Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Lectionary: 279
Lectionary: 279
The Apostles and the brothers who were in Judea
heard that the Gentiles too had accepted the word of God.
So when Peter went up to Jerusalem
the circumcised believers confronted him, saying,
'You entered the house of uncircumcised people and ate with them."
Peter began and explained it to them step by step, saying,
"I was at prayer in the city of Joppa
when in a trance I had a vision,
something resembling a large sheet coming down,
lowered from the sky by its four corners, and it came to me.
Looking intently into it,
I observed and saw the four-legged animals of the earth,
the wild beasts, the reptiles, and the birds of the sky.
I also heard a voice say to me, 'Get up, Peter. Slaughter and eat.'
But I said, 'Certainly not, sir,
because nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.'
But a second time a voice from heaven answered,
'What God has made clean, you are not to call profane.'
This happened three times,
and then everything was drawn up again into the sky.
Just then three men appeared at the house where we were,
who had been sent to me from Caesarea.
The Spirit told me to accompany them without discriminating.
These six brothers also went with me,
and we entered the man's house.
He related to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, saying,
'Send someone to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter,
who will speak words to you
by which you and all your household will be saved.'
As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them
as it had upon us at the beginning,
and I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said,
'John baptized with water
but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'
If then God gave them the same gift he gave to us
when we came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ,
who was I to be able to hinder God?"
When they heard this,
they stopped objecting and glorified God, saying,
"God has then granted life-giving repentance to the Gentiles too."
heard that the Gentiles too had accepted the word of God.
So when Peter went up to Jerusalem
the circumcised believers confronted him, saying,
'You entered the house of uncircumcised people and ate with them."
Peter began and explained it to them step by step, saying,
"I was at prayer in the city of Joppa
when in a trance I had a vision,
something resembling a large sheet coming down,
lowered from the sky by its four corners, and it came to me.
Looking intently into it,
I observed and saw the four-legged animals of the earth,
the wild beasts, the reptiles, and the birds of the sky.
I also heard a voice say to me, 'Get up, Peter. Slaughter and eat.'
But I said, 'Certainly not, sir,
because nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.'
But a second time a voice from heaven answered,
'What God has made clean, you are not to call profane.'
This happened three times,
and then everything was drawn up again into the sky.
Just then three men appeared at the house where we were,
who had been sent to me from Caesarea.
The Spirit told me to accompany them without discriminating.
These six brothers also went with me,
and we entered the man's house.
He related to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, saying,
'Send someone to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter,
who will speak words to you
by which you and all your household will be saved.'
As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them
as it had upon us at the beginning,
and I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said,
'John baptized with water
but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'
If then God gave them the same gift he gave to us
when we came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ,
who was I to be able to hinder God?"
When they heard this,
they stopped objecting and glorified God, saying,
"God has then granted life-giving repentance to the Gentiles too."
Responsorial
PsalmPS 42:2-3; 43:3, 4
R. (see 3a) Athirst
is my soul for the living God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
As the hind longs for the running waters,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
Athirst is my soul for God, the living God.
When shall I go and behold the face of God?
R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Send forth your light and your fidelity;
they shall lead me on
And bring me to your holy mountain,
to your dwelling-place.
R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Then will I go in to the altar of God,
the God of my gladness and joy;
Then will I give you thanks upon the harp,
O God, my God!
R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
As the hind longs for the running waters,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
Athirst is my soul for God, the living God.
When shall I go and behold the face of God?
R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Send forth your light and your fidelity;
they shall lead me on
And bring me to your holy mountain,
to your dwelling-place.
R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Then will I go in to the altar of God,
the God of my gladness and joy;
Then will I give you thanks upon the harp,
O God, my God!
R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
AlleluiaJN 10:14
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;
I know my sheep, and mine know me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;
I know my sheep, and mine know me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelJN 10:1-10
Jesus said:
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate
but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.
But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice,
as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has driven out all his own,
he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him,
because they recognize his voice.
But they will not follow a stranger;
they will run away from him,
because they do not recognize the voice of strangers."
Although Jesus used this figure of speech,
they did not realize what he was trying to tell them.
So Jesus said again, "Amen, amen, I say to you,
I am the gate for the sheep.
All who came before me are thieves and robbers,
but the sheep did not listen to them.
I am the gate.
Whoever enters through me will be saved,
and will come in and go out and find pasture.
A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy;
I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly."
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate
but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.
But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice,
as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has driven out all his own,
he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him,
because they recognize his voice.
But they will not follow a stranger;
they will run away from him,
because they do not recognize the voice of strangers."
Although Jesus used this figure of speech,
they did not realize what he was trying to tell them.
So Jesus said again, "Amen, amen, I say to you,
I am the gate for the sheep.
All who came before me are thieves and robbers,
but the sheep did not listen to them.
I am the gate.
Whoever enters through me will be saved,
and will come in and go out and find pasture.
A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy;
I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly."
Meditation: "I
came that they may have life abundantly"
Do you know the peace and security of the Good
Shepherd who watches over his own? The Old Testament often speaks of God as shepherd
of his people, Israel. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want (Psalm
23:1). Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a
flock! (Psalm 80:1) We are his people, and the sheep of his
pasture (Psalm 100:3). The Messiah is also pictured as the shepherd of
God's people: He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather
the lambs in his arms (Isaiah 40:11). Jesus says he is the Good
Shepherd who will risk his life to seek out and save the stray sheep
(Matthew 18:12, Luke 15:4). He is the Shepherd and Guardian of our
souls (1 Peter 2:25).
The Good Shepherd and Guardian of our souls
What can shepherding teach us about God and our relationship with him? At the end of each day the shepherd brought his sheep into shelter. They knew the voice of their shepherd and came at his beckoning. So familiar was the shepherd and his sheep, that each was called by a distinct name. In the winter the sheep were usually brought to a communal village shelter which was locked and kept secure by a guardian. In the summer months the sheep were usually kept out in the fields and then gathered into a fold at night which was guarded by a shepherd throughout the night. He was literally the door through which the sheep had to pass.
What can shepherding teach us about God and our relationship with him? At the end of each day the shepherd brought his sheep into shelter. They knew the voice of their shepherd and came at his beckoning. So familiar was the shepherd and his sheep, that each was called by a distinct name. In the winter the sheep were usually brought to a communal village shelter which was locked and kept secure by a guardian. In the summer months the sheep were usually kept out in the fields and then gathered into a fold at night which was guarded by a shepherd throughout the night. He was literally the door through which the sheep had to pass.
The Scriptures describe God as a shepherd who brings
security and peace to his people. The Lord will keep your going out and
your coming in from this time forth and for evermore (Psalm 120:8).
Even the leaders of God's people are called shepherds: they shall lead
them out and bring them in; that the congregation of the Lord may not be as
sheep which have no shepherd (Numbers 27:17). Just as a shepherd kept
watch over his sheep and protected them from danger, so Jesus stands watch over
his people as the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls (1 Peter
2:25). Do you know the peace and security of a life fully submitted to God?
Jesus willingly laid down his life for us - the sheep
he ransomed with his own blood
St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) writes: "He has accomplished what he taught us: He has shown us what He commanded us to do. He laid down his own life for his sheep, that within our mystery he might change his body and blood into food, and nourish the sheep he had redeemed with the food of his own flesh. He has shown us the way we must follow, despite fear of death. He has laid down the pattern to which we must conform ourselves. The first duty laid on us is to use our material goods in mercy for the needs of his sheep, and then, if necessary, give even our lives for them. He that will not give of his substance for his sheep, how shall he lay down his life for them?" (Tr. 46 in John). Do you look to Jesus the Good Shepherd, to receive the strength and courage you need to live and serve as his disciple?
St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) writes: "He has accomplished what he taught us: He has shown us what He commanded us to do. He laid down his own life for his sheep, that within our mystery he might change his body and blood into food, and nourish the sheep he had redeemed with the food of his own flesh. He has shown us the way we must follow, despite fear of death. He has laid down the pattern to which we must conform ourselves. The first duty laid on us is to use our material goods in mercy for the needs of his sheep, and then, if necessary, give even our lives for them. He that will not give of his substance for his sheep, how shall he lay down his life for them?" (Tr. 46 in John). Do you look to Jesus the Good Shepherd, to receive the strength and courage you need to live and serve as his disciple?
"Lord Jesus, you always lead me in the way
of true peace and safety. May I never doubt your care nor stray from your ways.
Keep me safe in the shelter of your presence."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Green pastures and still waters, by
Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"The pastures that this good shepherd has
prepared for you, in which he has settled you for you to take your fill, are
not various kinds of grasses and green things, among which some are sweet to
the taste, some extremely bitter, which as the seasons succeed one another are
sometimes there and sometimes not. Your pastures are the words of God and his
commandments, and they have all been sown as sweet grasses. These pastures had
been tasted by that man who said to God, 'How sweet are your words to my
palate, more so than honey and the honeycomb in my mouth!'" (excerpt from Sermon 366,3,1)
MONDAY, APRIL 23, JOHN 10:1-10
Easter Weekday
(Acts 11:1-18; Psalm 42)
Easter Weekday
(Acts 11:1-18; Psalm 42)
KEY VERSE: "I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture" (v.9).
TO KNOW: The figure of God as a shepherd who guides and protects the flock was taken from Israel's pastoral life. Sheep, which belonged to various shepherds, were brought together in a sheepfold at night. At daybreak, the watchman would open the gate. The shepherd knew his own sheep and he would call each one by name as he led them out to pasture. The sheep recognized the shepherd's voice and would follow no one else. The shepherd would walk ahead of his flock as they followed him to a place where they would be safe from thieves who might "steal and slaughter and destroy" (John 10:10a). Jesus is the gateway for the sheep. Those who enter through him will be saved and have abundant life.
TO LOVE: Pray for Pope Francis, the shepherd of God's people.
TO SERVE: Risen Lord, help me to follow you as you guide me day by day.
Optional Memorial of Saint George,
martyr
The best known story attached to Saint George is the Golden Legend in which he fought a dragon that lived in a lake near Silena, Libya. Whole armies had gone up against this fierce creature, and had gone down in defeat. George made the sign of the cross, rode to battle against the serpent, and killed it with a single blow with his lance. Then, with a magnificent sermon, he converted the locals. He was given a large reward by the king, which he distributed to the poor. Due to his chivalrous behavior, devotion to Saint George became widespread in Europe. In the 15th century his feast day was as popular as Christmas. The celebrated Knights of the Garter are actually Knights of the Order of Saint George. He is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers.
Optional Memorial of Saint
Adalbert, bishop and martyr
Adalbert was the Bishop of Prague in 983. A friend of Emperor Otto III, he encouraged the evangelization of the Magyars, and worked alongside Saint Astricus. Opposed by the nobility in Prague, Adalbert withdrew to Rome and became a Benedictine; Pope John XV sent him back. Adalbert founded the monastery of Brevnov. Again he met more opposition from the nobility, and returned to Rome. There being no hope of his working in Prague, he was allowed to evangelize in Pomerania, Poland, Prussia, Hungary, and Russia. He and his fellow missionaries were martyred by Prussians near Koenigsberg or Danzig at the instigation of a pagan priest.
Monday 23 April
2018
St George. St Adelbert.
Acts 11:1-18. Psalm 41(42):2-3; 42(43):3-4. John 10:11-18.
My soul is thirsting for the living God—Psalm 41(42):2-3;
42(43):3-4.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
Anyone who does the will of God is my brother and sister and
mother.
Dear Lord, the psalmist asked for God to send out his light and
his truth to lead us to his dwelling. Peter found the light and the truth in a
vision. Most of us, while longing for you, do not have visions but still need
to look for your light and truth and to meet you, the living God.
How do we look? Where do we look? The best place to look is in
prayer in our hearts, alone and also with others in public prayer. We meet you
when we think about and listen to your message. You tell us that you are our
shepherd.
But you also say that there are others, not of our community,
for whom you care. We are all your sheep.
Saint George
Saint of the Day for April 23
(c. 280 – April 23, 303)
Saint George’s Story
Saint George is the object of a vast amount of imagination.
There is every reason to believe that he was a real martyr who suffered at
Lydda in Palestine, probably before the time of Constantine. The Church adheres
to his memory, but not to the legends surrounding his life. That he was willing
to pay the supreme price to follow Christ is what the Church believes. And it
is enough.
The story of George’s slaying the dragon, rescuing the king’s
daughter, and converting Libya is a 12th-century Italian fable. George was a
favorite patron saint of crusaders, as well as of Eastern soldiers in earlier
times. He is a patron saint of England, Portugal, Germany, Aragon, Catalonia,
Genoa, and Venice.
Reflection
Human nature seems to crave more than cold historical data.
Americans have Washington and Lincoln, but we somehow need Paul Bunyan, too.
The life of Saint Francis of Assisi is inspiring enough, but for centuries the
Italians have found his spirit in the legends of the Fioretti, too.
Santa Claus is the popular extension of the spirit of Saint Nicholas. The
legends about Saint George are part of this yearning. Both fact and legend are
human ways of illumining the mysterious truth about the One who alone is holy.
Saint George is the Patron Saint of:
Boy Scouts
England
Portugal
Soldiers
Germany
England
Portugal
Soldiers
Germany
LECTIO DIVINA: JOHN 10,1-10
Lectio Divina:
Monday, April 23, 2018
Easter Time
1) Opening prayer
Lord God, our Father,
the Spirit of Jesus calls us, as he called your Son,
to abandon our old selves and our old world
to be free for new life and growth.
Forgive us our fear and hesitations,
lead us out of our worn-out phrases and habits,
and our self-made certainties,
steep us in the gospel of your Son,
that his good news may become credible
in our times and our world.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
the Spirit of Jesus calls us, as he called your Son,
to abandon our old selves and our old world
to be free for new life and growth.
Forgive us our fear and hesitations,
lead us out of our worn-out phrases and habits,
and our self-made certainties,
steep us in the gospel of your Son,
that his good news may become credible
in our times and our world.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
2) Gospel Reading - John 10,1-10
Jesus said: “In all truth I tell you,
anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but climbs in some
other way, is a thief and a bandit. He who enters through the gate is the
shepherd of the flock; the gatekeeper lets him in, the sheep hear his voice,
one by one he calls his own sheep and leads them out. When he has brought out
all those that are his, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because
they know his voice. They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from
him because they do not recognise the voice of strangers.' Jesus told them this
parable but they failed to understand what he was saying to them. So Jesus
spoke to them again: In all truth I tell you, I am the gate of the sheepfold.
All who have come before me are thieves and bandits, but the sheep took no
notice of them. I am the gate. Anyone who enters through me will be safe: such
a one will go in and out and will find pasture. The thief comes only to steal
and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it to the
full.”
3) Reflection
• In Jesus we have the model of the true
shepherd. In him is fulfilled the expectation of the Good Shepherd promised by
God: the “Great Shepherd” greater than Moses (Hb 13, 20).
• John 10, 1-6: The gate of the sheepfold.
In Jn 10, 1-10 it is said that Jesus is the “gate” to get to the sheep and to
be led to the pastures (10, 7.9-10).
The theme of the sheep had already been
introduced in John 2, 15 and in a particular way in 5, 2 where it is indicated
that there is a Sheep Pool with five porticos along which were laid the sick to
be healed. In this last context the sheep indicate the people who were
oppressed by their directors. In Jn 10, 1, Jesus links the theme of the sheep
to the atrium or inner courtyard of the Temple, the Jewish institution
administered by men of power who trampled on the rights, justice and exploited
the people. Such individuals were called by Jesus “thieves and bandits”.
Jesus begins his long presentation
before the Pharisees, who were closed up in their unbelief and insufficiency
(9, 40-41) with a general affirmation: a more sure way to enter into contact
with the sheep is that of entering by the gate of the enclosure in which they
are kept. Anyone who enters in a different way is not animated by a reason of
love for the sheep, but in order to exploit them for his own interest. This is
the sin of those who direct the people: to take hold of everything that belongs
to all for themselves. Jesus calls this attitude using the term “thief”. This
was precisely the accusation that Jesus addressed to the chief priests of the
people during his first visit to the Temple (2, 13ss).
Another term that Jesus uses to indicate
those who take away from the people what belongs to them is: “bandit”. Such a
term indicates those who use violence. Therefore, the chief priests of the
Temple oblige the people to submit themselves to the violence of their system
(7, 13; 9, 22). The effect of this is that it produces a state of death (5,
3.21.25).
The shepherd enters through the gate to
take care of the sheep, not to oppress them or maltreat them. In fact, the
sheep recognize his authority (voice) and follow him. The voice of Jesus
contains a message of liberation for them that is typical of the Messiah.
Besides, his voice is not addressed to an anonymous group of persons but he
calls each one personally. For Jesus no anonymous crowd of people exists, but
each person has a face, a name, dignity. The Temple (the enclosure of the
sheep) has become a place of darkness, characterized only by economic
interests; money has replaced the exclusive attention to God: the Temple has
become the business or trading house (Jn 2, 16).
Jesus leads the people to take them out
of the darkness. And he does not do this in a fictitious way, but in a real
way, because such is the work which the Father has entrusted to him. The
fundamental strokes of this mission are: to enter and to call. Those who
respond to that call, to the call to liberty become a new community: “Those who
are His own”.
• John 10, 7-10: Jesus is the new door.
Jesus again uses the symbolism of the gate in vv. 7-8: applying this to
himself. He is the new door not only in regard to the old enclosure of Israel
represented by the chief priests of the people but also in regard to those who
follow him. He reminds the first ones of his legitimacy to be the only place of
access for the sheep, because he is the Messiah ready to give his life for the
sheep. And it is not by domination or prevarication, that one can approach the
sheep to have a relationship with them, but rather by assuming the attitude of
the one who gives his life for them. His words are a categorical invitation to
change mentality, way of thinking and way of relating.
The entrance through Jesus signifies to
consider the good of man as a priority and to commit all our energy to attain
this. Anyone who does not enter into this new logic is an oppressor. The reader
finds that the words of Jesus addressed to his contemporaries and in a
particular way to the chief priests of the people, who have used domination and
violence to exploit the people, are truly hard and strong, firm.
He is the new gate in regard to every
person. But for men and women of today what does it mean to enter through the
door which is Jesus? It implies to “get close to Him”, “to trust Him” (Jn 6,
35), to follow Him and to allow ourselves to be guided by His message (8, 31.
51), in definitive it means to participate in the dedication of Jesus so that
the true happiness of man may be accomplished.
4) Personal questions
• Jesus is the Good Shepherd because he
always knows you, but do you recognize him? He is a Shepherd who comes to your
life as a door to go out and to enter: do you allow Him to lead you when you
relate with others?
• In your community, in your family are
you also a door, not to close it, but to remain open to fraternal
communication, to allow esteem and hope to go through?
5) Concluding Prayer
Lord, send out your light and your
truth;
they shall be my guide,
to lead me to your holy mountain
to the place where you dwell. (Ps 43,3)
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