Friars Corner: Have you heard Jesus call you his friend?
Fr. Bob Hilz, TOR
Acts 10:25-26,34-35, 44-48; Ps 98:1-4; 1 John 4:7-10; John 15:9-17
We are close to finishing the Easter Season. Some states are celebrating the Ascension this Thursday and others have transferred it to next Sunday. At the Ascension, Jesus told his community members to remain in the city in prayer until Pentecost. (Acts 1:8) They did not know what to expect.
In the last few weeks we have been reading St. John’s teachings on the major work of God, the Holy Spirit. Because they are split up we lose the significance of who he is and his major work. At the end, I shall give you those teachings.
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love.
Jesus is the new Moses and took the Jewish people in a new direction. He fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies and set a new direction for the people of God. Are you following his lead? I love these “I AM” images of Jesus in St. John’s gospel we have been reading since Easter. They are awesome. And that is too weak a word to describe them.
Jesus is calling us deeper into his kingdom. He wants to set us on fire with God’s love and plan for our lives. God wants his disciples (students) to be fruit bearers, on Jesus, the vine. The Father is pruning us so we bear more fruit for his kingdom. Amen.
No longer slaves
As we read on in chapter 15, verse 15, Jesus talks about his second commandment, “Love one another as I have loved you.” Then Jesus says something so profound, or “earth shaking,” “I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends.”
Jesus chose us. He gave us his teachings and filled us with his love and power, which are limitless. As we receive our “daily bread” in prayer to get filled up with more of his power and are sent out into the world to love and care for others. A simple little image from our world. We need gas for our cars and vans, etc, to get us from place to place. Our daily prayer fills us with the power we need to care for others.
St. Paul lists God’s fruits as: love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self-control, Galatians 5:22. These fruits only grow and ripen when we are loving others by using the love gifts of service that the Holy Spirit gives us. As your service (love one another) gifts endure, we can ask the Father for what we want in Jesus Name and he will give it.
We must explain that last sentence. Is what we ask in line with God’s plan? God can say “Yes,” “No,” “Later” or “That will not be good for you right now because I have a better plan.” We ask like little children, “give me.” God sees a bigger plan and wants to lead us into that bigger plan.
Here I Am, Lord
Last year a good friend introduced me to a new artist, Friar Alessandro. I found his new CD at the Franciscan University bookstore in Steubenville, OH. The second song is in English, “Here I Am, Lord.” The words are amazing, written by Dan Schutte, 1947, OCP Publications, 1981. “I, the Lord of sea and sky, I have heard my people cry. All who dwell in darkness and sin my hand will save. I, who made the stars of night, I will make their darkness bright. Who will bear my light to them? Whom shall I send? Here I am, Lord, Is it I, Lord? I have heard you calling in the night. I will go, Lord, if you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart.”
Does that touch you? Is Jesus calling you to come closer to him? Does he want you to be a branch on his vine to bear much fruit? Has he gifted you to bring back some who have left your parish and the church? Can you get Divine Mercy pictures and give them away and explain the love of our Good Shepherd? Gather a few friends with you to sing a few praise songs with your parish hymnal few times a week and finish with “Angels we have heard on High,” or “O Come, All Ye Faithful”?
You likely already know Jesus. He is promising to fill your heart with more of his love. He will set you on fire like torches. You will leave your prayer time “glowing” with his love. God will draw others back through your radiant love.
Have a wonderful week. “I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back; no turning back.”
- Fr. Bob Hilz
(© 2018 Fr. Bob Hilz, TOR)
Holy Spirit Sayings in St. John’s Gospel
Chapters 14 to 16 are Jesus’ instruction at the Last Supper.
Jesus tells us Who the Holy Spirit is and what is His major work.
He will come from Jesus and His Father, and is a real person, the Third of the Holy Trinity. He has a specific work, to bring us to salvation in Christ and make us like Jesus working in the world today.
He is in charge of salvation for the entire human race from Pentecost until the end of life on earth. Are we listening? Do we want to follow His direction to get to heaven? These are critical questions to get to heaven.
Nicene Creed: “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son, Who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, Who has spoken through the prophets.”
1st — John 14:16-17 “I / will ask the Father and He / will give / you / another / Paraclete,(The first 1 was Jesus) to be with / you / always: The SPIRIT OF TRUTH, whom the world cannot accept, since it neither sees Him nor recognizes Him; but you can recognize Him because He / remains / with you and will be within / you.”
2nd — John 14:26 “This much have I told you while I was still with you; The Paraclete, the Holy Spirit whom the Father / will send / in My Name, will INSTRUCT you / in everything, and REMIND you of all / that I / told / you. `Peace’ is My farewell to you, My peace is My gift / to you.”
3rd — John 15:26 “When the Paraclete comes, the SPIRIT OF TRUTH who comes / from the Father — and whom I Myself / will send / from the Father – He will bear WITNESS on My behalf. You must bear witness as well,….”
4th — John 16:7-8 “Yet I tell you the sober truth: It is much better for you that I go. If I fail to go, the PARACLETE will never come to you, whereas if I go, I will send Him to you. When He comes, He (Holy Spirit) will prove / the world wrong / about sin, about justice, about condemnation.”
5th — John 16:13 “When He comes, however, being the SPIRIT OF TRUTH, He will GUIDE you to all truth. (see John 8:31-32) He will not speak on His own, but will speak only what He hears, and will ANNOUNCE / to you / the things / to come (the future).”
14: In doing this He will give glory to Me, because He will have received / from Me / what He will announce / to you.
