Thursday of the Seventh
Week of Easter
Lectionary: 300
Wishing to determine the
truth
about why Paul was being
accused by the Jews,
the commander freed him
and ordered the chief
priests and the whole Sanhedrin to convene.
Then he brought Paul down
and made him stand before them.
Paul was aware that some
were Sadducees and some Pharisees,
so he called out before
the Sanhedrin,
“My brothers, I am a
Pharisee, the son of Pharisees;
I am on trial for hope in
the resurrection of the dead.”
When he said this,
a dispute broke out
between the Pharisees and Sadducees,
and the group became
divided.
For the Sadducees say that
there is no resurrection
or angels or spirits,
while the Pharisees
acknowledge all three.
A great uproar occurred,
and some scribes belonging
to the Pharisee party
stood up and sharply
argued,
“We find nothing wrong
with this man.
Suppose a spirit or an
angel has spoken to him?”
The dispute was so serious
that the commander,
afraid that Paul would be
torn to pieces by them,
ordered his troops to go
down and rescue Paul from their midst
and take him into the
compound.
The following night the
Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage.
For just as you have borne
witness to my cause in Jerusalem ,
so you must also bear witness
in Rome .”
Responsorial Psalm PS 16:1-2A AND 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11
R. (1) Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Keep me, O God, for in you
I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, “My
Lord are you.”
O LORD, my allotted
portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my
lot.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I bless the LORD who
counsels me;
even in the night my heart
exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before
me;
with him at my right hand
I shall not be disturbed.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Therefore my heart is glad
and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in
confidence;
Because you will not
abandon my soul to the nether world,
nor will you suffer your
faithful one to undergo corruption.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You will show me the path
to life,
fullness of joys in your
presence,
the delights at your right
hand forever.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel JN 17:20-26
Lifting up his eyes to
heaven, Jesus prayed saying:
“I pray not only for
these,
but also for those who
will believe in me through their word,
so that they may all be
one,
as you, Father, are in me
and I in you,
that they also may be in
us,
that the world may believe
that you sent me.
And I have given them the
glory you gave me,
so that they may be one,
as we are one,
I in them and you in me,
that they may be brought
to perfection as one,
that the world may know
that you sent me,
and that you loved them
even as you loved me.
Father, they are your gift
to me.
I wish that where I am
they also may be with me,
that they may see my glory
that you gave me,
because you loved me
before the foundation of the world.
Righteous Father, the
world also does not know you,
but I know you, and they
know that you sent me.
I made known to them your
name and I will make it known,
that the love with which
you loved me
may be in them and I in
them.”
Meditation: “May they become perfectly one”
When you pray what do you
usually ask for - God's help, blessing, guidance, and wisdom? One of the
greatest privileges and responsibilities we have been given by God is to pray
not only for ourselves, but for others as well. The Lord Jesus lived a life full
of prayer, blessing, and gratitude. He prayed for his disciples, especially
when they were in great need or danger. Mark tells us in his gospel account
(see chapter 6:46-51) that when Jesus was praying alone on the mountain he saw
that his disciples were in great distress due to a life-threatening storm that
was beating against their boat. Jesus immediately came to their rescue -
walking on the waves of the rough waters before he calmed them! Luke records in
his gospel account the words of Jesus to Simon Peter shortly before Jesus'
arrest and Peter's denial of the Lord three times. "Simon, Simon, behold,
Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have
prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned
back, strengthen your brothers" (Luke 22:32). Jesus' prayers were
personal, direct, and focused on the good of others.The longest recorded prayer of Jesus is found in the Gospel of John, the "high priestly" prayer which Jesus prayed aloud at his last supper meal with his disciples (John 17). This prayer most clearly reveals the heart of Jesus - who and what he loved most - love for his Father and love for those who believed in him. His prayer focused on the love and unity he desired for all who would believe in him and follow him, not only in the present, but in the future as well. Jesus' prayer concludes with a petition for the unity among all Christians who profess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Jesus prays for all men and women who will come after him and follow him as his disciples. In a special way Jesus prays here for each one of us that as members of his body the church we would be one as he and his Father are one. The unity of Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, with the eternal Father is a unity of mutual love, service, and honor, and a oneness of mind, heart, and spirit. The Lord Jesus calls each and every one of his followers into this unity of mutual love, service, honor, and friendship with all who belong to Christ.
Jesus’ prayer on the eve of his sacrifice shows the great love and trust he had for his beloved disciples. He knew they would abandon him in his hour of trial, yet he entrusted to them the great task of spreading his name throughout the world and to the end of the ages. The Lord Jesus entrust us today with the same mission – to make him known and loved by all. Jesus died and rose again that all might be one as he and the Father are one. Do you love and accept all baptized Christians as your brothers and sisters in Christ?
The Lord Jesus included each one of us in his high priestly prayer at the last supper. He continues his high priestly office this very day as our intercessor at the right hand of the Father before the throne of heaven. Paul the Apostle tells us that it is "Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us" (Romans 8:34; see also Hebrews 7: 25). Do you join in Jesus' high priestly prayer that all who profess Jesus as Lord may grow in love and unity together as brothers and sisters who have been redeemed through the precious blood shed for us on the cross?
"Heaveny Father, have mercy on all your people and heal the divisions in the body of Christ. May all Christian people throughout the world attain the unity for which Jesus prayed on the eve of his sacrifice. Renew in us the power of the Spirit that we may be a sign of that unity and a means of its growth. Increase in us a fervent love for all our brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ."
www.dailyscripture.net
 God’s Eternal Love |
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Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter
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Father Paul Campbell, LC John 17:20-26 Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying: "I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me. Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me. I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them." Introductory Prayer:Lord, I believe in you and all that you have revealed for our salvation. I hope in you because of your overflowing mercy. Every single act of yours on this earth demonstrated your love for us. Your ascent into heaven before the eyes of the Apostles inspires my hope of one day joining you there. I love you and wish you to be the center of my life. Petition:Lord, increase my faith in your love. 1. Who is God? In his first epistle, John tells us that God is love. Before the foundation of the world, the Father loved the Son. Within the Trinity there is a perfect sharing of life and love. Even after the Incarnation, Jesus remained in his Father’s love. At Christ’s baptism, the Father spoke of his love for his Son. “This is my beloved son” (Matthew 3:17). At the Transfiguration he repeated this sign of love: “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased; listen to him” (Matthew 17:5). These moments manifest God’s inner life. 2. A Share in His Life: God created us to share in the loving relationship of the Trinity. The Father’s plan is to love us, to bring us into Trinitarian love. He wants to love us in his Son with a Father’s eternal love. If we could catch a mere glimpse of the reality of this love, it would transform our lives. God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son into the world (see John 3:16). Love is at the heart of the universe. 3. Sharing in God’s Love: God is love, and if he is in us, it is as love. God pours his love, himself, into our hearts. As he shares his life, he shares his love. This is the love that he wants us to give to others. Jesus gave his disciples the love he had received from his Father, and sent them forth to continue his work of sharing that love with all of humanity. Think of the people today who are lonely and lost, starving for love and attention. They have no clue that God loves them with an eternal love or that he has loved them intimately, deeply and perfectly from all eternity. They do not know that this love has given them life and maintains them in existence. People need to hear the good news of God’s love. This is our mission. Conversation with Christ: Jesus, help me to share your love with those around me. Don’t allow me to remain focused just on myself and the circumstances in my life. I need you. I need your love, as do so many others. I need to love in order to give myself to your work, but I also need your constant help and support.
Resolution:I will let someone
know that God loves them.
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THURSDAY,
MAY 16
Easter Weekday
JOHN 17:20-26
(Acts 22:30, 23:6-11; Psalm 16)
KEY VERSE: "I gave them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one" (v 22).
REFLECTING: Are people able to "read" the gospel that I proclaim by my life?
PRAYING: Risen Lord, help me to work for unity in my parish.
Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
‘I have sent them into the world.’
Lord, your words today are not easy for us to act on. It seems that you are saying that each of us is sent into the world to build the kingdom, just as you were sent into the world by your Father for the same purpose. How do we do this?
There is a saying that we should bloom where we are planted. We take this to mean that we build the kingdom first in our hearts then in those among whom we live who are the other plants in the same garden. We can do this by prayer. The psalmist says: ‘You give power and strength to your people’, and so the peace and love of the kingdom will be spread near and far.
www.churchresources.info
May 16
(1260-1345)
Born in Forli , Italy
As a
young man he was a member of an anti-papal party until he encountered St.
Philip Benizi, the head of the Servite order, who had been sent to try to
reconcile the divided community. While trying to preach in One of the special penances he imposed on himself was standing whenever it was not necessary to sit. Over time, Peregrine developed varicose veins and, in turn, cancer of the foot. The wound became painful and diseased and all medical treatment failed. The local surgeon determined amputation of the leg was called for.
Tradition has it that the night before surgery was scheduled ,Peregrine spent much time in prayer before the crucified Jesus, asking God to heal him if it was God’s will to do so. Falling asleep at one point, Peregrine had a vision of the crucified Jesus leaving the cross and touching his cancerous leg. When Peregrine awoke, the wound was healed and his foot and leg, seemingly miraculously cured, were saved. He lived another 20 years.
Peregrine was canonized in 1726.
Comment:
Peregrine got his miracle: His cancer was cured even as the doctors prepared to amputate his foot. But Peregrine had already experienced a more important healing: A softening of his heart rechanneled all his energy into the service of the gospel. Most of us pray fervently if not for a miracle, at least for some need that lies close to our hearts. And so we should, for God cares about our concerns. But no prayer would please God more than to ask that we might experience an ongoing softening of our hearts.
Peregrine got his miracle: His cancer was cured even as the doctors prepared to amputate his foot. But Peregrine had already experienced a more important healing: A softening of his heart rechanneled all his energy into the service of the gospel. Most of us pray fervently if not for a miracle, at least for some need that lies close to our hearts. And so we should, for God cares about our concerns. But no prayer would please God more than to ask that we might experience an ongoing softening of our hearts.
Patron Saint of:
AIDS patients
Cancer patients
AIDS patients
Cancer patients
LECTIO: JOHN 17,20-26
Lectio:
Thursday, May 16, 2013
1) Opening prayer
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
and Father of all people,
we believe in you
and we know that you loved Jesus
with a deep and trusting, lasting love.
Let your Holy Spirit pour out this love
into the hearts of all those
who believe in Jesus, our Saviour and shepherd.
Let this love unite us in one common bond
of understanding and respect of one another
and let that love dispose us
to live for one another and to serve one another
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.
and Father of all people,
we believe in you
and we know that you loved Jesus
with a deep and trusting, lasting love.
Let your Holy Spirit pour out this love
into the hearts of all those
who believe in Jesus, our Saviour and shepherd.
Let this love unite us in one common bond
of understanding and respect of one another
and let that love dispose us
to live for one another and to serve one another
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.
2) Gospel Reading
Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said: I
pray not only for these but also for those who through their teaching will come
to believe in me. May they all be one, just as, Father, you are in me and I am
in you, so that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe it was
you who sent me.
I have given them the glory you gave to me, that they may be one as we are one. With me in them and you in me, may they be so perfected in unity that the world will recognise that it was you who sent me and that you have loved them as you have loved me.
Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they may always see my glory which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Father, Upright One, the world has not known you, but I have known you, and these have known that you have sent me.
I have made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and so that I may be in them.
I have given them the glory you gave to me, that they may be one as we are one. With me in them and you in me, may they be so perfected in unity that the world will recognise that it was you who sent me and that you have loved them as you have loved me.
Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they may always see my glory which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Father, Upright One, the world has not known you, but I have known you, and these have known that you have sent me.
I have made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and so that I may be in them.
3) Reflection
• Today’s Gospel presents to us the third and
last part of the Priestly Prayer, in which Jesus looks toward the future and
manifests his great desire for unity among us, his disciples, and that all may
remain in the love which unifies, because without love and without unity we do
not deserve credibility.
• John 17, 20-23: So that the world may believe it was you who sent me. Jesus extends the horizon and prays to the Father: I pray not only for these but also for those who through their teaching will come to believe in me. May they all be one, just as, Father, you are in me and I am in you, so that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe it was you who sent me. Behold, here emerges the great concern of Jesus for unity which should exist in the communities. Unity does not mean uniformity, but rather to remain in love, in spite of tensions and conflicts. A love which unifies to the point of creating among all a profound unity, like the unity which exists between Jesus and the Father. The unity in love revealed in the Trinity is the model for the communities. For this, through love among persons, the communities reveal to the world the most profound message of Jesus. People said of the first Christians: “Look how they love one another!” The present day division among the three religions which came from Abraham is really tragic: the Jews, the Christians and the Muslims. And even more tragic is the division among us Christians who say that we believe in Jesus. If we are divided we do not deserve credibility. Ecumenism is in the centre of the last prayer of Jesus to the Father. It is his testament. To be a Christian and not be ecumenical is a contradiction. It means to contradict the last Will of Jesus.
• John 17, 24-26: So that the love with which you loved me may be in them. Jesus does not want to remain alone. He says: Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am so that they may always see my glory which you have given me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Jesus is happy when we are all together with him. He wants his disciples to have the same experience of the Father which he had. He wants us to know the Father and that he knows us. In the Bible, the word to know is not limited to a rational theoretic knowledge, but presupposes the experience of the presence of God living in love with the persons of the community.
• That they may be one as we are one. (Unity and Trinity in the Gospel of John) The Gospel of John helps us to understand the mystery of the Trinity, the communion among the three Divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Spirit. Of the four Gospels, John is the one who stresses more the profound unity among the Father, the Son and the Spirit. From the text of John (Jn 17, 6-8) we see that the mission of the Son is the supreme manifestation of the love of the Father. And this unity between the Father and the Son makes Jesus exclaim: The Father and I are one (Jn 10, 30). Between the Son and the Father there is such an intense unity that one who sees the face of one also sees the face of the other. And fulfilling this mission of unity received from the Father, Jesus reveals the Spirit. The spirit of Truth comes from the Father (Jn 15, 26). At the petition of the Son (Jn 14, 16), the Father sends the Spirit to each one of us in such a way that he will remain with us, encouraging us and giving us strength. The Spirit also comes to us from the Son (Jn 16, 7-8). Thus, the Spirit of Truth, who journeys with us, is the communication of the profound unity which exists between the Father and the Son (Jn 15, 26-27). The Spirit cannot communicate a truth which is different from the Truth of the Son. Everything which is in relationship with the mystery of the Son, the Spirit makes it known to us (Jn 16, 13-14). This experience of the unity in God was very strong in the communities of the Beloved Disciple. The love which unites the Divine Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit allows us to experience God through union with the persons in a community of love. This was also the proposal of the community, where love should be the sign of God’s presence in the midst of the community (Jn 13, 34-35). And this love constructs unity in the community (Jn 17, 21). They looked at the unity in God in order to understand the unity among them.
• John 17, 20-23: So that the world may believe it was you who sent me. Jesus extends the horizon and prays to the Father: I pray not only for these but also for those who through their teaching will come to believe in me. May they all be one, just as, Father, you are in me and I am in you, so that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe it was you who sent me. Behold, here emerges the great concern of Jesus for unity which should exist in the communities. Unity does not mean uniformity, but rather to remain in love, in spite of tensions and conflicts. A love which unifies to the point of creating among all a profound unity, like the unity which exists between Jesus and the Father. The unity in love revealed in the Trinity is the model for the communities. For this, through love among persons, the communities reveal to the world the most profound message of Jesus. People said of the first Christians: “Look how they love one another!” The present day division among the three religions which came from Abraham is really tragic: the Jews, the Christians and the Muslims. And even more tragic is the division among us Christians who say that we believe in Jesus. If we are divided we do not deserve credibility. Ecumenism is in the centre of the last prayer of Jesus to the Father. It is his testament. To be a Christian and not be ecumenical is a contradiction. It means to contradict the last Will of Jesus.
• John 17, 24-26: So that the love with which you loved me may be in them. Jesus does not want to remain alone. He says: Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am so that they may always see my glory which you have given me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Jesus is happy when we are all together with him. He wants his disciples to have the same experience of the Father which he had. He wants us to know the Father and that he knows us. In the Bible, the word to know is not limited to a rational theoretic knowledge, but presupposes the experience of the presence of God living in love with the persons of the community.
• That they may be one as we are one. (Unity and Trinity in the Gospel of John) The Gospel of John helps us to understand the mystery of the Trinity, the communion among the three Divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Spirit. Of the four Gospels, John is the one who stresses more the profound unity among the Father, the Son and the Spirit. From the text of John (Jn 17, 6-8) we see that the mission of the Son is the supreme manifestation of the love of the Father. And this unity between the Father and the Son makes Jesus exclaim: The Father and I are one (Jn 10, 30). Between the Son and the Father there is such an intense unity that one who sees the face of one also sees the face of the other. And fulfilling this mission of unity received from the Father, Jesus reveals the Spirit. The spirit of Truth comes from the Father (Jn 15, 26). At the petition of the Son (Jn 14, 16), the Father sends the Spirit to each one of us in such a way that he will remain with us, encouraging us and giving us strength. The Spirit also comes to us from the Son (Jn 16, 7-8). Thus, the Spirit of Truth, who journeys with us, is the communication of the profound unity which exists between the Father and the Son (Jn 15, 26-27). The Spirit cannot communicate a truth which is different from the Truth of the Son. Everything which is in relationship with the mystery of the Son, the Spirit makes it known to us (Jn 16, 13-14). This experience of the unity in God was very strong in the communities of the Beloved Disciple. The love which unites the Divine Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit allows us to experience God through union with the persons in a community of love. This was also the proposal of the community, where love should be the sign of God’s presence in the midst of the community (Jn 13, 34-35). And this love constructs unity in the community (Jn 17, 21). They looked at the unity in God in order to understand the unity among them.
4) For Personal Confrontation
• Bishop Don Pedro Casaldáliga said: “The
Trinity is truly the best community”. In the community of which you form part,
can one perceive some human sign of the Divine Trinity?
• Ecumenism: Am I ecumenical?
• Ecumenism: Am I ecumenical?
5) Concluding Prayer
Lord, you will teach me the path of life,
unbounded joy in your presence,
at your right hand delight for ever. (Ps 16,11)
unbounded joy in your presence,
at your right hand delight for ever. (Ps 16,11)
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