Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter
Lectionary: 297
Lectionary: 297
While Apollos was
in Corinth,
Paul traveled through the interior of the country
and down to Ephesus where he found some disciples.
He said to them,
“Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?”
They answered him,
“We have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
He said, “How were you baptized?”
They replied, “With the baptism of John.”
Paul then said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance,
telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him,
that is, in Jesus.”
When they heard this,
they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
And when Paul laid his hands on them,
the Holy Spirit came upon them,
and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
Altogether there were about twelve men.
He entered the synagogue, and for three months debated boldly
with persuasive arguments about the Kingdom of God.
Paul traveled through the interior of the country
and down to Ephesus where he found some disciples.
He said to them,
“Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?”
They answered him,
“We have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
He said, “How were you baptized?”
They replied, “With the baptism of John.”
Paul then said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance,
telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him,
that is, in Jesus.”
When they heard this,
they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
And when Paul laid his hands on them,
the Holy Spirit came upon them,
and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
Altogether there were about twelve men.
He entered the synagogue, and for three months debated boldly
with persuasive arguments about the Kingdom of God.
Responsorial Psalm PS 68:2-3AB, 4-5ACD, 6-7AB
R. (33a) Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
God arises; his enemies are scattered,
and those who hate him flee before him.
As smoke is driven away, so are they driven;
as wax melts before the fire.
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
But the just rejoice and exult before God;
they are glad and rejoice.
Sing to God, chant praise to his name;
whose name is the LORD.
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The father of orphans and the defender of widows
is God in his holy dwelling.
God gives a home to the forsaken;
he leads forth prisoners to prosperity.
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
God arises; his enemies are scattered,
and those who hate him flee before him.
As smoke is driven away, so are they driven;
as wax melts before the fire.
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
But the just rejoice and exult before God;
they are glad and rejoice.
Sing to God, chant praise to his name;
whose name is the LORD.
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The father of orphans and the defender of widows
is God in his holy dwelling.
God gives a home to the forsaken;
he leads forth prisoners to prosperity.
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel JN 16:29-33
The disciples said
to Jesus,
“Now you are talking plainly, and not in any figure of speech.
Now we realize that you know everything
and that you do not need to have anyone question you.
Because of this we believe that you came from God.”
Jesus answered them, “Do you believe now?
Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived
when each of you will be scattered to his own home
and you will leave me alone.
But I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
I have told you this so that you might have peace in me.
In the world you will have trouble,
but take courage, I have conquered the world.”
“Now you are talking plainly, and not in any figure of speech.
Now we realize that you know everything
and that you do not need to have anyone question you.
Because of this we believe that you came from God.”
Jesus answered them, “Do you believe now?
Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived
when each of you will be scattered to his own home
and you will leave me alone.
But I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
I have told you this so that you might have peace in me.
In the world you will have trouble,
but take courage, I have conquered the world.”
Meditation: "I
have overcome the world"
How did the disciples come to believe that Jesus
is truly the Son of God sent from the eternal Father in heaven? When Jesus
taught his disciples he often spoke in parables - using short stories and vivid
images which expressed in picture language what God's kingdom is like and how
God's power can change and transform their lives to be like him. These stories
were intended to make his disciples reflect and think through the inner
spiritual truths he wanted them to understand and accept.
Now Jesus begins to speak more plainly to the
disciples about the mission and purpose for which he was sent into the world -
not to condemn the world but through love to redeem it (John 3:16). The
disciples professed their belief in Jesus that he truly came from God and
taught as one who possessed full knowledge of God. Jesus' response showed that
he fully knew and understood them very well. Jesus could read their hearts like
an open book. He knew their weakenesses as well as their strengths.
In spite of their confident faith, Jesus warned
his disciples that they would be put to the test and would fail. He knew they
would desert him in his hour of trial when he would be arrested and condemned
to death on the cross. Such knowledge of their faltering loyalty could have
easily led to bitterness and rejection on his part. Jesus met the injury of
betrayal and abandonment with supreme love and earnest prayer for his disciples
(Luke 22:32; John 17:15). "He loved them to the very end" (John 13:1)
- even when they had left him to die alone on the cross.
Jesus reassures them of his peace, unfailing
love, and victory over the world which is in opposition to God's reign. Jesus
speaks the same reassuring words of enduring love, faithfulness, and victory to
his followers today. "I will never fail you nor forsake you."
While we may forget the Lord and fail him, he will never forget us nor fail to
come to our aid. When you are put to the test do you seek the Lord Jesus and
place your trust in his help and mercy?
While we cannot avoid all pain and suffering
which may come our way in this life, the Lord Jesus assures us that he has
overcome the world and all that would seek to keep us from his saving help and
healing presence. He promises to guide us safely through any trial or hardship
we may have to undergo for his sake. The Lord Jesus gives us the gift of his
Holy Spirit who strengthens us with faith, courage, and perseverance to stay
the course which he has set for us. The Holy Spirit fills us with a living hope
in the power of Christ's resurrection (1 Peter 1:3) and reassures our heart
with a confident trust in God's abiding presence.
Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ
and the victory he has won for us (Romans 8:35-39). The Holy Spirit gives us
the strength and courage we need to overcome every adversity and to persevere
with faith and hope in God. Do you believe in the power of Christ's love for
you and in the victory he has won for you through his death and resurrection?
"Lord Jesus, help me to trust in your
unwavering love and saving help, especially when I meet adversities, trials,
and temptations. Give me your peace when I am troubled and let me know the joy
of your victory over sin and death."
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Trust in Christ’s Victory |
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John 16:29-33
The disciples said to Jesus: "Now you
are talking plainly, and not in any figure of speech. Now we realize that you
know everything and that you do not need to have anyone question you. Because
of this we believe that you came from God." Jesus answered them,
"Do you believe now? Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived when
each of you will be scattered to his own home and you will leave me alone.
But I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you this so
that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take
courage, I have conquered the world."
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in you and all that you have
revealed for our salvation. I hope in you because of your overflowing mercy.
Every single act of yours on this earth demonstrated your love for us. Your
ascent into heaven before the eyes of the Apostles inspires my hope of one
day joining you there. I love you and wish you to be the center of my life.
Petition: Lord, give me an unwavering confidence in your victory over sin and evil in my life and in the world.
1. Jesus Knows Our Weaknesses: Jesus warns his disciples that they will all
flee from him in the Garden of Gethsemane when the guards come to arrest him.
He is preparing them not for their fall, but for their recovery. He never
expected them to be perfect, without flaws, mistakes or shortcomings. He
doesn’t expect it of us either. There have been times when we have all
abandoned him to follow the selfishness of sin. We sought our own pleasure,
as he sought the nails of the cross and the scourging of the lash. Where am I
struggling right now? Am I wavering over a compromise with sin in my life?
Ask him for the strength and light to live as his faithful friend.
2. Trust in the Father’s Presence: Even as the disciples left him, Jesus was
not alone. His Father was with him. This essential union of love in his life
with his Father was the strength that carried him forward to embrace the
cross. He could be calm in the midst of the storm and endure unimaginable
sufferings during his passion and death. Jesus lights the way for us in the
midst of our own struggles and trials in life. It is natural for us to feel
isolated from everyone when we are suffering and struggling, alone in the
pain and the emptiness of our life. But God is with us; he is within us. We
are never alone.
3. His Victory is My Victory: Jesus never promised his disciples an easy
life. He was very clear with them that in the world they would have trouble.
It is the same for us. If the world has rejected Christ, it will reject us.
We can’t be surprised when opposition and difficulties come our way. It is
part and parcel of following Christ and shows that we are heading in the
right direction. It is hard to keep fighting, fighting the enemies within and
without, but Jesus is with us. We need faith to see that he has won the
victory. He has overcome sin and death and he is there at the right hand of
the Father.
Conversation with Christ: Jesus, it is hard to keep fighting.
Sometimes it seems I make little progress. I have the same struggles and
difficulties every day. I’m overwhelmed by the evil I see in the world, and
it can be hard to see your victory in many places, in many families and
homes. Give me the hope that I need to keep seeking your will in all things.
Resolution: I will pray for those who are struggling in
their faith.
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MONDAY, JUNE 2, JOHN 16:29-33
(Acts 19:1-8, Psalm 68)
KEY VERSE: "In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world" (v 33).
READING: Before Jesus ascended to his Father, he prepared his followers to face his final "hour" in which he would suffer and die. His disciples naively assumed that they had complete faith in Jesus, But he forewarned them that when the time came for his passion, they would all fail him. They would scatter like frightened sheep who had lost their shepherd (Zec 13:7). In his agony, Jesus would feel as though even his Father had abandoned him (Mk 15:34). Yet Jesus and his Father could never be separated; He and the Father are one. Jesus told his disciples that they should not despair but have confidence in his presence. Although they would suffer greatly in the world, they must take heart. In Jesus' resurrection, he would be victorious over all evil.
REFLECTING: Do I need to console someone who feels they have failed the Lord?
PRAYING: Risen Lord, help the Church to have faith in times of adversity.
(Acts 19:1-8, Psalm 68)
KEY VERSE: "In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world" (v 33).
READING: Before Jesus ascended to his Father, he prepared his followers to face his final "hour" in which he would suffer and die. His disciples naively assumed that they had complete faith in Jesus, But he forewarned them that when the time came for his passion, they would all fail him. They would scatter like frightened sheep who had lost their shepherd (Zec 13:7). In his agony, Jesus would feel as though even his Father had abandoned him (Mk 15:34). Yet Jesus and his Father could never be separated; He and the Father are one. Jesus told his disciples that they should not despair but have confidence in his presence. Although they would suffer greatly in the world, they must take heart. In Jesus' resurrection, he would be victorious over all evil.
REFLECTING: Do I need to console someone who feels they have failed the Lord?
PRAYING: Risen Lord, help the Church to have faith in times of adversity.
Optional Memorial of
Marcellinus and Peter, martyrs
Peter and Marcellinus were two Roman martyrs who suffered under the Diocletian persecution, about the year 303. Marcellinus was a priest, and Peter an exorcist. Their names are mentioned in the Canon of the Mass (Eucharistic Prayer I). Peter was cast into prison at Rome for confessing the Christian faith. There he set free Paulina, the daughter of Artemius, the keeper of the prison, from an evil spirit which tormented her. Upon hearing this, Artemius and his wife and all their house, with their neighbors were converted to Jesus Christ. Peter then brought them to Marcellinus the priest, who baptized them all. When the judge heard this, he called Peter and Marcellinus before him, and threatened them unless they would deny Christ. Marcellinus answered him with Christian boldness, whereupon he was beaten, and shut in a prison without either food or light. Peter was also confined. But when both of them were found unshaken in their testimony, they were beheaded, confessing Jesus Christ by their blood. Sometime later devout women found the bodies and honorably interred them near that of St. Tiburtius in the catacombs on the Via Labicana at "the two laurels."
Peter and Marcellinus were two Roman martyrs who suffered under the Diocletian persecution, about the year 303. Marcellinus was a priest, and Peter an exorcist. Their names are mentioned in the Canon of the Mass (Eucharistic Prayer I). Peter was cast into prison at Rome for confessing the Christian faith. There he set free Paulina, the daughter of Artemius, the keeper of the prison, from an evil spirit which tormented her. Upon hearing this, Artemius and his wife and all their house, with their neighbors were converted to Jesus Christ. Peter then brought them to Marcellinus the priest, who baptized them all. When the judge heard this, he called Peter and Marcellinus before him, and threatened them unless they would deny Christ. Marcellinus answered him with Christian boldness, whereupon he was beaten, and shut in a prison without either food or light. Peter was also confined. But when both of them were found unshaken in their testimony, they were beheaded, confessing Jesus Christ by their blood. Sometime later devout women found the bodies and honorably interred them near that of St. Tiburtius in the catacombs on the Via Labicana at "the two laurels."
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
One-on-One Time
We can often see more than we have ever seen and understand
messages when we take the time alone. Left alone, we take time. Left alone, we
experience differently. Left alone, we are filled. Venturing out on one’s own,
we are rewarded. Some days, Mary wants us one-on-one.
June
2
Sts. Marcellinus and Peter
(d. 304)
Sts. Marcellinus and Peter
(d. 304)
Marcellinus and Peter were prominent enough in the memory of the
Church to be included among the saints of the Roman Canon. Mention of their
names is optional in our present Eucharistic Prayer I.
Marcellinus
was a priest and Peter was an exorcist, that is, someone authorized by the
Churh to deal with cases of demonic possession. They were beheaded during the
persecution of Emperor Diocletian. Pope Damasus wrote an epitaph apparently
based on the report of their executioner, and Constantine erected a basilica
over the crypt in which they were buried in Rome. Numerous legends sprang from
an early account of their death.
Comment:
Why are these men included in our Eucharistic prayer, and given their own feast day, in spite of the fact that almost nothing is known about them? Probably because the Church respects its collective memory. They once sent an impulse of encouragement through the whole Church. They made the ultimate step of faith.
Why are these men included in our Eucharistic prayer, and given their own feast day, in spite of the fact that almost nothing is known about them? Probably because the Church respects its collective memory. They once sent an impulse of encouragement through the whole Church. They made the ultimate step of faith.
Quote:
"The Church has always believed that the apostles, and Christ's martyrs who had given the supreme witness of faith and charity by the shedding of their blood, are quite closely joined with us in Christ" (Vatican II, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, 50).
"The Church has always believed that the apostles, and Christ's martyrs who had given the supreme witness of faith and charity by the shedding of their blood, are quite closely joined with us in Christ" (Vatican II, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, 50).
LECTIO DIVINA:
JOHN 16,29-33
Lectio:
Monday, June 2, 2014
1)
OPENING PRAYER
Lord our God,
when your Son Jesus had to pass through trials,
he knew that you were with him
and he committed himself into your hands.
In this way he brought peace to people.
As people baptized into his name,
let your Spirit help us to be brave
when suffering and difficulties come our way,
that, like your Son and with him,
we may overcome evil in ourselves
and in the world.
May our pains give birth
to love and peace and hope for others.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
when your Son Jesus had to pass through trials,
he knew that you were with him
and he committed himself into your hands.
In this way he brought peace to people.
As people baptized into his name,
let your Spirit help us to be brave
when suffering and difficulties come our way,
that, like your Son and with him,
we may overcome evil in ourselves
and in the world.
May our pains give birth
to love and peace and hope for others.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
2)
GOSPEL READING - JOHN 16,29-33
The disciples of Jesus said, 'Now you are speaking plainly and
not using veiled language. Now we see that you know everything and need not
wait for questions to be put into words; because of this we believe that you
came from God.' Jesus answered them: Do you believe at last? Listen; the time
will come -- indeed it has come already -- when you are going to be scattered,
each going his own way and leaving me alone. And yet I am not alone, because
the Father is with me. I have told you all this so that you may find peace in
me. In the world you will have hardship, but be courageous: I have conquered
the world.
3)
REFLECTION
• The context of today’s Gospel continues to be the environment
of the Last Supper, an environment of fraternity and of farewell, of sadness
and of expectation, in which is mirrored the situation of the communities of
Asia Minor at the end of the first century. In order to be able to understand
the Gospels well, we can never forget that they give the words of Jesus not as
if they had been registered in a CD to transmit them literally. The Gospels are
pastoral writings which seek to embody and update the words of Jesus in the new
situations in which the communities find themselves in the second half of the
first century in Galilee (Matthew), in Greece (Luke), in Italy (Mark) and in
Asia Minor (John). In the Gospel of John, the words and the questions of the disciples
are not only those of the disciples, in fact, they reveal the questions and
problems of the communities. They are the mirror in which the communities of
that time as well as those of today are recognized with their sadness and their
anguishes, with their joys and their hopes. And they find light and strength in
the answers of Jesus.
• John 16, 29-30: Now, you are speaking plainly. Jesus had told
his disciples: The Father himself loves you, because you have loved me, and you
have believed that I come from God. I came from the Father and have come into
the world and now I am leaving the world to go to the Father (Jn 16, 29-30).
Listening to this affirmation of Jesus, the disciples answered: “Now you are
speaking plainly and not using veiled language. Now we see that you know
everything and need not wait for questions to be put into words. Because of
this we believe that you came from God”. The disciples think that they have
understood everything. Yes, truly they got a true light to clarify their problems.
But it was still a very dim light. They got the seed, but at that moment, not
knowing the tree. The light or the seed was the fundamental intuition of faith
according to which Jesus is for us the revelation of God, who is Father: “Now
we believe that you came from God.“ But this was only the beginning, the seed.
Jesus himself was and continues to be the great parable or the revelation of
God for us. God reaches us and reveals himself to us. But God does not enter
into any schema. He exceeds all, goes beyond our schema and gives us the
unexpected surprise which, sometimes, is very painful.
• John 16, 31-32: You are leaving me alone and yet I am not
alone because the Father is with me. Jesus asks: Do you believe at last? He
knows his disciples. He knows that there is still much lacking for the
understanding of the mystery of God and of the Good News of God. He knows that
in spite of the good will and in spite of the light that they have just
received in that moment, they still have to face the unexpected and painful
surprise of the Passion and Death of Jesus. The small light that they got is
not sufficient to overcome the darkness of the crisis: Behold, the time will
come, indeed it has come already, when you are going to be scattered , each one
going his own way and leaving me alone; and yet I am not alone because the
Father is with me. This is the source of certitude of Jesus and through Jesus,
this is and will be the source of certitude for all of us: The Father is with
me! When Moses was sent to liberate the people from the oppression of the
Egyptians, this being his mission, he received this certainty: “”Go! I am with
you” /Ex 3, 12). The certainty of the liberating presence of God is expressed
in the name that God assumes at the moment of the beginning of the Exodus and
of the liberation of his people: JHWH, God with us: This is the name for all
time (Ex 3, 15). A Name which is present more than six thousand times only in
the New Testament.
• John 16, 33: Courage, I have conquered the world! And now we
have the last phrase pronounced by Jesus who anticipates the victory and which
will be a source of peace and of strength for the disciples of that time, as
well as for all of us, up until now: I have told you all this so that you may
find peace in me. In the world you will have hardship, but be courageous, I
have conquered the world”. With his sacrifice out of love, Jesus conquers the
world and Satan. His disciples are called to participate in the struggle and
the victory. To feel the courage which he gives is already to overcome the
battle”. (L.A. Schokel)
4)
FOR PERSONAL CONFRONTATION
• A small light helped the disciples to take a step farther, but
it did not light the whole journey. Have you had a similar experience in your
life?
• Courage, I have conquered the world! Has this phrase of Jesus
helped you some times in your life?
5)
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Protect me, O God, in you is my refuge.
To Yahweh I say, 'You are my Lord, my happiness is in none
My birthright, my cup is Yahweh;
you, you alone, hold my lot secure. (Ps 16,1-2,5)
To Yahweh I say, 'You are my Lord, my happiness is in none
My birthright, my cup is Yahweh;
you, you alone, hold my lot secure. (Ps 16,1-2,5)
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