Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Lectionary: 254
Lectionary: 254
When Abram
prostrated himself, God spoke to him:
“My covenant with you is this:
you are to become the father of a host of nations.
No longer shall you be called Abram;
your name shall be Abraham,
for I am making you the father of a host of nations.
I will render you exceedingly fertile;
I will make nations of you;
kings shall stem from you.
I will maintain my covenant with you
and your descendants after you
throughout the ages as an everlasting pact,
to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
I will give to you
and to your descendants after you
the land in which you are now staying,
the whole land of Canaan, as a permanent possession;
and I will be their God.”
God also said to Abraham:
“On your part, you and your descendants after you
must keep my covenant throughout the ages.”
“My covenant with you is this:
you are to become the father of a host of nations.
No longer shall you be called Abram;
your name shall be Abraham,
for I am making you the father of a host of nations.
I will render you exceedingly fertile;
I will make nations of you;
kings shall stem from you.
I will maintain my covenant with you
and your descendants after you
throughout the ages as an everlasting pact,
to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
I will give to you
and to your descendants after you
the land in which you are now staying,
the whole land of Canaan, as a permanent possession;
and I will be their God.”
God also said to Abraham:
“On your part, you and your descendants after you
must keep my covenant throughout the ages.”
R. (8a) The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,
his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
He remembers forever his covenant
which he made binding for a thousand generations –
Which he entered into with Abraham
and by his oath to Isaac.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,
his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
He remembers forever his covenant
which he made binding for a thousand generations –
Which he entered into with Abraham
and by his oath to Isaac.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
If today you hear
his voice;
harden not your hearts.
harden not your hearts.
Jesus said to the
Jews:
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever keeps my word will never see death.”
So the Jews said to him,
“Now we are sure that you are possessed.
Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say,
‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’
Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died?
Or the prophets, who died?
Who do you make yourself out to be?”
Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing;
but it is my Father who glorifies me,
of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’
You do not know him, but I know him.
And if I should say that I do not know him,
I would be like you a liar.
But I do know him and I keep his word.
Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day;
he saw it and was glad.”
So the Jews said to him,
“You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
before Abraham came to be, I AM.”
So they picked up stones to throw at him;
but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever keeps my word will never see death.”
So the Jews said to him,
“Now we are sure that you are possessed.
Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say,
‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’
Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died?
Or the prophets, who died?
Who do you make yourself out to be?”
Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing;
but it is my Father who glorifies me,
of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’
You do not know him, but I know him.
And if I should say that I do not know him,
I would be like you a liar.
But I do know him and I keep his word.
Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day;
he saw it and was glad.”
So the Jews said to him,
“You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
before Abraham came to be, I AM.”
So they picked up stones to throw at him;
but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.
Meditation: "Before
Abraham was, I am"
Do you listen to Jesus' words as if your life depended on it?
Jesus made a claim which only God can make - "if any one keeps my word, he
will never see death." St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD), explains
this verse from John 8:51:
"It means nothing less than he saw another death from which
he came to free us - the second death, eternal death, the death of hell, the
death of the damned, which is shared with the devil and his angels! This is
the real death; the other kind of death is only a passage" (Tractates on
the Gospel of John 43.10-11).
When God established a relationship with Abraham, he offered him
an unbreakable "everlasting covenant" (Genesis 17:7). Jesus came to
fulfill that covenant so that we could know the living God and be united with
him both now and for all eternity. God made us to know him and to be united
with him and he gives us the gift of faith and understanding so that we may
grow in the knowledge of what he has accomplished for us through his Son, Jesus
Christ.
Jesus challenged the people of Israel to accept his word as the
very revelation of God himself. His claim challenged the very foundation of
their belief and understanding of God. Jesus made a series of claims which are
the very foundation of his life and mission. What are these claims? First,
Jesus claims unique knowledge of God as the only begotten Son of the Father in
heaven. Since he claims to be in direct personal communion with his Father in
heaven, he knows everything about the Father. Jesus claims that the only way to
full knowledge of the mind and heart of God is through himself. Jesus also
claims unique obedience to God the Father. He thinks, lives and acts in
the knowledge of his Father's word. To look at his life is to
"see how God wishes me to live." In Jesus alone we see what God wants
us to know and what he wants us to be.
When the Jewish authorities asked Jesus who do you claim
to be? he answered, "before Abraham was, I am." Jesus claims
to be timeless and there is only one in the universe who is
timeless, namely God. Scripture tells us that "Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). Jesus was not just a man
who came, lived, died, and then rose again. He is the immortal timeless One,
who always was and always will be. In Jesus we see the eternal God in visible
flesh. He is God who became a man for our sake and for our salvation. His death
and resurrection make it possible for us to share in his immortality. Do you
believe the words of Jesus and obey them with all your heart, mind, and
strength?
"Lord Jesus, let your word be on my lips and in my heart
that I may walk in the freedom of your everlasting love, truth and
goodness."
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Keeping His Word |
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March 26, 2015.
Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent
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John 8:51-59 Jesus said to the Jews: "Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death." So the Jews said to him, "Now we are sure that you are possessed. Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ´Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.´ Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? Or the prophets, who died? Who do you make yourself out to be?" Jesus answered, "If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing; but it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ´He is our God.´ You do not know him, but I know him. And if I should say that I do not know him, I would be like you a liar. But I do know him and I keep his word. Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad. So the Jews said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM." So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the Temple area. Introductory Prayer: Lord, you are life and truth and goodness. You are also peace and mercy. How grateful I am to have this moment to turn to you. Without you I can do nothing good. In fact, when I do good, it is you working through me, despite my failings. Thank you, Lord. Here I am ready to love you more. Petition: May I hear your voice, Lord, and not harden my heart to that which you ask of me today. 1. The Real Enemy: Today we find Jesus in animated conversation with the Jews. They seem to discuss the same topic – death — but in fact they refer to two very different understandings of one reality. The Jews speak of death in a material way, whereas Jesus speaks of it in a spiritual way, with his description of death of far greater consequence than the former. Christ warns us about the gravity of spiritual death, which is the consequence of serious sin. This is why the Church traditionally prays, in the Litany of the Saints, to be freed from mors perpetua (everlasting death), the spiritual death which Jesus warned against. Lent is the time to eradicate all forms of this evil from our lives, especially through the positive practices of prayer, penance and almsgiving. 2. Only the Spirit Gives Life: Jesus’ interlocutors are never able to penetrate the meaning of his words because they think in a purely material way. Only with a spirit of faith and the aid of the Holy Spirit can we understand the things of God. Today’s world is rife with what we could call a spirit of materialism. It looks to material things and values as the solution to everything. But have you noticed how it seems that the more our material wealth and technical capacity grow, the emptier we become on the inside, and the more hollow our western culture becomes? Material things are necessary, for we are part matter. But a purely material explanation will never be able to address the deeper needs of the human person. As Christ said: “Only the Spirit gives life” (John 6:63).We must strive to adopt a spiritual or supernatural way of living and see ourselves and our world from this point of view, so as not to become blind to a truth that transcends matter. 3. Open to a Challenge: Jesus’ challenge to raise the eyes of the heart and soul to a spiritual level is met with fierce opposition. In fact, his listeners want to stone him! Christ always challenges us to go higher. And he does this as a manifestation of his love. How do I respond to this challenge in my own life? Conversation with Christ: You have spoken, Lord, in the silence of my night and your word has engraved your will in my heart. Because you spoke, there is a will in you that I know: It is the will of your commands. I want to fulfill that will, Lord. I want to believe according to your doctrine. To hope according to your promises. To love and live according to your guidance and laws. Resolution: I will foster a more spiritual way of seeing myself, others and the world. |
THURSDAY, MARCH 26, JOHN 8:51-59
Lenten Weekday
(Genesis 17:3-9; Psalm 105)
Lenten Weekday
(Genesis 17:3-9; Psalm 105)
KEY VERSE: "Amen, Amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM" (v 58).
TO KNOW: Jesus said that those who were true to his words would never see death. The unbelievers scoffed, saying that all the prophets had died, and even the great father Abraham was dead. Did Jesus claim to be greater than them? Jesus answered that Abraham rejoiced that the divine promises were fulfilled in him. His enemies mocked Jesus asking if he claimed to have seen Abraham. Jesus used the divine name of God, "I AM," , egō eimi, a declaration that he existed before Abraham. His enemies were scandalized. Did Jesus claim equality with God? The penalty for blasphemy was death by stoning (Lv 24:16), but Jesus was able to evade their attempt to kill him.
TO LOVE: Lord Jesus, help me to trust your promise of eternal life.
TO SERVE: Do I show respect for the name of God?
Thursday 26 March 2015
Genesis 17:3-9. The Lord
remembers his covenant for ever—Ps 104(105):4-9. John 8:51-59.
What is death?
Death may not necessarily
be physical death. I once sat for twenty minutes by the bedside of a friend who
had just died, and I was filled with peace and joy. I prayed in thanks for him,
and thought, ‘Yes, you really did live a good life. Even with your personal
failings, you did your best to love and serve Jesus. God loves you very much.’
It was as though I knew that in dying he had been born into eternal life.
His was not the death Jesus
speaks about in today’s gospel. That death is the living death of alienation
and separation from God and from one another that we all experience in our sin.
Jesus, may we, with your help, keep your word of life in our hearts.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
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Medicinal Love
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Lord, when I help someone who is ill, let me never forget that
love is the most important medicine. And when I am ill, Lord, please send me
medical men and women who are not only wise and skilled but filled with love.
March
26
Blessed Didacus Joseph of Cadiz
(d. 1801)
Blessed Didacus Joseph of Cadiz
(d. 1801)
Born in Cadiz, Spain, and christened Joseph Francis, the youth
spent much of his free time around the Capuchin friars and their church. But
his desire to enter the Franciscan Order was delayed because of the difficulty
he had with his studies. Finally he was admitted to the novitiate of the
Capuchins in Seville as Brother Didacus. He later was ordained a priest and
sent out to preach.
His gift
of preaching was soon evident. He journeyed tirelessly through the territory of
Andalusia of Spain, speaking in small towns and crowded cities. His words were
able to touch the minds and hearts of young and old, rich and poor, students
and professors. His work in the confessional completed the conversions his words
began.
This
unlearned man was called "the apostle of the Holy Trinity" because of
his devotion to the Trinity and the ease with which he preached about this
sublime mystery. One day a child gave away his secret, crying out:
"Mother, mother, see the dove resting on the shoulder of Father Didacus! I
could preach like that too if a dove told me all that I should say."
Didacus
was that close to God, spending nights in prayer and preparing for his sermons
by severe penances. His reply to those who criticized him: "My sins and
the sins of the people compel me to do it. Those who have been charged with the
conversions of sinners must remember that the Lord has imposed on them the sins
of all their clients."
It is
said that sometimes when he preached on the love of God he would be elevated
above the pulpit. Crowds in village and town squares were entranced by his
words and would attempt to tear off pieces of his habit as he passed by.
He died
in 1801 at age 58, a holy and revered man. He was beatified in 1894.
Comment:
Didacus was such a poor student that the Observant Franciscans wouldn’t have him. When Capuchin Franciscans finally took him into their order and eventually ordained him, he proved to be a powerful preacher—to everyone’s surprise. As we often do, Didacus’s contemporaries expected little from someone with a slow mind. Didacus proved to them that intelligence is not the only measure. The person who has a loving heart, a listening ear and a wealth of compassion is, in the long run, much wiser.
Didacus was such a poor student that the Observant Franciscans wouldn’t have him. When Capuchin Franciscans finally took him into their order and eventually ordained him, he proved to be a powerful preacher—to everyone’s surprise. As we often do, Didacus’s contemporaries expected little from someone with a slow mind. Didacus proved to them that intelligence is not the only measure. The person who has a loving heart, a listening ear and a wealth of compassion is, in the long run, much wiser.
LECTIO DIVINA:
JOHN 8, 51-59
Lectio:
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Lent Time
1) Opening prayer
Lord God,
in your son Jesus Christ
you have given us a new name,
the name of your Son himself.
May we live up to our new destiny,
to be people-for-others
who serve and commit ourselves
together with Jesus,
your Son and our Lord for ever.
in your son Jesus Christ
you have given us a new name,
the name of your Son himself.
May we live up to our new destiny,
to be people-for-others
who serve and commit ourselves
together with Jesus,
your Son and our Lord for ever.
2) Gospel Reading - John 8, 51-59
In all truth I tell you, whoever keeps my word will never see
death.
The Jews said, 'Now we know that you are possessed. Abraham is dead, and the prophets are dead, and yet you say, "Whoever keeps my word will never know the taste of death." Are you greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? The prophets are dead too. Who are you claiming to be?'
Jesus answered: If I were to seek my own glory my glory would be worth nothing; in fact, my glory is conferred by the Father, by the one of whom you say, 'He is our God,' although you do not know him. But I know him, and if I were to say, 'I do not know him,' I should be a liar, as you yourselves are. But I do know him, and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to think that he would see my Day; he saw it and was glad.
The Jews then said, 'You are not fifty yet, and you have seen Abraham!'
Jesus replied: In all truth I tell you, before Abraham ever was, I am.
At this they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself and left the Temple.
The Jews said, 'Now we know that you are possessed. Abraham is dead, and the prophets are dead, and yet you say, "Whoever keeps my word will never know the taste of death." Are you greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? The prophets are dead too. Who are you claiming to be?'
Jesus answered: If I were to seek my own glory my glory would be worth nothing; in fact, my glory is conferred by the Father, by the one of whom you say, 'He is our God,' although you do not know him. But I know him, and if I were to say, 'I do not know him,' I should be a liar, as you yourselves are. But I do know him, and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to think that he would see my Day; he saw it and was glad.
The Jews then said, 'You are not fifty yet, and you have seen Abraham!'
Jesus replied: In all truth I tell you, before Abraham ever was, I am.
At this they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself and left the Temple.
3) Reflection
• Chapter 8 seems an exhibition of works of art, where it is
possible to admire and contemplate famous paintings, next to one another.
Today’s Gospel presents us a painting, and a dialogue between Jesus and the
Jews. There is not too much connection between one and the other painting. It
is the spectator who, thanks to his/her attentive and prayerful observation,
succeeds to discover the invisible thread that binds the paintings, the
dialogues among themselves. Thus, we penetrate into the divine mystery which
envelops the person of Jesus.
• John 8, 51: Whoever keeps the word of Jesus will not see death.Jesus makes a solemn affirmation; the prophets said: Oracle of the Lord! Jesus says: “Truly, I say to you!” And the solemn affirmation is the following: “Whoever keeps my word will not see death!” This same theme appears and reappears many times in the Gospel of John. These are words of a great depth.
• John 8, 52-53: Abraham and the prophets died. The reaction of the Jews is immediate: “Now we know that you are out of your mind. Abraham died and the prophets also died. And you say: “Whoever keeps my word will never see death”. Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who are you claiming to be?” They did not understand the importance and significance of the affirmation of Jesus. It was a dialogue of the deaf.
• John, 8, 54-56: I am glorified by my Father. Once again and as always Jesus hits on the same key: He is so united to the Father that everything that he says or does is his. Everything is the Father’s. And he says: “The one who glorifies me is my Father, the one whom you say, ‘He is our God!” and you do not know him. But I know him. And if I were to say, ‘I do not know him’, I should be a liar, as you yourselves are. But I do know him and I observe his word. Your father, Abraham, rejoiced to think that he would see my Day; he saw it and was glad”. These words of Jesus must have been like a spade which wounded the self esteem of the Jews. To tell the religious authority: “You do not know the God whom you say you know. I know him and you do not know him!” It is like accusing them of total ignorance exactly regarding the theme on which they think they are specialized doctors. And the final word increases the measure: “Abraham, your father, rejoiced in the hope of seeing my Day, he saw it and was glad”.
• John 8, 57-59: “You are not fifty yet, and you have seen Abraham! They took everything literally, thus showing that they did not understand anything of what Jesus was saying. And Jesus makes another solemn affirmation: "In all truth I tell you: before Abraham ever was, I AM”.
For those who believe in Jesus, here we reach the heart of the mystery of the story. Once again they pick up stones to kill Jesus. But neither this time will they succeed, because his hour has not as yet come. The one who determines the hour is Jesus himself.
• John 8, 51: Whoever keeps the word of Jesus will not see death.Jesus makes a solemn affirmation; the prophets said: Oracle of the Lord! Jesus says: “Truly, I say to you!” And the solemn affirmation is the following: “Whoever keeps my word will not see death!” This same theme appears and reappears many times in the Gospel of John. These are words of a great depth.
• John 8, 52-53: Abraham and the prophets died. The reaction of the Jews is immediate: “Now we know that you are out of your mind. Abraham died and the prophets also died. And you say: “Whoever keeps my word will never see death”. Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who are you claiming to be?” They did not understand the importance and significance of the affirmation of Jesus. It was a dialogue of the deaf.
• John, 8, 54-56: I am glorified by my Father. Once again and as always Jesus hits on the same key: He is so united to the Father that everything that he says or does is his. Everything is the Father’s. And he says: “The one who glorifies me is my Father, the one whom you say, ‘He is our God!” and you do not know him. But I know him. And if I were to say, ‘I do not know him’, I should be a liar, as you yourselves are. But I do know him and I observe his word. Your father, Abraham, rejoiced to think that he would see my Day; he saw it and was glad”. These words of Jesus must have been like a spade which wounded the self esteem of the Jews. To tell the religious authority: “You do not know the God whom you say you know. I know him and you do not know him!” It is like accusing them of total ignorance exactly regarding the theme on which they think they are specialized doctors. And the final word increases the measure: “Abraham, your father, rejoiced in the hope of seeing my Day, he saw it and was glad”.
• John 8, 57-59: “You are not fifty yet, and you have seen Abraham! They took everything literally, thus showing that they did not understand anything of what Jesus was saying. And Jesus makes another solemn affirmation: "In all truth I tell you: before Abraham ever was, I AM”.
For those who believe in Jesus, here we reach the heart of the mystery of the story. Once again they pick up stones to kill Jesus. But neither this time will they succeed, because his hour has not as yet come. The one who determines the hour is Jesus himself.
4) Personal questions
• It is a dialogue with the deaf between Jesus and the Jews.
Have you sometimes had the experience of speaking with a person who thinks
exactly the opposite of what you think and is not aware of it?
• How can we understand this phrase: “Abraham, your father, rejoiced in the hope of seeing my Day, he saw it and was glad”?
• How can we understand this phrase: “Abraham, your father, rejoiced in the hope of seeing my Day, he saw it and was glad”?
5) Concluding Prayer
Seek Yahweh and his strength,
tirelessly seek his presence!
Remember the marvels he has done,
his wonders, the judgements he has spoken. (Ps 105,4-5)
tirelessly seek his presence!
Remember the marvels he has done,
his wonders, the judgements he has spoken. (Ps 105,4-5)
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