Live Calvary in Slow Motion
(Acts 20:17-27; Ps 68; Jn17:1-11a)
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When someone is dying, we pay special attention to his or her last words.
In the readings today, both Jesus and St. Paul are saying farewell – Jesus to his apostles, and Paul to the elders of Ephesus. In a sense, both are giving their last will and testament. As disciples of Jesus, we would do well to pay attention to both.
Essentially, we are invited to thank and worship Jesus, imitate St. Paul, and live Calvary in slow motion.
In the Gospel, Jesus, having finished his work of laying the foundation for the Church here on earth, recaps what he has done: He has made the Father’s name known and revealed the Father to the world. He has given eternal life and glory to those who believe in him, which is to experience a loving relationship with the Father and the Son. He has taught us that the ultimate goal of the kingdom is oneness and intimacy with him.
This is the foundation of the Church. It is up to us to build on that foundation through intimate prayer to him, and in achieving intimacy and fellowship with other believers. As his disciples, we should thank and worship Jesus for who he is and what he has done for us, which is what we are doing right now in this liturgy.
For his part, Paul, looking back over his life and ministry, basically outlines for us the essentials of life as disciples of Jesus: Like him, we are to be a captive of the Spirit in serving the Lord. Like him, we are to proclaim the message of repentance and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Like him, we are to testify to the good news of God’s grace and proclaim the Kingdom to all. In the end, like him, we are to proclaim the whole purpose of God. Would that we could say this about ourselves as we enter the last days of our own life.
The White Fathers evangelized St. Charles Lwanga and companions of Uganda. Servants of King Mwanga, they were executed for rebuking the king for his cruelty, debauchery, immorality, murdering an Anglican missionary for “praying from a book,” and refusing to allow themselves to be ritually sodomized by the king. The vengeful king, determined to stamp out Christianity, ordered Charles and his twenty-one companions (the youngest, Kitizo, was only 13) put to death. They died between 1885 and 1887. Most of them were burned alive in a group after being tortured.
Uganda martyrs
They were certainly true disciples of Jesus, who shared in his fate, and the fate of St. Paul. However, far from stamping out Christianity in Uganda, within a year of their deaths the number of catechumens in the country quadrupled, and by 1890 was estimated to be ten thousand. St. Charles Lwanga is the patron of Catholic Action and of black African youth, and the Ugandan martyr’s feast day is a public holiday in Uganda. What an inspiration these, our fellow believers and true disciples of Jesus, are for us and the world.
As we thank and worship Jesus, and try to imitate St. Paul and the Ugandan martyrs, our path will probably not take us to physical martyrdom. Rather, we are called to live Calvary in slow motion, as one Oblate professor pointed out to his students. Or as Mother Theresa of Calcutta used to say, “We do not have to do great deeds, but rather small deeds done with great love.”
The Eucharist is the food of martyrs, and nourishment for the disciples of Jesus. May our celebration empower us to live lives of gratitude and worship for Jesus, imitate St. Paul as disciples of Jesus, and live Calvary in slow motion.
This is a well conclusion of proclaiming the Good News to the whole world . Telling people who the Lord Jesus Christ really is and how he was sent by God the Father to lay the foundation of the Church and continue his teachings on earth. Jesus has done all these good deeds on earth by helping the needy, people with illnesses and forgiving us for our sins. He even helped trouble makers and forgiving enemies who have caused us to sins. He wants us to the same thing in return by doing good deeds and small deeds to live the Calvary with slow motions. We should always thank and worship God and Jesus Christ by praying and celebrating his life every Sunday. By celebrating mass and receiving the communion is believing in him and accepting him in our lives. This is like a martyr who would sacrifice it self to save other people no matter what the circumstances are and whether if there is any difficult situations. Amen. Praise to the Lord Jesus Christ
Thanks for the message about living in Calvary in slow motions and examples on being a Martyr. I was also looking at the same Gospel reading for today while I was reviewing other readings from the last couple days. Keep on spreading the word and the teachings to people and it is up to them whether they want to follow it or not. Blessings! Blessings ! Bishop Lavoie
Thanks for the art picture of Uganda martyrs.
Alleluia! Alleluia!