The "Chosen" (Us?)-- Not Necessarily the 'best'.

The "Chosen" (us?)

not necessarily the "best"

- useful thought.

May 20   - Seventh Sunday of Easter

In the midst of the tense expectation of the Spirit, the First Reading introduces a practical note: Judas made his choice. Now we must find someone to replace him. Interesting the criterion that Peter suggests: the new apostle must have known Jesus even though he has not been among those originally called. That is still a very good rule: unless we acquire some awareness of the Master in prayer and reflection, much, if not
all, of our activity will be ineffective. A surprise is that the man called "Justus" or "the Just One" is not the choice of God. The other man was holier? Not necessarily. He simply must have had better qualities for missionary work. So the "chosen ones" must always remain humble: perhaps there are better spiritual people out there but who lack practical qualities.

There is an exception to every rule, in this case the rule that the Responsorial Psalm will normally confirm the thought in the First Reading. Instead we have cries of joy and anticipation of the Supreme Event for which the Apostles - and, indeed, the whole of humanity - are waiting: the Descent of the Holy Spirit.

What is the main gift of the Spirit ? Tongues? Prophecies? Special insights? Wild joy? No. These are secondary and this point is made in the Second Reading. How, in fact, do we see or understand the Holy Spirit? We see Him as an infinite stream of love flowing from Father to Son and from Son back to Father.
John sounds his usual theme: if we love one another we are loved by God and we possess His Spirit, meaning a substantial desire to think, speak and act in charity in spite of human weaknesses now and then.

The Gospel is a wonderful song of joy and love and all the more admirable when we realize that Jesus was on his way to a horrible Passion and death. He is human and could not have been overjoyed, humanly-speaking. The Last Supper had not gone well: Judas had walked out to betray him and the others had received the astonishing Gift of his Body and Blood with their usual ignorance and failure to understand, and were dismayed and dispirited as it finally dawned on them that the Master was really going to be mocked and scourged and spat upon and put to death. In the midst of all this negativism, Jesus turns to his Father with joy and satisfaction as he gives an account of what he has done for these unworthy men and for all of us till the end of time. The Spirit still has to arrive publicly but He is very much there in the Divine Master who gives us a striking example of how to react to so many negative situations all of us face in these difficult times.

~ May 2012 Concord