Fifth Sunday of Easter
(After reading this homily, please do not hesitate to post a comment, give a feedback or share an experience. You can play your part in evangelizing the world).
This is the amazing story of Sr. Rani Maria, a Clarist nun, from the diocese of Indore in India. On Feb 25, 1996, following religious violence against Christians, she was stabbed to death by Samandar Singh, a Hindu right wing activist. (As an aside let me say this - the reason for violence against Christians is not a simple issue of bad Hindus killing good Christians. It is a little more complicated than that. I cannot deal with the complexities in this homily). This murder shook the Catholic Church in India.
Samandar Singh was arrested in connection with the murder, tried and sentenced to prison, where he spent 11 years. In prison, he went through two experiences. First, his wife divorced him and his first son died. Grieving and angry at the same time, he began plotting how he could take revenge against the man who pushed him to kill the nun. Second, to his utter amazement he received a visit from another nun, Sister Selmi Paul, who happened to be the murdered nun's biological sister. This was no simple visit. During the entire visit, the nun addressed him as “brother,” and she embraced him in forgiveness. Samandar Singh was profoundly touched by this gesture. This experience began his journey of repentance. He gave up plans for revenge and accepted the sorrow caused by the murder. The story does not end there.
Soon there began a petition began for his release. The murdered nun’s family, the provincial of the Clarist congregation and the bishop of Indore repeatedly asked for his release. When the release did not come a delegation went to see the local governor to plead his case. The governor, himself a Hindu said, "Only you Christians can truly forgive. You are a great example. Go, I shall do all I can to get him released." An executive order was signed and Samandar Singh was released.
Today, Samandar Singh is a Christian. He now treats Sister Rani's family as his own. "I regularly visit her tomb," he said. "For me, it is like a sanctuary of peace and strength." He also says, "I want everyone to know that Christians work to make India great. The missionaries give us hope through their service, which is to make us a strong and independent people."
This true story is important for a number of reasons. For us, today, it brings us to the most challenging statement made by Jesus: “This is how all will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:35). In last Sunday’s homily I had said that in the Old Testament what separated Israel from the other cultures was the Shema – Hear O Israel, the Lord your God is One God” (Deut 6:4). While other cultures had many Gods, Israel knew of God as One. The Shema gave Israel her identity. Now Jesus provides his followers the ethical standard that will distinguish them from the rest of the peoples - “I give you a new commandment: love one another” (Jn 13:34). This one commandment would provide the followers of Christ their identity.
Let me offer three points for practical implications today:
1. First, let us take a look at how Paul and Barnabas lived Jesus’ love commandment in today’s first reading. The early Christian community was split right down the middle between Christians who converted from Judaism and Christians who converted as Gentiles. Paul and Barnabas knew that the Gospel had the power to unite enemies. They knew that the message of Jesus had the power for reconciliation. So they made a deliberate and conscious decision to welcome Jews and Gentiles alike. That was Paul and Barnabas’ way of living the love commandment. In fact, the early Christian Church came to be known in the Roman world not by miracles or mighty works but by their conduct. The people saw their lifestyle and commented, “See how they love one another.” Today, a huge debate is brewing in our nation – immigration and immigrants. I am sure that each of us has our own opinion on the matter. However, here is my question: “What direction would the Gospel, Paul and Barnabas, Sr. Selmi Paul lead us to take?” There is a deeper issue as well: our identity. Do we take a stand on this issues as Americans, as Christians as American Christians, as Christian Americans? We have something to think about this week, don’t we?
2. The second reading from the book of Revelation ends with the words, “Behold I make all things new” (Rev 21:5a). This is not an empty promise. Ordinary people like Sr. Rani Maria are leading the way toward the “New Heaven and New Earth.” We see glimpses of the New Heaven and New Earth in the life of Sr. Selmi Paul, her family and the Christians in Indore. Here is a dream that I have, that each parish, each Christian community, each church is a pocket of love. Could churches be the places where every person created by God is welcomed as God himself would be welcomed? A Christian community’s identity must lie in the words of Christ - “This is how all will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:35).
3. So let us bring the commandment to a very personal choice. On a very personal level there is one question we can ask. “Is there a person that I have failed to be a Christian to these days?” Who are the people who most need to feel love from us these days? To us Jesus says, “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:34-35). This week let us try to live this love commandment in the smallest, personal way possible.
My dear friends, this Eucharist is a celebration of love. It is a feast of love. Let us come forward to receive love from Jesus and take it to our world. Amen.
- Fr. Satish Joseph