Tuesday
of Fifth Week of Easter
Lectionary: 286
Lectionary: 286
In
those days, some Jews from Antioch and Iconium
arrived and won over the crowds.
They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city,
supposing that he was dead.
But when the disciples gathered around him,
he got up and entered the city.
On the following day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.
After they had proclaimed the good news to that city
and made a considerable number of disciples,
they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch.
They strengthened the spirits of the disciples
and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying,
“It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships
to enter the Kingdom of God.”
They appointed presbyters for them in each Church and,
with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord
in whom they had put their faith.
Then they traveled through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia.
After proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia.
From there they sailed to Antioch,
where they had been commended to the grace of God
for the work they had now accomplished.
And when they arrived, they called the Church together
and reported what God had done with them
and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
Then they spent no little time with the disciples.
arrived and won over the crowds.
They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city,
supposing that he was dead.
But when the disciples gathered around him,
he got up and entered the city.
On the following day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.
After they had proclaimed the good news to that city
and made a considerable number of disciples,
they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch.
They strengthened the spirits of the disciples
and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying,
“It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships
to enter the Kingdom of God.”
They appointed presbyters for them in each Church and,
with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord
in whom they had put their faith.
Then they traveled through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia.
After proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia.
From there they sailed to Antioch,
where they had been commended to the grace of God
for the work they had now accomplished.
And when they arrived, they called the Church together
and reported what God had done with them
and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
Then they spent no little time with the disciples.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 145:10-11, 12-13AB,
21
R.
(see 12) Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your
kingdom.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
or:
R. Alleluia.
May my mouth speak the praise of the LORD,
and may all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
or:
R. Alleluia.
May my mouth speak the praise of the LORD,
and may all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
or:
R. Alleluia.
AlleluiaSEE LK 24:46, 26
R.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead,
and so enter into his glory.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead,
and so enter into his glory.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelJN 14:27-31A
Jesus
said to his disciples:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
You heard me tell you,
‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’
If you loved me,
you would rejoice that I am going to the Father;
for the Father is greater than I.
And now I have told you this before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe.
I will no longer speak much with you,
for the ruler of the world is coming.
He has no power over me,
but the world must know that I love the Father
and that I do just as the Father has commanded me.”
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
You heard me tell you,
‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’
If you loved me,
you would rejoice that I am going to the Father;
for the Father is greater than I.
And now I have told you this before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe.
I will no longer speak much with you,
for the ruler of the world is coming.
He has no power over me,
but the world must know that I love the Father
and that I do just as the Father has commanded me.”
Meditation: "My peace I give to you"
Do you know the peace
which surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7)? In his farewell
discourse Jesus grants peace as his gift to his disciples.
What kind of peace does he offer? The peace of Christ is more
than the absence of trouble. It includes everything which makes for our highest
good. The world's approach to peace is avoidance of trouble and a refusal to
face unpleasant things. Jesus offers the peace which conquers our fears and
anxieties. Nothing can take us from the peace and joy of Jesus Christ. No
sorrow or grief, no danger, no suffering can make it less.
The true nature of peace
How can we attain the peace which the Lord Jesus offers his followers? Through the gift and work of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, the Lord Jesus shows us how to yield our passions of anger, fear, and pride to him so we can receive his gift of peace. The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness and strengthens us with his gifts and supernatural virtues which enable us to live as wise and holy disciples of Christ.
How can we attain the peace which the Lord Jesus offers his followers? Through the gift and work of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, the Lord Jesus shows us how to yield our passions of anger, fear, and pride to him so we can receive his gift of peace. The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness and strengthens us with his gifts and supernatural virtues which enable us to live as wise and holy disciples of Christ.
Caesarius of Arles
(470-542 AD), an early church bishop in Gaul who was noted for his godly wisdom
and preaching of Scripture, linked peace with the character of Christ and the
Christlike virtues which help us to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ.
Caesarius describes some of the key character traits (virtues) which form us
into true people of peace:
"Peace,
indeed, is serenity of mind, tranquility of soul, simplicity of heart, the bond
of love, the fellowship of charity. It removes hatred, settles wars, restrains
wrath, tramples on pride, loves the humble, pacifies the discordant and makes
enemies agree. For it is pleasing to everyone. It does not seek what belongs to
another or consider anything as its own. It teaches people to love because it
does not know how to get angry, or to extol itself or become inflated with
pride. It is meek and humble to everyone, possessing rest and tranquility
within itself. When the peace of Christ is exercised by a Christian, it is
brought to perfection by Christ. If anyone loves it, he will be an heir of God,
while anyone who despises it rebels against Christ.
"When our Lord
Jesus Christ was returning to the Father, he left his peace to his followers as
their inherited good, teaching them and saying, 'My peace I give to you, my
peace I leave with you.' Anyone who has received this peace should keep it, and
one who has destroyed it should look for it, while anyone who has lost it
should seek it. For if anyone is not found with it, he will be disinherited by
the Father and deprived of his inheritance." (Sermon 174.1)
Destiny with the Father
Jesus speaks to his disciples about his destination - and their destiny as well. He tells them in plain words that he must return to his Father in heaven (John 14:28). If his disciples truly love him for who he is - the only begotten Son of the Father, then they will rejoice that Jesus will ascend to the throne of God and be reunited with his Father in heaven.
Jesus also speaks of his struggle - his passion, suffering and death which he undertook on the cross to redeem us from slavery to sin and death. Jesus called Satan the "ruler of this world" (John 14:30) who seeks to rob people of peace and friendship with God. Jesus defeated the evil one through his death and resurrection and won pardon and peace for all who believe in him.The victory of the cross brought glory to Jesus and to the Father and it is our way to glory with the Father in heaven as well. In the Cross of Christ we find true peace and reconciliation with God our Father. Do you live in the peace of Jesus Christ?
Jesus speaks to his disciples about his destination - and their destiny as well. He tells them in plain words that he must return to his Father in heaven (John 14:28). If his disciples truly love him for who he is - the only begotten Son of the Father, then they will rejoice that Jesus will ascend to the throne of God and be reunited with his Father in heaven.
Jesus also speaks of his struggle - his passion, suffering and death which he undertook on the cross to redeem us from slavery to sin and death. Jesus called Satan the "ruler of this world" (John 14:30) who seeks to rob people of peace and friendship with God. Jesus defeated the evil one through his death and resurrection and won pardon and peace for all who believe in him.The victory of the cross brought glory to Jesus and to the Father and it is our way to glory with the Father in heaven as well. In the Cross of Christ we find true peace and reconciliation with God our Father. Do you live in the peace of Jesus Christ?
"Lord Jesus, may
your peace be always with me. May no troubling thought, trial or affliction rob
me of the peace which passes all understanding. You, alone, O Lord, are my
Peace. May I always reside in that peace by believing in your word and by doing
your will.”
Daily Quote from the
early church fathers: The Following of Christ, by Augustine of
Hippo, 354-430
A.D.
"Come, follow Me,
says the Lord. Do you love? He has hastened on, He has flown on ahead. Look and
see where. O Christian, don't you know where your Lord has gone? I ask you:
Don't you wish to follow Him there? Through trials, insults, the cross, and
death. Why do you hesitate? Look, the way has been shown you." (excerpt from Sermon
345,6)
TUESDAY, APRIL 26, JOHN
14:27-31a
Easter Weekday
(Acts 14:19-28; Psalm 145)
Easter Weekday
(Acts 14:19-28; Psalm 145)
KEY VERSE: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you" (v.27).
TO KNOW: In anticipation of his passion and death, Jesus entreated his disciples to remain steadfast when they faced persecution and suffering. The enemy, though close at hand, held no power over them. Jesus’ farewell gift to his disciples was "peace" (Hebrew, shalom). The peace that he imparted was not to be understood in the worldly sense as a cessation of hostilities. Nor could it be achieved by arbitration and treaties. When Jesus ascended to his Father, his first gift of the resurrection would be the peace of the Spirit. This peace would sustain his disciples in his absence, even in the midst of distress and fear. In their fearless proclamation of the gospel, the world would know that they were obedient to the Father's will despite pain and death.
TO LOVE: In what ways do I gift others with the peace of Christ?
TO SERVE: Risen Lord, grant your peace to this troubled world.
Tuesday 26 April 2016
Tue 26th. St Mark.
1 Peter 5:5-14. For ever I will sing the goodness of
the Lord—Ps 88(89):2-3, 6-7, 16-17. Mark 16:15-20.
Spreading the Good News.
The final chapter of Mark’s Gospel recounts Jesus’
call to his disciples to go out into the world and proclaim the good news to
the whole of creation. The disciples are given ‘signs’ or powers they can enact
in his name to carry out his work. We are disciples too and although we don’t have
‘powers’ as such we do have gifts we can share with others that illustrate the
good news. While spreading Jesus’ message to all can seem like a daunting
mission in our busy world, it doesn’t have to be. As they say actions speak
louder than words and the actions don’t need to be big or grandiose. It can be
as simple as bringing in your neighbour’s garbage bin, saying ‘hello’ to
someone while waiting in the supermarket queue or visiting a relative who is
often forgotten.
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
|
Try Something New
|
At some point we have to say, I am willing to try things another
way. I am willing to face my deepest wounds and do something about them. At
some point, we have to face the fear, the anger, the anxiety, the part of us
that somewhere, sometime, a long, long time ago decided “I will not be hurt
again.”
April
26
St. Pedro de San José Betancur
(1626-1667)
St. Pedro de San José Betancur
(1626-1667)
Central America
claimed its first saint with the canonization of Pedro de San José
Betancur by Pope John Paul II in Guatemala City on July 30, 2002. Known as the
"St. Francis of the Americas," Pedro de Betancur is the first saint
to have worked and died in Guatemala.
Calling the new saint
an “outstanding example” of Christian mercy, the Holy Father noted that St.
Pedro practiced mercy “heroically with the lowliest and the most deprived.”
Speaking to the estimated 500,000 Guatemalans in attendance, the Holy Father
spoke of the social ills that plague the country today and of the need for
change.
“Let us think of the
children and young people who are homeless or deprived of an education; of
abandoned women with their many needs; of the hordes of social outcasts who
live in the cities; of the victims of organized crime, of prostitution or of
drugs; of the sick who are neglected and the elderly who live in loneliness,”
he said in his homily during the three-hour liturgy.
Pedro very much wanted
to become a priest, but God had other plans for the young man born into a poor
family on Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Pedro was a shepherd until age 24,
when he began to make his way to Guatemala, hoping to connect with a relative
engaged in government service there. By the time he reached Havana, he was out
of money. After working there to earn more, he got to Guatemala City the
following year. When he arrived he was so destitute that he joined the bread
line that the Franciscans had established.
Soon, Pedro enrolled
in the local Jesuit college in hopes of studying for the priesthood. No matter
how hard he tried, however, he could not master the material; he withdrew from
school. In 1655 he joined the Secular Franciscan Order. Three years later he
opened a hospital for the convalescent poor; a shelter for the homeless and a
school for the poor soon followed. Not wanting to neglect the rich of Guatemala
City, Pedro began walking through their part of town ringing a bell and
inviting them to repent.
Other men came to
share in Pedro's work. Out of this group came the Bethlehemite
Congregation, which won papal approval after Pedro's death. A Bethlehemite
sisters' community, similarly founded after Pedro's death, was inspired by his
life of prayer and compassion.
He is sometimes
credited with originating the Christmas Eve posadas procession
in which people representing Mary and Joseph seek a night's lodging from their
neighbors. The custom soon spread to Mexico and other Central American
countries.
Pedro was canonized in
2002.
Comment:
As humans, we often pride ourselves on our ability to reason. But, as Pedro’s life shows, other skills may be an even more crucial element of our humanity than a clever mind: compassion, imagination, love. Unable to master studies for the priesthood despite his efforts, Pedro responded to the needs of homeless and sick people; he provided education to the poor and salvation to the rich. He became holy—as fully human as any of us can ever be.
As humans, we often pride ourselves on our ability to reason. But, as Pedro’s life shows, other skills may be an even more crucial element of our humanity than a clever mind: compassion, imagination, love. Unable to master studies for the priesthood despite his efforts, Pedro responded to the needs of homeless and sick people; he provided education to the poor and salvation to the rich. He became holy—as fully human as any of us can ever be.
Quote:
Speaking of Pedro and the four others beatified with him in 1980, Pope John Paul II said: "God lavished his kindness and his mercy on them, enriching them with his grace; he loved them with a fatherly, but demanding, love, which promised only hardships and suffering. He invited and called them to heroic holiness; he tore them away from their countries of origin and sent them to other lands to proclaim the message of the gospel, in the midst of inexpressible toil and difficulties" (L'Osservatore Romano).
Speaking of Pedro and the four others beatified with him in 1980, Pope John Paul II said: "God lavished his kindness and his mercy on them, enriching them with his grace; he loved them with a fatherly, but demanding, love, which promised only hardships and suffering. He invited and called them to heroic holiness; he tore them away from their countries of origin and sent them to other lands to proclaim the message of the gospel, in the midst of inexpressible toil and difficulties" (L'Osservatore Romano).
LECTIO DIVINA: JOHN 14,27-31A
Lectio Divina:
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Easter Time
1) OPENING PRAYER
Lord our God, almighty Father,
you have absolute power over the world,
and yet you respect the freedom of people,
even of those who persecute your faithful.
Make us realize that our faith
does not protect us against the evil
which people bring upon one another,
but that you want us to build according to your plan
a kingdom of justice, love and peace.
Help our faith to stand the test
when our meager efforts fail.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
you have absolute power over the world,
and yet you respect the freedom of people,
even of those who persecute your faithful.
Make us realize that our faith
does not protect us against the evil
which people bring upon one another,
but that you want us to build according to your plan
a kingdom of justice, love and peace.
Help our faith to stand the test
when our meager efforts fail.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
2) GOSPEL READING - JOHN 14,27-31A
Jesus said to his disciples: "Peace
I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace which the world cannot
give, this is my gift to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
You heard me say: I am going away and
shall return. If you loved me you would be glad that I am going to the Father,
for the Father is greater than I. I have told you this now, before it happens,
so that when it does happen you may believe.
I shall not talk to you much longer,
because the prince of this world is on his way. He has no power over me, but
the world must recognise that I love the Father and that I act just as the
Father commanded. Come now, let us go.
3) REFLECTION
• Here in John 14, 27, begins the
farewell of Jesus and at the end of chapter 14, he ends the conversation
saying: “Come now, let us go!” (Jn 14, 31). But instead of leaving the room,
Jesus continues to speak in three other chapters: 15, 16, and 17. If we read
these three chapters, at the beginning of chapter 18, we see the following
phrase: “After he had said all this, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed
the Kidron valley where there was a garden into which he went with his
disciples“ (Jn 18, 1). In Jn 18, 1, there is the continuation of Jn 14, 31. The
Gospel of John is like a beautiful building constructed slowly, rock on top of
rock, brick upon brick. Here and there, there are signs of rearrangement or
adaptation. In some way, all the texts, all the bricks, form part of the
building and are the Word of God for us.
• John 14, 27: The gift of Peace. Jesus
communicates his peace to the disciples. The same peace will be given after the
Resurrection (Jn 20, 29). This peace is an expression of the manifestation of
the Father, as Jesus had said before (Jn 14, 21). The peace of Jesus is the
source of joy that he communicates to us (Jn 15, 11; 1620.22.24; 17, 13). It is
a peace which is different from the peace which the world gives us, diverse
from Pax Romana. At the end of the first century the Pax Romana was maintained
by force and violent repression against the rebellious movements. Pax Romana
guaranteed the institutionalized inequality between the Roman citizens and the
slaves. This is not the peace of the Kingdom of God. The Peace which Jesus
communicates is what in the Old Testament is called Shalom. It is the complete
organization of the whole life around the values of justice, of fraternity and
of equality.
• John 14, 28-29: The reason why Jesus
returns to the Father. Jesus returns to the Father in order to be able to
return immediately. He will say to Mary Magdalene: “Do not cling to me, because
I have not yet ascended to the Father” (Jn 20, 17). Going up to the Father, he
will return through the Holy Spirit that he will send (cfr. Jn 20, 22). Without
the return toward the Father he will not be able to stay with us through the
Spirit.
• John 14, 30-31a: That the world may
know that I love the Father. Jesus had ended the last conversation with the
disciples. The prince of this world wanted to impose himself on the destiny of
Jesus. Jesus will die. In reality, the Prince, the Tempter, the Devil, has no
power over Jesus. The world will know that Jesus loves the Father. This is the
great witness of Jesus which can impel the world to believe in him. In the
announcement of the Good News it is not a question of diffusing a doctrine, or
of imposing a Canon Law, or of uniting all in one organization. It is a
question; above all, of living and radiating what the human being desires and
has deeper in his heart: love. Without this, the doctrine, the Law, the
celebration will be only a wig on a bald head.
• John 14, 31b: Come now, let us go.
These are the last words of Jesus, the expression of his decision to be obedient
to the Father and of revealing his love. In the Eucharist, at the moment of the
consecration, in some countries, it is said: “On the day before his passion,
voluntarily accepted”. In another place Jesus says: “This is why the Father
loves me: because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes
it from me: I lay it down of my own free will, and as I have power to lay it
down so I have power to take it up again, and this is the command that I have
received from my Father.” (Jn 10, 17-18).
4) PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• Jesus says: “I give you my peace”. How
do I contribute to the construction of peace in my family and in my community?
• Looking into the mirror of the
obedience of Jesus toward the Father, on which point could I improve my
obedience to the Father?
5) CONCLUDING PRAYER
All your creatures shall thank you,
Yahweh,
and your faithful shall bless you.
They shall speak of the glory of your kingship
and tell of your might. (Ps 145,10-11)
and your faithful shall bless you.
They shall speak of the glory of your kingship
and tell of your might. (Ps 145,10-11)
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét