5th Sunday After Easter 2022, The Way I Loved

 5^th Sunday after Easter

John 14:1-31  

"Let not your hearts be troubled. Trust in the power that leads you to the Fatherly Ground of the World and Me. In my Father's house, there are many rooms. If it were not so, how could I have said to you, 'I go there to prepare a place for you'? And when I have gone and prepared a place for you, I will come again and take you up into the realm of my Being and working, so that where I work, you also may work. And you know the way where I am going." 

Then Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" 

Ain Vares

Jesus answered, "I myself am the Way—the Truth— and the Life.
No one finds his way to the Father but through me. If you had known my Being, you would have recognized my Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him." 

Then Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father; that would satisfy our deepest yearning." 

Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Does your heart's voice not tell you that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words I say to you are not just my own. But the Father, who lives eternally in Me, continues to do His works in them. Build your faith on the power of my Being that lets you know: I in the Father, the Father in me. Or at least learn to trust through looking at the works themselves that have arisen. 

Truly, truly I say to you, whoever trusts in my Being will also do the works I do—and greater deeds will he do because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask for in unity with me, I will do it so that the Father's deeds may be revealed in the working of the Son. When you turn to Me in prayer in the power of my name, I will be the Creating One in all your works. If you truly love me, you will share in my spiritual goals. And I will ask the Father, and He will send to you another Counselor, who will stand by you forever, even the Spirit of Truth. The earthly world cannot receive this Counselor, for it cannot perceive his working and does not recognize him. But you know him, for he will live with you and will work in you. 

I will not leave you desolate—I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see Me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live also. On that day, you will truly know what it means that I am in the Father, and you in Me and I in you. 

Whoever bears my spiritual goals within themselves, and brings them to revelation in their working, is one who truly loves me. And whoever truly loves Me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and will reveal myself to them." 

Then Judas (not the Iscariot) said, "But Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the people who are in the world? 

Jesus replied,

Roland Tiller

"Whoever truly loves Me reveals my Spirit, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and prepare with them a dwelling in the everlasting [or, an eternal dwelling]. Whoever does not love Me cannot reveal my Spirit. And the spirit power of the word that you hear is not from me; it is the speaking of the Father who sent me. 

These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the health-bringing Spirit, the Counselor whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you everything and will bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, nor let them be afraid. 

You heard Me say to you, 'I am going away, and yet I am coming to you.' If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I am. 

I have told you now before it happens so that when it happens, you may find trust. I no longer have much to say to you, for soon, the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over Me. 

But I act in accordance with the Father's purpose, as it was entrusted to Me so that the world may know that I love the Father. Do the same. Arise, let us be on our way.

 

5^th Sunday after Easter

May 22, 2022

John 14:1-31 

The sun is visible to us as a clearly defined, round object in the sky. At the same time, the real sun is actually bigger than that. Far beyond that visible object in the sky, the sun's life-giving light and warmth radiate out in all directions into the universe. It would be accurate to say that we on earth are, in fact living within the sun. We are attached, enlivened by invisible rays, to the heart of our universe.

Our own hearts are a place where the essence of our being both concentrates itself and pours itself out into the world. We shine on whatever we love. We are attached to others with our heartstrings. Our love makes our heartstrings vibrate, sing out warmth, kindness, strength, and light. In love, our hearts grow large, great-hearted, whole-hearted, and radiant. 

Christ, the Spirit Sun, says in effect to us: 

'Let not your hearts be troubled; do not quiver and shrink in fear. Does not your heart's voice tell you that I am in my Father's light, His life, and His love and that the Father shines out in me? The world shall see how I love the Father, how I shine forth, pour out His light, His life, His love. If you love me, you will rejoice…you will love one another, as I love you.' 

He speaks to our hearts. His creating Words pour trust and strength into our hearts. The music of His heartstrings plays great-heartedness, peace, and courage, the song of his love. We are living within His heart. He is teaching us to play His life-giving music. 

Catherine of Sienna, one who loved Christ, says: 

God's art is mine. I did not want his divine talent.

It simply grew in my heart from

the way I

loved.* 

 

*"Until Your Own Dawn," by Catherine of Sienna, in Love Poems from God, by Daniel Ladinsky, p. 208