PRI Reflections on Scripture | Thursday of the 5th Week of Easter

Gospel
John 15:9-11

Jesus said to his disciples:
"As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father's commandments
and remain in his love.

"I have told you this so that
my joy might be in you and
your joy might be complete."

Reflection

When I was ordained, I made my own holy card. That was something big in the 60s. And I drew it, and then I wrote the words on it, that Christianity is joy, peace and love. What I didn't realize at the time is what each of those words meant. But I think I know now about this mysterious thing called joy because it's not happiness.

It has something to do with the deep inner awareness of the beauty of everything. Not just the holy things or not just the rituals and things like that. But everything is holy. Everything is alive. Everything is connected. And when you feel it and see it around you, it is joyous. It is something that overflows from inside of you. When you say, why do I ever judge? Why do I ever criticize?

Why do I ever think that something is of no value? Everything has value. Everything brings joy.

Closing Prayer 

Father, awareness. A way of seeing. A way of knowing. These are all signs of your goodness to us. Bless us with the eyes that truly see. To know what you created. To understand its beauty and its depths. We long for this. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.