{"id":2784,"date":"2014-07-21T17:52:58","date_gmt":"2014-07-21T17:52:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/?page_id=2784"},"modified":"2022-01-12T10:48:32","modified_gmt":"2022-01-12T15:48:32","slug":"b-4th-sunday-of-easter","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/homilies\/cycle-b\/b-4th-sunday-of-easter\/","title":{"rendered":"B: 4th Sunday of Easter"},"content":{"rendered":"

Being God\u2019s Children<\/strong><\/h2>\n
May 11, 2003<\/h5>\n

John 10:11-18<\/h3>\n

There is an ancient legend told in the mountains of the Andes, about two mountain tribes.\u00a0 One lived at the foot of the mountains in the lowlands and the other lived at the mountain\u2019s top.\u00a0 These two tribes were enemies and constantly at war with one another.\u00a0 One day the tribe from the top of the mountain came down to attack the lowlander\u2019s village.\u00a0 In the course of their plunder they kidnapped a young boy and took him with them back up the mountain.\u00a0 The lowlanders immediately responded by selecting fifty of their strongest and most capable warriors and sending them on a mission to rescue the boy.\u00a0 The problem was that the lowlanders did not know how to climb mountains.\u00a0 They did not know the paths that should be used.\u00a0 So these fifty soldiers tried path after path and climbing method after climbing method.\u00a0 All to no avail.\u00a0 After three or four days of futile efforts, hopeless and helpless, they decided to give up and return to their village.\u00a0 But as they were packing their gear, they looked up and they saw the mother of the child who had been kidnapped coming down from the mountain that they were unable to climb.\u00a0 She had her son strapped to her back.\u00a0 One of the soldiers went up to greet her and said, \u201cYou succeeded where fifty of the most capable people of our village, failed. How is this possible?\u201d\u00a0 The woman shrugged and said, \u201cHe was not your child.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whenever we give life to anyone, we can do things that others cannot do and that others cannot understand.\u00a0 Whenever we give life to another person, we are connected to that person forever.\u00a0 For the giving of life forms a bond that time does not break.\u00a0 Mothers know this because, in the most fundamental sense, they give life to another.\u00a0 But every one of us here who is connected to anyone knows this as well, because if we are connected deeply to anyone, that connection came about because life was given.\u00a0 Life can be given in an unequal way, like the life that parents give to children or the life teachers give to students or the life that the wise give to the young.\u00a0 Or life can be given in a mutual manner like the way that spouses give life to one another or the way that close friends share life together and deepen their experience of living.\u00a0 But however it is done, whenever life is given, connections are formed and those connections are essential for us.\u00a0 Because when life is given and connections are formed, two things invariably emerge: worth and sacrifice.<\/p>\n

It is only when we give life to one another that we really understand our own worth.\u00a0 It is in the process of being connected to others that we see who we are and what our true value is.\u00a0 The person who lives in isolation does not even know who she or he is.\u00a0 But when we are connected, our life has meaning.\u00a0 A life without connections is empty and purposeless.\u00a0 So the connections we have to others allow us to claim our own worth.\u00a0 They also lead us to sacrifice.\u00a0 If we are connected to others, we feel their pain.\u00a0 When others to whom we are connected make bad decisions or are in danger, we suffer with them.\u00a0 This is why mothers worry and why friends mourn.\u00a0 Because once we begin to love someone, it is only a matter of time before we suffer with them.\u00a0 Once we are connected to someone, we will, in time, also be hurt.\u00a0 Whenever we give life to someone, we must be willing to lay down our life time and again.\u00a0 Both worth and sacrifice flow from the connections that support us, the connections that come from life that is shared.\u00a0 This is nothing new.\u00a0 It is our experience.\u00a0 It is simply the way things are.<\/p>\n

But the good news found in the gospel we have just heard is this: this giving of life that leads to a connection out of which worth and sacrifice flow, is not limited simply to us.\u00a0 It also applies to God.\u00a0 God is the one who gave us life and so God is bound to us by bonds that cannot be broken.\u00a0 Just as the Good Shepherd cares for the sheep and is willing to lay down his life for the sheep; God cares for us and is willing to do all that is necessary to help us.\u00a0 Because of this, we should never doubt our value in God\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 Because of this we should never think that God has forgotten us, no matter how difficult our life becomes.\u00a0 God has given life to us and like a mother, can never stop caring for us, can never fail to save us.<\/p>\n

We can doubt our own value but we should never doubt that God cares for us.\u00a0 .\u00a0 Others can look at us and see us as expendable or worthless.\u00a0 They can point to us and ask God, \u201cHow could you love these people?\u00a0 They are so selfish, so judgmental, so wounded.\u00a0 How could you care for them?\u00a0 How could you be willing to lay down your life for them?\u00a0 We could never do it.\u201d\u00a0 But to that question, God would simply shrug and say, \u201cThey are not your children.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Glimpse of God\u2019s Love<\/b><\/h2>\n
May 7, 2006<\/h5>\n

John 10:11-18<\/h3>\n

\u201cGod loves you.\u201d\u00a0 How often have you heard that phrase in a homily or read it in the bible or on a bumper sticker?\u00a0 God loves you.\u00a0 It is so commonplace that it often does not sink in. \u00a0We hear it so often that it makes little impact.\u00a0 But it must make an impact, because knowing that God loves you is the center of the gospel, and little of what Jesus teaches will make any sense unless we believe that God loves us.<\/p>\n

But how can we take in a love that is so much larger than anything we have imagined?\u00a0 How can we absorb the profound truth that God loves us?\u00a0The Jewish rabbis had a technique to provide an appreciation for something much larger than we could ever experience.\u00a0 It was called \u201cfrom the lesser to the greater.\u201d It worked like this.\u00a0 If we can appreciate a lesser example of what love and care is, we can then imagine that God\u2019s love was so much greater. If we could appreciate the lesser, it could give us a glimpse of the greater.<\/p>\n

There was an effective example of the lesser to the greater published in the New York Times this March.\u00a0 A reporter from the Times lost his wallet on the subway.\u00a0 When he arrived at the office and discovered it was gone, he was frustrated. He knew that his life would be in upheaval for the next couple of weeks, trying to identify and replace the contents.\u00a0 But about an hour later, a young man by the name of Paul showed up at the office and returned the reporter\u2019s wallet.\u00a0 He did not want any reward for doing so. The reporter and Paul talked a few minutes about Paul\u2019s family, in particular about his pride in his nine-month-old son, Malachi.\u00a0 After Paul left, the reporter decided to write a letter to Malachi.\u00a0 This is what he wrote:<\/p>\n

\u00a0Dear Malachi,<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t know me, but your father Paul and I were fellow travelers on the subway at 34th<\/sup> Street.\u00a0 As I sped along, I dropped my wallet.\u00a0 Your father was walking a few moments behind me and found it.\u00a0 It had little monetary value, but to me it was priceless.\u00a0 Your father could have set it on a railing as so many other people would have done, but he took the time to find its owner.\u00a0 Searching through its contents, he supposed that the transit tickets and business cards would reveal my place of work.\u00a0 He was correct. \u00a0He brought the wallet to me, and he would not take a reward.<\/p>\n

In a city of millions, your father became a singularly important person.\u00a0 He was willing to set aside his time and schedule to perform an act of kindness for a person he didn\u2019t even know.\u00a0 I wanted to tell you this because your father would probably not think his act of kindness was worthy of a boast.\u00a0 But I think that you should know something of the love which surrounds you.\u00a0 Your father was willing to make sure that a simple wallet made its way home.\u00a0 Just think what he would do to make sure that you\u2014someone he loves immeasurably\u2014will always find your way home as well.\u00a0 I write to you in the hope that my story can give you even a small glimpse of how much your father must love you.<\/p>\n

From the lesser to the greater.\u00a0 From the care that could be appreciated in making sure that a wallet finds its owner, we can catch a glimpse of the care and love that most certainly pertains to a son.\u00a0 If we can appreciate the way that fathers and mothers love their sons and daughters here on earth, that can give us a small insight to how much greater is God\u2019s care and love for us.\u00a0 Today\u2019s second reading tells us that God loves us as daughters and sons.\u00a0\u00a0 In the gospel Jesus the good shepherd is willing to lay down his life for us.<\/p>\n

We must believe in that love. We must believe it when we are discouraged and frightened, when we\u2019ve failed or lost our way, when we\u2019re struggling with loss or sickness or bitterness.\u00a0 God will not forget us.\u00a0 God will not abandon us.\u00a0 God loves us.\u00a0 That is not a clich\u00e9.\u00a0 That is our hope and our salvation.<\/p>\n

One Flock, One Shepherd<\/b><\/h2>\n
May 3, 2009<\/h5>\n

John 10:11-18<\/h3>\n

A Jewish couple living in Texas decided to participate in a cultural exchange program in which Jews from throughout the world came to visit the United States.\u00a0 So around Christmas time a rabbi from the back woods of Russia showed up to live with them for awhile.\u00a0 They wanted to provide the rabbi experiences that he could not have in his native Russia, so they called together some family and friends and took him out to their favorite Chinese restaurant.\u00a0 All during the meal the rabbi was speaking in glowing terms of the beauties of North America. At the end of the meal the owner of the restaurant came forward and presented to each diner a small metal Christmas tree ornament as a token of the season.\u00a0 After the owner left, someone pointed out that on the back of the ornament it was written \u201cMade in India.\u201d Everyone had a good laugh. Then they noticed that the rabbi was crying.\u00a0 His hosts became concerned and questioned him whether he was offended because he was given a gift that was connected to a Christian holiday.\u00a0 But he shook his head, \u201cNo, no,\u201d he said, \u201cI\u2019m crying tears of joy, joy to be in a country where a Buddhist can give a Jew a Christmas gift made by a Hindu.\u201d<\/p>\n

The tears of the rabbi were holy tears, and in our hearts we know it.\u00a0 Because regardless of background or religion all people recognize that when those who are different cooperate, when men and women reach across borders that separate them, when divisions are healed, God is at work.\u00a0 The Jewish tradition knew this profoundly.\u00a0 The Jewish Bible begins with God creating all things and making all people in God\u2019s likeness.\u00a0 The Jewish Torah instructs Jews to love and care for the resident aliens, people of other countries who lived in their midst.\u00a0 They were directed to welcome the stranger.\u00a0 Jesus being a good Jew placed this truth at the heart of his message saying that we who welcome the stranger welcome Him.\u00a0 In today\u2019s gospel he uses the image of the shepherd and the sheep, first of all to emphasize his closeness to us and then to make it clear that he has other sheep that do not belong to our fold. In this way he reveals that God\u2019s ultimate intention is to have one fold and one shepherd.<\/p>\n

This vision of a humanity united across its divisions is God\u2019s vision.\u00a0 All too often we see our faith as a way of connecting God to us, and those that we know and love.\u00a0 But God has a broader vision.\u00a0 God\u2019s intention is to extend respect and unity across the entire earth.\u00a0 And this vision is not marginal to the Good News but at its center.\u00a0 Because every vision we have of God\u2019s Kingdom includes all people united in respect and peace.<\/p>\n

Now we do not often reflect upon this central part of our faith, because is so much easier, so much more comfortable, just to stick around with the people who are like us\u2014the people who think the way we do, the people who come from the same background and have the same perspectives.\u00a0 It takes an effort to reach out to someone who is different, to accept someone who seems strange to us. Yet our faith calls us to do just that.\u00a0 If the Kingdom is to come, then we must be willing to recognize and to welcome those who are strangers to us.<\/p>\n

People who are different surround us regularly.\u00a0 We run into them at work or at school, or when we shop or when we go to the movies.\u00a0 We are constantly rubbing elbows with people who are different: different because of their race, because of their religion, because of their sexual orientation, because of their nationality.\u00a0 We must not forget that God sees us in terms of the way that we see them.\u00a0 Therefore it is part of our calling to take the decision to reach across the boundary and accept someone who is different, who is stranger to us.<\/p>\n

This can be done in simple ways. We do not have to welcome a Russian rabbi into our home.\u00a0 It can be as simple as smiling to someone who is different from us or offering them a confident \u201cGood Morning.\u201d\u00a0 If the situation allows, we might ask someone, \u201cHow was your weekend?\u201d or share with them how our weekend was.\u00a0 These small actions reflect an attitude of openness and welcome.\u00a0 Each time we offer them it is so much more than being an open-minded and nice person.\u00a0 It is taking a step closer to God\u2019s intention for the world, a step closer to building the Kingdom of God.<\/p>\n

It is always more comfortable to remain in our own flock, to mill around with sheep that are just like us. But the shepherd whom we love has other sheep. If we intend to serve him, we must be willing to accept those sheep as well.\u00a0 Every time we do so we contribute to God\u2019s intention for the world. Every time we welcome someone who is stranger to us, we move closer to the day when there will be one flock and one shepherd.<\/p>\n

The Difference Between Cows and Sheep<\/b><\/h2>\n
April 29, 2012<\/h5>\n

John 10: 11-18<\/h3>\n

Today\u2019s Gospel is one of several places in the New Testament where Jesus is associated with a shepherd. If Jesus is the shepherd, then we are the sheep. Now I must admit that it is not uncommon for people to approached me and complain about this image. They point out that sheep are dirty and dull animals\u2014animals with which they are not flattered to be compared. As one man told me, \u201cI am a beloved child of God, not some clueless farm animal!\u201d<\/p>\n

The point is well taken. Yet the Scriptures do not present sheep to us in order to imply that we are sheep. We are not sheep. For that matter, neither is Jesus a shepherd. But the image of shepherd and sheep is used to say something about our relationship to God. Therefore, today, rather than being distracted by the animal imagery, I would like to ask what is useful about it. How does the image of sheep help us understand our relationship to God.<\/p>\n

I think the place to begin is by noting that sheep are different from cows. Cows are rather confident animals. They are not easily panicked. So if you own a number of cows, you are able to herd them. You can stand behind them and shake a stick or make a loud noise and the cows will look back and say, \u201cI don\u2019t know what that person is doing, but I want to get away from him.\u201d\u2014and together they will move ahead as a group. You can herd cows by getting behind them and pushing them forward.<\/p>\n

Sheep are different. They are not as confident as cows and are easily shaken. If you stand behind a group of sheep and shake a stick or make a loud noise, they will panic and disperse in every direction. The only way you can move a group of sheep forward is by having them trust you. Then when they hear your voice, they will follow it. In other words, sheep cannot be herded. They must be led.<\/p>\n

The image of sheep, then, says something important about our relationship with Christ. Jesus wants to move us. But he does not want to move us by disturbing us, but by attracting us. Jesus does not want us to be with him because he can force us to be with him, but because he is worthy of our trust. In other words, Jesus desires a relationship that is built not on fear but on love. This is an important insight for us because we may at one time or another see our own faith more in terms of obligation than grace. This is inappropriate, because the gospel is much more positive than it is negative. The Gospel is much more about embracing God\u2019s love than following God\u2019s commands.<\/p>\n

Now don\u2019t get me wrong. We should follow God\u2019s commands. We do have obligations to meet, and there are consequences for not meeting them. But Jesus is always calling us to relate to him on a higher level. Does he want us to come to church? Yes. But he wants us to come to church, not out of obligation, but because we know that we can experience God\u2019s presence and joy when we come together. Does he want us to treat all people with respect? Yes, he does. But he wants us to do this not because we would be embarrassed if people saw how narrowly we think and judge one another, but because we perceive in each person the image of God. Does he want us to forgive our enemies? Yes, he does. But he wants us to forgive our enemies, not because he has commanded it, but because we realize that there is no greater satisfaction than to experience the healing which comes from reconciliation.<\/p>\n

Jesus does not want to push us. He wants to lead us. If his purpose was to force us to the place we needed to go, we would be cows and he would be the herdsman. But he says that he is the shepherd and we are the sheep. He calls us sheep because he wants to attract us by the sound of his voice, so that trusting him we might follow him into the Kingdom of God.<\/p>\n

A Call to Serve<\/strong><\/h2>\n
April 26, 2015<\/h5>\n

John 10:11-18<\/h3>\n

Some of you may remember that this last February a young 26-year-old American woman was killed while being held captive by the Islamic State. Her name was Kayla Mueller, and she was in Syria providing humanitarian aid to the refuges of the Syrian crisis. What you might not know about Kayla is that the work she did was motivated by a deep religious conviction. She worked among the refuges because that is where she saw God. She wrote in a letter to her parents, \u201cI find God in the suffering eyes reflected in mine. And so, dear Lord, if this is where you are revealed to me, this is where I will forever seek you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Working among the suffering people around her was what God was calling Kayla to do. It was her vocation. Christians have always believed that God calls each of us to a particular vocation, to a particular path in life. And here is the truth about vocations. When you find what God is calling you to do, when you find where, in Kayla\u2019s words, \u201cYou can find God,\u201d you will be happy. Kayla\u2019s parents report that her letters from prison were remarkably positive and joyful. They were this way because her imprisonment flowed from her vocation, from who she was, and who she was called to be. Jesus reflects this kind of freedom in today\u2019s Gospel. He says the he willingly, freely, lays down his life for his sheep. He can do this because he understands that his vocation is to be the shepherd, that God is calling him to care for the people that have been entrusted to him.<\/p>\n

When we find our vocation, we will have freedom and joy. This is why it is so important for us to discern what God is calling us to do. If we base our life on how much money we can make, how much influence we can have, how much popularity we can accrue, we might in time be wealthy, powerful, and popular. But we might not be happy. This is why we should ask over and again, \u201cWhat is God calling me to?\u201d That answer can be different in our 20\u2019s, in our 40\u2019s, or in our 60\u2019s.<\/p>\n

God calls no one to everything. We cannot walk multiple paths at the same time. That is why it is important for each of us to find our own path and follow it. For some it will be a dedicated life of service as a single person. For many it will be the partnership of marriage, loving our spouse, our children, and our grandchildren. But we also believe that God is calling people to the priesthood and religious life as brothers and sisters. It is a priestly vocation that I discern as mine. I have no regrets in choosing it. Over the last forty years I have been blessed time and again by the people with whom I have worked and the people I have had the privileged to serve. The religious vocation is not as popular as it was fifty years ago. But the church still needs healthy and generous men and women to serve as priests, deacons, sisters, and brothers to bring about God\u2019s Kingdom in our world.<\/p>\n

So do not be influenced by people who say, \u201cI could never be a priest or a brother or a sister.\u201d They say this because it is not their vocation. The question is: \u201cIs it yours?\u201d If it is, follow it. It will provide you with the opportunity to lay down your life for something that is good. It will allow you to serve others. And, because it will be the place where you find God, it will make you happy.<\/p>\n

Selling Onions<\/strong><\/h2>\n
April 22, 2018<\/h5>\n

\u00a0John 10:11-18<\/h3>\n

There was a man who wanted to be happy. He thought to himself, \u201cIf I were rich, I would be happy.\u201d One day he heard of a distant country in which onions were unknown. \u201cAha,\u201d he said to himself, \u201cIf I could be the one to introduce onions into this country, I would make a fortune.\u201d So he bought a large wagon and filled it full of onions. After a long and difficult journey he arrived at the distant land. He went at once to the king and said, \u201cYour Majesty I would like to introduce to you a new vegetable, a vegetable that will change your kingdom. Everything you cook with it will taste better.\u201d The king was intrigued and ordered that a dinner be prepared. When the king tasted the onions, their flavor exceeded his wildest imagination. He said to the man, \u201cI will buy all of these onions from you, and I will pay you with their weight in gold.\u201d So that day the man went home with his wagon filled with gold.<\/p>\n

But then he thought to himself, \u201cIf I made this much money with onions, garlic is even more flavorful and more expensive. If I could introduce garlic to this distant country, I would come home with my wagon filled with diamonds!\u201d So he went to the king a second time. When the king tasted the garlic, he agreed that its flavor was even more wonderful than the onions. He told the man,\u201c I will buy all the garlic that you have.\u201d Then he met with his councilors to set the price. They all agreed that the flavor of the garlic made it more valuable than gold. So they decided to pay in the most precious commodity of their kingdom. And that day the man went home with his wagon filled with onions.<\/p>\n

If we try to find happiness by becoming rich, our plans will betray us. This is why Jesus shows us another way in today\u2019s gospel. In the gospel Jesus says that he is the shepherd and we are the sheep. Now what kind of a shepherd is Jesus? Five times in this gospel he tells us that he is willing to lay down his life for his sheep. Jesus is not focused on himself. He is focused on us. By his willingness to lay down his life he tells us that we will not find happiness by acquiring power, fame, or gold. We will find happiness when we give of ourselves to others. Now at first this sounds contradictory, that we would find happiness not by focusing on ourselves but by serving others. But Jesus assures us it is true. It can be difficult to be patient with your brothers and sisters who tease you or your children who do not listen to you. But when we find that patience, we will be happy. It can be a challenge to treat someone at school or at work who annoys us with respect. But when we give that respect we know we are doing what is right. It might require a great deal of strength to forgive someone who has hurt us or the people we love. But when we find that forgiveness we will also find Jesus\u2019 joy.<\/p>\n

Every day we make decisions that either focus on ourselves or focus on others. Today\u2019s gospel asks us to make those decisions carefully, because they will determine our happiness and what belongs to us. The alternatives are dramatic. Because at the end, we will either have a group of people who we love and love us in return or we will have a wagon full of onions<\/p>\n

Loving from the Inside<\/strong><\/h2>\n
April 25, 2021<\/h5>\n

John 10:11-18<\/h3>\n

Miracles can happen in city traffic. Here is one of them. An elderly man and woman stand waiting on the corner of a busy street. They are unbelievably old: white hair, bent over, shaking hands, and unstable limbs. The light changes, and they step off the curb together. The man takes the woman\u2019s arm and holds it tightly to his side as the two begin to shuffle through the standing traffic. Before they are halfway across, the light changes again. The cars begin to honk. But the man does not waiver. He holds on to his wife\u2019s arm with all of his strength and keeps his eyes fixed on the pavement in front of him as they move forward ever so slowly. Finally, they reach the other side of the street together.<\/p>\n

The inpatient motorists and preoccupied bystanders may not see the miracle in their midst: a bond of love that fear will not break; a relationship built up over decades of loving, understanding, forgiving and trusting; a union which gains its strength from knowing the other person so well that it is impossible to tell who is helping who, because their shared life is one. This kind of a relationship is a true miracle. It does not allow the couple to walk any faster. It certainly does not make them any younger. But it gives them the courage to live another day in a world that could all too easily brush them aside.<\/p>\n

This is the way that Jesus loves us. This is the kind of bond that Jesus establishes with us. Jesus does not love us from the outside, stepping into our life now and then to help us with this and that. Jesus is not like the hired man in today\u2019s gospel who works for pay. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who knows us as his own and who lays down his life for us. Jesus loves us from the inside, knowing who we are, remembering how our relationship began and then developed, understanding our every doubt, hope and fear. Jesus loves us from the inside. He knows our heart.<\/p>\n

And what this means is that we can turn to Jesus when we cannot turn to anyone else. When, even after years of marriage, your spouse still does not understand why a particular friend means so much to you, Jesus understands. When others wonder why you are not yet over grieving the loss of a person you love, Jesus does not wonder. He knows your soul. When even you cannot explain why you are unable to forgive someone who has hurt you, Jesus knows your pain and is already moving you toward forgiveness.<\/p>\n

Jesus loves us from the inside. That kind of love does not promise that every phase of our life will be easy. it does not assure us that every good thing we attempt will be successful. But the love of Jesus promises this: He will hold onto us with a strength that nothing can break and walk with us faithfully, until we reach the other side.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Being God\u2019s Children May 11, 2003 John 10:11-18 There is an ancient legend told in the mountains of the Andes, about two mountain tribes.\u00a0 One lived at the foot of the mountains in the lowlands and the other lived at the mountain\u2019s top.\u00a0 These two tribes were enemies and constantly at war with one another.\u00a0 … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5879,"featured_media":0,"parent":585,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2784"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5879"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2784"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2784\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5597,"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2784\/revisions\/5597"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}