Reflection on Mass readings for May 18 (Fifth Sunday of Easter)
Acts 14:21-27
Psalm 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13
Revelation 21:1-5a
John 13:31-33a, 34-35
In the Easter season, we hear from the Acts of the Apostles in the first readings at Mass. Luke, our evangelist historian, picks up where his Gospel concludes with the Ascension of the Lord. He details story after story of the amazing deeds of the apostles, the rapid spread of the faith throughout the ancient world, particularly among the Gentiles, and the myriad trials overcome along the way. The structure of the Church takes shape, doctrine is refined, and the Holy Spirit encourages and enlivens the faith journeys of the first members of the Holy Mother Church.
The apostles and disciples carry on the charge given them by Christ: baptize all nations. Build the kingdom of heaven.
As we hear these amazing stories of heroic faith and wondrous deeds, it becomes clear that the Lord is doing a new thing through and for his people. The king of heaven and earth has begun his reign, and the forces of darkness scramble to regain their foothold as the truth surges from city to city. The godly warriors in this battle for souls are sinful men and women armed only with the Holy Spirit, inflamed with faith, hope, and charity.
And just as it was in the time of the early Church, it’s not easy to bear witness to Christ in a broken world bent toward self-destruction. As St. Paul and St. Barnabas did, we are called to strengthen the “spirits of the disciples … to persevere in the faith” (Acts 14:22).
We must not be alarmed by times of trial and crisis, because “it is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). This formula of preaching, strengthening, persevering, and expecting hardship is one that holds true in the arc of the history of the Church at large, as well as in our personal stories of walking with the Lord.
Through the death of Pope Francis and the preparation for the election of his successor, the Church’s beauty, truth, and tradition have been on 24-hour display to the whole world. The visual of the book of the Gospels sitting on his simple coffin in the very square where our first pope was brutally martyred for proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ is striking.
The paradox of our faith was on full display as we joyfully mourned our Holy Father together in the Easter Octave. The world stopped to acknowledge our ancient faith, one that teaches that life comes through death, that suffering is necessary and redemptive, and that Jesus is king.
As the pope’s coffin was driven by the Colosseum with throngs of people on either side clapping, I thought to myself: The Romans, with all their might, tried to kill this Church, and yet the Church thrives long after their empire crumbled.
From the time of Acts until the end of time, Jesus is building, with his sinful soldiers equipped with his Spirit, a new kingdom. There, “He will dwell with them and they will be his people” (Rev 21:3).
He is a new king with a new order, and a “new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another” (Jn 13:34).
Loving one another as Christ loved us, let us not shy away from suffering, but let us encourage our brothers and sisters in the race to the new Jerusalem, where “he will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed away” (Rev 21:4).
In the Easter season in particular, we rejoice that Christ’s love goes to, and through, the cross. All is redeemed. Alleluia!
Cate Harmeyer worked 15 years in Catholic education and campus ministry. She and her husband, Dana, now oversee the education of their two daughters. Cate is a Notre Dame football fanatic, sourdough enthusiast, and loves spending time at the beach and in the mountains.