Memorial of Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr
Lectionary: 300
Lectionary: 300
Wishing to determine the truth
about why Paul was being accused by the Jews,
the commander freed him
and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to convene.
Then he brought Paul down and made him stand before them.
Paul was aware that some were Sadducees and some Pharisees,
so he called out before the Sanhedrin,
“My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees;
I am on trial for hope in the resurrection of the dead.”
When he said this,
a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees,
and the group became divided.
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection
or angels or spirits,
while the Pharisees acknowledge all three.
A great uproar occurred,
and some scribes belonging to the Pharisee party
stood up and sharply argued,
“We find nothing wrong with this man.
Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”
The dispute was so serious that the commander,
afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them,
ordered his troops to go down and rescue Paul from their midst
and take him into the compound.
The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage.
For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem,
so you must also bear witness in Rome.”
about why Paul was being accused by the Jews,
the commander freed him
and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to convene.
Then he brought Paul down and made him stand before them.
Paul was aware that some were Sadducees and some Pharisees,
so he called out before the Sanhedrin,
“My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees;
I am on trial for hope in the resurrection of the dead.”
When he said this,
a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees,
and the group became divided.
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection
or angels or spirits,
while the Pharisees acknowledge all three.
A great uproar occurred,
and some scribes belonging to the Pharisee party
stood up and sharply argued,
“We find nothing wrong with this man.
Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”
The dispute was so serious that the commander,
afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them,
ordered his troops to go down and rescue Paul from their midst
and take him into the compound.
The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage.
For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem,
so you must also bear witness in Rome.”
R. (1) Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.”
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.”
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying:
“I pray not only for these,
but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
so that they may all be one,
as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
that they also may be in us,
that the world may believe that you sent me.
And I have given them the glory you gave me,
so that they may be one, as we are one,
I in them and you in me,
that they may be brought to perfection as one,
that the world may know that you sent me,
and that you loved them even as you loved me.
Father, they are your gift to me.
I wish that where I am they also may be with me,
that they may see my glory that you gave me,
because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
Righteous Father, the world also does not know you,
but I know you, and they know that you sent me.
I made known to them your name and I will make it known,
that the love with which you loved me
may be in them and I in them.”
“I pray not only for these,
but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
so that they may all be one,
as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
that they also may be in us,
that the world may believe that you sent me.
And I have given them the glory you gave me,
so that they may be one, as we are one,
I in them and you in me,
that they may be brought to perfection as one,
that the world may know that you sent me,
and that you loved them even as you loved me.
Father, they are your gift to me.
I wish that where I am they also may be with me,
that they may see my glory that you gave me,
because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
Righteous Father, the world also does not know you,
but I know you, and they know that you sent me.
I made known to them your name and I will make it known,
that the love with which you loved me
may be in them and I in them.”
Meditation: “May
they become perfectly one”
When you pray what do you usually ask for - God's help,
blessing, guidance, and wisdom? One of the greatest privileges and
responsibilities we have been given by God is to pray not only for ourselves,
but for others as well. The Lord Jesus lived a life full of prayer, blessing,
and gratitude. He prayed for his disciples, especially when they were in great
need or danger. Mark tells us in his gospel account (see chapter 6:46-51) that
when Jesus was praying alone on the mountain he saw that his disciples were in
great distress due to a life-threatening storm that was beating against their
boat. Jesus immediately came to their rescue - walking on the waves of the
rough waters before he calmed them! Luke records in his gospel account the
words of Jesus to Simon Peter shortly before Jesus' arrest and Peter's denial
of the Lord three times. "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have
you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you, Simon, that
your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your
brothers" (Luke 22:32). Jesus' prayers were personal, direct, and focused
on the good of others.
The longest recorded prayer of Jesus is found in the Gospel of
John, the "high priestly" prayer which Jesus prayed aloud at his last
supper meal with his disciples (John 17). This prayer most clearly reveals the
heart of Jesus - who and what he loved most - love for his Father and love for
those who believed in him. His prayer focused on the love and unity he desired
for all who would believe in him and follow him, not only in the present, but
in the future as well. Jesus' prayer concludes with a petition for the unity
among all Christians who profess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Jesus prays for all
men and women who will come after him and follow him as his disciples. In a
special way Jesus prays here for each one of us that as members of his body the
church we would be one as he and his Father are one. The unity of Jesus, the
only begotten Son of God, with the eternal Father is a unity of mutual love,
service, and honor, and a oneness of mind, heart, and spirit. The Lord Jesus
calls each and every one of his followers into this unity of mutual love,
service, honor, and friendship with all who belong to Christ.
Jesus’ prayer on the eve of his sacrifice shows the great love
and trust he had for his beloved disciples. He knew they would abandon him in
his hour of trial, yet he entrusted to them the great task of spreading his
name throughout the world and to the end of the ages. The Lord Jesus entrust us
today with the same mission – to make him known and loved by all. Jesus died
and rose again that all might be one as he and the Father are one. Do you love
and accept all baptized Christians as your brothers and sisters in Christ?
The Lord Jesus included each one of us in his high priestly
prayer at the last supper. He continues his high priestly office this very day
as our intercessor at the right hand of the Father before the throne of heaven.
Paul the Apostle tells us that it is "Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was
raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes
for us" (Romans 8:34; see also Hebrews 7: 25). Do you join in Jesus' high
priestly prayer that all who profess Jesus as Lord may grow in love and unity together
as brothers and sisters who have been redeemed through the precious blood shed
for us on the cross?
"Heaveny Father, have mercy on all your people and heal the
divisions in the body of Christ. May all Christian people throughout the world
attain the unity for which Jesus prayed on the eve of his sacrifice. Renew in
us the power of the Spirit that we may be a sign of that unity and a means of
its growth. Increase in us a fervent love for all our brothers and sisters in
Jesus Christ."
 God’s Eternal Love |
|
John 17:20-26
Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying: "I
pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through
their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in
you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent
me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as
we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection
as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them
even as you loved me. Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I
am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me,
because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father,
the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent
me. I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love
with which you loved me may be in them and I in them."
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,
increase my faith in your love.
1. Who is God? In his
first epistle, John tells us that God is love. Before the foundation of the
world, the Father loved the Son. Within the Trinity there is a perfect
sharing of life and love. Even after the Incarnation, Jesus remained in his
Father’s love. At Christ’s baptism, the Father spoke of his love for his Son.
“This is my beloved son” (Matthew 3:17). At the Transfiguration he repeated
this sign of love: “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased; listen
to him” (Matthew 17:5). These moments manifest God’s inner life.
2. A Share in His Life: God
created us to share in the loving relationship of the Trinity. The Father’s
plan is to love us, to bring us into Trinitarian love. He wants to love us in
his Son with a Father’s eternal love. If we could catch a mere glimpse of the
reality of this love, it would transform our lives. God so loved the world
that he sent his only begotten son into the world (see John 3:16). Love is at
the heart of the universe.
3. Sharing in God’s Love: God is
love, and if he is in us, it is as love. God pours his love, himself, into
our hearts. As he shares his life, he shares his love. This is the love that
he wants us to give to others. Jesus gave his disciples the love he had
received from his Father, and sent them forth to continue his work of sharing
that love with all of humanity. Think of the people today who are lonely and
lost, starving for love and attention. They have no clue that God loves them
with an eternal love or that he has loved them intimately, deeply and
perfectly from all eternity. They do not know that this love has given them
life and maintains them in existence. People need to hear the good news of
God’s love. This is our mission.
Conversation with Christ: Jesus,
help me to share your love with those around me. Don’t allow me to remain
focused just on myself and the circumstances in my life. I need you. I need
your love, as do so many others. I need to love in order to give myself to
your work, but I also need your constant help and support.
Resolution: I will
let someone know that God loves them.
THURSDAY,
JUNE 5, JOHN 17:20-26
(Acts 22:30, 23:6-11; Psalm 16)  KEY VERSE: "I gave them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one" (v 22). READING: As Jesus prepared to return to his Father, he prayed for all those who would come to believe in him through his disciples' proclamation of the gospel. Jesus' followers would continue his work on earth by making God's name known. Jesus prayed for the unity of all believers. He longed for the time when Christians would cease their divisions and be united with him in the unity he shared with the Father. The love that existed between the Father and the Son flowed through the Spirit and would be expressed in the love that Christians have for one another. The Christian community should be a reflection of the oneness of the Triune God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. When the world see this, they will be attracted to the gospel and believe in Jesus Christ (Jn 13:35). REFLECTING: Are people able to "read" the gospel that I proclaim by my life? PRAYING: Risen Lord, help me to work for unity in my parish.
Memorial
of Boniface, bishop and martyr
 Boniface was educated at the Benedictine monastery at Exeter, England. He was a missionary to Germany from 719, assisted by St. Albinus. Boniface destroyed idols and pagan temples, and then built churches on the sites. In Saxony, Boniface encountered a tribe worshipping a Norse deity in the form of a huge oak tree. Boniface walked up to the tree, removed his shirt, took up an axe, and without a word he hacked down the six foot wide wooden god. Boniface stood on the trunk, and asked, "How stands your mighty god? My God is stronger than he." The crowd's reaction was mixed, but some conversions were begun. As Archbishop of Mainz he reformed churches, built religious houses in Germany, and founded or restored the dioceses of Bavaria, Thuringgia, and Franconia. Boniface evangelized in Holland, but was set upon by a troop of pagans, and he and 52 of his new flock were martyred.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
Respecting One’s Dignity
|
St. Francis did not draw lines between himself and society’s
outcasts. He stepped into their shoes, at times quite literally. This both
enabled him to help and enabled people to trust him. Even when it jeopardized
his own social status, he showed respect and love for the downtrodden.
Keep me safe, O God; you are my
hope
Today’s gospel reading helps us realise what you want for us,
Lord.Sometimes we can feel lonely and deserted, just as the disciples must have felt. All that is around us seems to say that we are alone, that your death was your end, that you changed nothing. Yet you pray for us to the Father. You show that you do care about our loneliness and sense of isolation. You want to involve us in the close, loving relationship you have with your Father. Help us to open our hearts to you, to the love and companionship you offer. In letting your love work in us, we can come to know the Father, and so understand and love others
June
5
St. Boniface
(672?-754)
St. Boniface
(672?-754)
Boniface, known as the apostle of the Germans, was an English
Benedictine monk who gave up being elected abbot to devote his life to the
conversion of the Germanic tribes. Two characteristics stand out: his Christian
orthodoxy and his fidelity to the pope of Rome.
How absolutely necessary this orthodoxy and fidelity were is borne out by the conditions he found on his first missionary journey in 719 at the request of Pope Gregory II. Paganism was a way of life. What Christianity he did find had either lapsed into paganism or was mixed with error. The clergy were mainly responsible for these latter conditions since they were in many instances uneducated, lax and questionably obedient to their bishops. In particular instances their very ordination was questionable.
These are the conditions that Boniface was to report in 722 on his first return visit to Rome. The Holy Father instructed him to reform the German Church. The pope sent letters of recommendation to religious and civil leaders. Boniface later admitted that his work would have been unsuccessful, from a human viewpoint, without a letter of safe-conduct from Charles Martel, the powerful Frankish ruler, grandfather of Charlemagne. Boniface was finally made a regional bishop and authorized to organize the whole German Church. He was eminently successful.
In the Frankish kingdom, he met great problems because of lay interference in bishops’ elections, the worldliness of the clergy and lack of papal control.
During a final mission to the Frisians, he and 53 companions were massacred while he was preparing converts for Confirmation.
In order to restore the Germanic Church to its fidelity to Rome and to convert the pagans, he had been guided by two principles. The first was to restore the obedience of the clergy to their bishops in union with the pope of Rome. The second was the establishment of many houses of prayer which took the form of Benedictine monasteries. A great number of Anglo-Saxon monks and nuns followed him to the continent. He introduced Benedictine nuns to the active apostolate of education.
How absolutely necessary this orthodoxy and fidelity were is borne out by the conditions he found on his first missionary journey in 719 at the request of Pope Gregory II. Paganism was a way of life. What Christianity he did find had either lapsed into paganism or was mixed with error. The clergy were mainly responsible for these latter conditions since they were in many instances uneducated, lax and questionably obedient to their bishops. In particular instances their very ordination was questionable.
These are the conditions that Boniface was to report in 722 on his first return visit to Rome. The Holy Father instructed him to reform the German Church. The pope sent letters of recommendation to religious and civil leaders. Boniface later admitted that his work would have been unsuccessful, from a human viewpoint, without a letter of safe-conduct from Charles Martel, the powerful Frankish ruler, grandfather of Charlemagne. Boniface was finally made a regional bishop and authorized to organize the whole German Church. He was eminently successful.
In the Frankish kingdom, he met great problems because of lay interference in bishops’ elections, the worldliness of the clergy and lack of papal control.
During a final mission to the Frisians, he and 53 companions were massacred while he was preparing converts for Confirmation.
In order to restore the Germanic Church to its fidelity to Rome and to convert the pagans, he had been guided by two principles. The first was to restore the obedience of the clergy to their bishops in union with the pope of Rome. The second was the establishment of many houses of prayer which took the form of Benedictine monasteries. A great number of Anglo-Saxon monks and nuns followed him to the continent. He introduced Benedictine nuns to the active apostolate of education.
Stories:
Boniface literally
struck a blow for Christianity in his attempt to destroy pagan superstitions.
On a day previously announced, in the presense of a tense crowd, he attacked
with an ax Donar's sacred oak on Mount Gudenburg. The huge tree crashed,
splitting into four parts. The people waited for the gods to strike Boniface
dead—then realized their gods were powerless, nonexistent. He used planks from
the tree to build a chapel.
Comment:
Boniface bears out the Christian rule: To follow Christ is to follow the way of the cross. For Boniface, it was not only physical suffering or death, but the painful, thankless, bewildering task of Church reform. Missionary glory is often thought of in terms of bringing new persons to Christ. It seems—but is not—less glorious to heal the household of the faith.
Boniface bears out the Christian rule: To follow Christ is to follow the way of the cross. For Boniface, it was not only physical suffering or death, but the painful, thankless, bewildering task of Church reform. Missionary glory is often thought of in terms of bringing new persons to Christ. It seems—but is not—less glorious to heal the household of the faith.
Patron Saint of:
Germany
Germany
LECTIO DIVINA:
JOHN 17,20-26
Lectio:
Thursday, June 5, 2014
1)
OPENING PRAYER
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
and Father of all people,
we believe in you
and we know that you loved Jesus
with a deep and trusting, lasting love.
Let your Holy Spirit pour out this love
into the hearts of all those
who believe in Jesus, our Saviour and shepherd.
Let this love unite us in one common bond
of understanding and respect of one another
and let that love dispose us
to live for one another and to serve one another
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.
and Father of all people,
we believe in you
and we know that you loved Jesus
with a deep and trusting, lasting love.
Let your Holy Spirit pour out this love
into the hearts of all those
who believe in Jesus, our Saviour and shepherd.
Let this love unite us in one common bond
of understanding and respect of one another
and let that love dispose us
to live for one another and to serve one another
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.
2)
GOSPEL READING - JOHN 17,20-26
Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said: I pray not only for
these but also for those who through their teaching will come to believe in me.
May they all be one, just as, Father, you are in me and I am in you, so that
they also may be in us, so that the world may believe it was you who sent me.
I have given them the glory you gave to me, that they may be one
as we are one. With me in them and you in me, may they be so perfected in unity
that the world will recognise that it was you who sent me and that you have
loved them as you have loved me.
Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am,
so that they may always see my glory which you have given me because you loved
me before the foundation of the world. Father, Upright One, the world has not
known you, but I have known you, and these have known that you have sent me.
I have made your name known to them and will continue to make it
known, so that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and so that I
may be in them.
3)
REFLECTION
• Today’s Gospel presents to us the third and last part of the
Priestly Prayer, in which Jesus looks toward the future and manifests his great
desire for unity among us, his disciples, and that all may remain in the love
which unifies, because without love and without unity we do not deserve
credibility.
• John 17, 20-23: So that the world may believe it was you who
sent me. Jesus extends the horizon and prays to the Father: I pray not only for
these but also for those who through their teaching will come to believe in me.
May they all be one, just as, Father, you are in me and I am in you, so that
they also may be in us, so that the world may believe it was you who sent me.
Behold, here emerges the great concern of Jesus for unity which should exist in
the communities. Unity does not mean uniformity, but rather to remain in love,
in spite of tensions and conflicts. A love which unifies to the point of
creating among all a profound unity, like the unity which exists between Jesus
and the Father. The unity in love revealed in the Trinity is the model for the
communities. For this, through love among persons, the communities reveal to
the world the most profound message of Jesus. People said of the first
Christians: “Look how they love one another!” The present day division among
the three religions which came from Abraham is really tragic: the Jews, the
Christians and the Muslims. And even more tragic is the division among us
Christians who say that we believe in Jesus. If we are divided we do not
deserve credibility. Ecumenism is in the centre of the last prayer of Jesus to
the Father. It is his testament. To be a Christian and not be ecumenical is a
contradiction. It means to contradict the last Will of Jesus.
• John 17, 24-26: So that the love with which you loved me may
be in them. Jesus does not want to remain alone. He says: Father, I want those
you have given me to be with me where I am so that they may always see my glory
which you have given me, because you loved me before the foundation of the
world. Jesus is happy when we are all together with him. He wants his disciples
to have the same experience of the Father which he had. He wants us to know the
Father and that he knows us. In the Bible, the word to know is not limited to a
rational theoretic knowledge, but presupposes the experience of the presence of
God living in love with the persons of the community.
• That they may be one as we are one. (Unity and Trinity in the
Gospel of John) The Gospel of John helps us to understand the mystery of the
Trinity, the communion among the three Divine Persons: the Father, the Son and
the Spirit. Of the four Gospels, John is the one who stresses more the profound
unity among the Father, the Son and the Spirit. From the text of John (Jn 17,
6-8) we see that the mission of the Son is the supreme manifestation of the
love of the Father. And this unity between the Father and the Son makes Jesus
exclaim: The Father and I are one (Jn 10, 30). Between the Son and the Father
there is such an intense unity that one who sees the face of one also sees the
face of the other. And fulfilling this mission of unity received from the
Father, Jesus reveals the Spirit. The spirit of Truth comes from the Father (Jn
15, 26). At the petition of the Son (Jn 14, 16), the Father sends the Spirit to
each one of us in such a way that he will remain with us, encouraging us and
giving us strength. The Spirit also comes to us from the Son (Jn 16, 7-8).
Thus, the Spirit of Truth, who journeys with us, is the communication of the
profound unity which exists between the Father and the Son (Jn 15, 26-27). The
Spirit cannot communicate a truth which is different from the Truth of the Son.
Everything which is in relationship with the mystery of the Son, the Spirit
makes it known to us (Jn 16, 13-14). This experience of the unity in God was
very strong in the communities of the Beloved Disciple. The love which unites
the Divine Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit allows us to experience God
through union with the persons in a community of love. This was also the
proposal of the community, where love should be the sign of God’s presence in
the midst of the community (Jn 13, 34-35). And this love constructs unity in
the community (Jn 17, 21). They looked at the unity in God in order to
understand the unity among them.
4)
FOR PERSONAL CONFRONTATION
• Bishop Don Pedro Casaldáliga said: “The Trinity is truly the
best community”. In the community of which you form part, can one perceive some
human sign of the Divine Trinity?
• Ecumenism: Am I ecumenical?
5)
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Lord, you will teach me the path of life,
unbounded joy in your presence,
at your right hand delight for ever. (Ps 16,11)
unbounded joy in your presence,
at your right hand delight for ever. (Ps 16,11)
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