Glory to God (Easter, 2017-05-28)

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 Sunday May 28, 2017 /  7^th Sunday Easter 

[ •Acts 1:12-14 • Psalm 27  • 1 Peter 4:13-16 • +John 17:1-11a • ]

Title: “Glory  to  God”

[__01__]    Glory or honor is something we enjoy. Glory or honor is something we may admire in another person.

          Admiring the glory in another person – due to his or her appearance, or position or popularity – we may also look up to him or her.

          Glory attracts our look, our attention, our cameras and phones, both photo and video.

[__02__]     In a state of GLORY o or HONOR or DIGNITY, I’d like to suggest that there is –  [►AUTHORITY]  [►ACCESS / ACCESSIBILITY]

…. And finally, there is some [►ANXIETY]

[__03__]       [►AUTHORITY] You and I know how important power or authority can be. We may be required to listen to a superior, boss, ARCHBISHOPS.

          And, even in our own home, there is rightful authority within the home and within a marriage.

          Each spouse, wife and husband has a certain authority and area of control.

          Yes, husband and wife work together. But, in working together and serving each other, each is called to recognize the authority of the other.

          We may not favor this word, it sounds politically charged and allows for the abuse of power.

          Yes, authority can be abused or misused. So, all of us are called to pray for humility.

[__03.01__]    On this Memorial Day, we pray for the brave women and men, thousands in wartime who accepted the authority of the United States and the authority of their commanders to fight for freedom for security.

          In many cases, they served in countries without legitimate authority or power and brought about order from chaos. They laid down their lives for our freedom. They died knowing that their lives mattered and that your life mattered, and that our country and security come at a price.

[__03.02__]     Also, in our spiritual lives, we are called to accept God’s authority.

          In this regard, sin or sinfulness or evil does not have the final word or power. 

          Repentance – and saying I am sorry – is also an affirmation of authority rather than a denial. After all, no one can really make me say I am sorry. This is a responsibility, an affirmation, an authority.

          Saying I am sorry to God or to neighbor is authoritative. Or, to paraphrase St. Paul, when we appear to be weak, it is then that we are strong; and, foolish, wise.  (1 Corinthians 1:25)

[__04__]    With [►AUTHORITY]  comes [►ACCESS / ACCESSIBILITY].

          And, isn’t it true that we expect those in [►AUTHORITY] to be [►ACCESSIBLE].

          They give press conferences, interviews, they sign autographs.They let us see them. Authority figures are supposed to be accessible.

          And, we do the same. Isn’t the greatest gift a mother and father can do for a child, to give them their human life, to allow them to be born, to develop. There is glory in both this [►AUTHORITY] and [►ACCESSIBILITY].

          And, Jesus is both [►AUTHORITATIVE] and [►ACCESSIBILE]. He is the king of kings, lord of lords, prince of peace. Authoritative.

          However, he’s also accessible. He is the word made flesh who pitched his tent among us and was born a child, and permitted himself to be nailed to the cross, to die for our sin.

          Glory is both authoritative and accessible.

[__05__]       All this glory can make a person  [►ANXIOUS].

          Now,  [►ANXIETY] is something we associate with extreme uneasiness of mind. I may worry so much that I cannot work. But the anxiety of Jesus and of you and me is also based in God’s glory and God’s presence.        Thomas Aquinas affirms that our watchfulness in prayer (1 Peter 3:8) is connected to wisdom.

          We turn to prayer not as the back door but as our main screen. So, praying that we will be enlightened, that we will be wise, is also a way for us to be glorified and to be anxious about the things of heaven, the things that matter.

[__06_]       We read in today’s Gospel that Jesus is praying for you and for me, praying for his apostles, his disciples and ardently hoping for our salvation.

            And, he wants to share his AUTHORITY with us so that we know that we are not conquered by sin.

            He wants to share his ACCESSIBLITY with us, so that we know we can also lay down our lives for the other …and that we – imitating him – can be zealous, enthusiastic, even ANXIOUS do the things which bring glory to God in the highest.[__fin__]