First reading: Acts 10:25-26,34-35,44-48
Psalm: Ps 98:1-4
Epistle: 1 John 4:7-10
Gospel: John 15:9-17
“In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.
Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly
is acceptable to him.”
Christ is risen! Alleluia!
He is truly risen! Alleluia!
Talking about Christianity with a non-Christian is a dangerous venture. Today’s scripture gives some insight into how we are to do it.
Danger ahead:
Peter was summoned to the house of Cornelius, a gentile. This was dangerous ground. Peter was a Jewish Christian and still maintained Jewish practices. Entering the house of a gentile would make Peter unclean. Luckily God intervened and sent Peter a vision the previous night. Peter was presented with a tablecloth full of food that Jews would consider unclean. God tells him to slaughter and eat. The mere act of slaughtering in the fashion God presented would be unclean. It came down to this, God saying: Look Peter, I’m telling you its ok —“ just do it.
Peter’s action, his meeting with Cornelius, all that he did, even his testimony to the world, was dangerous. Peter and the rest of the Apostles, the deacons, the community members were sailing into dangerous seas.
God prepared Peter for the encounter at Cornelius’ house, for the danger, and Peter got it. On entering the house he finally got it —“ what God was getting at —“ these people reverence Me and love Me. Who are you to stand in their way? Why shouldn’t you witness to them? This applies to us. These people reverence Me and love Me. Minister to them.
We have been prepared. God has prepared us so that we might speak to those who do not know Him. We are prepared to speak despite danger. Our witness, our message is more powerful than any danger.
Acceptability is conditional:
God prepared Peter, making Cornelius and his household acceptable to Peter, so Peter, representing the Church, could go to them and baptize them. The key point here, the take away, is that the Holy Spirit came upon Cornelius and his household, not because of Peter’s acceptance, but in Peter’s sight, because God accepted them.
Peter was prepared for his visit, yet he was astonished at what God did. Peter’s Jewish companions were flabbergasted. We didn’t accept you, yet God accepted you. We didn’t call down the Spirit, yet the Spirit came to you and found you acceptable. Why?
We have to understand a little about Cornelius to understand why.
Cornelius, like all of us, was called by the Spirit. Cornelius, like many of us responded. Even though Cornelius was a Gentile and a Roman Centurion, commanding 100 soldiers, he feared and worshiped God rather than idols. He taught his household about God and asked them to serve God instead of idols. He took fear of God, worship, and service to God, and he made it real through kindness to the poor and needy, and through prayer. When the angel of God came to him he said (Acts 10:4):
“Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God—
We have to recognize that God’s love is for everyone, and the Spirit’s call is to everyone. That love and that call are not enough —“ because we have to cooperate, we have to take action in accepting God at the center of our lives. God didn’t make Cornelius and his household acceptable. Rather, He accepted them because they chose Him. Our being acceptable to God, our inclusion in His body, is conditioned on our choice for God. Our acceptability, our inclusion starts when we chose God and are reborn, regenerated as Bishop Hodur taught.
When we teach others about the faith, when we talk about the faith, we need to joyfully tell those we speak with: God calls you; God’s call is written on your heart; and God will accept you if you respond. The only condition is to live justly and to accept God.
Christianity is required:
As I noted, Peter, representing the Church, went to Cornelius to baptize him and his household. The Church is a requirement. Peter didn’t foist himself, or the Church, on Cornelius. Rather Cornelius, at God’s prompting, summoned Peter and his companions.
God wanted Cornelius and his family to have the benefit of baptism, which Jesus told us is required (John 3:5).
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
God wanted Cornelius and his family to have the benefit of the Church, for the purpose of instruction and guidance.
Now I have to ask, ‘What do we believe about God?’
He is perfection. He is infinite. He is all knowing. He doesn’t make mistakes.
Jesus is God and He told us that we require water and the Holy Spirit for eternal life. God sent His messenger to Cornelius telling him that the Church was required. Jesus Himself told the Apostles that the Church is required (Matthew 28:19-20):
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you
God is right, the Church is necessary. Unfortunately many make a mistake in believing that spirituality, the belief in a spirit, or something unknown and powerful is good enough. They delude themselves when they think that they can make their own path, figure it out on their own. They make mistakes because they miss the lessons and the discipline of the Church, the path that God has set. No one learns on their own. Children need parents, apprentices need masters, students need teachers. God wants us to follow him as members of the Church.
The message to those who do not believe is that the Church is here, open, and for them. We can confidently reassure them that God wants them to be part of the Church, by water and the Holy Spirit, fed with the teachings of the Apostles and their successors. We can reassure them — they are not alone, on their own. They have a place in the Church.
Choices/Had to:
The faith choice, inclusion in the Church, and standing fast on God’s word in spite of danger are all messages for today.
That is the message we bear. As Father taught last week, as branches from the Vine we do not produce the fruit, yet we bear the fruit that our Lord and Savior has produced. The message we bear to the world is the good news of salvation.
Perfection is not required:
Are you perfect? Am I perfect? No! Not even the saints, no one but Jesus Christ, was perfect. Yet Jesus Christ gives us the path to perfection. It is the choice for faith. It is membership in His Holy Church, and with it comes the gifts of perseverance and steadfastness in spite of danger.
How do we get there?
Getting the message out, doing the work of Peter and the Apostles is our task. Our message, the fruit we bear, is hope for humanity. Our message is:
God sent his only Son into the world
so that we might have life through him.
Life is this. This is our mission. It is a dangerous venture, but we have a plan. It isn’t a secret plan — it is written in scripture. Now — put the plan into motion, tell the world that they are welcome. Let us tell them: The Spirit does not discriminate. The Spirit falls on all who accept Him. God cannot be hindered. The Church does not object — we glorify God and welcome you because God grants life to all who come Him. Amen.
