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 Christis 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)
MAY IS MARY'S MONTH
The month of May, with its profusion of blooms, was adopted by the Church in the eighteenth century as a celebration of the flowering of Mary's spirituality. In Isaiah's prophecy of the Virgin birth of the Messiah, the figure of the Blossoming Rod, or Root of Jesse, the flower symbolism of Mary was extended by the Church Fathers, and, in the liturgy, by applying to her the flower figures of the Biblical books of Canticles, Wisdom, Proverbs and Sirach. In the medieval period, the rose was adopted as the flower symbol of the Virgin Birth, as expressed in Dante's phrase, 'The Rose wherein the Divine Word was made flesh,' and depicted in the rose windows of the great gothic cathedrals, from which came the Christmas carol, 'Lo, How a Rose 'ere Blooming.' Also, with the spread of the Franciscan love of nature, the rose of the fields, waysides and gardens, came to be seen as symbols of Mary.
TUESDAY, MAY 1, JOHN 14:27-31a
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). When Jesus ascended to his Father, his first gift of the resurrection would be the peace of the Spirit. 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. Jesus' peace is the indwelling 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 Jesus’ followers 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.
Optional Memorial of Saint Joseph
the Worker
Despite his humble background, Joseph came from a royal lineage, a descendant of David, the greatest king of Israel. Joseph was chosen by God as the trustworthy guardian of his divine Son. Joseph was wholeheartedly obedient to God - in marrying Mary, in naming Jesus, in shepherding the family to Egypt, in bringing them to Nazareth, and in the undetermined number of years of quiet faith and courage. Joseph carried out this vocation with complete fidelity until at last God called him, saying: 'Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord." There is much we wish we could know about Joseph - where and when he was born, how he spent his days, when and how he died. But Scripture has left us with the most important knowledge of who he was - "a righteous man" (Matthew 1:18)
Work is a good thing for one's humanity — because through work one not only transforms nature, adapting it to his or her own needs, but also achieves fulfillment as a human being and indeed, in a sense, becomes more a human being.'” — Saint Pope John Paul II
Tuesday 1 May
2018
St Joseph the Worker.
Acts 14:19-28. Psalm 144(145):10-13, 21. John 14:27-31.
Your friends tell the glory of your kingship, Lord—Psalm
144(145):10-13, 21
Jesus speaks of his gift, and his gift is peace.
In the Bible, the word for peace, shalom, never means simply the
absence of trouble. It means everything that makes for our highest good. Peace
the world offers is a peace of escape, a peace that comes from the avoidance of
trouble and from refusing to face things.
The peace Jesus offers us is the peace of solid security and
trust. His peace can withstand any life experience. No sorrow, danger,
suffering will destroy that peace. People saw in the cross only his humiliation
and shame. But time would come when they would see in it his obedience to his
Father and love of us.
Saint Joseph the Worker
Saint of the Day for May 1
 |
| Childhood of Christ | Gerard van Honthorst, |
The Story of Saint Joseph the Worker
To
foster deep devotion to Saint Joseph among Catholics, and in response to
the “May Day” celebrations for workers sponsored by Communists, Pope Pius XII
instituted the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker in 1955. This feast extends the
long relationship between Joseph and the cause of workers in both Catholic
faith and devotion. Beginning in the Book of Genesis, the dignity of human work
has long been celebrated as a participation in the creative work of God. By
work, humankind both fulfills the command found in Genesis to care for the
earth (Gn 2:15) and to be productive in their labors. Saint Joseph, the
carpenter and foster father of Jesus, is but one example of the holiness of
human labor.
Jesus,
too, was a carpenter. He learned the trade from Saint Joseph and spent his
early adult years working side-by-side in Joseph’s carpentry shop before
leaving to pursue his ministry as preacher and healer. In his encyclical Laborem
Exercens, Pope John Paul II stated: “the Church considers it her task
always to call attention to the dignity and rights of those who work, to
condemn situations in which that dignity and those rights are violated, and to
help to guide [social] changes so as to ensure authentic progress by man and
society.”
Saint
Joseph is held up as a model of such work. Pius XII emphasized this when he
said, “The spirit flows to you and to all men from the heart of the God-man,
Savior of the world, but certainly, no worker was ever more completely and
profoundly penetrated by it than the foster father of Jesus, who lived with Him
in closest intimacy and community of family life and work.”
Reflection
To
capture the devotion to Saint Joseph within the Catholic liturgy, in 1870, Pope
Pius IX declared Saint Joseph the patron of the universal Church. In 1955, Pope
Pius XII added the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker. This silent saint, who was
given the noble task of caring and watching over the Virgin Mary and Jesus, now
cares for and watches over the Church and models for all the dignity of human
work.
LECTIO DIVINA: JOHN 14,27-31A
Lectio Divina:
Tuesday, May 1, 2018
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)
