Thursday of the Second Week of Easter
Lectionary: 270
Lectionary: 270
When the court
officers had brought the Apostles in
and made them stand before the Sanhedrin,
the high priest questioned them,
“We gave you strict orders did we not,
to stop teaching in that name.
Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching
and want to bring this man’s blood upon us.”
But Peter and the Apostles said in reply,
“We must obey God rather than men.
The God of our ancestors raised Jesus,
though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree.
God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior
to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.
We are witnesses of these things,
as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”
When they heard this,
they became infuriated and wanted to put them to death.
and made them stand before the Sanhedrin,
the high priest questioned them,
“We gave you strict orders did we not,
to stop teaching in that name.
Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching
and want to bring this man’s blood upon us.”
But Peter and the Apostles said in reply,
“We must obey God rather than men.
The God of our ancestors raised Jesus,
though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree.
God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior
to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.
We are witnesses of these things,
as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”
When they heard this,
they became infuriated and wanted to put them to death.
Responsorial Psalm PS 34:2 AND 9, 17-18, 19-20
R. (7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
Many are the troubles of the just man,
but out of them all the LORD delivers him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
Many are the troubles of the just man,
but out of them all the LORD delivers him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel JN 3:31-36
The one who comes
from above is above all.
The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things.
But the one who comes from heaven is above all.
He testifies to what he has seen and heard,
but no one accepts his testimony.
Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy.
For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God.
He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.
The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,
but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life,
but the wrath of God remains upon him.
The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things.
But the one who comes from heaven is above all.
He testifies to what he has seen and heard,
but no one accepts his testimony.
Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy.
For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God.
He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.
The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,
but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life,
but the wrath of God remains upon him.
Meditation: "He
who believes in the Son has eternal life"
Do you hunger for the true and abundant life
which God offers through the gift of his Holy Spirit? The Jews understood that
God gave a certain portion of his Spirit to his prophets. When Elijah was about
to depart for heaven, his servant Elisha asked for a double portion of the
Spirit which Elijah had received from God (2 Kings 2:9). Jesus
tells his disciples that they can believe the words he speaks because God the
Father has anointed him by pouring out his Spirit on him in full measure,
without keeping anything back. The function of the Holy Spirit is to reveal
God's truth to us. Jesus declared that "when the Spirit of truth comes, he
will guide you into all the truth" (John 16:13).When we receive the Holy
Spirit he opens our hearts and minds to recognize and understand God's word of
truth.
Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) said,
"I believe in order to understand; and I understand the better to
believe." Faith opens our minds and hearts to receive God's word of truth
and to obey it willingly. Do you believe God's word and receive it as if your
life depended on it?
God gives us the freedom to accept or reject
what he says is true. But with that freedom also comes a responsibility to
recoginze the consequences of the choice we make - either to believe what he
has spoken to us through his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, or to ignore, reject,
and chose our own way apart from God. Our choices will either lead us on the
path of abundant life and union with God, or the path that leads to spiritual
death and separation from God. God issued a choice and a challenge to the
people of the Old Covenant: "See I have set before you this day
life and good, death and evil. ...I call heaven and earth to witness against
you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse;
therefore choose life, that you may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his
voice, and cleaving to him" (Deuteronomy 30:15-20). And God issues the same challenge to the people of the New
Covenant today. Do you weigh the consequences of your choices? Do the choices
you make lead you towards life or death - blessing or cursing?
If you choose to obey God's voice and to do his
will, then you will know and experience that abundant life which comes from God
himself. If you choose to follow your own way apart from God and his will, then
you choose for death – a spiritual death which poisons and kills the heart and
soul until there is nothing left but an empty person devoid of love, truth,
goodness, purity, peace, and joy. Do your choices lead you towards God or away
from God?
"Lord Jesus Christ, let your Holy Spirit
fill me and transform my heart and mind that I may choose life - the abundant
life you offer to those who trust in you. Give me courage to always choose what
is good, true, and just and to reject whatever is false, foolish, and contrary
to your holy will."
 Gift From on High |
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Thursday of the
Second Week of Easter
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John 3:31-36
The one who comes from above is above all.
The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things. But the
one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and
heard, but no one accepts his testimony. Whoever does accept his testimony
certifies that God is trustworthy. For the one whom God sent speaks the words
of God. He does not ration his gift of the Spirit. The Father loves the Son
and has given everything over to him. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal
life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God
remains upon him.
Introductory Prayer: I come before you, Lord, poor and unworthy.
Yet you welcome me with such love. With my effort during this meditation I
want to make a small return on your great kindness.
Petition: Help me to cooperate with your greatest
gift, the Holy Spirit.
1. No Rationing: Jesus does not ration the gift of the
Spirit. By and through the Holy Spirit, Christ lifts our whole life to
another plane. The Lord’s generosity is amazing. Think of the Eucharist.
Every time we receive the Lord, he leaves in our soul a renewal and deepening
of the Holy Spirit’s presence. With every communion we are preparing our
bodies and souls for the immortality of the Resurrection. Of course, such a
gift invites a response. In the face of such generosity, how can we be stingy
in return?
2. A Gift of Unity: The gift of the Spirit is vital for our
human relationships. Jesus’ ardent prayer at the Last Supper was for the
unity of his disciples: “that they all be one, as you, Father, are in me and
I in you” (John 17:21). For a unity like that, the Holy Spirit is absolutely
indispensable. The gift of the Spirit, in order to be effective, provides the
antidote for all our tendencies to disunity. The Spirit combats our pride and
egotism by reminding us of Christ’s humility. He stirs up the realization
that we have to live in charity and provides us with the strength to give without
counting the cost. He enables us to persevere in unity.
3. A Personal Gift: The depths of our hearts is where we
ultimately experience this gift of the Spirit. But at times we feel more like
a dry well than a spring of water welling up to eternal life (cf. John 4:14).
The Holy Spirit is at work — in abundance — no less in the moments of dryness
than in the moments of consolation. He seeks to purify us of the petty
attachments that hold us back. He directs us to seek God for his own sake and
not to turn to him only as a divine dispenser of spiritual candy. But still,
we should await the moment of consolation with the hope-filled knowledge that
the Lord is near. When we experience this consolation, we will experience
confirmation that the Lord’s gift of the Spirit is unlike any other!
Conversation with Christ: Lord, the Holy Spirit is the soul of Church.
He is the gift you have given us with such generosity. Help us to live more
in accord with this truth. Help us to be obedient when we are tempted to pride.
Help us to love when we are tempted to reject. May your Holy Spirit
constantly reinforce the bond that holds us together.
Resolution: I will foster charity by paying special
attention to the inspirations of the Holy S
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EASTER WEEKDAY,
THURSDAY, MAY 1, JOHN 3:31-36
(Acts 5:27-33; Psalm 34)
(Acts 5:27-33; Psalm 34)
KEY VERSE: "Whoever has accepted his testimony has certified this, that God is true" (v 33).
READING: The Gospel of John continually contrasts the radical difference between salvation in Christ and the workings of the Evil One. Jesus brought light into the world while the Evil One brought darkness. Jesus followers believed in him, while the unbelievers refused to listen to his words. Jesus was the one from "above" whom God sent to the world "below" (this description is theological, not geographical). The Son shares the fullness of the Spirit with the Father, who withheld nothing from him. The Son in turn imparts the Spirit to his followers. Throughout salvation history, God gave partial revelation to God's people. In the final age, God was fully revealed through the Son, who "spoke the words of God" (v 34). Whoever accepts this revelation through Jesus receive eternal life; those who reject this gift bring God's judgment upon themselves.
REFLECTING: Do I remember to give thanks for the divine gift of God's Son?
PRAYING: Risen Lord, help me to listen to your words so that I might know how to act in truth.
Optional Memorial of
Joseph the Worker
Despite his humble background, Joseph came from a royal lineage, descended from David, the greatest king of Israel. Joseph was chosen by God as the trustworthy guardian of his divine Son. Joseph was wholeheartedly obedient to God - in marrying Mary, in naming Jesus, in shepherding the family to Egypt, in bringing them to Nazareth, in the undetermined number of years of quiet faith and courage. Joseph carried out this vocation with complete fidelity until at last God called him, saying: 'Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord". There is much we wish we could know about Joseph - where and when he was born, how he spent his days, when and how he died. But Scripture has left us with the most important knowledge of who he was - "a righteous man" (Matthew 1:18)
"Work is a good thing for one's humanity — because through work one not only transforms nature, adapting it to his or her own needs, but also achieves fulfillment as a human being and indeed, in a sense, becomes “more a human being.” —Pope John Paul II
MAY IS MARY'S MONTH
The month of May, with its profusion of blooms was adopted by the Church in the eighteenth century as a celebration of the flowering of Mary's maidenly spirituality. With its origins in Isaiah's prophecy of the Virgin birth of the Messiah under the figure of the Blossoming Rod or Root of Jesse, the flower symbolism of Mary was extended by the Church Fathers, and in the liturgy, by applying to her the flower figures of the Biblical books of Canticles, Wisdom, Proverbs and Sirach
In the medieval period, the rose was adopted as the flower symbol of the Virgin Birth, as expressed in Dante's phrase, 'The Rose wherein the Divine Word was made flesh,' and depicted in the rose windows of the great Gothic cathedrals, from which came the Christmas carol, 'Lo, How a Rose 'ere Blooming.' Also, with the spread of the Franciscan love of nature, the rose of the fields, waysides and gardens, came to be seen as symbols of Mary.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
God Overcomes Evil
If we really could come in touch with ourselves—not independent of
God but because of the good that God is doing in us—and see that God even
overcomes the evil that’s in us, maybe we can begin to love ourselves.
May
1
St. Joseph the Worker
St. Joseph the Worker
.jpg)
Apparently in response to the “May Day” celebrations for workers
sponsored by Communists, Pius XII instituted the feast of St. Joseph the Worker
in 1955. But the relationship between Joseph and the cause of workers has a
much longer history.
In a
constantly necessary effort to keep Jesus from being removed from ordinary
human life, the Church has from the beginning proudly emphasized that Jesus was
a carpenter, obviously trained by Joseph in both the satisfactions and the
drudgery of that vocation. Humanity is like God not only in thinking and
loving, but also in creating. Whether we make a table or a cathedral, we are
called to bear fruit with our hands and mind, ultimately for the building up of
the Body of Christ.
Comment:
“The Lord God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it” (Genesis 2:15). The Father created all and asked humanity to continue the work of creation. We find our dignity in our work, in raising a family, in participating in the life of the Father’s creation. Joseph the Worker was able to help participate in the deepest mystery of creation. Pius XII emphasized this when he said, “The spirit flows to you and to all men from the heart of the God-man, Savior of the world, but certainly, no worker was ever more completely and profoundly penetrated by it than the foster father of Jesus, who lived with Him in closest intimacy and community of family life and work. Thus, if you wish to be close to Christ, we again today repeat, ‘Go to Joseph’” (see Genesis 41:44).
“The Lord God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it” (Genesis 2:15). The Father created all and asked humanity to continue the work of creation. We find our dignity in our work, in raising a family, in participating in the life of the Father’s creation. Joseph the Worker was able to help participate in the deepest mystery of creation. Pius XII emphasized this when he said, “The spirit flows to you and to all men from the heart of the God-man, Savior of the world, but certainly, no worker was ever more completely and profoundly penetrated by it than the foster father of Jesus, who lived with Him in closest intimacy and community of family life and work. Thus, if you wish to be close to Christ, we again today repeat, ‘Go to Joseph’” (see Genesis 41:44).
Quote:
In Brothers of Men, René Voillaume of the Little Brothers of Jesus speaks about ordinary work and holiness: “Now this holiness (of Jesus) became a reality in the most ordinary circumstances of life, those of work, of the family and the social life of a village, and this is an emphatic affirmation of the fact that the most obscure and humdrum human activities are entirely compatible with the perfection of the Son of God....this mystery involves the conviction that the evangelical holiness proper to a child of God is possible in the ordinary circumstances of someone who is poor and obliged to work for his living.”
In Brothers of Men, René Voillaume of the Little Brothers of Jesus speaks about ordinary work and holiness: “Now this holiness (of Jesus) became a reality in the most ordinary circumstances of life, those of work, of the family and the social life of a village, and this is an emphatic affirmation of the fact that the most obscure and humdrum human activities are entirely compatible with the perfection of the Son of God....this mystery involves the conviction that the evangelical holiness proper to a child of God is possible in the ordinary circumstances of someone who is poor and obliged to work for his living.”
LECTIO DIVINA:
JOHN 3,31-36
Lectio:
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Easter Time
1)
OPENING PRAYER
Lord our God,
your Son Jesus Christ came from you
and bore witness to the things
he had heard and seen.
He could not but bear witness to you.
Give us the Spirit of your Son, we pray you,
to speak your word and to live it,
that we may show Christ, your living Word,
to those who have not seen him.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
your Son Jesus Christ came from you
and bore witness to the things
he had heard and seen.
He could not but bear witness to you.
Give us the Spirit of your Son, we pray you,
to speak your word and to live it,
that we may show Christ, your living Word,
to those who have not seen him.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
2)
GOSPEL READING - JOHN 3,31-36
John the Baptist said to his disciples: "He who comes from
above is above all others; he who is of the earth is earthly himself and speaks
in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven bears witness to the things he has
seen and heard, but his testimony is not accepted by anybody; though anyone who
does accept his testimony is attesting that God is true, since he whom God has
sent speaks God's own words, for God gives him the Spirit without reserve.
The Father loves the Son and has entrusted everything to his
hands. Anyone who believes in the Son has eternal life, but anyone who refuses
to believe in the Son will never see life: God's retribution hangs over
him."
3)
REFLECTION
• During the month of January we meditated on John 3, 22-30,
which shows us the last witness of John the Baptist concerning Jesus. It was a
response given by him to his disciples, in which he reaffirms that he, John, is
not the Messiah, but rather his precursor (Jn 3, 28). On that occasion, John
says that beautiful phrase which summarizes his witness: “It is necessary that
he grows greater and I grow less!” This phrase is the program for all those who
want to follow Jesus.
• The verses of today’s Gospel are, again, a comment of the
Evangelist in order to help the communities to understand better all the
importance of the things that Jesus did and taught. Here, we have another
indication of those three threads of which we spoke about before.
• John 3, 31-33: A refrain which is always repeated. Throughout
the Gospel of John, many times there appears the conflict between Jesus and the
Jews who contest the words of Jesus. Jesus speaks of what he hears from the
Father. He is total transparency. His enemies, not opening themselves to God
and because they cling to their own ideas here on earth, are not capable to
understand the deep significance of the things that Jesus lives, does and says.
In last instance, this is the evil one which pushes the Jews to arrest and
condemn Jesus.
• John 3, 34: Jesus gives us the Spirit without reserve. John’s
Gospel uses many images and symbols to signify the action of the Spirit. Like
in the Creation (Gen 1, 1), in the same way the Spirit descends on Jesus “like
a dove, come from Heaven” (Jn 1, 32). It is the beginning of the new creation!
Jesus repeats the words of God and communicates the Spirit to us without
reserve (Jn 3, 34). His words are Spirit and life (Jn 6, 63). When Jesus is
about to leave this earth, he says that he will send another Consoler, another
defender, to be with us forever (Jn 14, 16-17). By his Passion, Death and
Resurrection, Jesus obtains for us the gift of the Spirit. Through Baptism all
of us have received this same Spirit of Jesus (Jn 1, 33). When he appears to
the apostles, he breathed on them and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit!” (Jn 20,
22). The Spirit is like the water which springs from the persons who believe in
Jesus (Jn 7, 37-39; 4, 14). The first effect of the action of the Spirit in us
is reconciliation: “”If you forgive anyone’s sins they will be forgiven; if you
retain anyone’s sins, they are retained!” (Jn 20, 23). The Spirit is given to
us to recall and understand the full significance of the words of Jesus (Jn 14,
26; 16, 12-13). Animated by the Spirit of Jesus we can adore God in any place
(Jn 4, 23-24). Here is fulfilled the liberty of the Spirit of which Saint Paul
speaks: “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Co 3, 17).
• John 3, 35-36: The Father loves the Son. He reaffirms the
identity between the Father and Jesus. The Father loves the Son and places all
things in his hand. Saint Paul will say that the fullness of the divinity
dwells in Jesus (Col 1, 19; 2, 9). This is why the one who accepts Jesus and
believes in Jesus has eternal life, because God is life. The one who does not
accept to believe in Jesus, places himself outside.
4)
PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• Jesus communicates the Spirit to us, without reserve. Have you
had some experience of this action of the Spirit in your life?
• He who believes in Jesus has eternal life. How does this take
place today in the life of the families and of the communities?
5)
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Proclaim with me the greatness of Yahweh,
let us acclaim his name together.
Taste and see that Yahweh is good.
How blessed are those who take refuge in him. (S 34,3.8)
let us acclaim his name together.
Taste and see that Yahweh is good.
How blessed are those who take refuge in him. (S 34,3.8)
