Fourth Sunday of Easter
Cycle C
April 17, 2016 9:00 and 11:00 am
Saint Margaret Parish, Bel
Air
Readings: Acts 13.14, 43-52
Revelation
7.9, 14b-17
John
10.27-30
To “Follow”
Jesus
There
is a lot we could say about what it means to follow Jesus.
In
today’s gospel, Jesus says: “My sheep
hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” This morning, I want to reflect on some
things that seem important to me for following Jesus in our times.
My
thoughts come from a lengthy statement that Pope Francis issued last June. It is called an encyclical – a letter to everyone
in the world.
The
title of this letter is: On Care For Our
Common Home. Pope Francis is lifting
up our obligation to care for the earth and for all who live on this earth.
He
sees the two – caring 1) for the earth and 2) for everyone on the earth – he
sees these as connected and as a serious moral issue for our time. He sees this as a significant part of what it
means to follow Jesus today.
So,
I want to share with you just two recommendations that Pope Francis makes in
this letter. He proposes these as things
that we are able to do and that will have some impact.
1.
Live Simply
The first is that
Francis calls each of us to live more simply – to adopt greater simplicity in
our lifestyle.
He recalls the
saying: “Less is more.” He says that not filling our lives with so
many things will allow us to appreciate much more the present moment and the
things we already have.
Francis admits
that simplicity is a challenge. We live
in an economy that is built on consumption.
He asserts, with
scientific input, that we are consuming the earth’s resources at a rate that is
unsustainable. We are encouraged to
purchase an endless array of new things.
But our choosing
to live more simply will be good for the earth and good for us. Francis says, and I really like these words,
that we can live on a little and still have a lot.
This is especially
true when we look for our fullness in family, friendships and community
relationships. It is true when we seek
inner peace through prayer and when we just appreciate the part of nature that
is right before our eyes.
I wonder if a way
to live more simply is to make a habit of asking the “need” question. Do I really need this T-shirt or the latest running
shoes or new furniture or whatever it is?
The “need”
question will probably lead us to live more simply. It will also be good for the earth’s resources
and, ultimately, for everyone on the planet.
2.
Pray Grace
The second recommendation I take from Pope Francis’
encyclical sounds deceptively simple: he urges us to pray Grace before
meals.
Francis says that a prayer before eating first reminds us
of our dependence on God. It makes us
aware that all of life and all that is comes from God.
And then, this Grace also reminds us of our dependence on
nature. We rely on nature for the grain
that makes our cereals, for the plants that give us tomatoes, and for the
pastures that feed our cows.
And this Grace before meals also reminds us of our interdependence
with everyone on this earth. We share an
interdependence with those who pick coffee beans in Columbia, with workers in
the meat-packing plants in the Midwest, and with the fishermen who catch tuna.
So the Grace before meals is a simple but very rich idea. It puts us in touch with God, with the earth,
and with all of our brothers and sisters on the earth.
It gives us a sense of oneness and of peace. It leads us away from indifference toward the
earth or toward those who are hurting.
As you leave Mass today, you will be offered a card that
contains several choices for a Grace before meals. I hope that this will help us to be sure to
offer a prayer before you eat.
