Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter
Lectionary: 269
Lectionary: 269
The high priest
rose up and all his companions,
that is, the party of the Sadducees,
and, filled with jealousy,
laid hands upon the Apostles and put them in the public jail.
But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison,
led them out, and said,
“Go and take your place in the temple area,
and tell the people everything about this life.”
When they heard this,
they went to the temple early in the morning and taught.
When the high priest and his companions arrived,
they convened the Sanhedrin,
the full senate of the children of Israel,
and sent to the jail to have them brought in.
But the court officers who went did not find them in the prison,
so they came back and reported,
“We found the jail securely locked
and the guards stationed outside the doors,
but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”
When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this report,
they were at a loss about them,
as to what this would come to.
Then someone came in and reported to them,
“The men whom you put in prison are in the temple area
and are teaching the people.”
Then the captain and the court officers went and brought them,
but without force,
because they were afraid of being stoned by the people.
that is, the party of the Sadducees,
and, filled with jealousy,
laid hands upon the Apostles and put them in the public jail.
But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison,
led them out, and said,
“Go and take your place in the temple area,
and tell the people everything about this life.”
When they heard this,
they went to the temple early in the morning and taught.
When the high priest and his companions arrived,
they convened the Sanhedrin,
the full senate of the children of Israel,
and sent to the jail to have them brought in.
But the court officers who went did not find them in the prison,
so they came back and reported,
“We found the jail securely locked
and the guards stationed outside the doors,
but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”
When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this report,
they were at a loss about them,
as to what this would come to.
Then someone came in and reported to them,
“The men whom you put in prison are in the temple area
and are teaching the people.”
Then the captain and the court officers went and brought them,
but without force,
because they were afraid of being stoned by the people.
Responsorial Psalm PS 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R. (7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel JN 3:16-21
God so loved the
world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.
And this is the verdict,
that the light came into the world,
but people preferred darkness to light,
because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light
and does not come toward the light,
so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light,
so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.
And this is the verdict,
that the light came into the world,
but people preferred darkness to light,
because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light
and does not come toward the light,
so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light,
so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.
Meditation: "God so loved the world that he
gave us his only Son"
Do you know the love which surpasses the
greatest joy and happiness which one could ever hope to find? Great love is
manifested in the cost and sacrifice of the giver. True lovers hold nothing
back but give the best that can be offered to their beloved, including all they
possess, even their very lives. God proved his love for us by giving us the
best he had to offer - his only begotten Son who freely offered up his life for
our sake as the atoning sacrifice for our sin and the sin of the world.
Abraham's willing sacrifice of his only son,
Isaac, prefigures the perfect offering and sacrifice of God's beloved Son, our
Lord Jesus Christ. This passage in the Gospel of John tells us of the great
breadth and width of God's love. Not an excluding love for just a few or for a
single nation, but a redemptive love that embraces the whole world, and a
personal love for each and every individual whom God has created in his own
image and likeness(Genesis
1:26,27). God is the eternal Father
of Love who cannot rest until his wandering children have returned home to him.
Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430
AD) said, God
loves each one of us as if there were only one of us to love. God
gives us the freedom to choose whom and what we will love.
Jesus shows us the paradox of love and judgment.
We can love the darkness of sin and unbelief or we can love the light of God's
truth, beauty, and goodness. If our love is guided by what is true, and good,
and beautiful then we will choose for God and love him above all else. What we
love shows what we prefer and value most. Do you love God above all else? Does
he take first place in your life, in your thoughts, affections, and actions?
"Lord Jesus Christ, your love is better
than life itself. May your love consume and transform my heart with all of its
yearnings, aspirations, fears, hurts, and concerns, that I may freely desire
you above all else and love all others generously for your sake and for your
glory. Make me to love what you love, desire what you desire, and give
generously as you have been so generous towards me".
 Children of the Light |
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Wednesday of the
Second Week of Easter
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John 3:16-21
For God so loved the world that he gave his
only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have
eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the
world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him
will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been
condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people
preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who
does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so
that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the
light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.
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 faith in the power of the
Resurrection.
1. God Loves the World: The tsunami that struck the Indian Ocean countries
in 2004 and the earthquake in Haiti in 2010 provoked many people to question
God’s goodness. How could he, if he is good, have permitted such a
catastrophe? But what does our faith teach us? That God loves the world, so
much that he sent his only Son. Evil in the world is real and present, and
such massive casualties show that nature herself cooperates with the power of
death. But that power is being broken. The first decisive blow to the chain
that binds the world was Christ’s death on the cross. The execution of Our
Lord was the greatest act of moral evil history can ever see, but through
God’s power, it has become the source of eternal life for us all, as we now
celebrate in this Easter season. Through the power of the Resurrection, we
are journeying towards the ultimate defeat of suffering and death.
2. Sin Is the Worst Evil: The physical evil brought by a natural
disaster is terrible. But sin is worse. This Gospel reading reminds us of
souls who consciously choose evil. The irony is that people make this choice
pursuing some form of self-fulfillment. Instead of fulfillment, they
encounter the emptiness of a life that carries with it the burden of
self-imposed condemnation. They live in darkness as opposed to the light. If
we knew someone who freely chose to live in a darkened cave, we would think
that person nothing short of insane. But where are the dark patches in our
own lives?
3. Christ Leads Us Towards the Light: Christ’s body had been physically destroyed
through the evil decisions and cruelty of men. When the risen Lord appeared
to the apostles in the Upper Room, his new life of glory pointed in a new
direction, and they were flooded with the vision of where we are heading.
Through our life in the Church, we are heading to a renewal of all things in
Christ, in which death will be no more, and where every tear will be wiped
away. The physical evil of natural disasters and the moral evil of sin may
try to challenge our faith. But they are the last gasps of a defeated enemy.
Let us take heart! We are headed to the light, where Christ is King and Lord
of all.
Conversation with Christ: Lord, I long to live in the light. Banish
from my soul all darkness of sin or disbelief. At times I struggle to see the
pattern of your divine plan. But through my faith, I know that you are love
and mercy and you are guiding us towards the light that will never end.
Resolution: I will renew my spiritual vision of the
world by frequently lifting my mind up to God during the day.
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EASTER WEEKDAY,
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, JOHN 3:16-21
JOHN 3:16-21
(Acts 5:17-26; Psalm 34)
JOHN 3:16-21
(Acts 5:17-26; Psalm 34)
KEY VERSE: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life" (v 16).
READING: John 3:16 is often called the essence of the gospel. This text tells us that the Father sent the Son out of love for the world. Although there was judgment, there was mercy. God did not come to condemn the world but to save it (v 17). When the Pharisee Nicodemus came to Jesus at night, Jesus told him that God's love for the world was so great, that God sent the Son like a penetrating light to save the world from sin and death. Everyone has the opportunity to respond to this light by acknowledging Jesus as their Savior. Those who refuse to come into the light do so out of fear that their evil deeds might be exposed. God's verdict has already been pronounced upon those who "prefer darkness to light" (v 19). They bring condemnation upon themselves for their refusal to believe. But those who believe in God's Son should have no fear of the light. They have the indwelling Spirit to guide them so that their deeds will be done according to God's truth.
REFLECTING: Do I help enlighten those who are in the darkness of sin?
PRAYING: Risen Lord, fill my soul with your light so that no trace of darkness may be found within me.
Memorial of Pius V, pope
Upon his ascension to the papacy, Pius V faced the task of enacting the reforms of the Council of Trent. New seminaries were opened, a new breviary, new missal, and new catechism were published; foundations were established to spread the faith and preserve the doctrine of the Church. Pius spent much time personally working with the needy. He built hospitals and used the papal treasury to care for the poor. At the time of his death he was working on a Christian, European alliance to break the power of the Islamic states.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
The Word of God
We worship God, not the written words. But we reverence the words
of God because they lead us to God himself.
The Lord hears the cry of the poor
‘Those who live by the truth come out into the light.’Have you ever done something and thought, ‘Maybe I shouldn’t have done that’? It wasn’t wrong, as such, or deliberately done to hurt. Maybe an email sent in response with the best of intentions, or a conversation where you were a bit too righteous. Maybe what you did made you writhe in embarrassment after the event or have a sleepless night. ‘But I didn’t mean to hurt anyone!’ You make a promise to yourself that you won’t do it again. But you do. Again and again. ‘Indeed, everyone who does wrong hates the light and avoids it, for fear of being exposed.’ Nicodemus accepted the truth of Jesus, and was changed. We are children of the light. Our hope is in Jesus Christ. May we continue to be embarrassed until we see the light.
April
30
St. Pius V
(1504-1572)
St. Pius V
(1504-1572)
This is the pope whose job was to implement the historic Council
of Trent. If we think popes had difficulties in implementing Vatican Council
II, Pius V had even greater problems after Trent than four centuries
earlier.
During
his papacy (1566-1572), Pius V was faced with the almost overwhelming
responsibility of getting a shattered and scattered Church back on its feet.
The family of God had been shaken by corruption, by the Reformation, by the
constant threat of Turkish invasion and by the bloody bickering of the young
nation-states. In 1545 a previous pope convened the Council of Trent in an
attempt to deal with all these pressing problems. Off and on over 18 years, the
Church Fathers discussed, condemned, affirmed and decided upon a course of
action. The Council closed in 1563.
Pius V
was elected in 1566 and was charged with the task of implementing the sweeping
reforms called for by the Council. He ordered the founding of seminaries for
the proper training of priests. He published a new missal, a new breviary, a
new catechism and established the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD)
classes for the young. Pius zealously enforced legislation against abuses in
the Church. He patiently served the sick and the poor by building hospitals,
providing food for the hungry and giving money customarily used for the papal
banquets to poor Roman converts. His decision to keep wearing his Dominican
habit led to the custom of the pope wearing a white cassock.
In
striving to reform both Church and state, Pius encountered vehement opposition
from England's Queen Elizabeth and the Roman Emperor Maximilian II. Problems in
France and in the Netherlands also hindered Pius's hopes for a Europe united
against the Turks. Only at the last minute was he able to organize a fleet
which won a decisive victory in the Gulf of Lepanto, off Greece, on October 7,
1571.
Pius's
ceaseless papal quest for a renewal of the Church was grounded in his personal
life as a Dominican friar. He spent long hours with his God in prayer, fasted
rigorously, deprived himself of many customary papal luxuries and faithfully
observed the spirit of the Dominican Rule that he had professed.
Comment:
In their personal lives and in their actions as popes, Pius V and Venerable Paul VI (d. 1978) both led the family of God in the process of interiorizing and implementing the new birth called for by the Spirit in major Councils. With zeal and patience, Pius and Paul pursued the changes urged by the Council Fathers. Like Pius and Paul, we too are called to constant change of heart and life.
In their personal lives and in their actions as popes, Pius V and Venerable Paul VI (d. 1978) both led the family of God in the process of interiorizing and implementing the new birth called for by the Spirit in major Councils. With zeal and patience, Pius and Paul pursued the changes urged by the Council Fathers. Like Pius and Paul, we too are called to constant change of heart and life.
Quote:
"In this universal assembly, in this privileged point of time and space, there converge together the past, the present, and the future. The past: for here, gathered in this spot, we have the Church of Christ with her tradition, her history, her councils, her doctors, her saints; the present: we are taking leave of one another to go out toward the world of today with its miseries, its sufferings, its sins, but also with its prodigious accomplishments, values, and virtues; and the future is here in the urgent appeal of the peoples of the world for more justice, in their will for peace, in their conscious or unconscious thirst for a higher life, that life precisely which the Church of Christ can give and wishes to give to them" (from Pope Paul's closing message at Vatican II).
"In this universal assembly, in this privileged point of time and space, there converge together the past, the present, and the future. The past: for here, gathered in this spot, we have the Church of Christ with her tradition, her history, her councils, her doctors, her saints; the present: we are taking leave of one another to go out toward the world of today with its miseries, its sufferings, its sins, but also with its prodigious accomplishments, values, and virtues; and the future is here in the urgent appeal of the peoples of the world for more justice, in their will for peace, in their conscious or unconscious thirst for a higher life, that life precisely which the Church of Christ can give and wishes to give to them" (from Pope Paul's closing message at Vatican II).
LECTIO DIVINA:
JOHN 3,16-21
Lectio:
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Easter Time
1) Opening prayer
Lord our God,
you loved the world - that is us - so much
that you gave us your only Son
to save us from ourselves
and to give us eternal life.Do not condemn us, Lord,
do not leave us to ourselves
and to our little schemes
but give us your Son now to stay with us
and to make love and justice and peace
ever new realities among us,
your people reborn in your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
you loved the world - that is us - so much
that you gave us your only Son
to save us from ourselves
and to give us eternal life.Do not condemn us, Lord,
do not leave us to ourselves
and to our little schemes
but give us your Son now to stay with us
and to make love and justice and peace
ever new realities among us,
your people reborn in your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
2) Gospel Reading - John 3,16-21
Jesus said to Nicodemus: "For this is how God loved the
world: he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not
perish but may have eternal life. For God sent his Son into the world not to
judge the world, but so that through him the world might be saved.
No one who believes in him will be judged; but whoever does not believe is judged already, because that person does not believe in the Name of God's only Son. And the judgement is this: though the light has come into the world people have preferred darkness to the light because their deeds were evil. And indeed, everybody who does wrong hates the light and avoids it, to prevent his actions from being shown up; but whoever does the truth comes out into the light, so that what he is doing may plainly appear as done in God.'
No one who believes in him will be judged; but whoever does not believe is judged already, because that person does not believe in the Name of God's only Son. And the judgement is this: though the light has come into the world people have preferred darkness to the light because their deeds were evil. And indeed, everybody who does wrong hates the light and avoids it, to prevent his actions from being shown up; but whoever does the truth comes out into the light, so that what he is doing may plainly appear as done in God.'
3) Reflection
• John’s Gospel is like a fabric or cloth made of three
different threads, but similar. The three of them are so well combined with one
another that, sometimes, it is not possible to understand when one goes from
one thread to the other. (a) The first thread are the facts and words of Jesus
during the thirty years, preserved by the eye witnesses who kept the things
which Jesus did and taught. (b) The second thread are the facts of the life of
the community. Because of their faith in Jesus and convinced of his presence
among them, the communities enlightened their path with the words and the
gestures of Jesus. This has some incidence or impact on the description of the
facts. For example, the conflict of the communities with the Pharisees at the
end of the first century marks the way of describing the conflicts of Jesus
with the Pharisees. (c) The comments made by the Evangelist are the third
thread. In some passages it is difficult to perceive when Jesus ceases to speak
and the Evangelist begins to weave his own comments. The text of today’s
Gospel, for example, is a beautiful and profound reflection of the Evangelist
on the action of Jesus. The people can hardly perceive the difference between
when Jesus speaks and when the Evangelist does. In any case, both of them are
Word of God.
• John 3, 16: God loved the world. The word world is one of those words used more frequently in the Gospel of John: 78 times! It has several meanings. In the first place world may signify the earth, the space inhabited by human beings (Jn 11, 9; 21, 25) or also the created universe (Jn 17, 5.24) World can also mean the persons who inhabit this earth, all of humanity (Jn 1, 9; 3, 16; 4, 42; 6, 14; 8, 12). It can also mean a large group, a numerous group of persons, as when we speak of “the whole world” (Jn 12, 19; 14, 27). Here, in our text the word world also has the sense of humanity, all the human beings. God so loves humanity that he gave his only Son. The one who accepts that God reaches down to us in Jesus, has already passed through death and has eternal life.
• John 3, 17-19: The true sense of judgment. The image of God which appears in the three verses is that of a Father full of tenderness and not of a severe judgment. God sends his Son not to judge and condemn the world, but in order that the world may be saved through him. The one who believes in Jesus and accepts him as the revelation of God is not judged, because he is already accepted by God. And the one who does not believe in Jesus has already been judged. He excludes himself. And the Evangelist repeats what he had already said in the Prologue: many persons do not want to accept Jesus, because his light reveals the evil which exists in them (cf. Jn 1, 5.10-11).
• John 3, 20-21: To practice truth: In every human being, there is a divine seed, a trait of the Creator. Jesus, the revelation of the Father, is a response to this deepest desire of the human being. The one, who wants to be faithful to what he has deepest in him, accepts Jesus. It is difficult to find a broader ecumenical vision than the one expressed in these three verses in the Gospel of John.
• To complete the significance of the word world in the Fourth Gospel. Other times the word world means that part of humanity opposed to Jesus and to his message. There the word world assumes the meaning of “enemies” or “opponents” (Jn 7, 4.7; 8, 23.26; 9, 39; 12, 25). This world which is contrary to the practice of the liberty of Jesus, is directed by the enemy or Satan, also called the “prince of this world” (Jn 14, 30; 16, 11). It represents the Roman Empire and, at the same time, also those responsible of the Jews who driving out the followers of Jesus from the Synagogue. This world persecutes and kills the communities causing tribulations to the faithful (Jn 16, 33). Jesus will liberate them, conquering the prince of this world (Jn 12, 31). Therefore, world means a situation of injustice, of oppression, which generates hatred and persecution against the communities of the Beloved Disciple. The persecutors are those persons who have the power, the leaders, both of the Empire and of the Synagogue. Lastly, all those who practice injustice using for this the name of God (Jn 16, 2). The hope which the Gospel gives to the persecuted communities is that Jesus is stronger than the world. This is why he says: “In the world you will have hardship, but be courageous, I have conquered the world!” (Jn 16, 33).
• John 3, 16: God loved the world. The word world is one of those words used more frequently in the Gospel of John: 78 times! It has several meanings. In the first place world may signify the earth, the space inhabited by human beings (Jn 11, 9; 21, 25) or also the created universe (Jn 17, 5.24) World can also mean the persons who inhabit this earth, all of humanity (Jn 1, 9; 3, 16; 4, 42; 6, 14; 8, 12). It can also mean a large group, a numerous group of persons, as when we speak of “the whole world” (Jn 12, 19; 14, 27). Here, in our text the word world also has the sense of humanity, all the human beings. God so loves humanity that he gave his only Son. The one who accepts that God reaches down to us in Jesus, has already passed through death and has eternal life.
• John 3, 17-19: The true sense of judgment. The image of God which appears in the three verses is that of a Father full of tenderness and not of a severe judgment. God sends his Son not to judge and condemn the world, but in order that the world may be saved through him. The one who believes in Jesus and accepts him as the revelation of God is not judged, because he is already accepted by God. And the one who does not believe in Jesus has already been judged. He excludes himself. And the Evangelist repeats what he had already said in the Prologue: many persons do not want to accept Jesus, because his light reveals the evil which exists in them (cf. Jn 1, 5.10-11).
• John 3, 20-21: To practice truth: In every human being, there is a divine seed, a trait of the Creator. Jesus, the revelation of the Father, is a response to this deepest desire of the human being. The one, who wants to be faithful to what he has deepest in him, accepts Jesus. It is difficult to find a broader ecumenical vision than the one expressed in these three verses in the Gospel of John.
• To complete the significance of the word world in the Fourth Gospel. Other times the word world means that part of humanity opposed to Jesus and to his message. There the word world assumes the meaning of “enemies” or “opponents” (Jn 7, 4.7; 8, 23.26; 9, 39; 12, 25). This world which is contrary to the practice of the liberty of Jesus, is directed by the enemy or Satan, also called the “prince of this world” (Jn 14, 30; 16, 11). It represents the Roman Empire and, at the same time, also those responsible of the Jews who driving out the followers of Jesus from the Synagogue. This world persecutes and kills the communities causing tribulations to the faithful (Jn 16, 33). Jesus will liberate them, conquering the prince of this world (Jn 12, 31). Therefore, world means a situation of injustice, of oppression, which generates hatred and persecution against the communities of the Beloved Disciple. The persecutors are those persons who have the power, the leaders, both of the Empire and of the Synagogue. Lastly, all those who practice injustice using for this the name of God (Jn 16, 2). The hope which the Gospel gives to the persecuted communities is that Jesus is stronger than the world. This is why he says: “In the world you will have hardship, but be courageous, I have conquered the world!” (Jn 16, 33).
4) Personal questions
• God so loved the world that he gave his only Son. Has this
truth penetrated in the depth of your heart, of your conscience?
• The more ecumenical truth that exists is the life which God has given us and for which he has given his only Son. How do I live Ecumenism in my daily life?
• The more ecumenical truth that exists is the life which God has given us and for which he has given his only Son. How do I live Ecumenism in my daily life?
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)
his praise continually on my lips.
I will praise Yahweh from my heart;
let the humble hear and rejoice. (Ps 34,1-2)
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