Monday of the Second Week of Easter
Lectionary: 267
Lectionary: 267
After their release
Peter and John went back to their own people
and reported what the chief priests and elders had told them.
And when they heard it,
they raised their voices to God with one accord
and said, “Sovereign Lord, maker of heaven and earth
and the sea and all that is in them,
you said by the Holy Spirit
through the mouth of our father David, your servant:
Why did the Gentiles rage
and the peoples entertain folly?
The kings of the earth took their stand
and the princes gathered together
against the Lord and against his anointed.
Indeed they gathered in this city
against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed,
Herod and Pontius Pilate,
together with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,
to do what your hand and your will
had long ago planned to take place.
And now, Lord, take note of their threats,
and enable your servants to speak your word
with all boldness, as you stretch forth your hand to heal,
and signs and wonders are done
through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
As they prayed, the place where they were gathered shook,
and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
and reported what the chief priests and elders had told them.
And when they heard it,
they raised their voices to God with one accord
and said, “Sovereign Lord, maker of heaven and earth
and the sea and all that is in them,
you said by the Holy Spirit
through the mouth of our father David, your servant:
Why did the Gentiles rage
and the peoples entertain folly?
The kings of the earth took their stand
and the princes gathered together
against the Lord and against his anointed.
Indeed they gathered in this city
against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed,
Herod and Pontius Pilate,
together with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,
to do what your hand and your will
had long ago planned to take place.
And now, Lord, take note of their threats,
and enable your servants to speak your word
with all boldness, as you stretch forth your hand to heal,
and signs and wonders are done
through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
As they prayed, the place where they were gathered shook,
and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
Responsorial Psalm PS 2:1-3, 4-7A, 7B-9
R. (see 11d) Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Why do the nations rage
and the peoples utter folly?
The kings of the earth rise up,
and the princes conspire together
against the LORD and against his anointed:
“Let us break their fetters
and cast their bonds from us!”
R. Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He who is throned in heaven laughs;
the LORD derides them.
Then in anger he speaks to them;
he terrifies them in his wrath:
“I myself have set up my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.”
I will proclaim the decree of the LORD.
R. Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD said to me, “You are my Son;
this day I have begotten you.
Ask of me and I will give you
the nations for an inheritance
and the ends of the earth for your possession.
You shall rule them with an iron rod;
you shall shatter them like an earthen dish.”
R. Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Why do the nations rage
and the peoples utter folly?
The kings of the earth rise up,
and the princes conspire together
against the LORD and against his anointed:
“Let us break their fetters
and cast their bonds from us!”
R. Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He who is throned in heaven laughs;
the LORD derides them.
Then in anger he speaks to them;
he terrifies them in his wrath:
“I myself have set up my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.”
I will proclaim the decree of the LORD.
R. Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD said to me, “You are my Son;
this day I have begotten you.
Ask of me and I will give you
the nations for an inheritance
and the ends of the earth for your possession.
You shall rule them with an iron rod;
you shall shatter them like an earthen dish.”
R. Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel JN 3:1-8
There was a
Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
He came to Jesus at night and said to him,
“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God,
for no one can do these signs that you are doing
unless God is with him.”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus said to him,
“How can a man once grown old be born again?
Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?”
Jesus answered,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born of water and Spirit
he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.
What is born of flesh is flesh
and what is born of spirit is spirit.
Do not be amazed that I told you,
‘You must be born from above.’
The wind blows where it wills,
and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
He came to Jesus at night and said to him,
“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God,
for no one can do these signs that you are doing
unless God is with him.”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus said to him,
“How can a man once grown old be born again?
Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?”
Jesus answered,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born of water and Spirit
he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.
What is born of flesh is flesh
and what is born of spirit is spirit.
Do not be amazed that I told you,
‘You must be born from above.’
The wind blows where it wills,
and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Meditation: "Unless one is born
anew"
Do you nourish your faith with prayerful
reflection of the word of God? When Nicodemus heard about Jesus' miracles and
extraordinary teaching, he decided to meet with him privately, away from the
crowds and the public spotlight. Nicodemus was no ordinary Jew. He was a
religious ruler and member of the Sanhedrin, which was the supreme court of the
Jews, and a teacher of Israel (John 3:10). He was a devout Pharisee who sought
to perfectly follow the law of Moses, as prescribed in the Five Books of Moses
(Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, Leviticus, and Numbers) and further elaborated
in the numerous scribal laws, recorded in the Mishnah and the Talmud.
Nicodemus decided to meet with Jesus at night,
possibly for two reasons. He may have been cautious and not ready to
publicly associate himself with Jesus since many Pharisees opposed Jesus'
teaching and called him a Sabbath breaker. It is also likely that Nicodemus
chose the night as the best time for seeking a private and undisturbed
conversation with Jesus. The rabbis declared that the best time to study the
law was at night after the day's work was completed and the household was at
rest. When Nicodemus saw Jesus he addressed him as rabbi (a
teacher of God's word and law) and acknowledged that Jesus' teaching came from
God.
Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus went to the
very heart of the Mosaic law - how can one get right with God and enter God's
kingdom? Jesus' answer was brief and startling: "Unless one is born anew,
he cannot see God." The new birth which Jesus spoke about was not a
physical birth but the beginning of a spiritual birth which is something
completely new and radical, and from above, namely from God himself. Jesus said
that this rebirth was necessary if one was to enter God's kingdom. Nicodemus
thought that to be born again, even spiritually, was impossible. He probably
knew too well from experience that anyone who wants to be changed from within,
can't accomplish this by oneself. Jesus explained that this change could only
come about through the work and action of the Holy Spirit. This rebirth in the
Spirit is very real and experiential, like the wind which can be felt and heard
while it is visibly unseen to the naked eye.
Rebirth in the Spirit
What does it mean to be reborn in the Spirit? The new birth which Jesus speaks of is a spiritual birth to a life which is transformed through the power of God. This new life brings us into an experiential relationship with God as his adopted sons and daughters (Romans 6:4; 8:10-11). This new birth is made possible when one is baptized into Christ and receives the gift of the Holy Spirit. God wants to renew all of his people in the gift of new life in his Holy Spirit. This new life in the Spirit brings us into God's kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy (Romans 14:17).
What does it mean to be reborn in the Spirit? The new birth which Jesus speaks of is a spiritual birth to a life which is transformed through the power of God. This new life brings us into an experiential relationship with God as his adopted sons and daughters (Romans 6:4; 8:10-11). This new birth is made possible when one is baptized into Christ and receives the gift of the Holy Spirit. God wants to renew all of his people in the gift of new life in his Holy Spirit. This new life in the Spirit brings us into God's kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy (Romans 14:17).
What is the kingdom of God -
which is also called the kingdom of heaven? God's kingdom - his
reign and blessing as King over us - is the abundant everlasting life and power
from heaven which God shares with those who accept him as the Eternal Father
and Author of Life and Ruler of All he has created. Jesus explains in the
prayer he gave to his disciples, what we call the Lord's Prayer or the Our
Father, that God's kingdom is that society of men and women who acknowledge God
as their Lord and Ruler and who obey his word and live according to his will on earth as
it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).
To be reborn in the Spirit is
to enter that society in which God is honored and obeyed. Those who willingly
accept God's rule in their lives become citizens of God's heavenly kingdom and
members of God's family - his adopted sons and daughters. And they enter into
possession of the life which comes from God himself, an everlasting life of
love, peace, joy, and freedom from sin, oppression, and corruption. Do you know
the joy and freedom of the new birth and abundant life which Jesus Christ has
won for you?
"Lord Jesus Christ, you offer us abundant
new life and power to live as sons and daughters of our Father in heaven. Renew
in me the gift of faith to accept and obey your life-giving word and to
cooperate with the transforming power of your Holy Spirit who changes us into
your likeness. May your kingdom come and your will be done in my life today,
tomorow, and always."
 Eyes of Faith |
|
Monday of the
Second Week of Easter
|
|
John 3:1-8
There was a
Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus at night and
said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from
God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him."
Jesus answered and said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can
see the kingdom of God without being born from above." Nicodemus said to
him, "How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot
reenter his mother´s womb and be born again, can he?" Jesus answered,
"Amen, amen, I say to you, unless one is born of water and Spirit he
cannot enter the Kingdom of God. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is
born of spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you, ´You must be born
from above.´ The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it
makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is
with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Introductory
Prayer: Lord, you know my needs better than I do. I turn to your
Spirit to teach me what to ask for in this prayer. I want to fulfill your
holy will over my life. I love you, Lord and I place all my hope in you.
Petition: Lord, increase my
sensitivity to your Spirit.
1. Human
Eyes: What do the eyes of our head see? They see the work of God in
creation telling us that he loves us. They see creatures as a means to know
and respond to our loving Creator. Our eyes see opportunities to exercise the
love that we learn from this Creator. They see the mystery of Christ’s love
in the Eucharist. They see around us the work of the Spirit in the Church,
the Mystical Body of Christ. The eyes are the apparatus of faith and serve us
well on our way to the everlasting Kingdom. Is this the case for my own eyes?
2. Eyes of the
Heart: If the things that flow from the heart can defile a man, so
too the things that flow from the heart can sanctify a man. The eyes are also
the apparatus of the heart. The eyes will focus on what the heart treasures.
Christ stated it so clearly: “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your
eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is
unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in
your eye is darkness, how great is the darkness!” (Matthew 6:22).
3. Eyes of the
Soul: “The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it
makes but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with
the Spirit.” The Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, speaks to our souls without the
noise of words. The eyes of the soul, guided by the same Spirit, help us to
see -- to relish what is right and always rejoice in his consolation. In this
Easter season, the Spirit begins to stir, and the Church begins to chant more
fervently: “Veni Sancti Spiritus! Come Holy Spirit!” As members
of this Mystical Body it is a compelling duty and a delightful right for us
to join in this prayer.
Conversation with
Christ: Lord Jesus Christ, you promised to send your Holy Spirit upon
your Church, and you prepared the disciples on multiple occasions to make
themselves ready. Just as the Israelites quickly made ready for the Passover
as people prepped for a journey, guide me to be prepared to journey with your
Spirit.
Resolution: I will invoke the
Holy Spirit in short prayers at three different times today.
|
EASTER WEEKDAY, MONDAY,
APRIL 28, JOHN 3:1-8
(Acts 4:23-31; Psalm 2)
(Acts 4:23-31; Psalm 2)
KEY VERSE: "No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit" (v 5).
READING: Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin (the Jewish council), and one of the Jerusalem aristocracy. Nicodemus was curious about Jesus but he was afraid to come to him in broad daylight, so he came to him at night. Jesus told him that it was not enough to claim membership in the chosen people. To become a child of God, one must be "born from above" (v 3). Nicodemus misinterpreted this to mean human birth. Jesus helped him to understand that he could only enter God's kingdom through spiritual rebirth in Baptism, being born of "water and Spirit." Although the workings of the Spirit were invisible, like the wind, anyone could observe the results. Nicodemus' spiritual growth was seen later when he courageously defended Jesus before the Sanhedrin (Jn 7:50), and when he came to anoint Jesus' body for burial (Jn 19:39).
REFLECTING: Am I afraid of what others may think when I seek to learn more about Jesus?
PRAYING: Risen Lord, help me to trust in the mysterious workings of the Spirit.
Optional Memorial of
Peter Chanel, priest and martyr
Ordained in 1827 at age 24, Peter Chanel was assigned to Crozet, a parish in decline. He turned it around, in part because of his ministry to the sick, and brought a spiritual revival. He joined the Society of Mary (Marist Fathers) in 1831. He taught at the Belley seminary for five years, and led a band of missionaries to the New Hebrides in 1836, an area where cannibalism had only recently been outlawed. He converted many, often as a result of his work with the sick. He learned the local language, and taught in the local school. Killed by order of Niuliki, a native king who was jealous of Peter's influence, Peter Chanel became the first martyr in Oceania.
Optional Memorial of
Louis Mary de Montfort, priest
Under the Blessed Virgin Mary's inspiration, Louis Mary de Montfort founded the Congregation of the Daughters of Divine Wisdom, a religious institute of women devoted to the care of the destitute. During this work, he began his apostolate of preaching the Rosary and authentic Marian devotion. He preached so forcefully against the errors of Jansenism that he was expelled from several dioceses in France. Pope Clement XI conferred on him the authority of Missionary Apostolic, which enabled him to continue his work after returning to France. Louis was one of the greatest apostles of the Rosary in his day, and by means of his inspiring book, The Secret of the Rosary, he is still so today. In 1715, he founded a missionary band known as the Company of Mary.
Happy are all who put their trust in the Lord
‘Unless you be born from above you cannot enter the kingdom of
God.’The statement made by Jesus to Nicodemus is blunt. The concept of life, as used by John, is identical with the kingdom of God. To enter the kingdom of God is to enter into the very life of God. St Peter in one of his letters asks how beings created with the nature we have can also participate in the divine nature? This is not a moral problem, still less a legal problem. Of ourselves, we can do nothing to reach the divine level unless we are helped from outside ourselves. We are raised by God descending from heaven to our level and then bringing us up to his own level. O wonderful exchange! O the love of God for us!
St. Peter Chanel
In St.
Peter Chanel, Priest and Martyr (Feast day - April 28) The protomartyr of the South
Seas, St. Peter Chanel was born in 1803 at Clet in the diocese of Belley,
France. His intelligence and simple piety brought him to the attention of the
local priest, Father Trompier, who saw to his elementary education. Entering
the diocesan Seminary, Peter won the affection and the esteem of both students
and professors. After his ordination he found himself in a rundown country
parish and completely revitalized it in the three year span that he remained
there. However, his mind was set on missionary work; so, in 1831, he joined the
newly formed Society of Mary (Marists) which concentrated on missionary work at
home and abroad. To his dismay, he was appointed to teach at the seminary at
Belley and remained there for the next five years, diligently performing his
duties.
In
1836, the Society was given the New Hebrides in the Pacific as a field for
evangelization, and the jubilant St. Peter was appointed Superior of a little
band of missionaries sent to proclaim the Faith to its inhabitants. On reaching
their destination after an arduous ten month journey, the band split up and St.
Peter went to the Island of Futuna accompanied by a laybrother and an English
layman, Thomas Boog. They were at first well received by the pagans and their
king Niuliki who had only recently forbidden canabalism. However, the kings
jealousy and fear were aroused when the missionaries learned the language and
gained the people's confidence; he realized the adoption of the Christian Faith
would lead to the abolition of some of the prerogatives he enjoyed as both
highpriest and sovereign.
Finally,
when his own son expressed a desire to be baptized, the king's hatred erupted
and he dispatched a group of his warriors to set upon the saintly head of the
missionaries. Thus, on April 28, 1841, three years after his arrival, St. Peter
was seized and clubbed to death by those he had come to save. And his death
brought his work to completion - within five months the entire island was
converted to Christianity.
LECTIO DIVINA:
JOHN 3,1-8
Lectio:
Monday, April 28, 2014
Easter Time
1) Opening prayer
Lord God, our Father,
you are not far away from any of us,
for in you we live and move and exist
and you live in us
through your Holy Spirit.Be indeed with us, Lord,
send us your Holy Spirit of truth
and through him deepen our understanding
of the life and message of your Son,
that we may accept the full truth
and live by it consistently.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
you are not far away from any of us,
for in you we live and move and exist
and you live in us
through your Holy Spirit.Be indeed with us, Lord,
send us your Holy Spirit of truth
and through him deepen our understanding
of the life and message of your Son,
that we may accept the full truth
and live by it consistently.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
2) Gospel Reading - John 3,1-8
There was one of the Pharisees called Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews, who came to Jesus by night and said, 'Rabbi, we know that you have come from God as a teacher; for no one could perform the signs that you do unless God were with him.'
Jesus answered: In all truth I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above. Nicodemus said, 'How can anyone who is already old be born? Is it possible to go back into the womb again and be born?'
Jesus replied: In all truth I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born through water and the Spirit; what is born of human nature is human; what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be surprised when I say: You must be born from above. The wind blows where it pleases; you can hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.
There was one of the Pharisees called Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews, who came to Jesus by night and said, 'Rabbi, we know that you have come from God as a teacher; for no one could perform the signs that you do unless God were with him.'
Jesus answered: In all truth I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above. Nicodemus said, 'How can anyone who is already old be born? Is it possible to go back into the womb again and be born?'
Jesus replied: In all truth I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born through water and the Spirit; what is born of human nature is human; what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be surprised when I say: You must be born from above. The wind blows where it pleases; you can hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today presents part of the conversation of Jesus with Nicodemus. Nicodemus appears several times in the Gospel of:
John (Jn 3, 1-13; 7, 50-52; 19, 39). He was a person who held a certain social position. He was a leader among the Jews and formed part of the supreme tribunal, called the Synedrium. In the Gospel of John, he represents the group of Jews who were pious and sincere, but who did not succeed in understanding everything which Jesus said and did. Nicodemus had heard about the signs and the wonderful things that Jesus did, and he was struck, amazed. He wanted to speak with Jesus in order to understand better. He was a cultured person, who thought he believed the things of God. He expected the Messiah with the Book of the Law in his hand to verify if the novelty announced by Jesus would arrive. Jesus makes Nicodemus understand that the only way to understand the things of God is to be born again! Today this same thing happens. Some like Nicodemus: accept as new only what agrees with their ideas. What does not agree with their ideas is rejected and considered contrary to tradition. Others allow themselves to be surprised from facts and are not afraid to say: “I have been born anew!”
• John 3, 1: A man called Nicodemus. Shortly before the encounter of Jesus with Nicodemus, the Evangelist was speaking of the imperfect faith of certain persons who were interested only in the miracles of Jesus (Jn 2, 23-25). Nicodemus was one of these persons. He had good will, but his faith was still imperfect. The conversation with Jesus helped him to perceive that he has to advance in order to be able to deepen his faith in Jesus and in God.
• John 3, 2: 1st question of Nicodemus: the tension between what is old and what is new. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a prominent person among the Jews and with a good common sense. He went to meet Jesus at night and said to him: “Rabbì, we know that you have come from God as a teacher; for no one could perform the signs that you do unless God were with him”. Nicodemus gives an opinion of Jesus according to arguments which he, Nicodemus himself, has within himself. This is already important, but it is not enough to know Jesus. The signs which Jesus works can arouse a person and awake in the person some interest. They can generate curiosity, but they do not generate greater faith. They do not make one see the Kingdom of God present in Jesus. For this reason it is necessary to advance, to take one more step. Which is this step?
• John 3, 3: The response of Jesus: "You must be born again!” In order that Nicodemus can perceive the Kingdom present in Jesus, he should be born again, from above. Anyone who tries to understand Jesus only from his arguments alone does not succeed to understand him. Jesus is much greater. If Nicodemus remains only with the catechism of the past in his hand, he will not succeed to understand Jesus. He should open his hand completely. He should set aside his own certainties and his security and abandon himself totally. He should make a choice between, on the one hand, the security which comes from the organized religion with its laws and traditions and, on the other hand, launch himself to the adventure of the Spirit which Jesus proposes to him.
• John 3, 4: 2nd question of Nicodemus: How can anyone who is already old be born again? Nicodemus does not give in and returns with the same question with a certain irony: “How can a man be born when he is old? Is it possible to go back into the womb again and be born again?” Nicodemus takes the words of Jesus literally and, because of this, he understands nothing. He should have perceived that the words of Jesus had a symbolic sense.
• John 3, 5-8: The answer of Jesus: To be born from above, to be born from the Spirit. Jesus explains what it means: to be born from above or to be born again. It is “To be born from water and the Spirit”. Here we have a very clear reference to Baptism. Through the conversation of Jesus with Nicodemus, the Evangelist invites us to review our Baptism. He gives the following words: “What is born of human nature is human, what is born of the Spirit is Spirit”. Flesh means that which is born only from our ideas. What is born from us is within our reach. To be born of the Spirit is another thing! The Spirit is like the wind. “The wind blows where it pleases; you can hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going; so it is with anyone who is born of the Spirit”. The wind has within itself, a direction, a route. We perceive the direction of the wind, for example, the North wind or the wind coming from the South, but we do not know, nor can we control the cause why the wind moves in this or that direction. This is the way the Spirit is. "No one is the master of the Spirit” (Ecl 8, 8). What characterizes the wind best, the Spirit, is liberty. The wind, the Spirit, is free, He cannot be controlled. He acts on others and nobody can act on him. His origin is a mystery. The boat must first find the route of the wind. Then it has to place the sails according to that route. That is what Nicodemus should do and what we should all do.
• A key to understand better the words of Jesus on the Holy Spirit. The Hebrew language uses the same word to say wind and spirit. As we have said the wind has within it a route, a direction: the North wind, the wind from the South. The Spirit of God has a route, a project, which already manifested itself in creation. The Spirit was present in creation under the form of a bird which flew over the waters of the chaos (Jn 1, 2). Year after year, he renews the face of the earth and sets nature through the sequence of the seasons (Ps 104, 30; 147, 18). The same is also present in history. He makes the Red Sea move back (Ex 14, 21) and he gives quails to the people to eat (Nb 11, 31). He accompanies Moses and, beginning with him, he distributes the leaders of the people (Nb 11, 24-25). He took the leaders and took them to carry out liberating actions: Othniel (Jg 3, 10), Gideon (Jg 6, 34), Jephthah (Jg 11, 29), Samson (Jg 13, 25; 14, 6.19; 15, 14), Saul (1S 11, 6), and Deborah, the prophetess (Jg 4, 4). He is present in the group of the prophets and acts in them with the force which is contagious (1S 10, 5-6. 10), his action in the prophets produces envy in the others. But Moses reacts: “If only all Yahweh’s people were prophets, and Yahweh had given them his spirit!” (Nb 11, 29).
• All along the centuries the hope grew that the Spirit of God would have oriented the Messiah in the realization of God’s project (Is 11, 1-9) and it would have descended upon all the people of God (Ez 36, 27; 39, 29; Is 32, 15; 44, 3). The great promise of the Spirit appears in various ways in the prophets of the exile: the vision of the dry bones, risen by the force of the Spirit of God (Ez 37, 1-14); the effusion of the Spirit of God on all the people (Jl 3, 1-5); the vision of the Messiah-Servant who will be anointed by the Spirit to establish the right on earth and announce the Good News to the poor (Is 42, 1; 44, 1-3; 61, 1-3). They perceive a future, in which people, always more and more, are reborn thanks to the effusion of the Spirit (Ez 36, 26-27; Ps 51, 12; cf. Is 32, 15-20).
• The Gospel of John uses many images and symbols to signify the action of the Spirit. Just like in creation (Gn 1, 1), in the same way the Spirit descended upon Jesus “like a dove, coming from heaven” (Jn 1, 32). It is the beginning of the new creation! Jesus pronounces the words of God and communicates to us His Spirit (Jn 3, 34). His words are spirit and life (Jn 6, 63). When Jesus announces that he is going to the Father, he says that he will send another Consoler, another defender, so that he can remain with us. He is the Holy Spirit (Jn 14, 16-17). Through his Passion, death and resurrection, Jesus obtains for us the gift of the Holy Spirit. Through Baptism all of us receive this same Spirit of Jesus (Jn 1, 33). When he appears to the Apostles, he breathes on them and says: "Receive the Holy Spirit!” (Jn 20, 22). The Spirit is like the water which springs up from persons who believe in Jesus (Jn 7, 37-39; 4, 14). The first effect of the action of the Spirit in us is reconciliation: "If you forgive anyone’s sins they are forgiven; if you retain anyone’s sins they are retained” (Jn 20, 23). The Spirit is given to us in order to be able to remember and understand the full meaning of the words of Jesus (Jn 14, 26; 16, 12-13). Animated by the Spirit of Jesus we can adore God any place (Jn 4, 23-24). Here is realized the liberty of the Spirit of whom Saint Paul speaks: “Where the Spirit is, there is liberty” (2 Co 3, 17).
• The Gospel today presents part of the conversation of Jesus with Nicodemus. Nicodemus appears several times in the Gospel of:
John (Jn 3, 1-13; 7, 50-52; 19, 39). He was a person who held a certain social position. He was a leader among the Jews and formed part of the supreme tribunal, called the Synedrium. In the Gospel of John, he represents the group of Jews who were pious and sincere, but who did not succeed in understanding everything which Jesus said and did. Nicodemus had heard about the signs and the wonderful things that Jesus did, and he was struck, amazed. He wanted to speak with Jesus in order to understand better. He was a cultured person, who thought he believed the things of God. He expected the Messiah with the Book of the Law in his hand to verify if the novelty announced by Jesus would arrive. Jesus makes Nicodemus understand that the only way to understand the things of God is to be born again! Today this same thing happens. Some like Nicodemus: accept as new only what agrees with their ideas. What does not agree with their ideas is rejected and considered contrary to tradition. Others allow themselves to be surprised from facts and are not afraid to say: “I have been born anew!”
• John 3, 1: A man called Nicodemus. Shortly before the encounter of Jesus with Nicodemus, the Evangelist was speaking of the imperfect faith of certain persons who were interested only in the miracles of Jesus (Jn 2, 23-25). Nicodemus was one of these persons. He had good will, but his faith was still imperfect. The conversation with Jesus helped him to perceive that he has to advance in order to be able to deepen his faith in Jesus and in God.
• John 3, 2: 1st question of Nicodemus: the tension between what is old and what is new. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a prominent person among the Jews and with a good common sense. He went to meet Jesus at night and said to him: “Rabbì, we know that you have come from God as a teacher; for no one could perform the signs that you do unless God were with him”. Nicodemus gives an opinion of Jesus according to arguments which he, Nicodemus himself, has within himself. This is already important, but it is not enough to know Jesus. The signs which Jesus works can arouse a person and awake in the person some interest. They can generate curiosity, but they do not generate greater faith. They do not make one see the Kingdom of God present in Jesus. For this reason it is necessary to advance, to take one more step. Which is this step?
• John 3, 3: The response of Jesus: "You must be born again!” In order that Nicodemus can perceive the Kingdom present in Jesus, he should be born again, from above. Anyone who tries to understand Jesus only from his arguments alone does not succeed to understand him. Jesus is much greater. If Nicodemus remains only with the catechism of the past in his hand, he will not succeed to understand Jesus. He should open his hand completely. He should set aside his own certainties and his security and abandon himself totally. He should make a choice between, on the one hand, the security which comes from the organized religion with its laws and traditions and, on the other hand, launch himself to the adventure of the Spirit which Jesus proposes to him.
• John 3, 4: 2nd question of Nicodemus: How can anyone who is already old be born again? Nicodemus does not give in and returns with the same question with a certain irony: “How can a man be born when he is old? Is it possible to go back into the womb again and be born again?” Nicodemus takes the words of Jesus literally and, because of this, he understands nothing. He should have perceived that the words of Jesus had a symbolic sense.
• John 3, 5-8: The answer of Jesus: To be born from above, to be born from the Spirit. Jesus explains what it means: to be born from above or to be born again. It is “To be born from water and the Spirit”. Here we have a very clear reference to Baptism. Through the conversation of Jesus with Nicodemus, the Evangelist invites us to review our Baptism. He gives the following words: “What is born of human nature is human, what is born of the Spirit is Spirit”. Flesh means that which is born only from our ideas. What is born from us is within our reach. To be born of the Spirit is another thing! The Spirit is like the wind. “The wind blows where it pleases; you can hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going; so it is with anyone who is born of the Spirit”. The wind has within itself, a direction, a route. We perceive the direction of the wind, for example, the North wind or the wind coming from the South, but we do not know, nor can we control the cause why the wind moves in this or that direction. This is the way the Spirit is. "No one is the master of the Spirit” (Ecl 8, 8). What characterizes the wind best, the Spirit, is liberty. The wind, the Spirit, is free, He cannot be controlled. He acts on others and nobody can act on him. His origin is a mystery. The boat must first find the route of the wind. Then it has to place the sails according to that route. That is what Nicodemus should do and what we should all do.
• A key to understand better the words of Jesus on the Holy Spirit. The Hebrew language uses the same word to say wind and spirit. As we have said the wind has within it a route, a direction: the North wind, the wind from the South. The Spirit of God has a route, a project, which already manifested itself in creation. The Spirit was present in creation under the form of a bird which flew over the waters of the chaos (Jn 1, 2). Year after year, he renews the face of the earth and sets nature through the sequence of the seasons (Ps 104, 30; 147, 18). The same is also present in history. He makes the Red Sea move back (Ex 14, 21) and he gives quails to the people to eat (Nb 11, 31). He accompanies Moses and, beginning with him, he distributes the leaders of the people (Nb 11, 24-25). He took the leaders and took them to carry out liberating actions: Othniel (Jg 3, 10), Gideon (Jg 6, 34), Jephthah (Jg 11, 29), Samson (Jg 13, 25; 14, 6.19; 15, 14), Saul (1S 11, 6), and Deborah, the prophetess (Jg 4, 4). He is present in the group of the prophets and acts in them with the force which is contagious (1S 10, 5-6. 10), his action in the prophets produces envy in the others. But Moses reacts: “If only all Yahweh’s people were prophets, and Yahweh had given them his spirit!” (Nb 11, 29).
• All along the centuries the hope grew that the Spirit of God would have oriented the Messiah in the realization of God’s project (Is 11, 1-9) and it would have descended upon all the people of God (Ez 36, 27; 39, 29; Is 32, 15; 44, 3). The great promise of the Spirit appears in various ways in the prophets of the exile: the vision of the dry bones, risen by the force of the Spirit of God (Ez 37, 1-14); the effusion of the Spirit of God on all the people (Jl 3, 1-5); the vision of the Messiah-Servant who will be anointed by the Spirit to establish the right on earth and announce the Good News to the poor (Is 42, 1; 44, 1-3; 61, 1-3). They perceive a future, in which people, always more and more, are reborn thanks to the effusion of the Spirit (Ez 36, 26-27; Ps 51, 12; cf. Is 32, 15-20).
• The Gospel of John uses many images and symbols to signify the action of the Spirit. Just like in creation (Gn 1, 1), in the same way the Spirit descended upon Jesus “like a dove, coming from heaven” (Jn 1, 32). It is the beginning of the new creation! Jesus pronounces the words of God and communicates to us His Spirit (Jn 3, 34). His words are spirit and life (Jn 6, 63). When Jesus announces that he is going to the Father, he says that he will send another Consoler, another defender, so that he can remain with us. He is the Holy Spirit (Jn 14, 16-17). Through his Passion, death and resurrection, Jesus obtains for us the gift of the Holy Spirit. Through Baptism all of us receive this same Spirit of Jesus (Jn 1, 33). When he appears to the Apostles, he breathes on them and says: "Receive the Holy Spirit!” (Jn 20, 22). The Spirit is like the water which springs up from persons who believe in Jesus (Jn 7, 37-39; 4, 14). The first effect of the action of the Spirit in us is reconciliation: "If you forgive anyone’s sins they are forgiven; if you retain anyone’s sins they are retained” (Jn 20, 23). The Spirit is given to us in order to be able to remember and understand the full meaning of the words of Jesus (Jn 14, 26; 16, 12-13). Animated by the Spirit of Jesus we can adore God any place (Jn 4, 23-24). Here is realized the liberty of the Spirit of whom Saint Paul speaks: “Where the Spirit is, there is liberty” (2 Co 3, 17).
4) Personal questions
• How do you react before the new things which present themselves; like Nicodemus or do you accept God’s surprises?
• Jesus compares the action of the Holy Spirit with the wind (Jn 3, 8). What does this comparison reveal to me about the action of the Spirit of God in my life? Have you already had some experience which has given you the impression of being born again?
• How do you react before the new things which present themselves; like Nicodemus or do you accept God’s surprises?
• Jesus compares the action of the Holy Spirit with the wind (Jn 3, 8). What does this comparison reveal to me about the action of the Spirit of God in my life? Have you already had some experience which has given you the impression of being born again?
5) Concluding prayer
I will bless Yahweh at all times,
his praise continually on my lips.
I will praise Yahweh from my heart;
let the humble hear and rejoice. (Ps 34,1-2)
I will bless Yahweh at all times,
his praise continually on my lips.
I will praise Yahweh from my heart;
let the humble hear and rejoice. (Ps 34,1-2)
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét