Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle
Lectionary: 564
Lectionary: 564
Peter stood up in
the midst of the brothers and sisters
(there was a group of about one hundred and twenty persons
in the one place).
He said, “My brothers and sisters,
the Scripture had to be fulfilled
which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand
through the mouth of David, concerning Judas,
who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus.
Judas was numbered among us
and was allotted a share in this ministry.
For it is written in the Book of Psalms:
Let his encampment become desolate,
and may no one dwell in it.
and:
May another take his office.
Therefore, it is necessary that one of the men
who accompanied us the whole time
the Lord Jesus came and went among us,
beginning from the baptism of John
until the day on which he was taken up from us,
become with us a witness to his resurrection.”
So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas,
who was also known as Justus, and Matthias.
Then they prayed,
“You, Lord, who know the hearts of all,
show which one of these two you have chosen
to take the place in this apostolic ministry
from which Judas turned away to go to his own place.”
Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias,
and he was counted with the Eleven Apostles.
(there was a group of about one hundred and twenty persons
in the one place).
He said, “My brothers and sisters,
the Scripture had to be fulfilled
which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand
through the mouth of David, concerning Judas,
who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus.
Judas was numbered among us
and was allotted a share in this ministry.
For it is written in the Book of Psalms:
Let his encampment become desolate,
and may no one dwell in it.
and:
May another take his office.
Therefore, it is necessary that one of the men
who accompanied us the whole time
the Lord Jesus came and went among us,
beginning from the baptism of John
until the day on which he was taken up from us,
become with us a witness to his resurrection.”
So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas,
who was also known as Justus, and Matthias.
Then they prayed,
“You, Lord, who know the hearts of all,
show which one of these two you have chosen
to take the place in this apostolic ministry
from which Judas turned away to go to his own place.”
Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias,
and he was counted with the Eleven Apostles.
Responsorial Psalm PS 113:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
R. (8) The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders
of his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise, you servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD
both now and forever.
R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
From the rising to the setting of the sun
is the name of the LORD to be praised.
High above all nations is the LORD;
above the heavens is his glory.
R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Who is like the LORD, our God, who is enthroned on high
and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?
R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He raises up the lowly from the dust;
from the dunghill he lifts up the poor
To seat them with princes,
with the princes of his own people.
R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise, you servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD
both now and forever.
R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
From the rising to the setting of the sun
is the name of the LORD to be praised.
High above all nations is the LORD;
above the heavens is his glory.
R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Who is like the LORD, our God, who is enthroned on high
and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?
R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He raises up the lowly from the dust;
from the dunghill he lifts up the poor
To seat them with princes,
with the princes of his own people.
R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel JN 15:9-17
Jesus said to his
disciples:
“As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
and remain in his love.
“I have told you this so that my joy might be in you
and your joy might be complete.
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another.”
“As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
and remain in his love.
“I have told you this so that my joy might be in you
and your joy might be complete.
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another.”
Meditation: Receiving
the fullness of God's love and joy
How does love lead to immeasurable joy? Jesus
tells his disciples that he is united with the eternal Father in a perfect bond
of love, unity, and joy. That is why the Son delights in obeying the eternal
Father who loves him with infinite love. The Father and Son invite all to join
in their eternal bond of love and friendship. How can we enter into that
unbreakable bond of love and friendship? Jesus, the Word of Life, shows
us the way - keep my word, keep my commandments. If you abide in my word you
will know my love and that love will fill you with immense joy - a joy which is
unsurpassable and unfading.
Jesus' commands are not hard or burdensome for
those who know his love and mercy. The Lord fills us with his Spirit and
transforms our hearts to be like his heart. Paul the Apostle reminds us
that "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit,
who has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). Jesus gave his disciples a new
commandment - a new way of love and fruitful service which is empowered by his
Holy Spirit. We are called to love and serve others just as Jesus has loved us
with heartfelt compassion, kindness, and mercy. Jesus proved his love for us by
laying down his life for us, even to death on the cross. Our love for God is a
response to his exceeding love for us through the gift of his Son, the Lord
Jesus Christ.
How do we prove our love for God? The same way
Jesus did - by embracing the way of the cross each and every day. What is the cross in
my life? When my will crosses with God's will,
then God's will must be done. If we accept God's way of love, then we will
discover the joy of loving, serving, and laying down our lives for others, just
as Jesus laid down his life for us. Do you know the joy of abiding in Christ's
love?
One of the special marks of favor shown in the
Scriptures is to be called the friend of God. God called Abraham his friend
(Isaiah 41:8), and God spoke with Moses as a "man speaks with his
friend" (Exodus 33:11). Jesus, the Lord and Master, calls the disciples
his friends rather than his servants (John 15:15). What does it mean to be a
friend of God? Friendship certainly entails a relationship of love which goes
beyond mere duty or loyalty. Scripture tells us that "a friend loves at
all times; and a brother is born for adversity" (Proverbs 17:17).
The distinctive feature of Jesus' relationship
with his disciples was his personal and unconditional love for them. He loved
his own to the very end (John 13:1). He loved his disciples selflessly and
generously because his love was wholly directed to their good. His love was
costly and sacrificial - he gave not only the best he had, but all that he had.
He gave his very own life in order to bring the abundant everlasting life of
the eternal Father to those who believed in him.
The love of Jesus Christ compels us to give our
best not only to God but to our neighbor who is created in the image and
likeness of God. God's love purifies and transforms us into the likeness of
Christ. The Lord Jesus promises that those who abide in his love will bear much
fruit for the kingdom of God - fruit that will last for eternity as well (John
15:16). If you seek to unite your heart with the heart of Jesus, you will bear
great fruit in your life - the fruit of joy, peace, friendship, and love that
lasts forever.
"Lord
Jesus, make me fruitful in your love, mercy, kindness, and compassion. May
there be nothing in my life which keeps me from your love and joy."
 Intimacy with God |
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Feast of Saint
Matthias, Apostle
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John 15:9-17
Jesus said to his disciples: "As the
Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments,
you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father´s commandments and
remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and
your joy may be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love
you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one´s life for one´s
friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call
you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have
called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my
Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to
go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my
name he may give you. This I command you: love one another."
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:Jesus, let me fulfill your command of charity.
1. The Greatest Love: Jesus makes a startling comparison: He
likens his love for his disciples with the immense love his Father has for
him. Before even the world came to be, the Father and the Son were immersed
in boundless, mutual love. The Holy Spirit is this bond of love. The intimacy
of the union and self-giving of the Blessed Trinity surpasses any human
comparison, and yet Our Lord tells his disciples he loves them in a like
manner. Do I realize how deeply my Savior loves me? Does the truth of
Christ’s personal love for me, proven from the height of the cross, fill me
with awe and find an ever more generous response in my spiritual life?
2. The Greatest Treasure: The circumstances and timing surrounding
Jesus’ designation of his disciples as friends reiterates the authenticity of
the title. Jesus is just a few hours away from being abandoned and betrayed
by those he now calls friends. Still, Our Lord is so moved by love that he
looks beyond his followers’ betrayal, to the victory he is about to win for
them. Jesus also offers me his friendship. He invites me to “remain in his
love.” I am not called to be a spectator, but to discover the joy found in
accompanying him. To follow the “Crucified One” will always be demanding, but
his friendship is a treasure which far surpasses the weight of the cross.
3. Written on Our Hearts: The mutual love of the Father and the Son,
which Jesus gratuitously extends to us as his friends, should bear fruit in
charity. The first Christians took very seriously Christ’s command of
charity. It was their distinctive mark. It set them apart from the peoples
among whom they lived. It was the magnetic force that attracted so many to
join their ranks. The command to love each other is the logical result of our
personal worth as people loved by the Lord. If Jesus loves my brother or
sister so much that he gave his life for him or her, can there be any excuse
for me not to show respect and deference on their behalf? Charity is the
badge of every true Christian. How can I better live Christ’s commandment of
love, starting within my own family?
Conversation with Christ: Jesus, I pray that I will never cease to be astonished
by the depths of your personal love for me. You call me your friend even
though I have not always lived up to the demands of this calling. I want to
be a better and truer friend of yours.
Resolution: I will show a simple act of kindness to a
member of my family today.
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FEAST OF MATTHIAS, APOSTLE, WEDNESDAY, MAY
14, JOHN 15:9-17
(Acts 1:15-17, 20-26; Psalm 113)
(Acts 1:15-17, 20-26; Psalm 113)
KEY VERSE: "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love" (v 9).
READING: Everything that Jesus said and did was in obedience to his Father's word. This same bond should exist between Jesus and his followers. John used two Greek words to define the meaning of the love that Jesus had for them. In the first instance, the wordagape expressed the supernatural love of the Father and the Son. In the second occurrence, the word phileo was used, which referred to human affection and friendship. Jesus' disciples were his friends because he had revealed to them everything he heard from the Father. Servants did not have privileged information of what their master did. Jesus chose his friends to be the instruments of God's revelation to the world. Their task would be fruitful if they obeyed Jesus' command to love.
REFLECTING: Have I shown sacrificial love to my friends?
PRAYING: Risen Lord, help your Church to hand on the faith that we have received, just as the apostles did in their time.
FEAST OF MATTHIAS,
APOSTLE
After the apostles prayed and cast lots to choose the one who would replace Judas Iscariot, Matthias was chosen (Acts 1:24-26). As one of the Twelve he would bear witness to the Risen Christ. Tradition says that Matthias preached the Gospel for more than 30 years in Judea, Cappadocia, Egypt and Ethiopia. He is remembered for preaching the need for mortification of the flesh with regard to all its sensual desires. A martyr, Matthias was stoned to death at Colchis in 80 AD. Some relics are in the church of Triers, and others are in St. Mary Major in Rome.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
Jesus, Help Us See
Loving Jesus, you courageously involved your Mother in your
sacrificial love manifested on the cross. We ask for both insight into what
that implies for us as well as for the bravery and wisdom we need to carry our
crosses along with you.
The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people
In his last discourse with his disciples, Jesus called them not
servants but friends.He did this precisely because he had confided his inmost self to them. He told to them all he heard from the Father. This same sharing he offers to do with us. The humble woman who touched the hem of his garments discovered this. So did the poor man at Bethesda, and the woman who was brought out to be stoned to death. On resurrection morning, Jesus said he was going to ‘my Father and your Father’. We can experience all this if we persevere in loving prayer to Jesus. We will learn to confide in him, to trust him, to understand that we are of importance to him, that we receive the light of truth from him.
May
14
St. Matthias
St. Matthias
According to Acts 1:15-26, during the days after the Ascension,
Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers (about 120 of Jesus’ followers).
Now that Judas had betrayed his ministry, it was necessary, Peter said, to
fulfill the scriptural recommendation that another should take his office.
“Therefore, it is necessary that one of the men who accompanied us the whole
time the Lord Jesus came and went among us, beginning from the baptism of John
until the day on which he was taken up from us, become with us a witness to his
resurrection” (Acts 1:21-22).
They
nominated two men: Joseph Barsabbas and Matthias. They prayed and drew lots.
The choice fell upon Matthias, who was added to the Eleven.
Matthias
is not mentioned by name anywhere else in the New Testament.
Comment:
What was the holiness of Matthias? Obviously he was suited for apostleship by the experience of being with Jesus from his baptism to his ascension. He must also have been suited personally, or he would not have been nominated for so great a responsibility. Must we not remind ourselves that the fundamental holiness of Matthias was his receiving gladly the relationship with the Father offered him by Jesus and completed by the Holy Spirit? If the apostles are the foundations of our faith by their witness, they must also be reminders, if only implicitly, that holiness is entirely a matter of God’s giving, and it is offered to all, in the everyday circumstances of life. We receive, and even for this God supplies the power of freedom.
What was the holiness of Matthias? Obviously he was suited for apostleship by the experience of being with Jesus from his baptism to his ascension. He must also have been suited personally, or he would not have been nominated for so great a responsibility. Must we not remind ourselves that the fundamental holiness of Matthias was his receiving gladly the relationship with the Father offered him by Jesus and completed by the Holy Spirit? If the apostles are the foundations of our faith by their witness, they must also be reminders, if only implicitly, that holiness is entirely a matter of God’s giving, and it is offered to all, in the everyday circumstances of life. We receive, and even for this God supplies the power of freedom.
Quote:
Jesus speaks of the apostles’ function of being judges, that is, rulers. He said, “Amen, I say to you that you who have followed me, in the new age, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28).
Jesus speaks of the apostles’ function of being judges, that is, rulers. He said, “Amen, I say to you that you who have followed me, in the new age, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28).
LECTIO DIVINA:
ST. MATTHIAS, APOSTLE - JN 15:9-17
Lectio:
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
1)
OPENING PRAYER
Lord God,
your apostle Matthias was a witness
to the life and death of Jesus Christ
and to his glorious resurrection.
May also today your people bear witness
to the life of your Son
by living his life as best as they can,
and radiating the joy
of people who are rising with him
to a new and deeper life.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
your apostle Matthias was a witness
to the life and death of Jesus Christ
and to his glorious resurrection.
May also today your people bear witness
to the life of your Son
by living his life as best as they can,
and radiating the joy
of people who are rising with him
to a new and deeper life.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
2)
GOSPEL READING - JOHN 15,9-17
Jesus said to his disciples. I have loved you just as the Father
has loved me. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments you will remain in
my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love. I
have told you this so that my own joy may be in you and your joy be complete.
This is my commandment: love one another, as I have loved you.
No one can have greater love than to lay down his life for his friends.
You are my friends, if you do what I command you. I shall no
longer call you servants, because a servant does not know the master's
business; I call you friends, because I have made known to you everything I
have learnt from my Father.
You did not choose me, no, I chose you; and I commissioned you
to go out and to bear fruit, fruit that will last; so that the Father will give
you anything you ask him in my name. My command to you is to love one another.
3)
REFLECTION
• Today is the Feast of the Apostle Mathias. The Gospel of John
15, 9-17 has already been meditated in April. Let us take some of the points
which were considered that day.
• John 15, 9-11: Remain in my love, the source of
perfect joy. Jesus remains in the love of the Father observing the
commandments that he received from him. We remain in the love of Jesus
observing the commandments that he has left for us. And we should observe them
in the same measure in which he observed the commandments of the Father: “If
you keep my commandments you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s
commandments and remain in his love. And in this union of love of the
Father and of Jesus is found the source of true joy: “I have told you this
so that my own joy may be in you and your joy be complete”.
• John 15, 12-13: To love one another as he has loved
us. The commandment of Jesus is only one: “to love one another as he
has loved us!” (Jn 15, 12) Jesus exceeds the Old Testament. The ancient
criterion was the following: “You shall love your neighbour as
yourself” (Lv 18, 19). The new criterion is: “Love one another as I
have loved you”. It is the phrase that we sing even today and which
says: “There is no greater love than to give one’s life for one’s brother!”
• John 15, 14-15: Friends and not servants. You are my
friends if you do what I command you”, that is, the practise of love
up to the point of the total gift of oneself! Immediately Jesus presents a very
high ideal for the life of his disciples. He says: “I shall no longer call
you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. I call you
friends because I have made known to you everything I have learnt from my
Father!” Jesus no longer had any secrets for his disciples. He tells
us everything that he has heard from the Father! Behold the wonderful ideal of
life in community: to reach a total transparency, to the point of not having
any secrets among us and to have full trust with one another, to be able to
speak about the experience of God that we have and of life, and thus, be able
to mutually enrich one another. The first Christians succeeded to reach this
ideal after many years: “they had one only heart and one only soul” (Ac
4, 32; 1, 14; 2, 42-46).
• John 15, 16-17: Jesus has chosen us. We have
not chosen Jesus. He met us, called us and entrusted a mission to us to go and
bear fruit, and a fruit which lasts. We need him, but he also wants to need us
and our work in order to be able to continue to do today, for the people what
he did for the people of Galilee. The last recommendation: This is my
commandment: to love one another!”
4)
FOR PERSONAL CONFRONTATION
• To love our neighbour as Jesus has loved us. This is the ideal
of every Christian. How do I live it?
• All that I have heard from the Father I make it known to you.
This is the ideal of the community: to attain total transparency. How do I live
this in my community?
5)
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Praise, servants of Yahweh,
praise the name of Yahweh.
Blessed be the name of Yahweh,
henceforth and for ever. (Ps 113,1-2)
praise the name of Yahweh.
Blessed be the name of Yahweh,
henceforth and for ever. (Ps 113,1-2)
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