

that  Saints are special  people, who’ve been given  special gifts of mystical prayer or penance,

who live lives  out of the ordinary, do things  out of the ordinary,

work many miracles.

On the contrary,

all seven were markedly different, with his own sensitivities and opinions.

We’ll never know their temptations, or weaknesses or failings,

what personal obstacles they struggled with.

We do know that  through their perseverance, God’s Grace won out,

they were able to give of themselves,

and go together to the end of their journey,  singing the praises of God,

leaving a powerful witness to the world.

They’d likely smile now that their monastery has become a tourist hot-spot, a shrine of peace,

because all along,  they were simply Christians, living ordinary monastic lives,

fulfilling the Great Commandment:  love  God,  love your neighbor.

Blessed  Brothers of Tibhirine, pray for us that we also  may be found faithful!

+Our selection this morning from the gospel of John if from chapter 13, a far shift from chapter 8 that we heard yesterday. We are taken into the washing of the feet of the disciples by Jesus and his telling them: “Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master, nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.” Jesus gives us all this loving example of humble service to imitate. Any real greatness is grounded in humility and again we are reminded of the wisdom of St Benedict’s Rule. With each day of our lives as monks we have many opportunities for living Christ’s loving service. In doing so we come to know and experience he is at the center of all that is of lasting value and share already in his risen glory.

Jn 13:16-20