MAY 07, 2013 : TUESDAY OF THE SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER

Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

Lectionary: 292

Reading 1 ACTS 16:22-34

The crowd in Philippi joined in the attack on Paul and Silas,

and the magistrates had them stripped

and ordered them to be beaten with rods.

After inflicting many blows on them,

they threw them into prison

and instructed the jailer to guard them securely.

When he received these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell

and secured their feet to a stake.

About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying

and singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened,

there was suddenly such a severe earthquake

that the foundations of the jail shook;

all the doors flew open, and the chains of all were pulled loose.

When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open,

he drew his sword and was about to kill himself,

thinking that the prisoners had escaped.

But Paul shouted out in a loud voice,

“Do no harm to yourself; we are all here.”

He asked for a light and rushed in and,

trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas.

Then he brought them out and said,

“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus

and you and your household will be saved.”

So they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house.

He took them in at that hour of the night and bathed their wounds;

then he and all his family were baptized at once.

He brought them up into his house and provided a meal

and with his household rejoiced at having come to faith in God.

Responsorial Psalm PS 138:1-2AB, 2CDE-3, 7C-8

R. (7c) Your right hand saves me, O Lord.

or:

R. Alleluia.

I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,

for you have heard the words of my mouth;

in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;

I will worship at your holy temple,

and give thanks to your name.

R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Because of your kindness and your truth,

you have made great above all things

your name and your promise.

When I called, you answered me;

you built up strength within me.

R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Your right hand saves me.

The LORD will complete what he has done for me;

your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;

forsake not the work of your hands.

R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Gospel JN 16:5-11

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Now I am going to the one who sent me,

and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’

But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts.

But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go.

For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you.

But if I go, I will send him to you.

And when he comes he will convict the world

in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation:

sin, because they do not believe in me;

righteousness, because I am going to the Father

and you will no longer see me;

condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.”

www.usccb.org

Meditation: "I will send the Counselor to you"

Why does God seem far from us at times? Separation and loss of relationship often lead to grief and pain. The apostles were filled with sorrow when Jesus spoke about his imminent departure. Jesus explained that it was for their sake that he must leave them and return to his Father. He promised,  however, that they would never be left alone. He will send in his place the best of friends, the Holy Spirit. Paul reminds us that "nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:39). By sending the Holy Spirit to his followers, the Lord Jesus makes his presence known to us in a new and on-going way. We are not left as orphans, but the Lord himself dwells within us through the power of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 4:9; 6:16b).
Jesus tells his disciples three very important things about  the work of the Holy Spirit – to convince the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment. The original word for convince also means convict. The Holy Spirit is our Sanctifier. He makes us holy as God is holy. He does this first by convicting us of our sin and by bringing us humbly to the foot of the Cross. The Spirit convinces us of God's love and forgiveness and of our utter dependence on God for his mercy and grace.  We need the power of the Holy Spirit to lead us from the error of our sinful ways and to show us the way of love and truth.
The Jews who condemned Jesus as a heretic and blasphemer thought they were serving God rather than sinning when they crucified Jesus. When the gospel was later preached on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:37), many were pricked in their heart and convicted of their sin. What made them change their mind about Jesus? It is the work of the Holy Spirit to both convict us of wrongdoing and to convince us of God's truth. The Spirit convinces us of the righteousness of Christ, backed by the fact that Jesus rose again and went to his Father. The Holy Spirit also convicts us of judgment. The Spirit gives us the inner and unshakable conviction that we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God. God's judgments are just and good. When we heed his judgments we find true peace, joy and reconciliation with God. Do you allow the Holy Spirit free reign in your life that he may set you free from the grip of sin and set you ablaze with the fire of God's love?
"Come Holy Spirit, and let the fire of your love burn in my heart. Let me desire only what is pure, lovely, holy and good and in accord with the will of God and give me the courage to put away all that is not pleasing in your sight."
www.dailyscripture.net

Consolation from the Spirit

Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

Father John Doyle, LC John 16:5-11 Jesus said to his disciples: "But now I am going to the one who sent me, and not one of you asks me, ´Where are you going?´ But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts. But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes he will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation: sin, because they do not believe in me; righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned." Introductory Prayer: Lord, as I begin this prayer I offer you my whole self: my thoughts, desires, decisions, actions, hopes, fears, weaknesses, failures and petty successes. I open my entire being to you, aware that you know everything already. I’m certain of your mercy and of the purifying power of your penetrating, loving gaze. Petition: Lord, help me to experience the joy and consolation of the Spirit. 1. Sadness at Jesus’ Parting: As Jesus’ imminent self-sacrifice approaches, the apostles are overwhelmed with confusion and grief. “Who is going to betray him?” “Why is he going?” “What will we do without him?” Questions like these — fruit of their concern for their Master and friend — are whispered to and fro. They have given up everything to follow him. Jesus strives to console them although he is immersed in grief himself. Sorrow is not lacking in the life of any pilgrim, and as Christians we are exiles in a foreign land. Our joy and hope comes from the vision of faith, which enables us to follow in the footsteps of Our Lord. His sacrifice and victory give meaning to our daily trials. 2. The Consoler’s Coming: We are called to an intimate friendship with the Holy Spirit, the “Sweet Guest of the Soul.” Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit upon us at our baptism to be the craftsman of our holiness, and our consolation and strength as we await Christ’s return. No one would wish to face a criminal trial alone and unaided; nor should we try to face the ordeal against sin without the help of Christ’s advocate. Am I aware of the gentle presence of the Holy Spirit in my soul? Am I attentive and docile to his inspirations and movements? 3. Setting Things Right: Nothing is so unsettling as to see the “bad guy” win. Whether it be in the movies or in real life, somehow it seems written in the very fabric of the universe that good should prevail. Many times evil has appeared to usurp the upper hand momentarily, but a Higher Power has always intervened, causing one tyranny and dictatorship after another to crumble. In our own day, evils abound in societies where the lives of the most vulnerable are greatly undervalued. Christ reminds us, however, that the Holy Spirit is at work. Time and again the Holy Spirit continues renewing the face of the earth and changing hearts, bringing good out of evil. Am I too pessimistic in the face of evil, or do I have the optimism of a Christian? Do I confide in the grace and action of the Holy Spirit? Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, you have left us to go to the Father and yet you are still with us through the action of your Holy Spirit. Help me to find strength and consolation as I strive to follow his guidance. Resolution: I will take a moment out of my day today to thank the Holy Spirit for his action in the world and in my life.

www.regnumchristi.org

TUESDAY, MAY 7

Easter Weekday
JOHN 16:5-11
(Acts 16:22-34; Psalm 138)
KEY VERSE: "For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you" (v 7).
READING: As Jesus prepared for his passion and death, he consoled his grief-stricken disciples. He promised them that when he ascended to the Father, the Spirit would be sent to comfort and empower them. John used legal language to describe the Spirit's work. The Spirit would act as an "advocate" of those who were falsely accused, and would "prosecute" those who refused to believe in Jesus. In the eyes of the world, Jesus was put on trial, found guilty, and sentenced to die in disgrace. But the Spirit proved the world wrong, and the judgment was reversed. The ruler of darkness was the one who was tried, convicted and condemned. Truth triumphed and justice prevailed.
REFLECTING: Do I defend others when they are falsely accused?
PRAYING: Risen Lord, help the Church to bear witness to your truth

NATIONAL TEACHER DAY

National Teacher Day is always celebrated the first Tuesday of the first full week of May. This day focuses on the contributions teachers make to help children succeed in school and in life. An Arkansas teacher, Mrs. Mattye Whyte Woodridge, began corresponding with political and education leaders as early as 1944 about the need for a national day honoring teachers. One of the leaders she wrote to was Eleanor Roosevelt, who persuaded the 81st Congress to proclaim a National Teacher Day in 1953. Teachers are true heroes in our communities, who through their dedication to children, work millions of small miracles every day. This day honors those hard working, patient and understanding people to whom we entrust our children. So let's give them their due. And, if you happen to be a teacher reading this, we personally offer our thanks, for the future of our world is in your hands. 

www.daily-word-of-life.com

Your right hand has saved me, O Lord.

‘Your right hand has saved me, O Lord.’
Today’s psalm celebrates God’s steadfast love and faithfulness. The story of Paul and Silas escaping from prison shows us the power of God to bring major transformations to our lives. Paul and Silas do not simply celebrate their good fortune and flee to freedom straight away. They take time to share God’s love with the prison guard who had kept them captive as well as his family.

Do I sing songs of praise to God in the midst of my troubles? When God answers my prayers do I, like the psalmist, feel the strength of my soul increased? Do I love the very person who attempts to keep me in chains? When I receive unexpected gifts of grace and freedom, do I share those gifts with others?

www.churchresources.info

May 7
St. Rose Venerini
(1656-1728)

Rose was born at Viterbo in Italy, the daughter of a doctor. Following the death of her fiancé she entered a convent, but soon returned home to care for her newly widowed mother. Meanwhile, Rose invited the women of the neighborhood to recite the rosary in her home, forming a sort of sodality with them.

As she looked to her future, Rose, under the spiritual guidance of a Jesuit priest, became convinced that she was called to become a teacher in the world rather than a contemplative nun in a convent. Clearly, she made the right choice: She was a born teacher, and the free school for girls she opened in 1685 was well received.
Soon the cardinal invited her to oversee the training of teachers and the administration of schools in his Diocese of Montefiascone. As Rose's reputation grew, she was called upon to organize schools in many parts of Italy, including Rome. Her disposition was right for the task as well, for Rose often met considerable opposition but was never deterred.
She died in Rome in 1728, where a number of miracles were attributed to her. She was beatified in 1952 and canonized in 2006. The sodality, or group of women she had invited to prayer, was ultimately given the rank of a religious congregation. Today, the so-called Venerini Sisters can be found in the United States and elsewhere, working among Italian immigrants.

Comment:

Whatever state of life God calls us to, we bring with us an assortment of experiences, interests and gifts—however small they seem to us. Rose’s life stands as a reminder that all we are is meant to be put to service wherever we find ourselves.

www.americancatholic.org

LECTIO: JOHN 16,5-11

 

Lectio: 

 Tuesday, May 7, 2013  

1) Opening prayer
Lord our God,
if we really believe in you and in your Son,
we cannot be but witnesses.
Send us your Spirit of strength,
that we may give no flimsy excuses
for not standing up for you
and for the love and rights of our neighbour.
Make us only afraid
of betraying you and people
and of being afraid to bear witness.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.

2) Gospel Reading - John 16,5-11
Jesus told to his disciples: “Now I am going to the one who sent me. Not one of you asks, 'Where are you going?' Yet you are sad at heart because I have told you this. Still, I am telling you the truth: it is for your own good that I am going, because unless I go, the Paraclete will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will show the world how wrong it was, about sin, and about who was in the right, and about judgement: about sin: in that they refuse to believe in me; about who was in the right: in that I am going to the Father and you will see me no more; about judgement: in that the prince of this world is already condemned.”

3) Reflection
• John 16, 5-7: The sadness of the Disciples. Jesus begins with a rhetorical question that makes evident the sadness of the disciples, at this time evident in the heart of the disciples because of the detachment from Jesus: «Now I am going to the One who sent me; not one of you asks, where are you going?” It is clear that for the disciples the detachment from the life-style lived with Jesus implies suffering. And Jesus urges saying: “Yet you are sad at heart because I have told you this” (v. 6). Thus Saint Augustine explains such a sentiment of abandonment of the disciples: “they were afraid to think of losing the visible presence of Christ... they were grieved, saddened in their human affection, at the thought that their eyes would no longer be consoled in seeing him”. (Comment of the Gospel of John, XCIV, 4). Jesus tries to dispel this sadness, due to the fact that they will not have his presence, revealing to them his departure. We can say that if he does not leave them, the Paraclete will not be able to join them; if he dies and therefore, returns to the Father, he will be able to send him to the disciples. His departure and the detachment of the disciples is the previous condition for the coming of the Paraclete: “because unless I go, the Paraclete will not come to you...” (v. 7). 
• John 16, 8-11: The Mission of the Paraclete. Jesus continues to describe the mission of the Paraclete. The term “Paraclete” means “advocate”, that is, support, assistant. Here the Paraclete is presented as the accuser in a process that is carried out before God and in which the accused is the world which has made itself guilty for condemning Jesus: «He will show the world how wrong it was, about sin, and about who was in the right and about judgment” (v. 8). The Greek verb elègken means that he will make an inquiry, he will question, will test: he will bring out to light a reality, and will furnish the proof of the guilt. 
The object of the confutation is sin: he will give the world the proof of the sin that it has committed regarding Jesus and will manifest it. Of which sin is there a question here?; that of unbelief (Jn 5, 44ff; 6, 36; 8, 21.24.26; 10, 31ss). Besides, for the world to have thought that Jesus was a sinner (Jn 9, 24; 18, 30) is an inexcusable sin (Jn 15, 21ff).
In the second place he will “refute” the world “concerning justice”, On the juridical level, the notion of justice which adheres more to the text, is the one which implies a declaration of guilt or of innocence in a judgment. In our context this is the only time that the term “justice” appears in the Gospel of John, elsewhere there is the term “just”. In John 16, 8 justice is linked to all that Jesus has affirmed about himself, that is, the reason why he is going to the Father. Such a discourse concerns his glorification: Jesus goes to the Father, he is about to disappear in him and therefore, the disciples will not longer be able to see him; he is about to entrust and to submerge himself completely in the will of the Father. The glorification of Jesus confirms his divine filiation or son ship and the approbation of the Father regarding the mission which Jesus has accomplished. Therefore, the Spirit will show directly the justice of Christ (Jn 14, 26; 15, 26) protecting the disciples and the ecclesial community. 
The world that believed to have judged Jesus condemning him is condemned by the “prince of this world”, because it is responsible for his crucifixion (13, 2.27). Jesus in dying on the Cross is exalted (12, 31) and he has triumphed over Satan. Now the Spirit will give witness to all about the significance of the death of Jesus which coincides with the fall of Satan (Jn 12, 32; 14, 30; 16, 33).

4) Personal questions
• Is the fear, consternation of the disciples in losing Jesus also ours? 
• Do you allow yourself to be led by the Spirit, the Paraclete who gives you the certainty of the error of the world and helps you to adhere to Jesus, and, therefore, he introduces you into the truth about yourself?

5) Concluding Prayer
I thank you, Lord, with all my heart, 
for you have listened to the cry I uttered. 
In the presence of angels I sing to you,
I bow down before your holy Temple. (Sal 138,1-2)

www.ocarm.org