6th Sunday of Easter Year C - 5/5/2013 - Gospel: Jn 14:23-29
New Ideas
New ideas arrive every day that lead to new inventions and those new inventions shape our life and our civil society. The new ideas change our live, diet, traditional ways of doing things. New ideas change our behaviour from table fellowship to social life and the public relationships. Some new ideas are well accepted while others don't last long. Changing our way of life somehow makes an impact on the life of the Church by means of crying for change in the Church. When the demands for change are not meet resentment arises and grows bigger and eventually conflicts within the Church are unavoidable. There would be lots of noise both defending and criticizing the stand of the Church on the ground that the Church is being faithful to the teaching of Jesus.
New ideas come about because the old tradition that it is either not responding well to the new situation or even worst it is in conflict to the new situation. New ideas divide a society into different fronts. The traditional one is opposed against those who are in favour of the change while the third party distant themselves from both parties. This majority group of people are indifferent and would adopt themselves to suit a current situation of whatever change that takes place.
New ideas are good when they sustain life, to protect the holiness of life and to promote the true love and real service. These ideas have their foundation in the teaching of Jesus. These good ideas should be promoted because they are for real life and for true love of a person. The same concept applied for the traditions. It is no matter how old the traditions are, they are good as long as they maintain the holiness of life, true love and real service. The traditional believe that maintaining the sanctity of life need not change, unless the change is to improve the quality of life and love and service. Changes or new ideas propose by a human mind that requires re- interpreting the concept of service and re- defining the concept of love Jesus taught in the Bible are bad proposals because the teaching of Jesus is divine and holy. His teaching about life, service, love and faith in him is above time and space. The teaching of Jesus would never be out of date and would not need to re-define at any time and in any society or in any cultures. The teaching of Jesus comes from not just by his own wisdom and knowledge but it comes from the wisdom of God and the knowledge and guidance of the Spirit of God. No human invention is better than the divine teaching. Any mind thinks that his teaching is better than the teaching of Jesus is a clear sign that he is not the true disciples of Jesus. I believe that not all new ideas are good and not all traditions are out of dates or need to change. There is a story that is about a religious teacher who asked his students to write an essay about the teaching Jesus of a human life, of love and of service. A remark the teacher comments on from one of his students as follows:
There are many good and new ideas on your essay; unfortunately your good ideas are not new and your new ideas are not good.
You are free to make many changes as you like but try to avoid the teaching Jesus teaches about the sanctity of life, the unconditional love of God for mankind on the cross and the service Jesus shows on the Last Supper. Any attempt to change these three fundamental teaching about life, love and service Jesus taught is the denial of his presence in your life.
If anyone loves me he will keep my word and my Father will love him and we shall come to him and make our home with him. Jn 14,23
New ideas come about because the old tradition that it is either not responding well to the new situation or even worst it is in conflict to the new situation. New ideas divide a society into different fronts. The traditional one is opposed against those who are in favour of the change while the third party distant themselves from both parties. This majority group of people are indifferent and would adopt themselves to suit a current situation of whatever change that takes place.
New ideas are good when they sustain life, to protect the holiness of life and to promote the true love and real service. These ideas have their foundation in the teaching of Jesus. These good ideas should be promoted because they are for real life and for true love of a person. The same concept applied for the traditions. It is no matter how old the traditions are, they are good as long as they maintain the holiness of life, true love and real service. The traditional believe that maintaining the sanctity of life need not change, unless the change is to improve the quality of life and love and service. Changes or new ideas propose by a human mind that requires re- interpreting the concept of service and re- defining the concept of love Jesus taught in the Bible are bad proposals because the teaching of Jesus is divine and holy. His teaching about life, service, love and faith in him is above time and space. The teaching of Jesus would never be out of date and would not need to re-define at any time and in any society or in any cultures. The teaching of Jesus comes from not just by his own wisdom and knowledge but it comes from the wisdom of God and the knowledge and guidance of the Spirit of God. No human invention is better than the divine teaching. Any mind thinks that his teaching is better than the teaching of Jesus is a clear sign that he is not the true disciples of Jesus. I believe that not all new ideas are good and not all traditions are out of dates or need to change. There is a story that is about a religious teacher who asked his students to write an essay about the teaching Jesus of a human life, of love and of service. A remark the teacher comments on from one of his students as follows:
There are many good and new ideas on your essay; unfortunately your good ideas are not new and your new ideas are not good.
You are free to make many changes as you like but try to avoid the teaching Jesus teaches about the sanctity of life, the unconditional love of God for mankind on the cross and the service Jesus shows on the Last Supper. Any attempt to change these three fundamental teaching about life, love and service Jesus taught is the denial of his presence in your life.
If anyone loves me he will keep my word and my Father will love him and we shall come to him and make our home with him. Jn 14,23
Written by Fr Vũđình Tường
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia