Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Lectionary: 246
Lectionary: 246
Thus says the LORD:
In a time of favor I answer you,
on the day of salvation I help you;
and I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people,
To restore the land
and allot the desolate heritages,
Saying to the prisoners: Come out!
To those in darkness: Show yourselves!
Along the ways they shall find pasture,
on every bare height shall their pastures be.
They shall not hunger or thirst,
nor shall the scorching wind or the sun strike them;
For he who pities them leads them
and guides them beside springs of water.
I will cut a road through all my mountains,
and make my highways level.
See, some shall come from afar,
others from the north and the west,
and some from theland of Syene
Sing out, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth,
break forth into song, you mountains.
For the LORD comforts his people
and shows mercy to his afflicted.
ButZion
my Lord has forgotten me.”
Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,
I will never forget you.
In a time of favor I answer you,
on the day of salvation I help you;
and I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people,
To restore the land
and allot the desolate heritages,
Saying to the prisoners: Come out!
To those in darkness: Show yourselves!
Along the ways they shall find pasture,
on every bare height shall their pastures be.
They shall not hunger or thirst,
nor shall the scorching wind or the sun strike them;
For he who pities them leads them
and guides them beside springs of water.
I will cut a road through all my mountains,
and make my highways level.
See, some shall come from afar,
others from the north and the west,
and some from the
Sing out, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth,
break forth into song, you mountains.
For the LORD comforts his people
and shows mercy to his afflicted.
But
my Lord has forgotten me.”
Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,
I will never forget you.
R. (8a) The
Lord is gracious and merciful.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful.
The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful.
The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful.
Jesus answered the Jews:
“My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.”
For this reason they tried all the more to kill him,
because he not only broke the sabbath
but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God.
Jesus answered and said to them,
“Amen, amen, I say to you, the Son cannot do anything on his own,
but only what he sees the Father doing;
for what he does, the Son will do also.
For the Father loves the Son
and shows him everything that he himself does,
and he will show him greater works than these,
so that you may be amazed.
For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life,
so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes.
Nor does the Father judge anyone,
but he has given all judgment to the Son,
so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father.
Whoever does not honor the Son
does not honor the Father who sent him.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word
and believes in the one who sent me
has eternal life and will not come to condemnation,
but has passed from death to life.
Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here
when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God,
and those who hear will live.
For just as the Father has life in himself,
so also he gave to the Son the possession of life in himself.
And he gave him power to exercise judgment,
because he is the Son of Man.
Do not be amazed at this,
because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs
will hear his voice and will come out,
those who have done good deeds
to the resurrection of life,
but those who have done wicked deeds
to the resurrection of condemnation.
“I cannot do anything on my own;
I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just,
because I do not seek my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.”
“My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.”
For this reason they tried all the more to kill him,
because he not only broke the sabbath
but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God.
Jesus answered and said to them,
“Amen, amen, I say to you, the Son cannot do anything on his own,
but only what he sees the Father doing;
for what he does, the Son will do also.
For the Father loves the Son
and shows him everything that he himself does,
and he will show him greater works than these,
so that you may be amazed.
For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life,
so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes.
Nor does the Father judge anyone,
but he has given all judgment to the Son,
so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father.
Whoever does not honor the Son
does not honor the Father who sent him.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word
and believes in the one who sent me
has eternal life and will not come to condemnation,
but has passed from death to life.
Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here
when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God,
and those who hear will live.
For just as the Father has life in himself,
so also he gave to the Son the possession of life in himself.
And he gave him power to exercise judgment,
because he is the Son of Man.
Do not be amazed at this,
because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs
will hear his voice and will come out,
those who have done good deeds
to the resurrection of life,
but those who have done wicked deeds
to the resurrection of condemnation.
“I cannot do anything on my own;
I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just,
because I do not seek my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.”
Meditation: "My Father is
working still, and I am working"
Who can
claim authority and power over life and death itself? Jesus not only made such
a claim, he showed God's power to heal and restore people to wholeness of life.
He also showed the mercy of God by releasing people from their burden of sin
and guilt. He even claimed to have the power to raise the dead to life and to
execute judgment on all the living and dead. The Jewish authorities were
troubled with Jesus' claims and looked for a way to get rid of him. He either
had to be a mad man and an imposter or who he claimed to be - God's divine son.
Unfortunately, they could not accept Jesus' claim to be the Messiah, the
anointed one sent by the Father to redeem his people. They sought to kill him
because he claimed an authority and equality with God which they could not
accept. They failed to recognize that this was God's answer to the long-awaited
prayers of his people: "In a time of favor I have answered you, in a day
of salvation I have helped you" (Isaiah 49:8).
A "covenant" to the people
Jesus was sent by the Father as "a covenant to the people" to reconcile them with God and restore to them the promise of paradise and everlasting life. Jesus' words and actions reveal God's mercy and justice. Jesus fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah when he brings healing, restoration, and forgiveness to those who accept his divine message.
Jesus was sent by the Father as "a covenant to the people" to reconcile them with God and restore to them the promise of paradise and everlasting life. Jesus' words and actions reveal God's mercy and justice. Jesus fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah when he brings healing, restoration, and forgiveness to those who accept his divine message.
The
religious authorities charged Jesus as a Sabbath-breaker and a blasphemer. They
wanted to kill Jesus because he claimed equality with God - something they
thought no mortal could say without blaspheming. Little did they understand
that Jesus was both human and divine - the eternal Son with the Father and the
human son, conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary. Jesus answered
their charge of breaking the Sabbath law by demonstrating God's purpose for
creation and redemption - to save and restore life. God's love and mercy never
ceases for a moment. Jesus continues to show the Father's mercy by healing and
restoring people, even on the Sabbath day of rest. When the religious leaders
charged that Jesus was making himself equal with God, Jesus replied that he was
not acting independently of God because his relationship is a close personal
Father-Son relationship. He and the Father are united in heart, mind, and will.
The mind of Jesus is the mind of God, and the words of Jesus are the words of
God.
The unity of love and obedience
Jesus also states that his identity with the Father is based on complete trust and obedience. Jesus always did what his Father wanted him to do. His obedience was not just based on submission, but on love. He obeyed because he loved his Father. The unity between Jesus and the Father is a unity of love - a total giving of oneself for the sake of another. That is why their mutual love for each other is perfect and complete. The Son loves the Father and gives himself in total obedience to the Father's will. The Father loves the Son and shares with him all that he is and has. We are called to submit our lives to God with the same love, trust, and obedience which Jesus demonstrated for his Father.
Jesus also states that his identity with the Father is based on complete trust and obedience. Jesus always did what his Father wanted him to do. His obedience was not just based on submission, but on love. He obeyed because he loved his Father. The unity between Jesus and the Father is a unity of love - a total giving of oneself for the sake of another. That is why their mutual love for each other is perfect and complete. The Son loves the Father and gives himself in total obedience to the Father's will. The Father loves the Son and shares with him all that he is and has. We are called to submit our lives to God with the same love, trust, and obedience which Jesus demonstrated for his Father.
If we
wish to understand how God deals with sin and how he responds to our sinful
condition, then we must look to Jesus. Jesus took our sins upon himself and
nailed them to the cross. He, who is equal in dignity and stature with the
Father, became a servant for our sake to ransom us from slavery to sin. He has
the power to forgive us and to restore our relationship with God because he
paid the price for our sins.
Jesus
states that to accept him is life - a life of abundant peace
and joy with God. But if we reject him, then we freely choose for death -
an endless separation with an all-loving and merciful God. Do you want the
abundant life which Jesus offers? Believe in him, the living Word of God, who
became a man for our sake and our salvation, and reject whatever is false and
contrary to the gospel - the good news he came to give us.
"Lord
Jesus, increase my love for you and unite my heart and will with yours, that I
may only seek and desire what is pleasing to you."
www,dailyscripture.net
Greater Deeds Still
Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent
John 5:17-30
Jesus answered the Jews, "My Father is at work until
now, so I am at work." For this reason the Jews tried all the more to kill
him, because he not only broke the Sabbath but he also called God his own
father, making himself equal to God. Jesus answered and said to them,
"Amen, amen, I say to you, a son cannot do anything on his own, but only
what he sees his father doing; for what he does, his son will do also. For the
Father loves his Son and shows him everything that he himself does, and he will
show him greater works than these, so that you may be amazed. For just as the
Father raises the dead and gives life, so also does the Son give life to
whomever he wishes. Nor does the Father judge anyone, but he has given all judgment
to his Son, so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father.
Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Amen,
amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me
has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death
to life. Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here when the
dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For
just as the Father has life in himself, so also he gave to his Son the
possession of life in himself. And he gave him power to exercise judgment,
because he is the Son of Man. Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is
coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come out,
those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have
done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation. "I cannot do
anything on my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do
not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me."
Introductory Prayer: Christ, I certainly
believe in you, because in baptism you gave me the gift of faith. I believe for
all those who do not believe in you. See my effort, Lord. I trust in your
divine plan, and I hope in your saving grace.
Petition: Lord,
grant me the gift of piety.
1. Like Father, Like Son: “I say to you, a son cannot do
anything on his own, but only what he sees his father doing; for what he does,
his son will do also. For the Father loves his Son and shows him everything
that he himself does.” The relationship between Christ and his Father was one
of total respect and love. It wasn’t marred by the breakdown so frequently and
tragically experienced in our modern family. The intensity of filial love that
Jesus lived toward his Father was so powerful that it provides a path for all
of us to follow. One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is the gift of piety.
Piety lavishes the soul with the capacity for considering God as our Father and
all men as our brothers. A forgiving heart, which prevails over any rancor for
injuries received, is one of the fruits of this gift.
2. The Requirements of Piety: Jesus said, “Do not be amazed
at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear
his voice and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection
of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of
condemnation.” There is no need to squander time in hatred for our brothers and
sisters. Only God can judge their hearts. Our duty is to treat everyone with
respect and love; this is the best way we have to foster the gift of piety.
3. Humility is The Key: Jesus said, “I do not seek my own
will but the will of the one who sent me.” Believe it or not, the humble are
the only ones who can lead a peaceful coexistence with all and, at the same
time, stalwartly uphold truths and principles. Who can imagine a sunny day
without the sun? Who can imagine the gift of piety without the practice of
humility? I should examine those times when I blame everyone else for my
impatience. Are they not a result of the difficulty I experience in shouldering
someone else’s plans over my own or in accepting God’s will at the expense of
my preferences?
Conversation with Christ: Lord, so many times
have I come to you on my knees. I come now, confident that you will pour into
my heart an abundance of the gift of piety through the infinite merits you won
for me on the cross. Help me, Lord, to see you in everyone I meet.
Resolution: I will be a pious friend and a
forgiving neighbor. I will humbly offer my services to the neighbor who
interests me the least.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, JOHN 5:17-30
(Isaiah 49:8-15; Psalm 145)
(Isaiah 49:8-15; Psalm 145)
KEY VERSE: "My Father is at work until now, so I am at work" (v 17).
REFLECTING: Do I reveal God's saving work by what I say and do?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to be a faithful child of your Father.
Memorial of Francis of Paola, hermit
Following a pilgrimage in his teens toRome and Assisi Assisi
Following a pilgrimage in his teens to
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
True Love
The
cross was not a sign of sin and death, but a sign of the tremendous power of
love that speaks through the centuries, across all times and places, to the
daily human experiences of true love.
The
Lord is kind and merciful
Sing out,
O heavens, and rejoice, O earth; break forth into song, you mountains. For the
Lord comforts his people (Isaiah 49:1, 3).God’s people
April 2
St. Francis of Paola
(1416-1507)
St. Francis of Paola
(1416-1507)
Francis of Paola was a man who deeply
loved contemplative solitude and wished only to be the "least in the
household of God." Yet, when the Church called him to active service in
the world, he became a miracle-worker and influenced the course of nations.
After
accompanying his parents on a pilgrimage to Rome
and Assisi , he began to live as a contemplative
hermit in a remote cave near Paola, on Italy Assisi
In 1492, Francis
changed the name of his community to "Minims" because he wanted them
to be known as the least (minimi) in the household of God. Humility was
to be the hallmark of the brothers as it had been in Francis's personal life.
Besides the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, Francis enjoined upon his
followers the fourth obligation of a perpetual Lenten fast. He felt that heroic
mortification was necessary as a means for spiritual growth.
It was Francis's
desire to be a contemplative hermit, yet he believed that God was calling him
to the apostolic life. He began to use the gifts he had received, such as the
gifts of miracles and prophecy, to minister to the people of God. A defender of
the poor and oppressed, Francis incurred the wrath of King Ferdinand of Naples
Following the
request of Pope Sixtus IV, Francis traveled to Paris
to help Louis XI of France France and Spain
Francis died
while at the French court.
Stories:
The King of France, Louis XI, was slowly dying after an apoplectic
seizure. He sent a messenger to Italy
Many meetings followed. Though Francis was an unlearned man, those
who heard him testified that his words were so full of wisdom that all present
were convinced the Holy Spirit wa speaking through him. By prayer and example
he brought about a change of heart in the king, who died peacefully in his
arms.
Comment:
The life of Francis of Paola speaks plainly to an overactive world. He was a contemplative man called to active ministry and must have felt keenly the tension between prayer and service. Yet in Francis's life it was a productive tension, for he clearly utilized the fruits of contemplation in his ministry, which came to involve the workings of nations. He responded so readily and so well to the call of the Church from a solid foundation in prayer and mortification. When he went out to the world, it was not he who worked but Christ working through him—"the least in the household of God."
The life of Francis of Paola speaks plainly to an overactive world. He was a contemplative man called to active ministry and must have felt keenly the tension between prayer and service. Yet in Francis's life it was a productive tension, for he clearly utilized the fruits of contemplation in his ministry, which came to involve the workings of nations. He responded so readily and so well to the call of the Church from a solid foundation in prayer and mortification. When he went out to the world, it was not he who worked but Christ working through him—"the least in the household of God."
Patron
Saint of:
Sailors
Sailors
LECTIO DIVINA: JOHN
5,17-30
Lectio:
Wednesday,
April 2, 2014
Lent
Time
1) OPENING PRAYER
Our God and Father,
you keep seeking us out
with love as passionate as a mother's love,
even when we have abandoned you.Give us hope and courage,
especially when we feel uncertain.
Reassure us that you want us to live
in the security of your love
and that you stay with us
through your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord.
you keep seeking us out
with love as passionate as a mother's love,
even when we have abandoned you.Give us hope and courage,
especially when we feel uncertain.
Reassure us that you want us to live
in the security of your love
and that you stay with us
through your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord.
2) GOSPEL READING
Jesus answer to the Jews was, 'My Father still
goes on working, and I am at work, too.' But that only made the Jews even more
intent on killing him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he
spoke of God as his own Father and so made himself God's equal.
To this Jesus replied: In all truth I tell
you, by himself the Son can do nothing; he can do only what he sees the Father
doing: and whatever the Father does the Son does too. For the Father loves the
Son and shows him everything he himself does, and he will show him even greater
things than these, works that will astonish you.
Thus, as the Father raises the dead and gives
them life, so the Son gives life to anyone he chooses; for the Father judges no
one; he has entrusted all judgement to the Son, so that all may honour the Son
as they honour the Father. Whoever refuses honour to the Son refuses honour to
the Father who sent him.
In all truth I tell you, whoever listens to my
words, and believes in the one who sent me, has eternal life; without being
brought to judgement such a person has passed from death to life.
In all truth I tell you, the hour is coming --
indeed it is already here -- when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of
God, and all who hear it will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so
he has granted the Son also to have life in himself; and, because he is the Son
of man, has granted him power to give judgement.
Do not be surprised at this, for the hour is
coming when the dead will leave their graves at the sound of his voice: those
who did good will come forth to life; and those who did evil will come forth to
judgement. By myself I can do nothing; I can judge only as I am told to judge,
and my judging is just, because I seek to do not my own will but the will of
him who sent me.
3) REFLECTION
• The Gospel of John is different from the
other three. It reveals a more profound dimension which only faith is able to
perceive in the words and gestures of Jesus. The Fathers of the Church would
say that the Gospel of John is “spiritual”,it reveals what the Spirit makes one discover in
the words of Jesus (cf. Jn 16, 12-13). A beautiful example of this spiritual
dimension of the Gospel of John is the passage which we are going to meditate
on today.
• John 5, 17-18: Jesus
explains the profound meaning of the healing of the paralytic. Criticized by the Jews
for having cured on Saturday, Jesus answers: “My Father
still goes on working, and I am at work too!” The Jews taught that
no work could be done on Saturday, because even God had rested and had not
worked on the seventh day of creation (Ex 20, 8-11). Jesus affirms the
contrary. He says that the Father has always worked even
until now. And for this reason, Jesus also works, and even on Saturday. He
imitates his Father! For Jesus the work of creation is not finished as yet. God
continues to work, unceasingly, day and night, holding up the Universe and all
of us. Jesus collaborates with the Father continuing the work of creation in
such a way that one day all may be able to enter into the eternal rest that has
been promised. The reaction of the Jews was violent. They wanted to kill him
for two reasons: because he denied the sense of Saturday and for saying he was
equal to God.
• John 5, 19-21: It
is love which allows the creative action of God to shine and be visible. These verses reveal
something of the relationship between Jesus and the Father. Jesus, the Son,
lives permanently attentive before the Father. What he sees the Father do, he
does it also. Jesus is the reflection of the Father. He is the face of the
Father! This total attention of the Son to the Father makes it possible for the
love of the Father to enter totally into the Son and through the Son, carry out
his action in the world. The great concern of the Father is that of overcoming
death and to give life. It is a way of continuing the creative work of the
Father.
• John 5, 22-23: The
Father judges no one; he has entrusted all judgment to the Son. What is decisive in
life is the way in which we place ourselves before the Creator, because it
radically depends on him. Now the Creator becomes present for us in Jesus. The
plenitude of the divinity dwells in Jesus (cf. Col 1, 19). And therefore,
according to the way in which we are before Jesus, we express our position
before God, the Creator. What the Father wants is that we know him and honour
him in the revelation which he makes of himself in Jesus.
• John 5, 24: The
life of God in us through Jesus. God is life, he is creating force. Wherever he
is present, there is life. He becomes present in the Word of Jesus. The one who
listens to the word of Jesus as a word that comes from God has already risen.
He has already received the vivifying touch which leads him beyond death. Jesus
passed from death to life. The proof of this is in the healing of the
paralytic.
• John 5, 25-29: The
resurrection is already taking place. All of us are the dead who still have
not opened ourselves to the voice of Jesus which comes from the Father. But
“the hour will come” and it is now, in which the dead will hear thevoice
of the Son of God and those who will listen, will live”.
With the Word of Jesus which comes from the Father, the new creation begins; it
is already on the way. The creative word of Jesus will reach all, even those
who have already died. They will hear and will live.
• John 5, 30: Jesus is the reflection of the
Father. “By myself I can do nothing; I can judge only as I am told to judge,
and my judgment is just, because I seek to do not my own will but the will of
him who sent me”. This last phrase is the summary of all that has been said
before. This was the idea that the community of the time of John had and
diffused regarding Jesus.
4) PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• How do you imagine the relationship between
Jesus and the Father?
• How do you live faith in the resurrection?
5) CONCLUDING PRAYER
Yahweh is tenderness and pity,
slow to anger, full of faithful love.
Yahweh is generous to all,
his tenderness embraces all his creatures. (Ps 145,8-9)
slow to anger, full of faithful love.
Yahweh is generous to all,
his tenderness embraces all his creatures. (Ps 145,8-9)
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