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Reuben's Sermon for The Sixth Sunday of Easter:
Reuben's Theme: "To love one another"
(Easter 6) - MORNING MASS
0800hrs. and 0930hrs at Saint George's Parish Church - Cullercoats.
Sunday, 17th. May 2009 Anno Domini.
Morning Mass: Acts 10.4448 Psalm
98 1 John 5.16 John 15.917
May 17, 2009 Cycle B Easter 6.
COLLECT FOR THE DAY
God our redeemer,
you have delivered us from the power of darkness and brought
us into the kingdom of your Son:
grant, that as by His death He has recalled us to life,
so by His continual presence in us He may raise us to eternal
joy;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
POST COMMUNION PRAYER
God our Father,
whose Son Jesus Christ gives the water of eternal life:
may we thirst for you,
the spring of life and source of goodness,
through Him who is alive and reigns, now and for ever.
Readings:
FIRST READING Acts 10.4448
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
While Peter was speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who
heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter
were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured
out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues
and extolling God. Then Peter said, 'Can anyone withhold the
water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit
just as we have?'
So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
Then they invited him to stay for several days.
PSALM Psalm 98
R The Lord has made known his victory in
the sight of the nations.
1. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvellous
things.
2. With his right hand and his holy arm has he won for himself
the victory. R
3. The Lord has made known his victory; his righteousness has
he openly shown in the sight of the nations.
4. He remembers his mercy and faithfulness to the house of Israel,
and all the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
R
5. Shout with joy to the Lord, all you lands; lift up your voice,
rejoice and sing.
6. Sing to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the voice
of song.
7. With trumpets and the sound of the horn shout with joy before
the King, the Lord. R
8. Let the sea make a noise and all that is in it, the lands
and those who dwell therein.
9. Let the rivers clap their hands, and let the hills ring out
with joy before the Lord, when he comes to judge the earth.
10. In righteousness shall he judge the world, and the peoples
with equity. R
SECOND READING 1 John 5.16
A reading from the first letter of John.
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born
of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child.
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love
God and obey his commandments.
For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And
his commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of
God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers
the world, our faith.
Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that
Jesus is the Son of God?
This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not
with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the
Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth.
GOSPEL John 15.917
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
[Jesus said to his disciples:]
'As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my
love.
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just
as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.
I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you,
and that your joy may be complete.
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved
you.
No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for
one's friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does
not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends,
because I have made known to you everything that I have heard
from my Father.
You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to
go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will
give you whatever you ask him in my name.
I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.'
Reuben's Theme: "To love one another."
+ In the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
On 29th. March, this year, (the fifth Sunday
within Lent)
I spoke to you about how,
as told in Genesis,
human beings became aware of good and evil.
I spoke to you about how,
as told in Genesis,
we all evolved to become responsible for our actions.
I spoke to you about how,
as told in Genesis,
our innocence was lost and we could choose...
...to sin... ...or not to sin.
For our souls...
...death... ...or eternal life.
I also spoke to you about how Jesus, as usual,
turned everything on its head when he told us...
Those who love their life will lose it,
and those who hate their life, in this world,
will keep it for eternal life.
And...
When things go wrong, in our lives now...
...it doesn't matter.
When we're in trouble, in our lives now... ...it doesn't matter.
When we're sad, in our lives now... ...it doesn't matter.
When things get desperate, in our lives now... ...it doesn't
matter.
When we are ill, or suffering, in our lives now... ...it doesn't
matter.
God became a human being in Jesus Christ.
Jesus lived a perfect and blameless life...
totally righteous... ...pure goodness.
and yet He died a most horrible death.
He did it for us!
He did it so that all the world could see
that earthly things are of no consequence.
That we are not the body we inhabit...
...we are everything that we have done in
this life.
...we are everything that we are doing in this life.
...we are everything that we are going to do for the rest of
our life.
Which brings us to our readings today...
Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian Cohort,
and Peter are brought together by God.
Peter learns that the Gentiles, and their
ways,
are also part of God's plan...
...and that all human beings are called to
God
through Jesus Christ and the message of the Good News.
The story takes up in today's reading where,
while Peter is speaking,
the Holy Spirit fell upon ALL who heard the word.
The believers, who had arrived with Peter...
The believers, who obeyed all Jewish customs,
were astounded as they realised that the Holy Spirit fell upon
ALL who heard the word...
...even the Gentiles.
Peter orders that the Gentiles must be baptized
in the name of Jesus Christ.
Through Jesus Christ... ...ALL the world is
united... ...under one God.
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
As the prophet Micah predicts,
"He shall judge between all peoples and shall arbitrate
between strong nations far away."
And...
As, more famously for our younger Christians,
Bart Simpson, in the popular cartoon 'The Simpsons',
innocently makes the observation that, in his eyes, it seems
that
"Christmas is the time of year when all the people,
and all religions of the world,
bow down and worship the baby Jesus."
Ahhh! The innocence of youth...
...but a valid comment!
Through Jesus Christ,
the God of Israel is the God of ALL.
So when we come to today's Gospel reading...
...the new commandment that Jesus has given
to us...
..He gives us again...
...and it becomes even more powerful...
...even more spectacular...
...with global repercussions.
That we love one another as He has loved us.
No one has greater love than this...
...to lay down one's life for one's friends.
Jesus sacrificed His earthly life for us...
...the greatest love of all.
So, as I said in my last sermon...
When things go wrong, in our lives now...
...it doesn't matter.
When we're in trouble, in our lives now...
...it doesn't matter.
When we're sad, in our lives now... ...it
doesn't matter.
When things get desperate, in our lives now...
...it doesn't matter.
When we are ill, or suffering, in our lives
now... ...it doesn't matter.
But Jesus has already told us the importance
of our love...
...our love for others...
...our love for everyone.
In a previous chapter of John's Gospel...
...there it is...
...in chapter thirteen...
...the first time that He tells us...
"I give you a new commandment,
that you love one another.
Just as I have loved you,
you also should love one another."
So, if we have love for one another...
When things go wrong, in the lives of others...
...it matters!
When others are in trouble... ...it matters!
When others are sad... ...it matters!
When things get desperate, in the lives of
others... ...it matters!
When others are ill, or suffering... ...it
matters!
"By this everyone will know that you
are my disciples...
...if you have love for one another."
+ In the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
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