Understanding the Word

By Dianne Bergant, C.S.A.

After the Ascension, Peter assumes leadership. With the betrayal of Judas,  the circle of twelve apostles had been broken and must be restored. The choice  of a successor was necessary. It had to be one who was among the company of  disciples from the time of Jesus’ baptism to his ascension. He also had to be a  witness to the Resurrection. The prayer preceding the casting of lots illustrates  the faith of the assembly. Since only God can read the human heart, only God  knew which of the two should be selected. They were confident that God would  determine the outcome. The lot fell to Matthias. 

According to the author of the second reading, just as God’s love was manifested in the unselfish and redeeming, saving sacrifice of Jesus, so Christians  must love others with an unselfish and forgiving love. Such love manifests itself  as visible works of love. The reading develops the idea of the mutual abiding of  God in believers and believers in God that manifests itself in two ways. First, the  Spirit of God that inspires unselfish love is evidence of the abiding presence and  love of God. Believers’ acknowledgment of Jesus as the Son of God sent to be the  savior of the world is further evidence of God’s abiding presence. 

Jesus’ concern for his disciples is plainly stated in his prayer. Prayed shortly  before his death, it takes on profound significance. He wishes to share with his  followers the union he enjoys with God. Accepting God’s word through Jesus, the  disciples share in God’s holiness. Having sketched the contours of union with  God, Jesus acknowledges the resistance that God’s word encounters from the  world. He is not speaking of the natural world, but of that dimension of society  that is antagonistic toward God. Jesus himself was hated by that world and now,  because of God’s word, his followers will suffer the same fate. It is for this reason  that Jesus prays for them. 

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