In today’s first reading we are accompanying Saint Paul as he begins his third and final missionary journey. This one will ultimately lead him to Rome where the Lord will crown his extraordinary life with the blessing of martyrdom. But first, he has to return to Antioch and continue to grow in his awareness of God’s infinite love for him.
He leaves Corinth with Priscilla and Aquila and heads over to Ephesus, which was situated in present-day Turkey, where parting ways, he will now begin preaching in the local synagogues there. Again, this is in keeping with Paul’s customary prioritizing of the Jews when it came to who he ought engage first, even if more often than not, they would reject him. In this case however, he must have made a positive impression as they asked him to stay longer, but given his anxiety he makes his way back to Antioch and he would eventually make good on his promise to return to the community of believers in Ephesus. He heads to Caesarea in Palestine where he receives a warm welcome from the local church there and then heads northwards to Antioch, and this is where today’s reading picks up.
After spending time in Antioch (we don’t know how long he stayed there) he sets out on his third – and final – missionary journey. He begins by revisiting all the local churches he had established ten years prior. He’s currently passing through Galatian country and Phrygia.
We then encounter a fellow Jewish convert Apollos in our reading, a native of Alexandria, Egypt. He had just arrived from Ephesus and a very good reputation precedes him. He’s given a wonderful resume in this reading:
“He was an authority on the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord and, with ardent spirit, spoke and taught accurately about Jesus, although he knew only the baptism of John.”
And so he began to speak boldly in the synagogues, however, Aquila and Priscilla noticed his theology needed a bit of fine-tuning. We don’t know exactly what it was, but from the preceding information that Acts gives on him, it could have had something to do with Baptism. Now, this is beautiful in two major ways. Firstly, it shows that this couple had learned a lot in the time they spent making tents with Paul. Their astuteness in discerning Apollos' preaching and where it needed to be addressed is a reminder of how important true and right doctrine is, and that the Holy Spirit guides us through authoritative teaching. We should always stick to official Church teaching and we should always remember that just as Apollos was guided by the Holy Spirit through Pricilla e Aquila and he submitted a grew thanks to his embracing humility, so too it is with us when we also defer to the proper teaching authority the Lord has left us. Secondly, Apollos knew he was deficient
and yet he preached passionately out of love for Jesus and boldly. Our lack of perfect knowledge should never keep us from reaching out, only like Apollos, we need to remain open to being refined and this takes humility which comes through prayer.
Apollos heads to Corinth with great zeal and excitement for the Lord. He is given letters of approval so as to ensure a warm welcome. He encouraged the Christians there and continued to debate with his fellow-Jews, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was indeed the Messiah.
In today’s gospel, taken from nearly the end of John’s gospel, Jesus makes a solemn promise that whatever his disciples ask the Father for, in his (Jesus’) name, will be given to them. Of course, up until now, their prayers were addressed to the Father, without any mention of Jesus as playing an intercessory role. This will only happen afterwards when Jesus rises from the dead and ascends to heaven. It eventually becomes the ordinary way for the Church to pray to the Father, as we do in all the prayers in the liturgy of the sacraments.
“Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.”
This does not mean we use Jesus’ name to acquire absolutely anything that comes to our minds. He’s not like a magical spirit you summon by rubbing a lamp! We pray for what we need to live good, holy and wholesome lives. We know that Jesus has an idea of what true joy consists in, and it mostly has to do with discovering and living the Father’s will. This is why Saint Thomas Aquinas for example, said that while Jesus agonized on the cross, he was nevertheless the happiest man on earth because… he was doing the Father’s will perfectly. We’re also avoiding at all costs the prosperity gospel which is a modern heresy that ascribes material wealth to whether or not you are living a faith-filled life. It does away with the notion of freely foregoing the material comforts, so as to grow in holiness and virtue.
In imitating our Lord we should be choosing simplicity and a love for the poor. What we need to pray for, are those graces which will help us advance in virtue so as to bear fruit for the building, enhancing and protecting God’s kingdom. Our prayers are always answered, even if that answer is a firm “no” from the one who knows best. If our own flawed, imperfect parents loved us enough to refuse particular requests, how much more does our Heavenly Father know exactly what is best for us.
I remember in my late teens wanting to buy a sports car, limited edition, with a powerhouse of an engine. I went with my dad to see it, and he too agreed, it was a marvelous piece of engineering. When we left the owner’s house, I thought I had secured my first dream car and when I asked my dad if I could get it, without hesitation, he said to me, “Are you kidding? You think I want to see you die? There’s no way you’re getting that car son. That car will kill you.” I was… not too shocked, as I knew he had a point, but I was sad nevertheless. What’s amazing about that story, is that I knew instantly that my father had my best interest in mind. I didn’t have to go through months and years thinking he was nasty. And sometimes this is what happens when we’re refused by God. Instead of having faith and trusting immediately, we doubt him, get angry, lose faith, stop praying… etc. But just listen to what Jesus says about our loving Father: “I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf…” And the reason he gives is: “…for the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.”
Jesus is making it clear that the Eternal Father already loves us. God loves all people with “equal intensity” as Saint Thomas Aquinas would say. Some people ask if God loves some more than he loves others. It’s a trick question, because the answer could be yes and no. God is love, and so his capacity for loving is simply infinite and always present. Sometimes, however, God sees that some of us need special attention. Like the good Shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to focus his attention on bringing that lost sheep home. It is only in this sense that we can ever say, God loved someone a bit more, on a given a day, in a given year. It is a question that seems to be part of the background of the story of the prodigal son, where the older brother feels the Father loved the younger brother a bit more. That wasn’t the case, but in his moment of need, the younger brother was shown more warmth and mercy, and the illusion to the older brother was, “Ah, see, dad doesn’t love me!” And see, lurking behind the question, “Does God love some more than others?” is the real question people are asking when they ask that: “Does God love me?” And the answer is quite simply, yes. And he could not love you more, in your present condition and according to what you presently need. He will always love you. His love for you will never change. He loves you when you’ve prayed all four rosaries, and he loves you when you feel overwhelmed and spiritually dry. He loves you when you’re in a state of grace and agonizes with you when you fall out of it. He is always, continually, and infinitely loving you with the same intensity as he loves his most beloved and that is why he stopped at nothing to have you be with him forever, even if it meant leaving the bliss of paradise, so that one day you can enjoy it with him forever. That is why, in a certain sense, we are all like the prodigal son who got the special attention. We are all in a similar situation, heading home from this vale of tears, because waiting there is a tender, compassionate Father, who just cannot wait to wrap his arms around us. Believe it, and know today that you are infinitely loved by Almighty God.
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