What is Christian Maturity?
6th Sunday in Easter
“The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.”Ps. 98
Many things could be said about Christian maturity, such as: bearing much fruit of the Spirit, listening to His voice and following Him, letting Jesus reign in life, keeping His word, His commandments, …But there is another way of being in the world, also based on the Word, that we as Christians should have: We are citizens of heaven. We are in the world, but we are not of the world; if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord, we do not belong to ourselves, we belong to Him.
In these quotes, a radically different conception of being in the world is manifested. Knowing that we are not from here, that we are only here temporarily. It’s comparable to when you go on a missionary trip for a month to some mission place. You pack light so you can move around. You know you’re not from there, that you’ll leave soon and return home. The same could be said of our way of being on earth. Lightly packed, because we are not from here. We will soon leave this world to return to our heavenly home, which is our true and definitive homeland. We are called to live completely united to Him, to remain in His Love.
“If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.”Jn 15:10s
Living each day with God’s perspective, trying to accomplish everything knowing that God is watching us and following; then, at night with Him, we will review how our performance was during the day. We can do this daily in prayer with God to keep improving and in the end, when we reach heaven with the Father, we can feel proud of what we have achieved, like St. Paul:
“For I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance.”2 Timothy 4:6ss
Look at yourself here and now as if you were seeing yourself from eternity, with the gaze of light and love that you will have in heaven. Are you doing your mission well? Are you doing God’s will? Will you be proud of how you think, what you say, and do now during your brief time on earth? Do you believe God can be pleased with you? With your attitudes, words and deeds? Can He count on you as a mother with her eldest and responsible child?
“My Father is glorified by this: that you bear much fruit and become my disciples”Jn 15:8
“You are my friends if you do what I command you.”Jn 15:14
Weekly Readings
Sunday: Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48/Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4 (see 2b)/1 Jn 4:7-10/Jn 15:9-17
Monday: Acts 16:11-15/Ps 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b/Jn 15:26-16:4a
Tuesday: Acts 16:22-34/Ps 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 7c-8/Jn 16:5-11
Wednesday: Acts 17:15, 22-18:1/Ps 148:1-2, 11-12, 13, 14/Jn 16:12-15
Thursday: Acts 18:1-8 Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4 Jn 16:16-20
Ascension: Acts 1:1-11/Ps 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9 (6)/Eph 1:17-23 or Eph 4:1-13 or 4:1-7, 11-13/Mk 16:15-20
Friday: Acts 18:9-18/Ps 47:2-3, 4-5, 6-7/Jn 16:20-23
Saturday: Acts 18:23-28/Ps 47:2-3, 8-9, 10/Jn 16:23b-28
Next Sunday:
Ascension: Acts 1:1-11/Ps 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9 (6)/Eph 1:17-23 or Eph 4:1-13 or 4:1-7, 11-13/Mk 16:15-20
Seventh Sunday of Easter: Acts 1:15-17, 20a, 20c-26/Ps 103:1-2, 11-12, 19-20 (19a)/1 Jn 4:11-16/Jn 17:11b-19
Observances for the Week
Sunday: 6th Sunday of Easter
Thursday: The Ascension of the Lord (holy day of obligation in some U.S. dioceses)
Friday: St. John of Avila, Priest and Doctor of the Church; St. Damien de Veuster, Priest
Next Sunday: The Ascension of the Lord; 7th Sunday of Easter; World Communications Day; Mother’s Day
