Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter
Lectionary: 299
Lectionary: 299
At Miletus, Paul spoke to the
presbyters of the Church of Ephesus:
“Keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock
of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers,
in which you tend the Church of God
that he acquired with his own Blood.
I know that after my departure savage wolves will come among you,
and they will not spare the flock.
And from your own group, men will come forward perverting the truth
to draw the disciples away after them.
So be vigilant and remember that for three years, night and day,
I unceasingly admonished each of you with tears.
And now I commend you to God
and to that gracious word of his that can build you up
and give you the inheritance among all who are consecrated.
I have never wanted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.
You know well that these very hands
have served my needs and my companions.
In every way I have shown you that by hard work of that sort
we must help the weak,
and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said,
‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
“Keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock
of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers,
in which you tend the Church of God
that he acquired with his own Blood.
I know that after my departure savage wolves will come among you,
and they will not spare the flock.
And from your own group, men will come forward perverting the truth
to draw the disciples away after them.
So be vigilant and remember that for three years, night and day,
I unceasingly admonished each of you with tears.
And now I commend you to God
and to that gracious word of his that can build you up
and give you the inheritance among all who are consecrated.
I have never wanted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.
You know well that these very hands
have served my needs and my companions.
In every way I have shown you that by hard work of that sort
we must help the weak,
and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said,
‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
When he had finished speaking
he knelt down and prayed with them all.
They were all weeping loudly
as they threw their arms around Paul and kissed him,
for they were deeply distressed that he had said
that they would never see his face again.
Then they escorted him to the ship.
he knelt down and prayed with them all.
They were all weeping loudly
as they threw their arms around Paul and kissed him,
for they were deeply distressed that he had said
that they would never see his face again.
Then they escorted him to the ship.
Responsorial
Psalm68:29-30, 33-35A, 35BC-36AB
R. (33a) Sing to God, O
kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Show forth, O God, your power,
the power, O God, with which you took our part;
For your temple in Jerusalem
let the kings bring you gifts.
R. Sing to God, O Kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You kingdoms of the earth, sing to God,
chant praise to the Lord
who rides on the heights of the ancient heavens.
Behold, his voice resounds, the voice of power:
“Confess the power of God!”
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Over Israel is his majesty;
his power is in the skies.
Awesome in his sanctuary is God, the God of Israel;
he gives power and strength to his people.
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Show forth, O God, your power,
the power, O God, with which you took our part;
For your temple in Jerusalem
let the kings bring you gifts.
R. Sing to God, O Kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You kingdoms of the earth, sing to God,
chant praise to the Lord
who rides on the heights of the ancient heavens.
Behold, his voice resounds, the voice of power:
“Confess the power of God!”
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Over Israel is his majesty;
his power is in the skies.
Awesome in his sanctuary is God, the God of Israel;
he gives power and strength to his people.
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
AlleluiaJN 17:17B, 17A
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Your word, O Lord, is truth;
consecrate us in the truth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Your word, O Lord, is truth;
consecrate us in the truth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelJN 17:11B-19
Lifting up his eyes to heaven,
Jesus prayed, saying:
“Holy Father, keep them in your name
that you have given me,
so that they may be one just as we are one.
When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me,
and I guarded them, and none of them was lost
except the son of destruction,
in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
But now I am coming to you.
I speak this in the world
so that they may share my joy completely.
I gave them your word, and the world hated them,
because they do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
I do not ask that you take them out of the world
but that you keep them from the Evil One.
They do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
Consecrate them in the truth.
Your word is truth.
As you sent me into the world,
so I sent them into the world.
And I consecrate myself for them,
so that they also may be consecrated in truth.”
“Holy Father, keep them in your name
that you have given me,
so that they may be one just as we are one.
When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me,
and I guarded them, and none of them was lost
except the son of destruction,
in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
But now I am coming to you.
I speak this in the world
so that they may share my joy completely.
I gave them your word, and the world hated them,
because they do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
I do not ask that you take them out of the world
but that you keep them from the Evil One.
They do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
Consecrate them in the truth.
Your word is truth.
As you sent me into the world,
so I sent them into the world.
And I consecrate myself for them,
so that they also may be consecrated in truth.”
For the readings of the Optional Memorial
of Saint Augustine of Canterbury, please go here.
Meditation: "Consecrated
in God's truth"
Do
you know why God created you - what purpose and mission he has entrusted to
you? Jesus' aim and mission was to glorify his heavenly Father. All he said and
did gave glory to his Father. On the eve of his sacrifice on the cross and in
the presence of his disciples, Jesus made his high priestly prayer: "Holy
Father, keep them in your name that they may be one as we are one". Jesus
prayed for the unity of his disciples and for all who would believe in him.
Jesus' prayer for his people is that we be united with God the Father in his
Son and through his Holy Spirit and be joined together, in unity with all who
are members of Christ's body.
A
mission of love to make us one
What motivated Jesus to lay down his life on the cross as the atoning sacrifice for the sin of the world? It was love - love for his Father in heaven and love for each and everyone of us who are made in the image and likeness of God. Jesus was sent into the world by his Father for a purpose and that purpose was a mission of love to free us from slavery to sin, Satan, fear, death, and hopelessness. Jesus saw glory in the cross rather than shame. Obedience to his Father's will was his glory. Jesus kept his Father's word even when tempted to forgo the cross. Jesus did not rely on his own human resources and strength to accomplish his Father's will. He trusted in his Father to give him strength, courage, and perseverance in the face of opposition, trials, and temptation.
What motivated Jesus to lay down his life on the cross as the atoning sacrifice for the sin of the world? It was love - love for his Father in heaven and love for each and everyone of us who are made in the image and likeness of God. Jesus was sent into the world by his Father for a purpose and that purpose was a mission of love to free us from slavery to sin, Satan, fear, death, and hopelessness. Jesus saw glory in the cross rather than shame. Obedience to his Father's will was his glory. Jesus kept his Father's word even when tempted to forgo the cross. Jesus did not rely on his own human resources and strength to accomplish his Father's will. He trusted in his Father to give him strength, courage, and perseverance in the face of opposition, trials, and temptation.
God
created us for a purpose and a mission
We also must take up our cross and follow the Lord Jesus wherever he may call us. He will give us the strength and power of the Holy Spirit to live as his disciples. John Henry Newman (1801-1890) wrote: "God has created me to do him some definite service; he has committed some work to me which he has not committed to another. I have my mission - I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for nothing. Therefore, I will trust him. Whatever, wherever I am. I cannot be thrown away." Do you trust in God and in his call and purpose for your life?
We also must take up our cross and follow the Lord Jesus wherever he may call us. He will give us the strength and power of the Holy Spirit to live as his disciples. John Henry Newman (1801-1890) wrote: "God has created me to do him some definite service; he has committed some work to me which he has not committed to another. I have my mission - I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for nothing. Therefore, I will trust him. Whatever, wherever I am. I cannot be thrown away." Do you trust in God and in his call and purpose for your life?
Consecrated
in truth and holiness
Jesus prayed that his disciples would be sanctified and consecrated in God's truth and holiness. The scriptural word for consecration comes from the same Hebrew word which means holy or set apart for God. This word also means to be equipped with the qualities of mind and heart and character for such a task or service.
Jesus prayed that his disciples would be sanctified and consecrated in God's truth and holiness. The scriptural word for consecration comes from the same Hebrew word which means holy or set apart for God. This word also means to be equipped with the qualities of mind and heart and character for such a task or service.
Just
as Jesus was called by the Father to serve in holiness and truth, so we, too,
are called and equipped for the task of serving God in the world as his
ambassadors. God's truth frees us from ignorance and the deception of sin. It
reveals to us God's goodness, love, and wisdom. And it gives us a thirst for
God's holiness. The Holy Spirit is the source and giver of all holiness. As we
allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives, he transforms us by his purifying
fire and changes us into the likeness of Christ. Is your life consecrated to
God?
"Lord
Jesus, take my life and make it wholly pleasing to you. Sanctify me in your
truth and guide me by your Holy Spirit that I may follow you faithfully wherever
you lead."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: The Bond of Christian Unity in Love,
by Cyril of Alexandria, 375-444 A.D.
"Christ
wishes the disciples to be kept in a state of unity by maintaining a like-mindedness
and an identity of will, being mingled together as it were in soul and spirit
and in the law of peace and love for one another. He wishes them to be bound
together tightly with an unbreakable bond of love, that they may advance to
such a degree of unity that their freely chosen association might even become
an image of the natural unity that is conceived to exist between the Father and
the Son. That is to say, he wishes them to enjoy a unity that is inseparable
and indestructible, which may not be enticed away into a dissimilarity of wills
by anything at all that exists in the world or any pursuit of pleasure, but
rather reserves the power of love in the unity of devotion and holiness. And
this is what happened. For as we read in the Acts of the Apostles, 'the company
of those who believed were of one heart and soul' (Acts 4:32), that is, in the
unity of the Spirit. This is also what Paul himself meant when he said 'one
body and one Spirit' (Ephesians 4:4). 'We who are many are one body in Christ
for we all partake of the one bread' (1 Corinthians 10:17; Romans 12:5), and we
have all been anointed in the one Spirit, the Spirit of Christ (1 Corinthians
12:13)." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 11.9.18)
WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, JOHN 17:11b-19
EASTER WEEKDAY
(Acts 20:28-38; Psalm 68)
EASTER WEEKDAY
(Acts 20:28-38; Psalm 68)
KEY VERSE: "Consecrate them in truth. Your word is truth" (v.17).
TO KNOW: Poised between heaven and earth, Jesus interceded to the Father on behalf of his disciples whom he called 'friends.' As a good shepherd, Jesus protected the flock that the Father had given him (Jn 10:27-29). The only one lost was Judas, the one who gave himself over to the evil one. Jesus consecrated his faithful disciples, that is, he set them apart from the profane world in order to be holy vessels for God's use. Ironically, Jesus said that he did not pray for the world, and yet he came because God loved the world (Jn 3:16). But in John's gospel the 'world" stands for a human society without God. As the Father sent Jesus into the world to sanctify it, Jesus sent his disciples into the world in order to lead people back to God. The disciples would be a means of holiness for the entire world through their dedicated proclamation of divine truth.
TO LOVE: Am I a sign of holiness for others?
TO SERVE: Risen Lord, help me to be speak your truth to others.
Memorial of Saint Augustine of Canterbury
Augustine of Canterbury was a monk and abbot of Saint Andrew's abbey in Rome. He was sent by Pope Gregory the Great with 40 brother monks, including Saint Lawrence of Canterbury, to evangelize the British Isles in 597. One of Augustine’s earliest converts was King Ethelberht who brought 10,000 of his people into the Church. Ordained a bishop in Gaul (modern France) by the archbishop of Arles, Augustine became the Bishop of the first Archbishop of Canterbury. He helped re-establish contact between the Celtic and Latin churches, though he could not bring about his desired uniformity of liturgy and practices between them. The limited success Augustine achieved in England before his death in 605, a short eight years after he arrived in England, would eventually bear fruit long afterward in the conversion of England. Augustine of Canterbury can truly be called the “Apostle of England.” Anglican Archbishops of Canterbury are still referred to as occupying the Chair of Augustine.
Wednesday 27 May 2020
St Augustine of Canterbury
Acts 20:28-38. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the
earth – Psalm 67(68):29-30, 33-36. John 17:11-19.
‘Keep them true to your name, so that they may be one as we are
one.’
Reading today’s Gospel, we are left in no doubt about the unity
that exists between Jesus and his Father, and also that his followers are also
one with them. He prays, too, for those who will be taught by his followers,
‘that they may be consecrated in truth.’ We can take heart from this, knowing
that we can work together to make a difference in our world, shoulder to
shoulder with our brothers and sisters who are equally committed, also
empowered by God’s love.
Together we can approach society’s needs and injustices with
love and peace; we can provide compassion and healing, a transforming force
that recognises inequities and empowers change. We will realise that it is not
we who are making the difference, but the indwelling God present within each of
us working to transform our world.
Saint Augustine of Canterbury
Saint of the Day for May 27
(? – May 26, 605)
 |
| Stained glass of Apostle to the English | photo by Lawrence, OP |
Saint Augustine of Canterbury’s Story
In the year 596, some 40 monks set out from Rome to evangelize
the Anglo-Saxons in England. Leading the group was Augustine, the prior of
their monastery. Hardly had he and his men reached Gaul when they heard stories
of the ferocity of the Anglo-Saxons and of the treacherous waters of the
English Channel. Augustine returned to Rome and to Gregory the Great—the pope
who had sent them—only to be assured by him that their fears were groundless.
Augustine set out again. This time the group crossed the English
Channel and landed in the territory of Kent, ruled by King Ethelbert, a pagan
married to a Christian, Bertha. Ethelbert received them kindly, set up a
residence for them in Canterbury and within the year, on Pentecost Sunday 597,
was himself baptized. After being consecrated a bishop in France, Augustine
returned to Canterbury, where he founded his see. He constructed a church and
monastery near where the present cathedral, begun in 1070, now stands. As the
faith spread, additional sees were established at London and Rochester.
Work was sometimes slow and Augustine did not always meet with
success. Attempts to reconcile the Anglo-Saxon Christians with the original
Briton Christians—who had been driven into western England by Anglo-Saxon
invaders—ended in dismal failure. Augustine failed to convince the Britons to
give up certain Celtic customs at variance with Rome and to forget their
bitterness, helping him evangelize their Anglo-Saxon conquerors.
Laboring patiently, Augustine wisely heeded the missionary
principles—quite enlightened for the times—suggested by Pope Gregory: purify
rather than destroy pagan temples and customs; let pagan rites and festivals be
transformed into Christian feasts; retain local customs as far as possible. The
limited success Augustine achieved in England before his death in 605, a short
eight years after his arrival, would eventually bear fruit long after in the
conversion of England. Augustine of Canterbury can truly be called the “Apostle
of England.”
Reflection
Augustine of Canterbury comes across today as a very human
saint, one who could suffer like many of us from a failure of nerve. For
example, his first venture to England ended in a big U-turn back to Rome. He
made mistakes and met failure in his peacemaking attempts with the Briton
Christians. He often wrote to Rome for decisions on matters he could have
decided on his own had he been more self-assured. He even received mild
warnings against pride from Pope Gregory, who cautioned him to “fear lest,
amidst the wonders that are done, the weak mind be puffed up by self-esteem.”
Augustine’s perseverance amidst obstacles and only partial success teaches
today’s apostles and pioneers to struggle on despite frustrations and be
satisfied with gradual advances.
Saint Augustine of Canterbury is the Patron Saint of:
England
Lectio Divina: John 17:11b-19
Lectio Divina
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
1) Opening prayer
Lord our God,
Your Son Jesus gave himself totally
to those He loved - that is, to all.
Give us a share of His unselfish love
that we too may learn from experience
that there is more joy in giving ourselves
than in receiving honors or favors.
May the Spirit make us also so much one
that we graciously share with one another
our God-given riches and gifts as people.
We ask You this through Christ our Lord.
2) Gospel Reading - John 17:11b-19
Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed, saying: "Holy
Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one
just as we are one. When I was with them I protected them in your name that you
gave me, and I guarded them, and none of them was lost except the son of
destruction, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am
coming to you. I speak this in the world so that they may share my joy
completely. I gave them your word, and the world hated them, because they do
not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. I do not ask that
you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the Evil One. They
do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. Consecrate them
in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I sent them
into the world. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be
consecrated in truth."
3) Reflection
• We are now in the Novena of Pentecost, waiting for the coming
of the Holy Spirit. Jesus says that the gift of the Holy Spirit is given only
to those who ask for it in prayer (Lk 11:13). In the Cenacle, for nine days,
from the Ascension to Pentecost, the Apostles persevered in prayer together
with Mary, the Mother of Jesus (Acts 1:14), and they obtained the abundance of
the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4). Today’s Gospel continues to place
before us the Priestly Prayer of Jesus. It is a very opportune text to prepare
ourselves during these days for the coming of the Holy Spirit in our life.
• John 17:11b-12: Keep them in Your name! Jesus channels His
concern into prayer: “Keep those You have given Me true to Your name, so that
they may be one like Us!” Everything which Jesus does in His life, He does in
the Name of God. Jesus is the manifestation of the Name of God. The Name of God
is Yahweh, JHWH. In the time of Jesus, this name was pronounced saying,
“Adonai,” “Kyrios,” “Lord.” In the discourse of Pentecost, Peter
says that Jesus, because of His Resurrection, was constituted Lord: “For this
reason the whole House of Israel can be certain that the Lord and Christ whom
God has made is this Jesus whom you crucified.” (Acts 2:36). And Paul says that
this has been done so that “every tongue should acknowledge Jesus Christ as
Lord to the glory of God, the Father” (Phil 2:11). It is the Name which is
above all other names” (Phil 2:9). JHWH or Yahweh, the Name of God, took on a
concrete face in Jesus of Nazareth! Unity has to form around this name: keep
those you have given Me true to Your name so that they may be one like We are.
Jesus wants the unity of the communities in such a way that they can resist the
world which hates them and persecutes them. The people united around the name
of Jesus will never be conquered!
• John 17:13-16: That they may share My joy to the full. Jesus
is bidding farewell. In a short time He will go away. The disciples continue in
the world. They will be persecuted and be afflicted. Because of this, they are
sad. Jesus prays that their joy may be full. They want to continue to be in the
world without being of, or belonging to, the world. This means to live in the
system of the Empire, whether liberal or Roman, without allowing themselves to
be contaminated. Like Jesus, and with Jesus, they should live in the opposite
direction of the world.
• John 17:17-19: As You sent Me into the world, I have sent them
into the world. Jesus asks that they be consecrated in truth. That is, that
they may be capable of dedicating their whole life to giving witness of their
convictions concerning Jesus and God the Father. Jesus sanctified Himself in
the measure in which, during His life, He revealed the Father. He asks that the
disciples enter into the same process of sanctification. Their mission is the
same as Jesus’ mission. They sanctify themselves in the measure in which,
living in love, they reveal Jesus and the Father. To sanctify oneself means to
become human like Jesus. Pope Leo the Great said, “Jesus was so human, but so
human, as only God can be human.” For this reason we should live in opposition
to the world, because the system of the world dehumanizes human life and
renders it contrary to the intentions of the Creator.
4) For Personal consideration:
• Jesus lived in the world, but was not of the world. He lived
contrary to the system, and because of this, He was persecuted and was
condemned to death. Do I live contrary to today’s system, or do I adapt
my faith to the system?
What words and actions do I show that I belong to the world or don’t belong to the world? Am I showing a little of both?
• Preparation for Pentecost. To invoke the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who gave courage to Jesus. In this Novena of preparation for Pentecost, it is good to dedicate some time to asking for the gift of the Spirit of Jesus.
What words and actions do I show that I belong to the world or don’t belong to the world? Am I showing a little of both?
• Preparation for Pentecost. To invoke the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who gave courage to Jesus. In this Novena of preparation for Pentecost, it is good to dedicate some time to asking for the gift of the Spirit of Jesus.
5) Concluding Prayer
I bless Yahweh who is my counselor,
even at night my heart instructs me.
I keep Yahweh before me always,
for with Him at my right hand, nothing can shake me.
(Ps 16:7-8)
even at night my heart instructs me.
I keep Yahweh before me always,
for with Him at my right hand, nothing can shake me.
(Ps 16:7-8)
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