Making All Things New
Fifth Sunday of Easter - Year C
Acts 14:21-27; Psalm 145:8-13; Revelation 21:1-5a; John 13:31-35
Today's first reading describes the conclusion of the first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13-14). It lasted about two years (46-48 AD), during which the apostles made many disciples, but also suffered a lot. From the Antioch in Pisidia, they were expelled (Acts 13:50), and in Lystra, Paul was stoned - it was a miracle that he did not die (Acts 14: 19-20). It is not surprising then, that on the way back, the apostles reminded the new believers that the entry to the Kingdom of God leads through many tribulations (Acts 14:22).
After returning to the church that sent them to preach the Gospel (Acts 13:1-3), the apostles reported to the entire community what happened during those two years. The hardships and sufferings they underwent in the course of God’s mission were forgotten. Instead, they spoke about all those great things that God had done through them, and especially “how He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles” (Acts 14:27).
God also does great things in today's second reading. The Book of Revelation shows us a vision of a new heaven and a new earth, and the holy city, a new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. Our heaven and earth still hear the weeping of the persecuted and witness the martyrdom of the faithful. Moreover, there are still many who live far away from God. In the new heaven and new earth, the situation is completely different. Suffering, death, and the sea - the symbol of primordial chaos (see Gen. 1:1) - are no more. “The one who sat on the throne said: “Behold, I make all things new” (Rev. 21:5). And when He says, things happen.
New and great things also happen in today's Gospel. Judas left the Twelve to hand Jesus over to the Jewish authorities. This betrayal led to Jesus’ death. And yet, this death is Christ's glorification - the triumph of life over death. This death is also the greatest evidence of God's love for us: "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son" (John 3:16). Within the context of His approaching death, Jesus gives us a new commandment. It is no longer to love our neighbors as ourselves (Lev. 19:18) but to love the way Jesus loved, which means to be ready to give our life for another human being. In our times, Saint Maksymilian Maria Kolbe, a Franciscan priest exemplifies such love. As a prisoner of Auschwitz concentration camp, he voluntarily offered himself to die in the place of another prisoner who had a wife and children. Mr. Gajowniczek survived Auschwitz and died in 1995 at the age of 93. The sacrifice of Saint Kolbe gave him 53 additional years of life.
In his Apology, Tertullian includes the testimony of Gentiles about Christians: “See, they say, how they love one another; how they are ready even to die for one another." Such love is a sign of new heaven and new earth. Where such love is present, there God is with His people. This love flows into our hearts from the pierced side of Christ glorified on the Cross, and its presence in our hearts is the greatest thing that God has done for us and within us. Therefore, with the Psalmist we pray today: “I will praise your name forever, my King and my God” (Ps. 145:1).