Sunday, May 15
Fifth Sunday of Easter
“I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.”
Reflection
Each Sunday, we can lose ourselves in wonder at how God’s plan for our salvation has taken shape. We know that our Lord has put good people to work in order to share this plan with us, often going to miraculous lengths to lay the groundwork through the sacrifice of Jesus, by his wondrous resurrection and in commissioning people to spread the word of the Kingdom to all the world. This Sunday is no different.
One of the most marvelous stories in our bible is how Paul is converted from one of the greatest persecutors of the church to one of its greatest defenders. In our first reading from the book of Acts, we see the energetic, almost frenzied travel schedule that Paul and his partner Barnabas followed. When we think of them going to Lystra, Iconium, Antioch, Pisidia and so on, it is amazing to think of the stamina and determination they had. It is even more impressive when we think that they had to walk all the way to their destinations.
The Psalm, number 145, tells us about the mercy and grace of God, and how we should praise God’s name forever. We might ask why we should praise His name, and the response would be about the reading from the book of Revelation. In this reading, we hear about how a beautiful city has been prepared for us, a city called the new Jerusalem. We are told that God himself will live with us and that there will be no more death, no more mourning and no pain whatsoever. This sounds like something for which we can find ways to praise God.
In the Gospel, we see Jesus telling us about the way we can get to that heavenly city: through love. Jesus says that we must love one another in the same way he has loved us. If we look at the way he has loved us, we see that he gave everything he had to give, even to the sacrifice of his life. We can learn to love one another in the same way Jesus loved us. Let us make every effort to do so.
Stay strong,
Deacon Dare
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