Best Love Letter (B.L.L.)

6th Sunday of Easter

10 May 2015

Proclaim a joyful sound and let it be heard; proclaim to the ends of the earth: the Lord has freed his people, alleluia.

First reading                                      Acts 2:1-11

When Pentecost day came round, they had all met in one room, when suddenly they heard what sounded like a powerful wind from heaven, the noise of which filled the entire house in which they were sitting; and something appeared to them that seemed like tongues of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head of each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak foreign languages as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech.

  Now there were devout men living in Jerusalem from every nation under heaven, and at this sound they all assembled, each one bewildered to hear these men speaking his own language. They were amazed and astonished. ‘Surely’ they said ‘all these men speaking are Galileans? How does it happen that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; people from Mesopotamia, Judaea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya round Cyrene; as well as visitors from Rome – Jews and proselytes alike – Cretans and Arabs; we hear them preaching in our own language about the marvels of God.’

Psalm                                               Psalm 103:1,24,29-31,34

Second reading                               1 Corinthians 12:3-7,12-13

No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord’ unless he is under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

  There is a variety of gifts but always the same Spirit; there are all sorts of service to be done, but always to the same Lord; working in all sorts of different ways in different people, it is the same God who is working in all of them. The particular way in which the Spirit is given to each person is for a good purpose.

  Just as a human body, though it is made up of many parts, is a single unit because all these parts, though many, make one body, so it is with Christ. In the one Spirit we were all baptised, Jews as well as Greeks, slaves as well as citizens, and one Spirit was given to us all to drink.

Gospel                                         John 20:19-23

In the evening of the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, ‘Peace be with you’, and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord, and he said to them again, ‘Peace be with you.

‘As the Father sent me,

so am I sending you.’

After saying this he breathed on them and said:

‘Receive the Holy Spirit.

For those whose sins you forgive,

they are forgiven;

for those whose sins you retain,

they are retained.’

Reflection

By Theresa Ballo

The Gospel for this Sunday is a beautiful love letter for me. The writer expresses His commitment to consistently put another person’s welfare and happiness before His very own.  Each line speaks of faithfulness and loyalty. Each word was crafted with a sincere understanding of my well-being, as if He is really in my situation. The message talks about trust and confidence that I am capable of something great, bigger than I think of myself. Yet, this love is not self-seeking. It asks for my “YES” also. He respects that I have a choice and saying “Yes” to His invitation promises abundant grace and lasting peace. Who else could better write this love letter but the person who embodied all these qualities? None other than our brother, our best friend and our saviour, the ONE who laid down His life for all of us - - Jesus.

One afternoon, while I am walking in the school corridor, a grade four student approached and asked me if I can call her for counselling ASAP. When I asked what happened, she answered this, “Ms., my BFF and I are already FO!” In my head, here we go again, these little girls language, B-F-F means Best Friends Forever, but FO? What is FO?!  I smiled and politely asked her, “What do you mean by F-O?” Then she replied, “Friendship Over po” I really have high regards for people who are working in the school setting. Simply because they have greater chances to show love to cute, developing, and exploring young minds.They have opportunities to either tolerate or get annoyed with their “own” language that develops on an hourly basis. Good thing if you’re dealing with just one kid but when you’re dealing with a hundred of them, you better fall head-over-heels in love with reading using social media just so you can enter their world. And for me this is LOVE.

This is also the love of a spouse to his/her partner when he/she puts the other spouse’s needs and desires before one’s own. It’s the love that focuses on good qualities than mistakes done and one that forgives and keeps no record of wrong. It’s the love parents have for their children when they still play with their child even though they’re too tired from work. It’s when they choose to attend Parents’ Meeting or a bonding activity in school than to finish a pile of work.  This is the willingness to lay down one’s life for another person, to take a taste of pain just to protect someone from it.

For some reasons, there are times it becomes difficult to love. When students are too noisy, kids are whiny, spouses are irritating or even parents that are hard-headed. With acquaintances and strangers, it can be even more difficult. Sad but true, it is often hard to see God in them, especially when they are rude and do not think the way we do.

“It is not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain.” He picked me! He picked me! He picked you!

How do we respond to this wonderful calling? How do we bear fruit that will remain? By teaching in the streets? By going to the mountains and preach? By feeding a hundred? If you have that desire in your heart, why not go that extent? Moreso, I think that Mother Teresa truly understood and lived this Gospel. Her way of life, her goal, was just to do everything with love– to see the face of Jesus with whom she interacted. How could Mother Teresa cared so much for the dying, the wretched, and the poorest of the poor? I read in one of her interviews, she obtained this grace, to love like Jesus through prayer.

Prayer is our private conversation with Him. Spend some time with Him so we will learn the great “How tos” in loving our loved ones and the strange brothers and sisters around us. I love this beautiful analogy I read somewhere, God wants to pour graces upon us, to quench our thirst for Him but we must come to the well to drink – to fill up. Prayer time is when we meet Him at the well!

Prayer

Father, in Your perfect love You have offered me the opportunity to have a closer relationship with You. Thank You for giving me the best of friends in the universe. Thank You for giving me the grace not to get tired from loving. Enlightened my hazy understanding at times, especially towards strangers. Bless my spirit to be open and accepting to others. May I be able to see You in them so I can respond even more. Through Your Spirit transform me into the person I was created to be, the reflected image of Your love. Amen.