ATHANASIUS, Bishop, Church doctor
St. Athanasius (295-273), patriarch of Alexandria, was a bishop living in a time of great crisis for the Church just after the Roman persecutions. He defended the divinity of Christ against Arianism, which said that Christ was no more than a man. He suffered much for his faith. “The future of the Church will depend entirely on those who live with deep convictions the pure fullness of their faith. The future does not come from those who accommodate themselves to the circumstances of the moment. It does not come from those who criticize others but promote themselves as the infallible norm. The future of the Church will be determined also this time by the saints. By people who can see more than others can because there is a greater dimension to their lives… To the extent a person lives and has suffered, to that extent he also can see.”
(Ratzinger, The Future of Faith)
Reading 1: Acts 11:19-26
Those who had been scattered by the persecution triggered by Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, but they were still only speaking and dealing with their fellow Jews. Then some of the men from Cyprus and Cyrene who had come to Antioch started talking to Greeks, giving them the Message of the Master Jesus. God was pleased with what they were doing and put his stamp of approval on it—quite a number of the Greeks believed and turned to the Master.
22-24 When the church in Jerusalem got wind of this, they sent Barnabas to Antioch to check on things. As soon as he arrived, he saw that God was behind and in it all. He threw himself in with them, got behind them, urging them to stay with it the rest of their lives. He was a good man that way, enthusiastic and confident in the Holy Spirit’s ways. The community grew large and strong in the Master.
25-26 Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. He found him and brought him back to Antioch. They were there a whole year, meeting with the church and teaching a lot of people. It was in Antioch that the disciples were for the first time called Christians.
Gospel: Jn 10:22-30
They were celebrating Hanukkah just then in Jerusalem. It was winter. Jesus was strolling in the Temple across Solomon’s Porch. The Jews, circling him, said, “How long are you going to keep us guessing? If you’re the Messiah, tell us straight out.”
25-30 Jesus answered, “I told you, but you don’t believe. Everything I have done has been authorized by my Father, actions that speak louder than words. You don’t believe because you’re not my sheep. My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them real and eternal life. They are protected from the Destroyer for good. No one can steal them from out of my hand. The Father who put them under my care is so much greater than the Destroyer and Thief. No one could ever get them away from him. I and the Father are one heart and mind.”
Prayer
God of truth and wisdom,
you entrusted St. Athanasius with the task
of defending the divinity of Christ.
Help us to see in Jesus, one of us,
more than a man, as your own Son.
And give your Church leaders
of great faith, insight and wisdom
who will never deny Christ
even in the face of persistent persecution
and who help their people to remain faithful to him.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Reflection:
2 May 2023
John 10:22-30
Faith comes from listening
With the growing number of Gentile converts entering the Church, the break with traditional Judaism became more obvious. Gradually the centre of the Church’s life shifted from Jerusalem to Antioch. It was there that the so-called followers of the Way were addressed for the first time as Christians.
The opponents of Jesus in today’s Gospel want him to state clearly whether or not he is the Messiah. Here the Jews had difficulty accepting Jesus because he did not correspond to the Messiah of their understanding and imagination. They knew Jesus had extraordinary powers, and ordinary people flocked to him to listen to him. Jesus identifies himself as a shepherd, raising concerns for Jewish leadership.
They knew the scriptures – the Prophets and the Psalms – well, which prophesied about a king who would shepherd his people after the model of David – the shepherd-king. Therefore, Jesus’ claim to be the shepherd created doubts in them. Would he be the Messiah the scriptures foretold? Yet they refused to accept a messiah who did not conform to their expectations.
Misconceptions about Jesus could hinder people’s faith in God. How often do we hear people complain that they do not want to believe in a God who does not answer their prayers or in a God who allows misfortunes and tragedies to happen? They prefer to believe in a God who conforms to their idea of God.
Once again, Jesus emphasises the requirement of listening: “My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me.” Listening to the voice of God – the Word of God – seems to be the paramount requirement to belong to Jesus. Who are the people who listened to this shepherd’s voice and followed him? His chosen disciples and the people who accompanied him … responded to his voice and allowed his words to make amends in their lives. And Jesus assures them of their reward: they are already in eternal life with God and will not perish. Safe in the hands of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, the disciples are safe in the Father’s hand, the original shepherd of Israel [Ezekiel 34:15]. Remember, Jesus gave a similar assurance when he talked about the bread of life [Jn 6:37, 39]: “Whoever eats this bread will never die.”
As always, Jesus’ Words evoke two types of reaction – some believe, and others do not. When you don’t listen to Jesus, you can’t have faith in him.