Jealousy

In today’s first reading (Acts 13:44-52), community leaders unleash “violent abuse” upon Saints Paul and Barnabas on account of jealousy.

Nowadays, such violent abuse and jealousy is hurled against the Faith and the faithful from numerous directions.

We hear it in the terrible things said about Pope Benedict by a few religious leaders and their followers even as he gently visits the Middle East and speaks lovingly and truthfully to the people there.

We hear it in the terrible things said about people of faith by irreligious opinion-makers and their followers, even in cartoons and movies for children.

Yet if we remain faithful to Christ, great things can and will happen, as our Lord Himself promises us in today’s Gospel (John 14:7-14):

Do you not believe
that I am in the Father
and the Father is in me?

The words that I speak to you
I do not speak on my own.

The Father who dwells in me
is doing his works.

Believe me
that I am in the Father
and the Father is in me,
or else,
believe because of the works themselves.

Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me
will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father.

And whatever you ask in my name,
I will do,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

If you ask anything of me in my name,
I will do it.