Saturday of the 5th week of Eastertide

An authentic Church

John 15:18-21

The Easter experience continues with the expansion of the Church as Timothy and the other disciples proclaim the Good News even to Macedonia and to the rest of the world.

In this experience, the resurrection of Jesus now resides in people being resurrected from the world to new life in God, including us in the present moment.  This privilege is not given only the Jews, but offered to the rest of the world.  And the institution carrying this is ecclesia, the Church.

Let us deepen the gift given to us when we were baptized and incorporated into the Church, which is universal in nature, "Catholic", reaching to the ends of the earth.

The qualities of this Church are:

First, it is born of the Spirit.  We may be in the world but not of this world, because our life's meaning is now founded on Jesus crucified and resurrected.  We then incorporate ourselves with others who were also drawn from the earth to be with God forever.

Second, because it is in the world but not of this world, the world abhors it.  But the Church rejoices nevertheless because its values are not of the world's, but of heaven's.  It shall live forever in the Lord.

Finally, it is molded totally under the complete supervision of the Master, Jesus Christ our Lord.  And as he entered suffering and death for our sake, we shall also be like him in spirit and life.

Let's start experiencing the resurrection of Jesus in being an authentic Church reaching to the ends of the world.


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