Fifth Sunday of Easter (C)

May 19, 2019

Readings:

First Reading: Acts 14: 21-27

Psalm: 145 “I will praise your name forever, my king and my God.”

Second Reading: Revelation 21: 1-5a

Gospel reading according to John 13: 31-33a, 34-35

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Homily

Judas Iscariot, one of the apostles of Jesus, who held the treasury bag of the group in which he steal from time to time, and who betrayed Jesus for only thirty pieces of silver coins in exchange for the life of his Master and Teacher, Jesus the Christ.   After (the last) supper and when Jesus allowed him (Judas) to go and do what he and his contacts planned together with the chief priests, scribes and Pharisees, he left the table and went to the temple to meet his cohorts.  “When Judas had left them, Jesus said, ‘Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him’.” (John 13: 31). Because of what Judas has done, Jesus is to be glorified when he is crucified, for the fulfillment of the promise of God the Father to save all humankind.  When he is already hanging on the Cross, he gives glory to the God, and God will glorify him. 

And the God of glory will glorify immediately his obedient Son while still on the Cross.  “’If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him at once’.” (John 13: 32).  The crucifixion of Jesus is to give glory to God the Father, and the God of justice and mercy will glorify his beloved and obedient Son, and those who obey His will.  God gives glory at once; He never delays his reward to those who fulfill his wish and desire – the good of many.

Now, he addresses to his remaining disciples these words, “’My children, I will be with you only a little while longer’.” (John 13: 33).  He is bidding them goodbye, for his time is running out.  Time is short, and any time on that night, in that moment, he will be arrested, interrogated, “pagpapasa-pasahan” from the Sanhedrin to Pontius Pilate, to king Herod and back to Pontius Pilate, for Jesus was accused of acclaiming king, a rebellion against Caesar and the Empire of Rome, and not of religious rebellion against the elders and leaders of the Temple.  He will be taken out from his group (his disciples) and turn over to his enemies.

But before he leaves, he wants to give them an identity, an identifying mark, as followers and disciples of him. “’I give you a new commandment: love one another.  As I have loved you, so you also should love one another’.” (John 13: 34). He gives them a new commandment, for the old commandments were passé, out-of-date, faded already, and a new one is fresh, refreshing, and giving new hope, new life, new beginning.  It will become our indelible mark forever – love one another, as he has loved us.  It cannot be taken away, it summarizes the old testaments/covenants/commandments into one commandment, it cannot grow old, tear apart, or worn-out.  “’This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another’.” (John 13: 35).  Many people outside the fold (the Catholic Church) will know that we are disciples and followers of Jesus Christ, the Son of Man and the Son of the living God, if we show our love to one another, the same love that Jesus our Lord and Master and Teacher showed to us.