9 May 2017 - John of Avila - Doctor of the Church - Homily Tuesday of the 4th week of Easter - John 10:22-30

       This week, the Church celebrates the feast day of John of Avila, who was named a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.  John lived way back in the 16th century, but he was not canonized as a saint until 1970.  John of Avila was the patron of World Youth Day which was held in Madrid, Spain in 2011. It is interesting that John was the confessor and mentor of many reformers of the Church in Spain during the era of the Protestant Reformation, for people such as Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross, who are Doctors of the Church as well.  John was also a mentor and spiritual director to many of the men who joined a new religious order founded in this era by St Ignatius of Loyola - the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits.  John himself was imprisoned during the Spanish Inquisition, as were many Church reformers and visionaries in that era of history.  There is a quote from John of Avila which I think is perhaps relevant to us in what many go through in the modern world: “Dear brothers and sisters, I pray that God may open your eyes and let you see what hidden treasures he bestows on us in the trials from which the world thinks only to flee. Shame turns into honor when we seek God’s glory.”

      As we hear these wise words from John of Avila today, we hear a Gospel message that takes place during the festival of the Dedication in Jerusalem.  This winter festival commemorates the dedication of the temple by Judas Maccabeus in December 165 BC after it had been desecrated by the Syrian King Antiochus Epiphanes. Jesus, being a devout Jew, would have celebrated this festival with his disciples and his family.  During this Jewish festival time, Jesus is questioned about his identity again, a recurring theme in the Gospels, because the Jews do not understand who Jesus is. They are awaiting the Messiah, but they have their own expectations and they are not being fulfilled.  Jesus’ signs and miracles and his proclamation of God’s kingdom are not recognized by so many.  Do we recognize Jesus in the way we live out our daily lives?   I think of the saints like John of Avila, for the contributions they made to our faith, for the way they followed God’s will for them.  Lord, may your will be done in our lives.  May we have the courage to recognize you as our Lord and Savior.  May we have the courage to follow your will.