Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Lectionary: 291
Lectionary: 291
We set sail from
Troas, making a straight run for Samothrace,
and on the next day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi,
a leading city in that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony.
We spent some time in that city.
On the sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river
where we thought there would be a place of prayer.
We sat and spoke with the women who had gathered there.
One of them, a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth,
from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God, listened,
and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention
to what Paul was saying.
After she and her household had been baptized,
she offered us an invitation,
“If you consider me a believer in the Lord,
come and stay at my home,” and she prevailed on us.
and on the next day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi,
a leading city in that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony.
We spent some time in that city.
On the sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river
where we thought there would be a place of prayer.
We sat and spoke with the women who had gathered there.
One of them, a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth,
from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God, listened,
and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention
to what Paul was saying.
After she and her household had been baptized,
she offered us an invitation,
“If you consider me a believer in the Lord,
come and stay at my home,” and she prevailed on us.
Responsorial PsalmPS 149:1B-2, 3-4, 5-6A AND 9B
R. (see 4a) The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches.
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches.
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
AlleluiaJN 15:26B, 27A
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Spirit of truth will testify to me, says the Lord,
and you also will testify.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Spirit of truth will testify to me, says the Lord,
and you also will testify.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelJN 15:26—16:4A
Jesus said to his
disciples:
“When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father,
he will testify to me.
And you also testify,
because you have been with me from the beginning.
“I have told you this so that you may not fall away.
They will expel you from the synagogues;
in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you
will think he is offering worship to God.
They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me.
I have told you this so that when their hour comes
you may remember that I told you.”
“When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father,
he will testify to me.
And you also testify,
because you have been with me from the beginning.
“I have told you this so that you may not fall away.
They will expel you from the synagogues;
in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you
will think he is offering worship to God.
They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me.
I have told you this so that when their hour comes
you may remember that I told you.”
Meditation: "When the Counselor comes,
the Spirit of truth"
Where do you find help and support when you most need it? True
friendship is strengthened in adversity. Jesus offers his disciples the best
and truest of friends. Who is this promised friend? Jesus calls the Holy Spirit
our Counselor and Advocate (also translated Paraclete or Helper).
How does the Holy Spirit help us as the counselor? Counselor is
a legal term for the person who defends someone against an adversary and who
guides that person during the ordeal of trial. The Holy Spirit is our Advocate
and Helper who guides and strengthens us and brings us safely through the
challenges and adversities we must face in this life.
Person and role of the Holy Spirit
As Jesus approaches the hour he was to be glorified - through his death on the cross and his resurrection - he revealed more fully to his disciples the person and role of the Holy Spirit. What does Jesus tell us about the Holy Spirit? First, the Holy Spirit is inseparably one with the Father and the Son. It is the Holy Spirit who gives life - the very life of God - and who makes faith come alive in hearts and minds of people who are receptive to God's word.
As Jesus approaches the hour he was to be glorified - through his death on the cross and his resurrection - he revealed more fully to his disciples the person and role of the Holy Spirit. What does Jesus tell us about the Holy Spirit? First, the Holy Spirit is inseparably one with the Father and the Son. It is the Holy Spirit who gives life - the very life of God - and who makes faith come alive in hearts and minds of people who are receptive to God's word.
The Holy Spirit makes it possible for us to know God personally.
He gives us experiential knowledge of God as our Father. The Spirit witnesses
to our spirit that the Father has indeed sent his only begotten Son into the
world to redeem it and has raised his Son, Jesus Christ, from the dead and has
seated him at his right hand in glory and power.
The Holy Spirit reveals to us the knowledge, wisdom and plan of
God for the ages and the Spirit enables us to see with the "eyes of
faith" what the Father and the Son are doing. Through the gift and working
of the Holy Spirit we become witnesses to the great work of God in Christ
Jesus.
Spirit strengthens us in faith and courage
Jesus warned his disciples that they could expect persecution just as Jesus was opposed and treated with hostility. We have been given the Holy Spirit to help us live as disciples of Jesus Christ. The Spirit gives us courage and perseverance when we meet adversities and challenges. Do you pray for the Holy Spirit to strengthen you in faith, hope and love and to give you courage and perseverance when you meet adversities and challenges?
Jesus warned his disciples that they could expect persecution just as Jesus was opposed and treated with hostility. We have been given the Holy Spirit to help us live as disciples of Jesus Christ. The Spirit gives us courage and perseverance when we meet adversities and challenges. Do you pray for the Holy Spirit to strengthen you in faith, hope and love and to give you courage and perseverance when you meet adversities and challenges?
"O merciful God, fill our hearts, we pray, with the graces
of your Holy Spirit; with love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness,
faithfulness, humility and self-control. Teach us to love those who hate us; to
pray for those who despitefully use us; that we may be the children of your
love, our Father, who makes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends
rain on the just and on the unjust. In adversity grant us grace to be patient;
in prosperity keep us humble; may we guard the door of our lips; may we lightly
esteem the pleasures of this world, and thirst after heavenly things; through
Jesus Christ our Lord." (Prayer of Anselm, 1033-1109)
MONDAY, MAY 11, JOHN 15:26 --16:4a
Easter Weekday
(Acts 16:11-15; Psalm 149)
KEY VERSE: "The hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God" (16:2).
TO READ: Jesus warned his followers that persecution and suffering awaited those who proclaimed the gospel. He told them that the "Advocate," the "Spirit of truth" (15:26), would bear witness to his words and strengthen them in the coming trials. An age of oppression and at times violent persecution of the Church existed from the time of Christ's death until the Edict of Tolerance was issued by the Roman Emperor Constantine (312 CE). The original Greek word martus meant giving one's testimony in court. As so many valiant Christians chose to die rather than renounce their commitment to Christ, the focus changed to mean the "martyrs" who died giving testimony to their faith.
TO REFLECT: Do I testify to the truth at home and at work?
TO RESPOND: Risen Lord, give the Church the courage to be true to your words despite obstacles and suffering.
Easter Weekday
(Acts 16:11-15; Psalm 149)
KEY VERSE: "The hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God" (16:2).
TO READ: Jesus warned his followers that persecution and suffering awaited those who proclaimed the gospel. He told them that the "Advocate," the "Spirit of truth" (15:26), would bear witness to his words and strengthen them in the coming trials. An age of oppression and at times violent persecution of the Church existed from the time of Christ's death until the Edict of Tolerance was issued by the Roman Emperor Constantine (312 CE). The original Greek word martus meant giving one's testimony in court. As so many valiant Christians chose to die rather than renounce their commitment to Christ, the focus changed to mean the "martyrs" who died giving testimony to their faith.
TO REFLECT: Do I testify to the truth at home and at work?
TO RESPOND: Risen Lord, give the Church the courage to be true to your words despite obstacles and suffering.
Monday 11 May 2015
Acts 16:11-15. The Lord
takes delight in his people—Ps 149:1-6, 9. John 15:26–16:4.
Readings
‘If you really think me
a true believer in the Lord, come and stay with us’.
How the disciples must
have come to understand what hospitality was all about! Admittedly they were
not always the diplomatic type. They went about, saying that they were the real
Jews: the rest had missed the boat.
How hospitable are we?
What is our hospitality, that open attitude of welcome to others: first to
fellow Christians and then all others? Unless I know the unbidden distancings
in our heart, I do not make the resurrection live for others. I do not let the
resurrection live for myself.
Hospitality is like a
door. You open a door and you let the other in. But equally you can open a door
and let yourself out.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
Case in Point
|
If you do your best to be a good witness of Christian joy to those
around you, showing good example to them by your charitable and amiable
disposition, you can help them become better. This is a big part of what St.
Paul meant when he said, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of
Christ” (Galatians 6:2).
May
11
St. Ignatius of Laconi
(1701-1781)
St. Ignatius of Laconi
(1701-1781)
Ignatius is another sainted begging brother.
He was
the second of seven children of peasant parents in Sardinia. His path to the
Franciscans was unusual. During a serious illness, Ignatius vowed to become a
Capuchin if he recovered. He regained his health but ignored the promise. A
riding accident prompted him to renew the pledge, which he acted on the second
time; he was 20 then. Ignatius’s reputation for self-denial and charity led to
his appointment as the official beggar for the friars in Cagliari. He fulfilled
that task for 40 years; he was blind the last two years.
While on
his rounds, Ignatius would instruct the children, visit the sick and urge
sinners to repent. The people of Cagliari were inspired by his kindness and his
faithfulness to his work. He was canonized in 1951.
Comment:
Why did the people of Cagliari support the friars? These followers of Francis worked hard but rarely at jobs that paid enough to live on. Under these conditions St. Francis allowed them to beg. The life of Ignatius reminds us that everything God considers worthwhile does not have a high-paying salary attached to it.
Why did the people of Cagliari support the friars? These followers of Francis worked hard but rarely at jobs that paid enough to live on. Under these conditions St. Francis allowed them to beg. The life of Ignatius reminds us that everything God considers worthwhile does not have a high-paying salary attached to it.
Quote:
"And I used to work with my hands, and I [still] desire to work; and I firmly wish that all my brothers give themselves to honest work. Let those who do not know how [to work] learn, not from desire of receiving wages for their work but as an example and in order to avoid idleness. And when we are not paid for our work, let us have recourse to the table of the Lord, seeking alms from door to door" (St. Francis, Testament).
"And I used to work with my hands, and I [still] desire to work; and I firmly wish that all my brothers give themselves to honest work. Let those who do not know how [to work] learn, not from desire of receiving wages for their work but as an example and in order to avoid idleness. And when we are not paid for our work, let us have recourse to the table of the Lord, seeking alms from door to door" (St. Francis, Testament).
LECTIO DIVINA:
JOHN 15,26 - 16,4A
Lectio:
Monday, May 11, 2015
1)
OPENING PRAYER
Lord our God,
if we really believe in you and in your Son,
we cannot be but witnesses.
Send us your Spirit of strength,
that we may give no flimsy excuses
for not standing up for you
and for the love and rights of our neighbour.
Make us only afraid
of betraying you and people
and of being afraid to bear witness.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
if we really believe in you and in your Son,
we cannot be but witnesses.
Send us your Spirit of strength,
that we may give no flimsy excuses
for not standing up for you
and for the love and rights of our neighbour.
Make us only afraid
of betraying you and people
and of being afraid to bear witness.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
2)
GOSPEL READING - JOHN 15,26-16,4A
Jesus said to his disciples: "When the Paraclete comes,
whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who issues from
the Father, he will be my witness. And you too will be witnesses, because you
have been with me from the beginning.
I have told you all this so that you may not fall away. They
will expel you from the synagogues, and indeed the time is coming when anyone
who kills you will think he is doing a holy service to God. They will do these
things because they have never known either the Father or me. But I have told
you all this, so that when the time for it comes you may remember that I told
you. I did not tell you this from the beginning, because I was with you;
3)
REFLECTION
• In chapters 15 to 17 of the Gospel of John, the horizon
extends beyond the historical moment of the Supper. Jesus prays to the Father
“I pray not only for these but also for those who through their teaching will
come to believe in me” (Jn 17, 20). In these chapters, there is constant
reference to the action of the Spirit in the life of the communities, after
Easter.
• John 16, 26-27: The action of the Holy Spirit in the life of
the community. The first thing that the Spirit does is to give witness of
Jesus: “He will be my witness”. The Spirit is not a spiritual being without a
definition. No! He is the Spirit of Truth who comes from the Father, will be
sent by Jesus himself and introduces us into the complete truth (Jn 16, 13).
The complete truth is Jesus himself: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life!”
(Jn 14, 6). At the end of the first century, there were some Christians who
were so fascinated by the action of the Spirit that they no longer looked at
Jesus. They affirmed that now, after the Resurrection, it was no longer
necessary to look at Jesus of Nazareth, the one “who comes in the flesh”. They
withdrew from Jesus and remained only with the Spirit. They said: “Jesus is
anathema!” (1 Co 12, 3). The Gospel of John takes a stand and does not permit
that the action of the Spirit be separated from the memory of Jesus of
Nazareth. The Holy Spirit cannot be isolated with an independent greatness,
separated from the mystery of the Incarnation. The Holy Spirit is inseparably
united to the Father and to Jesus. He is the Spirit of Jesus that the Father
sends to us that same Spirit that Jesus has gained with his death and
Resurrection. And we, receiving this Spirit in Baptism, should be the
prolongation of Jesus: “And you too will be witnesses!” We can never forget
that precisely on the eve of his death Jesus promises the Spirit; in the moment
when he gave himself for his brothers. Today, the Charismatic Movement insists
on the action of the Spirit and does much good. It should always insist more,
but it should also insist in affirming that it is a question of the Spirit of
Jesus of Nazareth who, out of love for the poor and the marginalized, was
persecuted, arrested and condemned to death and that, precisely because of
this, he has promised us his Spirit in such a way that we, after his death,
continue his action and be for humanity the revelation itself of the
preferential love of the Father for the poor and the oppressed.
• John 16, 1-2: Do not be afraid. The Gospel tells us that to be
faithful to Jesus will lead us to have difficulties. The disciples will be
excluded from the Synagogue. They will be condemned to death. The same thing
that happened to Jesus will happen to them. This is why at the end of the first
century, there were persons who, in order to avoid persecution, diluted or
watered down the message of Jesus transforming it into a Gnostic message,
vague, without any definition, which was not in contrast with the ideology of
the Empire. To them is applied what Paul said: “They are afraid of the cross of
Christ” (Ga 6, 12). And John himself, in his letter, will say concerning them:
“There are many deceivers at large in the world, refusing to acknowledge Jesus
Christ as coming in human nature (he became man). They are the Deceiver; they
are the Antichrist!” (2 Jn 1, 7). The same concern appears also in Thomas’
demand: “Unless I can see the holes that the nails made in his hands and can
put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into his
side, I refuse to believe”. (Jn 20, 25). The Risen Christ who promises to give
us the gift of the Spirit is Jesus of Nazareth who continues to have, even now,
the signs of torture and of the cross in his risen Body.
• John 16, 3-4: They do not know what they do. They do all these
things “because they have never known either the Father or me”. These persons
do not have a correct image of God. They have a vague image of God, in the
heart and in the head. Their God is not the Father of Jesus Christ who gathers
us all together in unity and fraternity. In last instance, it is the same
reason which impelled Jesus to say: “Father, forgive them, because they know
not what they do (Lk 23, 34). Jesus was condemned by the religious authority
because, according to their idea, he had a false image of God. In the words of
Jesus there is no hatred or vengeance, but only compassion: they are ignorant
brothers who know nothing of our Father.
4)
PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• The mystery of the Trinity is present in the affirmation of
Jesus, not as a theoretical truth, but as an expression of the Christian with
the mission of Christ. How do I live this central mystery of our faith in my
life?
• How do I live the action of the Spirit in my life?
5)
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Sing a new song to Yahweh:
his praise in the assembly of the faithful!
Israel shall rejoice in its Maker,
the children of Zion delight in their king. (Ps 149,1-2)
his praise in the assembly of the faithful!
Israel shall rejoice in its Maker,
the children of Zion delight in their king. (Ps 149,1-2)
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