Making Friends With The Lord Jesus Fr. Edwin

Our Lord Jesus Christ replied this way in the title to the protest of John about wanting to stop someone who was casting out devils in Jesus' Name, but was not among Jesus' close followers. Any such person who works a miracle realistically could not speak evil of Jesus. We tend to create imaginary enemies. We need to be inclusive and open to others when they also serve God and His Church, even if they are not of our company.

The Gospel of today tells us several things. First, Jesus spent more time, effort, and resources in training those who would speak and preach in His Name. How can we be good instruments of God's Word if we do not train ourselves more deeply. Then, Jesus reveals His coming Passion, Death and Resurrection. This is very much part of Jesus' life. Hence, we should not be shocked by the presence of the Cross everyday. If our lives as Christians takes it pattern from the ebb and flow of the various mysteries of the Rosary, we should observe the presence of the Sorrowful Mysteries. Then, we have the embarrassing discussion of Jesus' disciples about who among them was the greatest. Jesus put them in their place by underlining the importance of our calling as Christians to be of service to our brethren. The idea is not to aspire for power and authority but to desire power and authority in terms of being of more service to the others.

The Church that Jesus founded was born yesterday Pentecost Sunday. But the Church as the Bride of Christ was born when Jesus died on the cross. To make sure Jesus had died, a soldier pierced his side with a lance. He withdrew that lance and out came blood and water. These two came to symbolize the two great sacraments that build the Church, namely, Baptism and the Holy Eucharist because of the water and blood, respectively. Mary is the Mother of the Church parallel to her being the Mother of Jesus. The Church is the mystical body of Christ.

Pentecost means 50. In other words, fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus, the Holy Spirit descended upon the group of His followers in a bigger room adjacent to the cenacle they used for the Last Supper of Our Lord. As the scriptures narrate, the Holy Spirit descended on them under the appearance of tongues of fire. There was an antecedent strong wind that shook the dwelling. And they began to speak in tongues. Speaking in tongues meant that the listeners heard what they said in their native tongue. In Jerusalem, there were many pilgrims to celebrate the feast of the tabernacles and they hailed from all parts of the Roman empire. Hence, it was truly miraculous that these prosaic folks were understood in their native languages. Today, the Church celebrates her official birthday. She opened her doors for business, the business of getting to Heaven. So, they began to preach and administer the sacrament of Baptism. About three thousand joined the Church that day!

Jesus is asked by Peter about what would happen to John, the youngest of the Apostles. Jesus had prophesied how Peter would die. Jesus tells Peter that he need not be concern about the future of John. He emphasized that Peter should simply follow Him. This shows us how we need to look at ourselves in front of God. We have been created as unique human beings. This means that there was never been someone like us since Adam and Eve. No one is like us today and never will there ever be another like us. Each of us is so unique in that way. Hence, there is no need for envy. God will demand from each of us an accounting of our deeds on earth when we die according to the unique circumstances of each one. It is unthinkable for God to be unjust.

Jesus asks St. Peter whether he loved Him more than the others did. He replies in the affirmative. Jesus repeats this questions two more times, saddening Peter because He asked him this for the third time. While Peter always replies in the affirmative, Jesus tells Him to take care of His sheep since he was going to be occupying a governing position in the Church. This is what we need to do to prove our love for Jesus. We should take care of the souls who depend on us in any way.