2nd Easter - Harmony of God

God created all in harmony, for harmony. This includes humanity. The destiny of creation, of especially us, a predestination if you will, is to participate consciously and actively in this harmony. We thrive when we do this.  This comes from Genesis, and if we were present on the Easter Vigil we would have heard reading that wonderfully proclaimed.  We read in that Sacred Scripture of God’s breath, God’s spirit, God’s words moving across the chaos, and bringing harmony.

Humans resisted and resist this harmony. We have this tendency to want to sing our own tunes, our own way, whether it is in harmony with God or others. We see the results, a cacophony.

God never rescinds the invitation to us to sing with God, to be in harmony.  God desires us, always has desired us to be in harmony with God; just as the Trinity is. God is good.  

Singing means we need to listen. We follow the lead of the director who guides us along the music. Music itself has structure, it provides the anchor for singers and players; and each follows the music, but adds something of themselves to it. They add their identity, their emotions, their take on the composition. The best ones do it, and we feel it in our gut.  This is what makes opera so powerful; can’t always understand the language but the emotion comes through. Same way with mariachi. Think of your favorite singers. Technically good and also able to convey the story of music I would bet.

Jesus comes to his disciples on the evening of the first day, according to John. So that morning the empty tomb was discovered by Mary Magdalene and she went off to inform Peter and the beloved disciple, who also witnessed the empty tomb. Yet, they were not understanding.

Imagine the chaos and confusion going on. Mary has her visit with Jesus and begins to grasp, but the rest of the guys, not so much.

Jesus comes. He enters through locked doors and comes to his friends and offers Peace, Shalom which means “Wholeness”, harmony Then notice what he does, he breathes on them.  His breath goes over them. Sound familiar?  As God breathed upon the chaos to bring harmony at the creation of the world, so God re-creates through Jesus the disciples. He brings them harmony, peace, wholeness. (and he says he is alive, because only a living person breathe). God overcomes the fear, the chaos, the confusion to bring them calm.  And the disciples will be changed. Now they know they are forgiven, they are loved, they still have a part to play in God’s plan; they have harmony with God because God gives it to them.

They will go off and share that harmony.

We have been hearing in the first reading from Acts Peter, the silly man, the man who denied Jesus, the reactive man now able to discern, able to heal, able to unite.

For John’s gospel this the moment of the Holy Spirit that forms the community., the church, and these men and women will go out, in harmony with God to build up creation.

They will inspire others to believe in Jesus and the Spirit too will descend upon them and they will join in the great music of God the great Harmony of God and strive to build up the kingdom here.

Not with battles and violence, but with generosity, compassion and kindness; they will use mercy and acceptance.  All the same qualities, the same music that Jesus lived, and shared.  And we have the same invitation. From Baptism we have received the Breath of God, the Spirit forming us into God’s Children so that we can sing God’s song of Harmony. So that we can follow God’s lead and show the world how sweet that song it.

Eucharist is us coming together to give thanks for that invitation and to be strengthened by it, and to be taught how to sing better, how to be better in Harmony with God; and then we are sent out to go and sing; to be disciples.  This weekend starts our First communion season, children taking the next step as disciples in Christ; committing themselves more and more to God’s harmony. Each week they will join us now at table; to be fed by the Father. They will hear the same story and with the help of parents and this community, they will make it their own.  We need these disciples. We need the uniqueness of how they sing. We need the diversity in which they can live out our Catholic faith. It is so exciting.

For us, who have been doing this for a little longer, it ought to remind us that we too, baptized however long ago have been re-create by God to sing with God. To be in harmony.

Go out singing mercy and kindness, generosity and compassion, humility and love.