Sixth Sunday of Easter (B) 2024

INTRO: So, the diocese refers to my being your PASTOR as being APPOINTED!

INTERESTING GOSPEL word today …. APPOINTED!!!!

“It was I who chose you and
appointed you to go and
bear fruit.”

Presidents and leaders of countries… appoint people as cabinet members, office staff workers, etc.… Obviously, the diocese APPOINTS PRIESTS! Being appointed happens!

Keep in mind, JOHN in the Gospel was talking to the disciples! REMEMBER there were only twelve apostles, but many disciples and the disciples were all the followers of Jesus.

So, that means YOU ARE ALL APPOINTED and to what???

Well, John says, “to go and bear fruit that will remain.”

What does that mean for us? What is the job description here?

The job description is simple, but difficult to perform.
The fruit we are to bear is following the image of Christ.
In the OLD TESTAMENT people were told (in the book of Leviticus) to love our neighbor as ourselves!

BUT, In the NEW TESTAMENT Jesus changes that. He commands us to love each other as He loved us. We are to be other Christ’s, and this is the difficult tall order of the job description.

Jesus loved us MORE THAN we love ourselves. He loved us to the point of suffering a shameful and painful death. So, our love for the people next to us, behind us here and out in the world must be TOPS! Like HIS!

And think of the world incidents that are going on today and if EVERYONE would just STOP and believe this job description for themselves it would be a much better kingdom!

CONCLUSION

We are appointed to be “divinized” through a full and active participation in His divine nature. May your reception of HOLY COMMUNION today help you to become divinized and perform this difficult but wonderful “job description.”