"We lepers"

For centuries, the eagle has been used as a symbol to portray John the Evangelist. The eagle soars high and glides in a spiral fashion and it is believed that it is the only animal that can look directly at the sun without being blinded.

Today's Gospel might sound a bit difficult because it brings out all these characteristics that are typical of John. It is part of many other long monologues we find in the gospel, using high theological, almost mystical language, he goes in spirals, repeating himself and clarifying his ideas as he goes deeper. However the point of the gospel is to show how that Jesus and his Father are in perfect communion. One constantly empties himself for the other. Jesus points to his Father, the Father points to his Son.

In today's Gospel Jesus repeats over and over again that he has been sent by his Father and that he is carrying out the mission that his Father has given him.

Barnabas in today's first reading, too, is sent on a mission, together with Saul. They are sent by the Holy Spirit in the name of the Church to carry out the mission of proclaiming Christ, the word of God in the Jewish synagogues in Salamis.

What does it mean to be sent on a mission? Fr Damien can give us a good example. At a young age he felt called to become a missionary priest. He had heard that on the islands of Hawaii there was a large colony of lepers who needed the assistance of a priest. He asked permission from his Bishop to go and work there. When he arrived there he realised that these persons with leprosy were rejected by everybody. The state authorities would not get any close to them, there was anarchy among them and the place was in a state of ruin. Everybody told him to stay away from them and to minister to them from a distance. Fr Damien decided to change the situation. He helped them build a church and a school, he used to eat with, them touch them when administering the sacraments. Order was finally restored in this community of persons with leprosy. Finally, twelve years after arriving there, when he was preaching on a Sunday morning in the church that he himself had build, he started the homily with the words, "We lepers." Everybody understood that he had contracted the disease as well.
In going to the community of lepers and sharing with them God's love with simple acts of generosity, he was showing them God's personal love for each and every one of them. He wanted to show them in concrete ways what it means that God sent his Son that we may be saved.
We might never have the occasion to be adventurous missionaries as Fr Damien was but we all have the privilege to share with others little acts of mercy which demonstrate in concrete ways God's love for humankind.