The Essence of the Gospel

Tuesday, April 18, 2006 -- Tuesday in Easter Week

"Morning Reflections" is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117

An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this link -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html


Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 959)
Psalms 5, 6 (morning) // 10, 11 (afternoon)
Exodus 15:1-21
1 Peter 1:13-25
John 14:18-31

The passage from John's gospel is a rich one. Jesus' bodily absence from the disciples means that he can be spiritually present with them always. We are wrapped into the very life of the Trinity. Jesus is "in the Father" and we are one with Jesus -- "you in me, and I in you." The Holy Spirit, the Advocate, abides with us to teach us all things. Several times in John's gospel we are told that there is even more truth for us to learn through the Spirit.

Everything is centered in love, however. In the gospel story, Jesus gives us two levels of commandment. First, Jesus summarizes the old covenant in the Great Commandment -- you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself. The Jesus gives to his disciples the New Commandment -- "love one another."

The fruit of this love is peace. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you." This peace is the fruit of the perfect love of God, and perfect love casts out fear. When we ground our hearts in the love of God, we live in God's peace. "Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid."

This brief passage conveys the essence of the gospel message. Our task is to remember and to live in this Spirit. The various spiritual practices of the church -- prayer, meditation on the word, sacraments -- are all intended to remind us of this teaching, to ground it in our hearts. An old word for this from the spiritual tradition is recollection. Prayer is recollection. We recall the gospel of living in perfect love, and as we do we are re-collected, made whole in the life of God.

Anything we can do through the day to remember this essence will recall us to our true self, unite us with the Divine.