6th
Sunday of Easter
Cycle C
May 1, 2016 4:00pm, 8:00am and 10:00am
Saint Margaret
Parish, Bel Air
Readings: Acts
15.1-2, 22-29
Revelation
21.10-14, 22-23
John
14.23-29
“Abide,”
“Dwell,” “Remain”
This past week, I got curious
about some words in John’s Gospel.
There are many times when John
quotes Jesus using the word “abide,” “dwell,” or “remain.” The gospel was
originally written in Greek and it is the same word that gets translated in
these different ways.
In John’s Gospel, Jesus uses this
word – “abide,” “dwell,” or “remain” – he uses it forty times, and
then, John himself uses the word another twenty-nine times in his three
letters. So, John must see this word as
very important.
What This Word Conveys
For starters, Jesus says
that he “abides” in the Father and the
Father “abides” in him. They “dwell” or “remain” not just with each
other, but in each other.
This is a permanent,
enduring relationship. We would even
call it a union or communion of life.
Then, Jesus goes to the
next step. He says that the good that he
does is because of the Father “dwelling”
in him.
So, the “dwelling”
of the Father in him empowers Jesus. The wise words and great works flow from him
because of the Father “dwelling” in him.
And then, Jesus says that
the Father and he will “dwell” with
us. We hear this in today’s gospel.
Jesus says: “Whoever
love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will make our
dwelling with them.” So just think of this.
It is not just that Jesus
is with us, as your husband or wife or friend is with you at dinner. But Jesus and the Father actually “abide,”
“dwell,” “remain” in us, within us.
And because of this, we
can now do much good. In other words,
great good can flow from us because of Jesus now “dwelling” in us.
This is an exciting and
energizing way to understand our relationship with Jesus. It is very empowering.
So What?
So, Jesus keeps using
these words because he wants us to be aware of this – that he “abides,”
“dwells,” or “remains” in us.
One way that we come to
this awareness is through our personal prayer.
Prayer awakens us to Jesus “abiding” within us.
It opens us to the
empowerment that Jesus is for us. What
we say and what we do can flow from Jesus’ “remaining” within us and can be an expression of the goodness
and love of God.
And then, all of this also
happens through the Eucharist. The
sacramental Body and Blood of Christ is something we can touch, taste, see and
feel.
It is the way above all
others for Jesus to “abide,” “dwell,”
and “remain” in us. It is the way above all others for him to
empower us in every dimension of our lives.
I Recommend
So, I recommend that we consciously
draw upon Jesus who is within us.
Let’s draw upon him for
our strength to deal with the stresses and responsibilities of life. And let’s draw upon him for strength in the
crises of life – a sickness, the loss of a loved one or a job, relationship
problems, whatever it may be.
This is why Jesus is here
with us. He wants to be this strength
for the journey of life.
And then, let’s draw upon
Jesus for our hope when things feel dark and uncertain. Let’s draw upon him for hope that with him,
we will be able to manage tomorrow.
And ultimately, in the
long run, let’s draw upon him for that hope that is about resurrection. After all, Jesus now comes to “abide,”
“dwell,” and “remain” in us through the Eucharist so that someday we will “abide,”
“dwell,” and “remain” in him fully and forever.
