Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

Lectionary: 293

Everything that the Father has is mine;
for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine
and declare it to you.

I have noticed in the last few years some articles in magazines and newspapers that wonder if our planet Earth might be better off without us. Perhaps this experiment in being aware wasn't such a good idea after all. This aware being seems deeply and irreversibly committed to self-destruction and the irreparable ruin of a lovely place in the universe. 

The articles play with the idea for a while, and then guide their readers to an optimistic conclusion. Or not. It depends upon who is writing and their purpose. An existential question demands an either/or solution; it will not be satisfied with maybe. 

Heidegger, the 20th century philosopher who described man as being aware of itself also believed there is no God. His system had no need for that hypothesis. During the murderous crisis that enveloped Germany and Europe he espoused and became the darling of Nazism. He could not answer the most important question of our time, "Why should I not kill myself?" 

The question human presence within the world raises a similar, more threatening suggestion for Christians: Can the world do without the Church, Christians, Jews, and God? Do we need the gospel, or is it just another self-perpetuating hoax humans have created against the vast emptiness of space and the futility of our existence. Should we tell our children about the Lord? Do they really need to know him when other things are more pressing, and life itself is threatened?  

Christians and Catholics find our purpose in Jesus. He is the apostle who comes from God with the assurances of purpose, meaning, destiny, and boundless mercy. He is the truth which anchors our life within a world which may be confusing but is both purposeful and real. We believe the universe was created. It doesn't merely exist and didn't simply happen. The created universe gives glory to God, and we find meaning, satisfaction, and delight in praising our Creator. 

That joy is all the more complete because we have seen the light of mercy penetrate the depths of our sin. If we were appalled as we peered into that darkness, we were also relieved and heartened by the mercy which shines like a candle in a subterranean cavern. The darkness was rendered powerless by the cross. 

The faithful also know that, without the Lord, human wisdom, ingenuity, and cleverness cannot outwit human evil. We need a savior. And to save us, he must die for us. 

Knowing the Lord, his supreme generosity, eager courage, and perfect devotion to his Father and his mission, how can I keep from singing? 

Today's brief gospel selection concludes with Jesus's statement: 

Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.

We have been given Everything. Our lives, our children's lives, and our planet are in our hands. We are responsible for the world we have made. The Gospel, too, is in our hands. We must not fail to speak it in the silence of our world; we must place our light on a lamp stand where it will be seen by all in the house.  We cannot fail because the Word of God does not fail:

...just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
And do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
Giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
So shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
It shall not return to me empty,
but shall do what pleases me,
achieving the end for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10