7th Sunday of Easter Year B - 17/5/2015 - Gospel: Jn 17:11b-19
Consecrate
It is a blessing to be born into the world but it is through God's grace that we are made holy and become Christians. We are holy not by birth but by rebirth in Christ through the water of Baptism. Through Baptism we are incorporated into the Trinity: Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Through the water of Baptism we are consecrated to God and promoted to be children of God, a member of God's Church. We belong to God and are called to live in the world and be part of the world but not belong to the world. We are sanctified by the Spirit of God and guided by God's Spirit to be witnesses of God for the world. Children of God are driven by the power of the Spirit to share the mission of Jesus on earth. Jesus is the Light for the world and we are called to be the salt of the earth and the light for the world.
The word consecrated in English has its root from Latin. The suffix- con means empower and secr part of consecrates comes from the Latin sacer 'sacred'. Remember that something consecrated is dedicated to God and thus sacred. Consecrates means something is empowered and dedicated to be holy and anything that is associated to a deity is likely to be a holy thing such as a burial ground, a cross or a Church building. To make a person holy or declared sacred means that person is set apart or dedicated to the service of a deity.
Christians are holy people because they have been set apart from the world and are dedicated to God at their Baptism. Through the water of Baptism we are washed and made clean. Through the water of Baptism we are buried with Christ and rise with Him to newness of life. We are made holy not because we are human beings but through Jesus and by His death and resurrection we are made new in Christ. The Risen Christ has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and brought us into the splendour of God's kingdom of light. We are sacred because we are the temple of God's glory and the Holy Spirit dwells in us. We are sacred because we have been anointed with the Holy oil of Chrism and are fed with the Body and Blood of Jesus. We search for wisdom from the teaching of Jesus who is crucified for us and our way of advancing to holiness is the way of the cross.
Last week's Gospel Jesus called us to remain in God to receive life and goodness from God and then bear fruit in plenty because cut off from God our lives will be meddled by worldly matters. Losing sight of Jesus who is the true way, truth and life we tend to make choices in favour of our own and open the door for selfishness to creep in.
Jesus returns to God with His Broken body and a pierced Heart. We Christians inherit everything Jesus has established on earth and our mission is to take care of and enjoy its fruit till His second coming.
The word consecrated in English has its root from Latin. The suffix- con means empower and secr part of consecrates comes from the Latin sacer 'sacred'. Remember that something consecrated is dedicated to God and thus sacred. Consecrates means something is empowered and dedicated to be holy and anything that is associated to a deity is likely to be a holy thing such as a burial ground, a cross or a Church building. To make a person holy or declared sacred means that person is set apart or dedicated to the service of a deity.
Christians are holy people because they have been set apart from the world and are dedicated to God at their Baptism. Through the water of Baptism we are washed and made clean. Through the water of Baptism we are buried with Christ and rise with Him to newness of life. We are made holy not because we are human beings but through Jesus and by His death and resurrection we are made new in Christ. The Risen Christ has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and brought us into the splendour of God's kingdom of light. We are sacred because we are the temple of God's glory and the Holy Spirit dwells in us. We are sacred because we have been anointed with the Holy oil of Chrism and are fed with the Body and Blood of Jesus. We search for wisdom from the teaching of Jesus who is crucified for us and our way of advancing to holiness is the way of the cross.
Last week's Gospel Jesus called us to remain in God to receive life and goodness from God and then bear fruit in plenty because cut off from God our lives will be meddled by worldly matters. Losing sight of Jesus who is the true way, truth and life we tend to make choices in favour of our own and open the door for selfishness to creep in.
Jesus returns to God with His Broken body and a pierced Heart. We Christians inherit everything Jesus has established on earth and our mission is to take care of and enjoy its fruit till His second coming.
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