Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter
Lectionary: 300
Lectionary: 300
Wishing to
determine the truth
about why Paul was being accused by the Jews,
the commander freed him
and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to convene.
Then he brought Paul down and made him stand before them.
Paul was aware that some were Sadducees and some Pharisees,
so he called out before the Sanhedrin,
“My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees;
I am on trial for hope in the resurrection of the dead.”
When he said this,
a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees,
and the group became divided.
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection
or angels or spirits,
while the Pharisees acknowledge all three.
A great uproar occurred,
and some scribes belonging to the Pharisee party
stood up and sharply argued,
“We find nothing wrong with this man.
Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”
The dispute was so serious that the commander,
afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them,
ordered his troops to go down and rescue Paul from their midst
and take him into the compound.
The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage.
For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem,
so you must also bear witness in Rome.”
about why Paul was being accused by the Jews,
the commander freed him
and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to convene.
Then he brought Paul down and made him stand before them.
Paul was aware that some were Sadducees and some Pharisees,
so he called out before the Sanhedrin,
“My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees;
I am on trial for hope in the resurrection of the dead.”
When he said this,
a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees,
and the group became divided.
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection
or angels or spirits,
while the Pharisees acknowledge all three.
A great uproar occurred,
and some scribes belonging to the Pharisee party
stood up and sharply argued,
“We find nothing wrong with this man.
Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”
The dispute was so serious that the commander,
afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them,
ordered his troops to go down and rescue Paul from their midst
and take him into the compound.
The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage.
For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem,
so you must also bear witness in Rome.”
Responsorial PsalmPS 16:1-2A AND 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11
R. (1) Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.”
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.”
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
AlleluiaJN 17:21
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
May they all be one as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
that the world may believe that you sent me, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
May they all be one as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
that the world may believe that you sent me, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelJN 17:20-26
Lifting up his eyes
to heaven, Jesus prayed saying:
“I pray not only for these,
but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
so that they may all be one,
as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
that they also may be in us,
that the world may believe that you sent me.
And I have given them the glory you gave me,
so that they may be one, as we are one,
I in them and you in me,
that they may be brought to perfection as one,
that the world may know that you sent me,
and that you loved them even as you loved me.
Father, they are your gift to me.
I wish that where I am they also may be with me,
that they may see my glory that you gave me,
because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
Righteous Father, the world also does not know you,
but I know you, and they know that you sent me.
I made known to them your name and I will make it known,
that the love with which you loved me
may be in them and I in them.”
“I pray not only for these,
but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
so that they may all be one,
as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
that they also may be in us,
that the world may believe that you sent me.
And I have given them the glory you gave me,
so that they may be one, as we are one,
I in them and you in me,
that they may be brought to perfection as one,
that the world may know that you sent me,
and that you loved them even as you loved me.
Father, they are your gift to me.
I wish that where I am they also may be with me,
that they may see my glory that you gave me,
because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
Righteous Father, the world also does not know you,
but I know you, and they know that you sent me.
I made known to them your name and I will make it known,
that the love with which you loved me
may be in them and I in them.”
Meditation: “May they become perfectly one”
When you pray what do you usually ask for - God's help,
blessing, guidance, and wisdom? One of the greatest privileges and
responsibilities we have been given by God is to pray not only for ourselves,
but for others as well. The Lord Jesus lived a life full of prayer, blessing,
and gratitude. He prayed for his disciples, especially when they were in great
need or danger. Mark tells us in his Gospel account (see chapter 6:46-51) that
when Jesus was praying alone on the mountain he saw that his disciples were in
great distress due to a life-threatening storm that was beating against their
boat. Jesus immediately came to their rescue - walking on the waves of the
rough waters before he calmed them! Luke records in his gospel account the
words of Jesus to Simon Peter shortly before Jesus' arrest and Peter's denial
of the Lord three times. "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have
you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you, Simon, that
your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your
brothers" (Luke 22:32). Jesus' prayers were personal, direct, and focused
on the good of others.
The longest recorded prayer of Jesus is found in the Gospel of
John, the "high priestly" prayer which Jesus prayed aloud at his last
supper meal with his disciples (John 17). This prayer most clearly reveals the
heart of Jesus - who and what he loved most - love for his Father and love for
those who believed in him. His prayer focused on the love and unity he desired
for all who would believe in him and follow him, not only in the present, but
in the future as well. Jesus' prayer concludes with a petition for the unity
among all Christians who profess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Jesus prays for all
men and women who will come after him and follow him as his disciples. In a
special way Jesus prays here for each one of us that as members of his body the
church we would be one as he and his Father are one. The unity of Jesus, the
only begotten Son of God, with the eternal Father is a unity of mutual love,
service, and honor, and a oneness of mind, heart, and spirit. The Lord Jesus
calls each and every one of his followers into this unity of mutual love,
service, honor, and friendship with all who belong to Christ.
Jesus’ prayer on the eve of his sacrifice shows the great love
and trust he had for his beloved disciples. He knew they would abandon him in
his hour of trial, yet he entrusted to them the great task of spreading his
name throughout the world and to the end of the ages. The Lord Jesus entrust us
today with the same mission - to make him known and loved by all. Jesus died
and rose again that all might be one as he and the Father are one. Do you love
and accept all baptized Christians as your brothers and sisters in Christ?
The Lord Jesus included each one of us in his high priestly
prayer at the last supper. He continues his high priestly office this very day
as our intercessor at the right hand of the Father before the throne of heaven.
Paul the Apostle tells us that it is "Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was
raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes
for us" (Romans 8:34; see also Hebrews 7: 25). Do you join in Jesus' high
priestly prayer that all who profess Jesus as Lord may grow in love and unity together
as brothers and sisters who have been redeemed through the precious blood shed
for us on the cross?
"Heavenly Father, have mercy on all your people and heal
the divisions in the body of Christ. May all Christian people throughout the
world attain the unity for which Jesus prayed on the eve of his sacrifice.
Renew in us the power of the Spirit that we may be a sign of that unity and a
means of its growth. Increase in us a fervent love for all our brothers and
sisters in Jesus Christ."
THURSDAY, MAY 21, JOHN 17:20-26
Easter Weekday
(Acts 22:30, 23:6-11; Psalm 16)
Easter Weekday
(Acts 22:30, 23:6-11; Psalm 16)
KEY VERSE: "I gave them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one" (v 22).
TO READ: As Jesus prepared to return to his Father, he prayed for all those who would come to believe in him through his disciples' proclamation of the gospel. Jesus' followers would continue his work on earth by making God's name known. Jesus prayed for the unity of all believers. He longed for the time when Christians would cease their divisions and be united with him in the unity he shared with the Father. The love that existed between the Father and the Son flowed through the Spirit and would be expressed in the love that Christians have for one another. The Christian community should be a reflection of the oneness of the Triune God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. When the world see this, they will be attracted to the gospel and believe in Jesus Christ (Jn 13:35).
TO REFLECT: Are people able to "read" the gospel that I proclaim by my life?
TO RESPOND: Risen Lord, help me to work for unity in my parish.
Optional Memorial of Christopher Magallanes,
priest, and his companions, martyrs
Christopher and his
twenty-four companion martyrs were members of the Cristero movement, a response
to the anti-Catholic government in Mexico in the 1920s. The government was
determined to weaken the Catholic faith of its people. Churches, schools and
seminaries were closed; foreign clergy were expelled. Under the Cristero
movement, members pledged their allegiance to Christ and to the church that he
established to spread the Good News in society—even if Mexico's leaders had
made it a crime to receive baptism or celebrate the Mass. Christopher's last
words were: "I am innocent and I die innocent. I forgive with all my heart
those responsible for my death, and I ask God that the shedding of my blood
serve the peace of our divided Mexico". These martyrs were beatified in
1992 and canonized eight years later.
Thursday 21 May 2015
St Christopher Magallanes
& Cc.;
St Eugene de Mazenod.
Acts 22:30; 23:6-11. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope—Ps 15(16):1-2, 5, 7-11. John 17:20-26.
St Eugene de Mazenod.
Acts 22:30; 23:6-11. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope—Ps 15(16):1-2, 5, 7-11. John 17:20-26.
In your presence there is
fullness of joy.
When Paul was called out of
his comfort zone to go out to preach the Good News beyond the boundaries of the
Israel, he responded with a willing heart and his efforts were truly blessed.
We today may not be called
as Paul was, but Jesus invites us to spread that joy to all we meet, the joy
that can only come from a close relationship with him.
As he approached his death,
Paul made a passionate invitation to join the unity of love, experienced by
Jesus and his Father, so that we also may enter into that fullness of joy and
the world would believe that Father has sent us. What love have we been
offered, to live as the children of God and share this friendship.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
|
Source of Hope
|
Jesus is our hope. Nothing—not even evil or death—is able to
separate us from the saving power of His love.
May
21
St. Cristóbal Magallanes and Companions
(d. 1915-1928)
St. Cristóbal Magallanes and Companions
(d. 1915-1928)
Like Blessed Miguel Agustín Pro, S.J., Cristóbal and his 24
companion martyrs lived under a very anti-Catholic government in Mexico, one
determined to weaken the Catholic faith of its people. Churches, schools and
seminaries were closed; foreign clergy were expelled. Cristóbal established a
clandestine seminary at Totatiche, Jalisco. Magallanes and the other priests
were forced to minister secretly to Catholics during the presidency of Plutarco
Calles (1924-28).
All of
these martyrs except three were diocesan priests. David, Manuel and Salvador
were laymen who died with their parish priest, Luis Batis. All of these martyrs
belonged to the Cristero movement, pledging their allegiance to Christ and to
the Church that he established to spread the Good News in society—even if
Mexico's leaders once made it a crime to receive Baptism or celebrate the Mass.
These
martyrs did not die as a single group but in eight Mexican states, with Jalisco
and Zacatecas having the largest number. They were beatified in 1992 and
canonized eight years later.
Comment:
Every martyr realizes how to avoid execution but refuses to pay the high price of doing so. A clear conscience was more valuable than a long life. We may be tempted to compromise our faith while telling ourselves that we are simply being realistic, dealing with situations as we find them. Is survival really the ultimate value? Do our concrete, daily choices reflect our deepest values, the ones that allow us to “tick” the way we do? Anyone can imagine situations in which being a follower of Jesus is easier than the present situation. Saints remind us that our daily choices, especially in adverse circumstances, form the pattern of our lives.
Every martyr realizes how to avoid execution but refuses to pay the high price of doing so. A clear conscience was more valuable than a long life. We may be tempted to compromise our faith while telling ourselves that we are simply being realistic, dealing with situations as we find them. Is survival really the ultimate value? Do our concrete, daily choices reflect our deepest values, the ones that allow us to “tick” the way we do? Anyone can imagine situations in which being a follower of Jesus is easier than the present situation. Saints remind us that our daily choices, especially in adverse circumstances, form the pattern of our lives.
Quote:
During his homily at the canonization Mass on May 21, 2000, Saint John Paul II addressed the Mexican men, women and children present in Rome and said: “After the harsh trials that the Church endured in Mexico during those turbulent years, today Mexican Christians, encouraged by the witness of these witnesses to the faith, can live in peace and harmony, contributing the wealth of gospel values to society. The Church grows and advances, since she is the crucible in which many priestly and religious vocations are born, where families are formed according to God's plan, and where young people, a substantial part of the Mexican population, can grow with the hope of a better future. May the shining example of Cristóbal Magallanes and his companion martyrs help you to make a renewed commitment of fidelity to God, which can continue to transform Mexican society so that justice, fraternity and harmony will prevail among all.”
During his homily at the canonization Mass on May 21, 2000, Saint John Paul II addressed the Mexican men, women and children present in Rome and said: “After the harsh trials that the Church endured in Mexico during those turbulent years, today Mexican Christians, encouraged by the witness of these witnesses to the faith, can live in peace and harmony, contributing the wealth of gospel values to society. The Church grows and advances, since she is the crucible in which many priestly and religious vocations are born, where families are formed according to God's plan, and where young people, a substantial part of the Mexican population, can grow with the hope of a better future. May the shining example of Cristóbal Magallanes and his companion martyrs help you to make a renewed commitment of fidelity to God, which can continue to transform Mexican society so that justice, fraternity and harmony will prevail among all.”
LECTIO DIVINA:
JOHN 17,20-26
Lectio:
Thursday, May 21, 2015
1)
OPENING PRAYER
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
and Father of all people,
we believe in you
and we know that you loved Jesus
with a deep and trusting, lasting love.
Let your Holy Spirit pour out this love
into the hearts of all those
who believe in Jesus, our Saviour and shepherd.
Let this love unite us in one common bond
of understanding and respect of one another
and let that love dispose us
to live for one another and to serve one another
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.
and Father of all people,
we believe in you
and we know that you loved Jesus
with a deep and trusting, lasting love.
Let your Holy Spirit pour out this love
into the hearts of all those
who believe in Jesus, our Saviour and shepherd.
Let this love unite us in one common bond
of understanding and respect of one another
and let that love dispose us
to live for one another and to serve one another
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.
2)
GOSPEL READING - JOHN 17,20-26
Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said: I pray not only for
these but also for those who through their teaching will come to believe in me.
May they all be one, just as, Father, you are in me and I am in you, so that
they also may be in us, so that the world may believe it was you who sent me.
I have given them the glory you gave to me, that they may be one
as we are one. With me in them and you in me, may they be so perfected in unity
that the world will recognise that it was you who sent me and that you have
loved them as you have loved me.
Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am,
so that they may always see my glory which you have given me because you loved
me before the foundation of the world. Father, Upright One, the world has not
known you, but I have known you, and these have known that you have sent me.
I have made your name known to them and will continue to make it
known, so that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and so that I
may be in them.
3)
REFLECTION
• Today’s Gospel presents to us the third and last part of the
Priestly Prayer, in which Jesus looks toward the future and manifests his great
desire for unity among us, his disciples, and that all may remain in the love
which unifies, because without love and without unity we do not deserve
credibility.
• John 17, 20-23: So that the world may believe it was you who
sent me. Jesus extends the horizon and prays to the Father: I pray not only for
these but also for those who through their teaching will come to believe in me.
May they all be one, just as, Father, you are in me and I am in you, so that
they also may be in us, so that the world may believe it was you who sent me.
Behold, here emerges the great concern of Jesus for unity which should exist in
the communities. Unity does not mean uniformity, but rather to remain in love,
in spite of tensions and conflicts. A love which unifies to the point of
creating among all a profound unity, like the unity which exists between Jesus
and the Father. The unity in love revealed in the Trinity is the model for the
communities. For this, through love among persons, the communities reveal to
the world the most profound message of Jesus. People said of the first
Christians: “Look how they love one another!” The present day division among
the three religions which came from Abraham is really tragic: the Jews, the
Christians and the Muslims. And even more tragic is the division among us
Christians who say that we believe in Jesus. If we are divided we do not
deserve credibility. Ecumenism is in the centre of the last prayer of Jesus to
the Father. It is his testament. To be a Christian and not be ecumenical is a
contradiction. It means to contradict the last Will of Jesus.
• John 17, 24-26: So that the love with which you loved me may
be in them. Jesus does not want to remain alone. He says: Father, I want those
you have given me to be with me where I am so that they may always see my glory
which you have given me, because you loved me before the foundation of the
world. Jesus is happy when we are all together with him. He wants his disciples
to have the same experience of the Father which he had. He wants us to know the
Father and that he knows us. In the Bible, the word to know is not limited to a
rational theoretic knowledge, but presupposes the experience of the presence of
God living in love with the persons of the community.
• That they may be one as we are one. (Unity and Trinity in the
Gospel of John) The Gospel of John helps us to understand the mystery of the
Trinity, the communion among the three Divine Persons: the Father, the Son and
the Spirit. Of the four Gospels, John is the one who stresses more the profound
unity among the Father, the Son and the Spirit. From the text of John (Jn 17,
6-8) we see that the mission of the Son is the supreme manifestation of the
love of the Father. And this unity between the Father and the Son makes Jesus
exclaim: The Father and I are one (Jn 10, 30). Between the Son and the Father
there is such an intense unity that one who sees the face of one also sees the
face of the other. And fulfilling this mission of unity received from the
Father, Jesus reveals the Spirit. The spirit of Truth comes from the Father (Jn
15, 26). At the petition of the Son (Jn 14, 16), the Father sends the Spirit to
each one of us in such a way that he will remain with us, encouraging us and
giving us strength. The Spirit also comes to us from the Son (Jn 16, 7-8).
Thus, the Spirit of Truth, who journeys with us, is the communication of the
profound unity which exists between the Father and the Son (Jn 15, 26-27). The
Spirit cannot communicate a truth which is different from the Truth of the Son.
Everything which is in relationship with the mystery of the Son, the Spirit
makes it known to us (Jn 16, 13-14). This experience of the unity in God was
very strong in the communities of the Beloved Disciple. The love which unites
the Divine Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit allows us to experience God
through union with the persons in a community of love. This was also the
proposal of the community, where love should be the sign of God’s presence in
the midst of the community (Jn 13, 34-35). And this love constructs unity in
the community (Jn 17, 21). They looked at the unity in God in order to
understand the unity among them.
4)
FOR PERSONAL CONFRONTATION
• Bishop Don Pedro Casaldáliga said: “The Trinity is truly the
best community”. In the community of which you form part, can one perceive some
human sign of the Divine Trinity?
• Ecumenism: Am I ecumenical?
5)
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Lord, you will teach me the path of life,
unbounded joy in your presence,
at your right hand delight for ever. (Ps 16,11)
unbounded joy in your presence,
at your right hand delight for ever. (Ps 16,11)
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