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6th Sunday of Easter Cycle B, 5.6.18

Acts 10:25-26,34-35,44-48/1 John 4:7-10/ John 15:9-17

TAKING  THE  PLUNGE  

Love   can   drive   a   person   to   do  unexpected   things.   One   of   the   crazier  YouTube  episodes   I’ve   seen   is   a   video  of   a  love-­‐struck   young   man   partying   with   a  group   of   his   friends   on   a   fourth   floor  rooftop   patio.   He   hops   up   on   the   ledge   of  the   roof  and  calls   for  everyone’s  attention.  He   says:   Ladies   and   gentlemen.   Quick  announcement,   if   I   may.   My   beautiful  girlfriend   Brooke   and   I   have   been   together  for  a  while  now.  Four  years,   in   fact.   I   think  it’s   about   time   I   ask   her   a   very   important  question.   He   sets   his   beer   down   on   the  ledge  and  says  to  one  of  his  buddies:  Bobby,  the  ring  please.  His  buddy  tosses  him  a  little  black   box   and,   as   he   reaches   to   catch   the  box,  he  falls  off  the  ledge  and  plunges  four  stories   down.   His   girlfriend   screams   and  runs  to  the  ledge,  leans  over….  and  sees  her  boyfriend   down   below.   He’s   landed   on   an  oversized   inflatable  rubber  cushion.  On  the  parking   lot   around  him  are   three  pieces  of  paper  with  the  words:  WILL  –  YOU  –  MARRY  –   and   he’s   safe   on   the   rubber   cushion  holding  the  fourth  word  ME?    

  Well,   if   she   accepted   that   proposal,  she’s  crazy…  and  she  better  know  that  she’s  in   for   a   lifetime   of   practical   jokes   and  

eccentricities   from   this   guy.   But   the  ingenious  suitor  does  illustrate  the  point  of  John’s  gospel.  To  love  is  to  take  a  plunge,  to  throw   caution   to   the   wind   and   be   led   to  places   one   might   never   have   expected   to  go.   Today’s   passage   from   John’s   gospel   is  one   of   the   best-­‐known  discourses   on   love:  No   one   has   greater   love   than   this,   to   lay  down   one’s   life   for   one’s   friends.   We   hear  word   the   “love”   being   used   every   day,   all  day   –   in   songs,   books   and   movies.   The  biblical   command   of   love   (“Love   one  another   as   I   have   loved   you”)   –   isn’t   the  same  as  the  word  we  hear  tossed  about  so  lightly.  In  English  we  have  only  one  word  for  love.   Other   languages   offer   several   words  for  love,  giving  it  the  nuance  it  requires.  The  Greek   word   used   for   love   in   today’s  scripture   is   not   eros,   that   unabashed   love  that   is  hot   to   the  touch  and  turns  us  on  to  somebody;   it   isn’t  philia,   the   convivial   love  that’s   evident  when  you’re  out  with   family  or   close   friends   for   a   birthday   party   or   a  Mother’s   Day   brunch.   No,   John’s   word   for  love   throughout   his   gospel   is   agape,   a  unique  and  significant  word,  a  word  used  to  describe  God’s   love,   a   love   that  gives   itself  away   freely,   and,   in   turn,   the   love   that  we  are  to  offer  others  in  imitation  of  God’s  love  –   love   that   is   enduring,   self-­‐effacing,  universal  and  without  limit.  

You’ll   recall   the   popular   book   and  movie   The   Help.   Set   in   the   1960s,   twelve  African-­‐American   maids,   working   for   well-­‐to-­‐do  white  families   in  Jackson,  Mississippi,  begin   to   tell   of   their   struggles   to   raise   the  children   and   clean   the   homes   of   their  employers   in   an   area   of   the   United   States  that  continued  to  uphold  Jim  Crow  laws  and  to  insist  on  segregation  of  the  races.  One  of  the  maids,  Aibileen,  shares  her  experiences  in   the   Leefolt   household,   where   she   is  raising   Mae   Mobley,   a   baby   girl   whose  mother   is   disappointed   in   her   daughter’s  

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plain   looks   and   seemingly   slow  ways.   As   a  result,   the   girl’s   mother   has   chosen   to  ignore   her   daughter.   To   compensate,  Aibileen   takes   every   opportunity   to   show  Mae   Mobley   genuine   affection   and   to  encourage   her   growth   and   self-­‐esteem.  Each  day  she  assures  the  child,  “You  is  kind,  you  is  smart,  you  is  important.”  When  Mae  Mobley  is  old  enough  to  speak,  she  repeats  the  triple  affirmation  to  the  maid,  to  whom  she   also   says,   “You   is   my   real   Mama,  Aibee!”   Aibee   poured   herself   out   for   the  child,  asking  nothing  in  return.  

 To   lose   yourself   in   another’s   arms,  

or  in  another’s  company,  or  in  suffering  for  people  who   suffer,   including   the  ones  who  inflict  suffering  upon  you  –  to   lose  yourself  in   these   ways   is   to   find   yourself.   It’s   what  life   is   all   about   and   it’s   the  paradox  of   the  Gospel  made  real:  To  the  one  who  has  (that  is,   has   his   or   her   finger   on   this   mystery)  more  will  be  given;  to  the  one  who  has  not  (that   is,  he  or  she  who  doesn’t  have  a  clue  about   the   nature   of   this   love)   even   what  little  they  have  will  be  taken  away.  It’s  why  we  love  the  Prayer  of  St.  Francis,  because  it  expresses   this   truth   so   simply   and  directly:  It   is   in  giving   that  we   receive,  and   in  dying  that  we’re  born  to  eternal  life.     The   challenging   command   of   the  gospel   is   to   love   everyone,   otherwise   we  are   living   by   and   loving   what   we   “prefer.”  It’s   not   our   “preferences”   that  will   gain   us  the   Kingdom;   it’s   fidelity   to   Jesus’  

command:  Whatsoever   you  do   to   the   least  of  my  brothers  and  sisters,  you  do  unto  me.  This  is  the  constitutive  element  of  Christian  discipleship.   In   other   words,   it’s   NOT   an  option.  “Filial”  love  –  our  love  for  our  family  and  friends,  our  honor  paid  to  mothers  next  weekend   -­‐-­‐   is   not   wrong   in   any   way;   it’s  crucial   for   Christian   living.   Most   of   us  received  our  spiritual  as  well  as  our  physical  lives  from  our  mothers.  Filial  love,  however,  is  incomplete  in  reflecting  the  love  to  which  the   Risen   Christ   calls   us.  Agape   love   is   the  love  which  the  apostle  Peter  had  to  learn  to  extend  even  to  the  Gentiles,  as  we  learn  in  today’s   passage   from   the   Acts   of   the  Apostles.  He  admits,  almost  shamefacedly,  I  begin   to   see   that   God   shows   no   partiality.  That’s   the   command   of   love   to   which   we  are   called   –   an   imitation   of   divine   love  which   is   impartial,   inclusive   and   admits   of  no  exceptions.  That’s  a   love  worth  taking  a  plunge  for.  And  that  love  takes  many  forms.  I’d  like  to  point  to  just  one  of  them.    

In   two   weeks   on   the   Feast   of  Pentecost,   we’ll   be   invited   to   take   part   in  the   Annual   Catholic   Charities   Appeal.  Catholic   Charities   of   the   East   Bay   helps  families  in  need  rise  above  poverty  and  live  self-­‐sufficient   lives.   The   Catholic   Church   is  the   largest   provider   of   social   services  throughout   Alameda   and   Contra   Costa  Counties,   and   Catholic   Charities   is   the  visible  face  of  the  diocese  in  that  work.  One  of  the  newer  services  they  offer  is  an  online  program   to   make   it   easier   for   people   to  connect   with   helping   services  (faithinactionoakdiocese.org).     Those   in  need   as   well   as   parish   staff   members   and  parishioners  can  go  to  the  website,  click  on  the   area   of   need   (for   instance:   food   or  housing,   domestic   violence,   immigration  services,   counseling),   put   in   your   zip   code,  and   it   will   list   all   the   available   services   for  that  need  in  a  particular  geographical  area.  

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  On   Wednesday   I   attended   an  informational   reception   sponsored   by   staff  members   of   Catholic   Charities.   Those  present   were   given   an   update   on   Catholic  Charities   many   activities,   especially   the  establishment   of   Claire’s   House   -­‐   a   home  for  girls  between  the  ages  of  12  and  17  who  have  survived   commercial   sexual  exploitation.  You  and  I  cannot  even  begin  to  fathom   what   these   young   girls   have  endured  in  their  short  lives  –  the  abuse  and  the  pain,   the  degradation  and  the  shame  –  brutally   robbed   of   their   entire   childhood  and   adolescence.     Claire’s  House   will   be   a  therapeutic   living   community:   a  safe  environment   of   genuine   love,   hope,  and  healing.    

Sadly,   some   people   in   the   area  

where  Claire’s  House   is   to  be  opened  have  raised  objections   to   it   and  have  attempted  to   delay   or   even   prevent   the   safe   home  from  opening.   Let’s  pray   that   closed  minds  and   hearts   may   come   to   understand   the  meaning  of  agape  –  that   love  which  knows  no   bounds   and   is   willing   to   be   vulnerable  for  the  good  of  the  other  without  counting  the   cost.   By   supporting   Catholic   Charities  we   are   offering   agape   love,   love   freely  given  with  nothing  asked  for  in  return.  Pope  Francis   says:   Performing   works   of   mercy  sometimes   means   taking   risks.   May   we  never   fear   the   love   that   calls   us   to   take   a  risk.   It’s   the   only  way  we’ll   experience   the  “complete  joy”  that  Christ  offers  us.  

John Kasper, OSFS