5th Week of Easter 2018 - Monday - Commandment Keepers

In this Gospel passage from the Last Supper, Jesus teaches the importance of “keeping” the commandments. And that Greek word Jesus uses for “keeping”, “tereo” is another interesting word with several meanings.

First, the obvious meaning: to “keep” a commandment we are to observe it, obey it. The word is used with the same connotation in Matthew’s Gospel, when Jesus teaches “If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." In that instance Jesus explains that not only are we to keep, obey the commandments of the decalogue, he even commands the young scribe to sell all that he has, give it to the poor, and store up treasure in heaven.

In today’s passage, the commandment all of His disciples must keep is to love one another as the Lord loves us, humbling ourselves in self-service, washing feet, laying down our lives, as Christ lays it down on the cross.

Another meaning of “tereo” is to keep the commandments as you keep food in your pantry. We are to reserve the words of Christ within our minds and hearts, so we can call upon them when we need them: in moments of temptation, in moments of despair, in moments of fear. So, we do well to study the scriptures, so we have them “up here” and “in here” when we need them.

A third meaning of “tereo” is a task particular to the Apostles: to keep the commandments as a guard keeps a room full of treasure. The apostles and their successors, the Holy Father and the bishops, have the duty of keeping the Word of God free from error, that it may be passed on faithfully to future generations. The world pressures the Church to change her teachings, to change her doctrines to fit modern sensibilities.

I think particularly of the Church’s teaching on contraception, the definition of marriage, and the moral teachings, particularly involving sexual morality, the obligation to attend Sunday Mass, to confess serious sins. Members of the Christian Church are to keep these commandments by “adhering to them with religious assent” no matter how unpopular they are.

The Lord teaches that to those who “keep” the commandments will be a dwelling place of the Holy Trinity—a Temple in which God is glorified, where His presence is known and felt by those we encounter.

May our Easter celebrations help us in “keeping” the commandments of Christ, observing them, obeying them, reserving them in our minds and hearts, and guarding them from error, for the building up of the Church, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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God the Father was glorified in the death and resurrection of his Son. Let us pray to him with confidence.

God the Father bathed the world in splendor when Christ rose again in glory, may our minds be filled with the light of faith.

Through the resurrection of His Son, the Father opened for us the way to eternal life, may we be sustained today in our work with the hope of glory.

Through His risen Son, the Father sent the Holy Spirit into the world, may our hearts be set on fire with spiritual love.

May Jesus Christ, who was crucified to set us free, be the salvation of all those who suffer, particularly those who suffer from physical or mental illness, addiction, and grief.

That all of our beloved dead and all the souls in purgatory may come to the glory of the Resurrection.

O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the desires of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our lord.