Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Lectionary: 293
Lectionary: 293
After Paul’s
escorts had taken him to Athens,
they came away with instructions for Silas and Timothy
to join him as soon as possible.
Then Paul stood up at the Areopagus and said:
“You Athenians, I see that in every respect
you are very religious.
For as I walked around looking carefully at your shrines,
I even discovered an altar inscribed, ‘To an Unknown God.’
What therefore you unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you.
The God who made the world and all that is in it,
the Lord of heaven and earth,
does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands,
nor is he served by human hands because he needs anything.
Rather it is he who gives to everyone life and breath and everything.
He made from one the whole human race
to dwell on the entire surface of the earth,
and he fixed the ordered seasons and the boundaries of their regions,
so that people might seek God,
even perhaps grope for him and find him,
though indeed he is not far from any one of us.
For ‘In him we live and move and have our being,’
as even some of your poets have said,
‘For we too are his offspring.’
Since therefore we are the offspring of God,
we ought not to think that the divinity is like an image
fashioned from gold, silver, or stone by human art and imagination.
God has overlooked the times of ignorance,
but now he demands that all people everywhere repent
because he has established a day on which he will ‘judge the world
with justice’ through a man he has appointed,
and he has provided confirmation for all
by raising him from the dead.”
When they heard about resurrection of the dead,
some began to scoff, but others said,
“We should like to hear you on this some other time.”
And so Paul left them.
But some did join him, and became believers.
Among them were Dionysius,
a member of the Court of the Areopagus,
a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
After this he left Athens and went to Corinth.
they came away with instructions for Silas and Timothy
to join him as soon as possible.
Then Paul stood up at the Areopagus and said:
“You Athenians, I see that in every respect
you are very religious.
For as I walked around looking carefully at your shrines,
I even discovered an altar inscribed, ‘To an Unknown God.’
What therefore you unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you.
The God who made the world and all that is in it,
the Lord of heaven and earth,
does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands,
nor is he served by human hands because he needs anything.
Rather it is he who gives to everyone life and breath and everything.
He made from one the whole human race
to dwell on the entire surface of the earth,
and he fixed the ordered seasons and the boundaries of their regions,
so that people might seek God,
even perhaps grope for him and find him,
though indeed he is not far from any one of us.
For ‘In him we live and move and have our being,’
as even some of your poets have said,
‘For we too are his offspring.’
Since therefore we are the offspring of God,
we ought not to think that the divinity is like an image
fashioned from gold, silver, or stone by human art and imagination.
God has overlooked the times of ignorance,
but now he demands that all people everywhere repent
because he has established a day on which he will ‘judge the world
with justice’ through a man he has appointed,
and he has provided confirmation for all
by raising him from the dead.”
When they heard about resurrection of the dead,
some began to scoff, but others said,
“We should like to hear you on this some other time.”
And so Paul left them.
But some did join him, and became believers.
Among them were Dionysius,
a member of the Court of the Areopagus,
a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
After this he left Athens and went to Corinth.
Responsorial PsalmPS 148:1-2, 11-12, 13, 14
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you his angels;
praise him, all you his hosts.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the kings of the earth and all peoples,
the princes and all the judges of the earth,
Young men too, and maidens,
old men and boys.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
His majesty is above earth and heaven.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has lifted up the horn of his people;
Be this his praise from all his faithful ones,
from the children of Israel, the people close to him.
Alleluia.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you his angels;
praise him, all you his hosts.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the kings of the earth and all peoples,
the princes and all the judges of the earth,
Young men too, and maidens,
old men and boys.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
His majesty is above earth and heaven.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has lifted up the horn of his people;
Be this his praise from all his faithful ones,
from the children of Israel, the people close to him.
Alleluia.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
AlleluiaJN 14:16
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I will ask the Father
and he will give you another Advocate
to be with you always.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I will ask the Father
and he will give you another Advocate
to be with you always.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelJN 16:12-15
Jesus said to his
disciples:
“I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.
But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,
he will guide you to all truth.
He will not speak on his own,
but he will speak what he hears,
and will declare to you the things that are coming.
He will glorify me,
because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.
Everything that the Father has is mine;
for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine
and declare it to you.”
“I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.
But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,
he will guide you to all truth.
He will not speak on his own,
but he will speak what he hears,
and will declare to you the things that are coming.
He will glorify me,
because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.
Everything that the Father has is mine;
for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine
and declare it to you.”
Meditation: The Holy Spirit will guide you into all
the truth
Are you hungry for truth? Jesus proclaimed that he is the Truth,
the Way, and the Life (John 14:6). Truth is not something we create nor is it
our discovery. It is the gift of God who is the possessor and giver of all
truth. Jesus tells his disciples that it is the role of the Holy Spirit to
reveal what is true, right, and good. How can this be? Many skeptics of truth
don't want to believe in an absolute, objective, and unchanging Truth. If truth
is objective then it must be asserted to as trustworthy and right and be
submitted to as authoritative and binding. Some fear the truth because they
think it will inhibit their freedom to act, think, and judge as they wish.
Jesus told his disciples that the truth will set you free (John
8:32). The truth liberates us from whatever is false, misleading, doubtful, or
deceptive. In God there is no lie or falsehood since he is is utterly true,
righteousness, just, and good. Since he is the author and source of all that is
true, then the closer we draw near to him in order to listen to his word and
understand his mind and will for us, the more we will grow in the knowledge of
God and of his great love, wisdom, and provision for us.
The Spirit of truth
Jesus told his disciples that he would send them the Spirit of truth who will guide you into all the truth ..and declare to you the things that are to come (John 16:13). Jesus knew that his disciples could not fully understand on their own everything he had taught and revealed to them while he was physically present with them. He knew that they would need the ongoing guidance and help of the Holy Spirit after he returned to his Father in heaven. That is why he assured them that the Holy Spirit would take what he had spoken to them and guide them in a stronger and fuller understanding of how to live according his word in their daily lives.
Jesus told his disciples that he would send them the Spirit of truth who will guide you into all the truth ..and declare to you the things that are to come (John 16:13). Jesus knew that his disciples could not fully understand on their own everything he had taught and revealed to them while he was physically present with them. He knew that they would need the ongoing guidance and help of the Holy Spirit after he returned to his Father in heaven. That is why he assured them that the Holy Spirit would take what he had spoken to them and guide them in a stronger and fuller understanding of how to live according his word in their daily lives.
Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) explains the progressive work of
the Spirit in guiding the disciples of Jesus in all the truth:
"Accordingly, when he says, 'He will teach you all truth'
or 'will guide you into all truth,' I do not think the fulfillment is possible
in anyone's mind in this present life. For who is there, while living in this
corruptible and soul-oppressing body (Wisdom 9:15), that can know all
truth when even the apostle says, 'We know in part'? But it is effected by the
Holy Spirit, of whom we have now received the promise (2 Corinthians 1:21),
that we shall attain also to the actual fullness of knowledge that the same
apostle references when he says, 'But then face to face' and 'Now I know in
part, but then shall I know even as also I am known' (1 Corinthians 13:12). He
is not talking about something he knows fully in this life but about something
that would still be in the future when he would attain that perfection. This is
what the Lord promised us through the love of the Spirit, when he said, 'He
will teach you all truth' or 'will guide you unto all truth.'" (TRACTATES
ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 96.4)
On the day of Pentecost after the Holy Spirit was poured out
upon the first disciples of Jesus, the apostles boldly began to carry out the
mission Jesus had entrusted to them - to proclaim the truth of the Gospel and
to make disciples [followers of Jesus] of all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them
to observe all that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you always, to
the close of the age (Matthew 28:19-20).
Today, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we, too,
proclaim the same ancient faith which the apostles taught - that Jesus
died, and was buried, and rose again on the third day, and will come again to
judge, raise the dead, and give everlasting life (from the Apostles
Creed). We not only share the same faith which was given to the apostles,
we also have the same Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead. The Lord
Jesus gives each of us his Holy Spirit as our divine Teacher and Helper that we
may grow in the knowledge, wisdom, and strength of God. Do you listen
attentively to God's word and allow his Holy Spirit to give you understanding
of God's truth and will for your life?
"Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit and guide
me in your way of life, truth, and goodness. Free me from ignorance of your
truth, and from deception and moral blindness caused by sinful pride and
rebellion. May I love you with all of my mind, strength, and will and seek to
please you in all things."
WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, JOHN 16:12-15
Easter Weekday
(Acts 17:15, 22 -- 18:1; Psalm 148)
Easter Weekday
(Acts 17:15, 22 -- 18:1; Psalm 148)
KEY VERSE: "But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth" (v 13).
TO READ: Jesus had so much to tell his disciples before his passion and death, but he promised them that the Holy Spirit would continue to enlighten their minds after his departure. Those things that confused and perplexed them would be clarified by the Spirit who would be their constant companion and would guide them to all truth. “Revelation” is the name for bringing God's truth to people. The divine revelation of the Father and Son through the Spirit was transmitted by the apostles and the evangelists through their teaching, example, institutions and writings. This "Apostolic Tradition" has been preserved by the Spirit in the doctrine, worship and sacraments of the Church. Divine revelation did not cease with the death of the apostles. The Spirit continues to interpret Christ's eternal message of love and truth for each generation.
TO REFLECT: Do I hand on the faith that I have received to others?
TO RESPOND: Risen Lord, help the Church to grow in knowledge and wisdom of God's truth.
Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima
The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared six times to three shepherd children near the town of Fatima, Portugal between May 13th and October 13th 1917. She told them that she had been sent by God with a that Heaven would grant peace to all the world if her requests for prayer, reparation and consecration were heard and obeyed. The Blessed Mother repeatedly emphasized the necessity of praying the Rosary daily, of wearing the Brown Scapular of Mount Carmel and of performing acts of reparation and sacrifice. Our Lady requested the solemn public Consecration of Russia to Her Immaculate Heart. She also asked that the Faithful practice a devotion of reparation on the first Saturday of five consecutive months ("the Five First Saturdays"). The heart of Our Lady's Message has come to be called the "Secret" which she confided to the three child seers in July 1917. Two of those children, Jacinta and Francisco Martos, died shortly after the apparitions, and on May 13, 2000 the Pope declared them 'Blessed.' At the Mass of Beatification, the third part of the Secret of Fatima was finally revealed to the world on the instruction of Pope John Paul. Sr. Lucy Dos Santos, the eldest of the three, died after a long illness at the age of 97 on February 13, 2004 at her Carmelite convent in Coimbra, Portugal. Pope John Paul II publicly credited Our Lady of Fatima for saving his life in an attempted assassination at Saint Peters in 1981 (which took place on the 64th anniversary of the first Fatima apparition).
Wednesday 13 May 2015
Our Lady of Fatima.
Acts 17:15, 22-18:1. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory—Ps 148:1-2, 11-14. John 16:12-15.
Acts 17:15, 22-18:1. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory—Ps 148:1-2, 11-14. John 16:12-15.
Readings
‘I still have many
things to say to you but they would be too much for you to bear now.’
Jesus’ time with the
disciples is drawing to an end. You feel his love and gentle care for them in
these words.
He doesn’t want to
over-burden them. He tells them the Spirit will come to them and lead them to
the complete truth. He reassures them that their awareness and understanding
will grow and enable them to be faithful to everything he has taught them.
This is a Trinity story.
Jesus shows how Father, Son and Spirit empower each other, and if we accept the
mystery of the Trinity we too can be drawn into that relationship. To help our
understanding, we could reflect upon Ignatius’ description: he describes the
Trinity as three notes in a single chord.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
|
Frequent Confession
|
This is why going to confession frequently is so important in the
life of a committed Catholic. The graces you receive from the sacrament heal
the self-inflicted wounds of sin and prepare you to receive the Lord in the
Eucharist more worthily and fruitfully.
May
13
Our Lady of Fatima
Our Lady of Fatima
Between May 13 and October 13, 1917, three Portuguese children
received apparitions of Our Lady at Cova da Iria, near Fatima, a city 110 miles
north of Lisbon. (See February 20 entry for Blesseds Jacinta and Francisco
Marto). Mary asked the children to pray the rosary for world peace, for the end
of World War I, for sinners and for the conversion of Russia. The third
visionary, Lucia dos Santos, became a Carmelite nun and died in 2005 at the age
of 97.
Mary gave
the children three secrets. Since Francisco died in 1919 and Jacinta the
following year, Lucia revealed the first secret in 1927, concerning devotion to
the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The second secret was a vision of hell.
Pope John
Paul II directed the Holy See's Secretary of State to reveal the third secret
in 2000; it spoke of a "bishop in white" who was shot by a group of
soldiers who fired bullets and arrows into him. Many people linked this to the
assassination attempt against Saint John Paul II in St. Peter's Square on May
13, 1981.
The feast
of Our Lady of Fatima was approved by the local bishop in 1930; it was added to
the Church's worldwide calendar in 2002.
Comment:
The message of Fatima is simple: Pray. Unfortunately, some people—not Sister Lucia—have distorted these revelations, making them into an apocalyptic event for which they are now the only reliable interpreters. They have, for example, claimed that Mary's request that the world be consecrated to her has been ignored. Sister Lucia agreed that Pope John Paul II's public consecration in St. Peter's Square on March 25, 1984, fulfilled Mary's request. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith prepared a June 26, 2000 document explaining the “third secret” (available at www.vatican.va).
The message of Fatima is simple: Pray. Unfortunately, some people—not Sister Lucia—have distorted these revelations, making them into an apocalyptic event for which they are now the only reliable interpreters. They have, for example, claimed that Mary's request that the world be consecrated to her has been ignored. Sister Lucia agreed that Pope John Paul II's public consecration in St. Peter's Square on March 25, 1984, fulfilled Mary's request. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith prepared a June 26, 2000 document explaining the “third secret” (available at www.vatican.va).
Mary is perfectly
honored when people generously imitate her response “Let it be done to me as
you say” (Luke 1:38). Mary can never be seen as a rival to Jesus or to the
Church's teaching authority, as exercised by the college of bishops united with
the bishop of Rome.
Quote:
“Throughout history there have been supernatural apparitions and signs which go to the heart of human events and which, to the surprise of believers and non-believers alike, play their part in the unfolding of history. These manifestations can never contradict the content of faith and must, therefore, have their focus in the core of Christ's proclamation: the Father's love which leads men and women to conversion and bestows the grace required to abandon oneself to him with filial devotion. This too is the message of Fatima which, with its urgent call to conversion and penance, draws us to the heart of the Gospel” (The Message of Fatima, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, June 26, 2000).
“Throughout history there have been supernatural apparitions and signs which go to the heart of human events and which, to the surprise of believers and non-believers alike, play their part in the unfolding of history. These manifestations can never contradict the content of faith and must, therefore, have their focus in the core of Christ's proclamation: the Father's love which leads men and women to conversion and bestows the grace required to abandon oneself to him with filial devotion. This too is the message of Fatima which, with its urgent call to conversion and penance, draws us to the heart of the Gospel” (The Message of Fatima, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, June 26, 2000).
LECTIO DIVINA:
JOHN 16,12-15
Lectio:
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
1)
OPENING PRAYER
Lord God, our Father,
you are not far away from any of us,
for in you we live and move and exist
and you live in us
through your Holy Spirit.
Be indeed with us, Lord,
send us your Holy Spirit of truth
and through him deepen our understanding
of the life and message of your Son,
that we may accept the full truth
and live by it consistently.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
you are not far away from any of us,
for in you we live and move and exist
and you live in us
through your Holy Spirit.
Be indeed with us, Lord,
send us your Holy Spirit of truth
and through him deepen our understanding
of the life and message of your Son,
that we may accept the full truth
and live by it consistently.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
2)
GOSPEL READING - JOHN 16,12-15
Jesus said to his disciples: "I still have many things to
say to you but they would be too much for you to bear now. However, when the
Spirit of truth comes he will lead you to the complete truth, since he will not
be speaking of his own accord, but will say only what he has been told; and he
will reveal to you the things to come. He will glorify me, since all he reveals
to you will be taken from what is mine. Everything the Father has is mine; that
is why I said: all he reveals to you will be taken from what is mine."
3)
REFLECTION
• In these weeks of Easter Time, the Gospels
of each day are almost always taken from chapters 12 to 17 of the Gospel of
John. That reveals something regarding the origin and the destination of these
chapters. They show not only what happened before the Passion and the death of
Jesus, but also and above all, the living out of faith of the first communities
after the resurrection. They express the Paschal faith which animated them.
• John 16, 12: I still have many things to say to you. The
Gospel today begins with this phrase: “I still have many things to say to you
but they would be too much for you to bear now”. In these words of Jesus there
are two things: the environment of the farewell, which characterized the Last
Supper, and the concern of Jesus, the older brother, for his younger brothers,
who within a brief time will remain without his presence. The time left was
very short. Within a short time, Jesus will be arrested. The work begun was not
yet complete. The disciples were just at the beginning of their apprenticeship.
Three years are a very short time to change life and to begin to live and to
think in a new image of God. Their formation was not yet finished. Much was
still lacking and Jesus had still many things to teach them and to transmit to
them, but he knows his disciples. They are not among the most intelligent. They
would not be capable to know now all the consequences and implications of
discipleship. They would become discouraged. They would not be able to bear
this.
• John 16, 13-15: The Holy Spirit will come to their help.
“However, when the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you to the complete
truth, since he will not be speaking of his own accord, but will say only what
he has been told; and he will reveal to you the things to come. He will glorify
me, since all he reveals to you will be taken from what is mine”. This
affirmation of Jesus shows the experience of the first communities. In the
measure in which they sought to imitate Jesus, trying to interpret and apply
his Word to the various circumstances of their life, they experienced the
presence and the light of the Spirit. And this happens even today in the
communities which try to incarnate the Word of Jesus in their life. The root of
this experience is the words of Jesus: “Everything the Father has is mine that
is why I said: all he reveals to you will be taken from what is mine”.
• The action of the Holy Spirit in the Gospel of John. John uses
many images and symbols to signify the action of the Holy Spirit. Like in
creation (Gen 1, 1), the Spirit also descends on Jesus, “in the form of a dove,
come from Heaven” (Jn 1, 32). It is the beginning of the new creation! Jesus
speaks the words of God and communicates the Sprit without reserve to us (Jn 3,
34). His words are Spirit and Life (Jn 6, 63). When Jesus bids farewell, he
said that he would have sent another Paraclete, Consoler, another defender, who
will remain with us. It is the Holy Spirit (Jn 14, 16-17). By his Passion,
death and Resurrection, Jesus won for us the gift of the Holy Spirit. By
Baptism all of us have received this same Spirit of Jesus (Jn 1, 33). When he
appeared to the apostles, he breathed on them and said: “Receive the Holy
Spirit!” (Jn 20, 22). The Spirit is like the water which springs from within
the persons who believe in Jesus (Jn 7, 37-39; 4, 14). The first effect of the
action of the Spirit in us is reconciliation: “If you forgive anyone’s sins,
they are forgiven; if you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained”. (Jn 20,
23). The Spirit which Jesus communicates to us has multiple actions: consoles
and spreads (Jn 14, 16), he communicates truth (Jn 14, 17; 16, 13), makes us
remember what Jesus taught (Jn 14, 26); will give witness of Jesus (Jo 15, 26);
manifests the glory of Jesus (Jn 16, 14); will convince the world concerning
sin, justice (Jn 16, 8). The Spirit is given to us so that we can understand
the complete meaning of the words of Jesus (Jn 14, 26); 16, 12-13). Encouraged
by the Spirit of Jesus we can adore God in any place (Jn 4, 23-24). Here lies
the liberty of the Spirit of which Saint Paul speaks: “Where the Spirit of the
Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Co 3, 17).
4)
PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• How do I live my adherence to Jesus: alone or in community?
• Has my participation in the community led me, sometimes, to
experience the light and the force of the Holy Spirit?
5)
CONCLUDING PRAYER
The name of the Lord is sublime,
his splendour transcends earth and heaven.
For he heightens the strength of his people,
to the praise of all his faithful,
the people close to him. (Ps 148,13-14)
his splendour transcends earth and heaven.
For he heightens the strength of his people,
to the praise of all his faithful,
the people close to him. (Ps 148,13-14)
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