Saturday
of the Third Week of Easter
Lectionary: 278
Lectionary: 278
The
Church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria
was at peace.
She was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord,
and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit she grew in numbers.
As Peter was passing through every region,
he went down to the holy ones living in Lydda.
There he found a man named Aeneas,
who had been confined to bed for eight years, for he was paralyzed.
Peter said to him,
“Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed.”
He got up at once.
And all the inhabitants of Lydda and Sharon saw him,
and they turned to the Lord.
Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha
(which translated is Dorcas).
She was completely occupied with good deeds and almsgiving.
Now during those days she fell sick and died,
so after washing her, they laid her out in a room upstairs.
Since Lydda was near Joppa,
the disciples, hearing that Peter was there,
sent two men to him with the request,
“Please come to us without delay.”
So Peter got up and went with them.
When he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs
where all the widows came to him weeping
and showing him the tunics and cloaks
that Dorcas had made while she was with them.
Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed.
Then he turned to her body and said, “Tabitha, rise up.”
She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up.
He gave her his hand and raised her up,
and when he had called the holy ones and the widows,
he presented her alive.
This became known all over Joppa,
and many came to believe in the Lord.
was at peace.
She was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord,
and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit she grew in numbers.
As Peter was passing through every region,
he went down to the holy ones living in Lydda.
There he found a man named Aeneas,
who had been confined to bed for eight years, for he was paralyzed.
Peter said to him,
“Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed.”
He got up at once.
And all the inhabitants of Lydda and Sharon saw him,
and they turned to the Lord.
Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha
(which translated is Dorcas).
She was completely occupied with good deeds and almsgiving.
Now during those days she fell sick and died,
so after washing her, they laid her out in a room upstairs.
Since Lydda was near Joppa,
the disciples, hearing that Peter was there,
sent two men to him with the request,
“Please come to us without delay.”
So Peter got up and went with them.
When he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs
where all the widows came to him weeping
and showing him the tunics and cloaks
that Dorcas had made while she was with them.
Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed.
Then he turned to her body and said, “Tabitha, rise up.”
She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up.
He gave her his hand and raised her up,
and when he had called the holy ones and the widows,
he presented her alive.
This became known all over Joppa,
and many came to believe in the Lord.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 116:12-13, 14-15,
16-17
R.
(12) How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done
for me?
or:
R. Alleluia.
How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD
R. How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?
or:
R. Alleluia.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
R. How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?
or:
R. Alleluia.
O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.
To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
R. How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD
R. How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?
or:
R. Alleluia.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
R. How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?
or:
R. Alleluia.
O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.
To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
R. How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?
or:
R. Alleluia.
AlleluiaSEE JN 6:63C, 68C
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;
you have the words of everlasting life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;
you have the words of everlasting life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelJN 6:60-69
Many
of the disciples of Jesus who were listening said,
“This saying is hard; who can accept it?”
Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this,
he said to them, “Does this shock you?
What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
It is the Spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail.
The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.
But there are some of you who do not believe.”
Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe
and the one who would betray him.
And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me
unless it is granted him by my Father.”
As a result of this,
many of his disciples returned to their former way of life
and no longer walked with him.
Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe
and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”
“This saying is hard; who can accept it?”
Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this,
he said to them, “Does this shock you?
What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
It is the Spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail.
The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.
But there are some of you who do not believe.”
Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe
and the one who would betray him.
And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me
unless it is granted him by my Father.”
As a result of this,
many of his disciples returned to their former way of life
and no longer walked with him.
Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe
and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”
Meditation: "You have
the words of everlasting life"
Why
do some find it easier while others find it harder to accept the claims which
Jesus made? Many were attracted to Jesus because he offered them something
irresistible - a visible sign of God's mercy and favor which Jesus demonstrated
in his wonderful works of healing, deliverance, and miraculous signs, including
the multiplication of the loaves and fish when he feed the five thousand who
had gathered to hear him speak. Many stumbled, however, when Jesus made claims
which only God can make. Jesus' discourse on "eating his flesh and
drinking his blood" (see John 6:51-59) which pointed to the Last
Supper, caused offence to many of his followers.
Jesus
claimed to be the bread of heaven, the very life of God given to us as
spiritual food to sustain us on our journey to our promised homeland with the
Father in heaven. Jesus did not leave any middle ground for his hearers. They
must either accept his word as divine or reject it as the claim of an imposter.
Even the apostles admitted that this was a "hard saying". This expression
meant that it was not just hard to understand, but hard to accept. Jesus
pressed the issue with his beloved disciples because he wanted to test their
faith and loyalty to him as the Holy One sent from the Father in heaven. Jesus
promised his disciples nothing less than the full blessing of eternal life and
union with God. Jesus assures his disciples that it is his heavenly Father who
gives the invitation and the grace to believe and follow even in the "hard
sayings". Jesus knew that some would not only reject him and his word, but
would do so with violence fueled by hatred, envy, and even betrayal by one of
his own disciples.
Jesus
told his disciples that his words were "spirit and life" (John 6:63)
- his words came from the heavenly Father who is the Author of life and the One
who breathes his Spirit into those who believe in him. Through the gift of
faith Peter was able to receive spiritual revelation of who Jesus truly is -
the Holy One of God, the eternal Son sent from the Father in heaven to redeem a
fallen human race and reconcile them with God.
How
does God help us grow in faith and trust in his word, even the hard sayings
which are difficult to understand? Faith is a gift which God freely gives to
those who listen to his word and who put their trust in him. Faith is a
personal response to God's revelation of himself. Faith is neither blind nor
ignorant. It is based on the truth and reliability of God's word. True faith
seeks understanding. Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) said, "I
believe in order to understand, and I understand the better to believe."
The Lord Jesus offers all of his followers his life-giving word and Spirit to
help us grow in our knowledge and understanding of God.
Paul
the Apostle tells us that it is the work of the Holy Spirit who enlightens
the eyes of our heart and mind to understand the truth and
wisdom which comes from God (Ephesians 1:17-18). Faith is the key to
understanding and experiencing God's action and work in our personal lives.
Paul the Apostle tells us that "God's love has been poured into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). We can
know God personally, and we grow in recognizing his voice as we listen to his
word and obey his instruction. Do you believe, as Peter did, that Jesus has the words
of everlasting lifeand the power to change and transform your life? Ask the
Lord Jesus to increase your faith that you may grow in knowing, loving, and
serving him as your Lord and Redeemer, Teacher and Healer, Master and Savior.
"Lord
Jesus, you have the words of everlasting life. Help me to cast aside all doubt
and fear so that I may freely embrace your word with complete trust and joy. I
surrender all to you. Be the Lord of my life and the Ruler of my heart. May
there be nothing which hinders me from trusting in your love and following your
will."
Daily Quote from the
early church fathers: Eat Life - Drink Life, by Augustine of
Hippo, 354-430
A.D.
"'Unless you eat My
Flesh and drink My Blood, you shall not have life in you,' says the Lord. Eat
life - drink life. You will then have life, and life is complete. Then the Body
and Blood of Christ will be life for each person under this condition: what is
eaten visibly in the Sacrament be spiritually eaten and spiritually drunk in
truth itself." (excerpt from Sermon 102,2)
SATURDAY, APRIL 16, JOHN
6:60-69
Easter Weekday
(Acts 9:31-42; Psalm 116)
Easter Weekday
(Acts 9:31-42; Psalm 116)
KEY VERSE: "The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life" (v 63).
TO KNOW: Jesus' teaching that he was the "bread of life" (v 48) caused a division among those who had faith in him and those who did not. Some of Jesus’ own disciples had misgivings about his teaching. Jesus did not retract his words but invited his followers to deeper faith in this mystery, which they could only understand through God's grace. If people could not believe that he was Gods' word become flesh (Jn 1:14), what would they think when he ascended to his Father in glory? Many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. Jesus then asked the Twelve if they too planned to leave him. Peter, the future leader of the Church, confessed his faith in the life-giving words of Jesus. There was no one else to whom he could go. The twelve apostles are mirrors of ourselves ̶ ̶ flawed but graced human beings.
TO LOVE: Do my words bring others to faith or drive them away?
TO SERVE: Risen Lord, help me to believe your words of everlasting life.
Saturday April 16 2016
Sat 16th. Acts 9:31-42. What return can I make to the
Lord for all that he gives to me?—Ps 115(116):12-17. John 6:60-69.
Following Jesus is not always easy.
In today’s Gospel, some of Jesus’ disciples were so
affronted by his teaching on the Eucharist that they described it as
‘intolerable language’ and ‘left him and stopped going with him’.
Jesus asks the Apostles if they too wish to leave him.
Simon Peter responds, ‘Lord, who shall we go to? You have the message of
eternal life, and we believe. We know that you are the holy one of God’.
For me, that’s the key. If Jesus is who he says he is,
the Son of Man, to whom else shall we go?
Lord, help me to live my life according to your Word.
Help me when I stumble, or am tempted to take an easier path that leads away
from you.
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
|
A Living Hymn
|
Demons and angels—our darkest impulses and our noblest
aspirations—clash in our deepest core. We advance not by slaying the demons,
but by accepting them for what they are, pitying them, and slowly,
painstakingly converting them, until both of our sides harmonize as notes in a
living hymn.
April
16
St. Bernadette Soubirous
(1844-1879)
St. Bernadette Soubirous
(1844-1879)
Bernadette
Soubirous was born in 1844, the first child of an extremely poor miller in the
town of Lourdes in southern France. The family was living in the basement of a
dilapidated building when on February 11,1858, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared
to Bernadette in a cave above the banks of the Gave River near Lourdes.
Bernadette, 14 years old, was known as a virtuous girl though a dull student
who had not even made her first Holy Communion. In poor health, she had
suffered from asthma from an early age.
There
were 18 appearances in all, the final one occurring on the feast of Our Lady of
Mt. Carmel, July 16. Although Bernadette's initial reports provoked skepticism,
her daily visions of "the Lady" brought great crowds of the curious.
The Lady, Bernadette explained, had instructed her to have a chapel built on
the spot of the visions. There the people were to come to wash in and drink of
the water of the spring that had welled up from the very spot where Bernadette
had been instructed to dig.
According
to Bernadette, the Lady of her visions was a girl of 16 or 17 who wore a white
robe with a blue sash. Yellow roses covered her feet, a large rosary was on her
right arm. In the vision on March 25 she told Bernadette, "I am the
Immaculate Conception." It was only when the words were explained to her
that Bernadette came to realize who the Lady was.
Few
visions have ever undergone the scrutiny that these appearances of the
Immaculate Virgin were subject to. Lourdes became one of the most popular
Marian shrines in the world, attracting millions of visitors. Miracles were
reported at the shrine and in the waters of the spring. After thorough
investigation Church authorities confirmed the authenticity of the apparitions
in 1862.
During
her life Bernadette suffered much. She was hounded by the public as well as by
civic officials until at last she was protected in a convent of nuns. Five
years later she petitioned to enter the Sisters of Notre Dame. After a period
of illness she was able to make the journey from Lourdes and enter the
novitiate. But within four months of her arrival she was given the last rites
of the Church and allowed to profess her vows. She recovered enough to become
infirmarian and then sacristan, but chronic health problems persisted. She died
on April 16, 1879, at the age of 35.
She
was canonized in 1933.
Comment:
Millions of people have come to the spring Bernadette uncovered for healing of body and spirit, but she found no relief from ill health there. Bernadette moved through life, guided only by blind faith in things she did not understand—as we all must do from time to time.
Millions of people have come to the spring Bernadette uncovered for healing of body and spirit, but she found no relief from ill health there. Bernadette moved through life, guided only by blind faith in things she did not understand—as we all must do from time to time.
LECTIO DIVINA: JOHN 6,60-69
Lectio
Divina:
Saturday,
April 16, 2016
Easter
Time
1)
OPENING PRAYER
Faithful
God of the covenant,
in the daily choices we have to make
give us the courage to opt always
for your Son and his ways
and to remain close to him.
Bless the difficult road we have sometimes to take
without seeing where it will lead us.
Keep us from making half-hearted decisions
when our faith is rather weak
and make us accept all the consequences of our choice.
Keep us always faithful
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
in the daily choices we have to make
give us the courage to opt always
for your Son and his ways
and to remain close to him.
Bless the difficult road we have sometimes to take
without seeing where it will lead us.
Keep us from making half-hearted decisions
when our faith is rather weak
and make us accept all the consequences of our choice.
Keep us always faithful
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
2)
GOSPEL READING - JOHN 6,60-69
After
hearing it, many of his followers said, 'This is intolerable language. How could
anyone accept it?'
Jesus
was aware that his followers were complaining about it and said, 'Does this
disturb you? What if you should see the Son of man ascend to where he was
before? 'It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh has nothing to offer. The
words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. 'But there are some of
you who do not believe.' For Jesus knew from the outset who did not believe and
who was to betray him. He went on, 'This is why I told you that no one could
come to me except by the gift of the Father.'
After
this, many of his disciples went away and accompanied him no more. Then Jesus
said to the Twelve, 'What about you, do you want to go away too?' Simon Peter
answered, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the message of eternal life, and
we believe; we have come to know that you are the Holy One of God.'
3)
REFLECTION
•
Today’s Gospel presents the last part of the Discourse of the Bread of Life. It
is a question of the discussion of the disciples among themselves and with Jesus
(Jn 6, 60-66) and of the conversation of Jesus with Simon Peter (Jn 6, 67-69).
The objective is to show the exigencies of faith and the need for a serious
commitment with Jesus and with his proposal. Up until this moment everything
took place in the Synagogue of Capernaum. The place of this last part is not
indicated.
•
John 6, 60-63: Without the light of the Spirit these words cannot be
understood. Many disciples thought that Jesus himself was going too far! The
celebration of the Passover was coming to an end and he was placing himself in
the most central part of the Passover. For this reason many people separated
from the community and no longer went with Jesus. Jesus reacts and says: “It is
the Spirit that gives life; the flesh has nothing to offer”. These things which
he says should not be taken literally. It is only with the light of the Holy
Spirit that it is possible to get the full sense of everything that Jesus says
(Jn 14, 25-26; 16, 12-13). Paul in the Letter to the Corinthians will say: “Written
letters kill, but the Spirit gives life!” (2 Co 3, 6).
•
John 6, 64-66: Some of you do not believe. In his discourse Jesus had presented
himself as the food which satisfies hunger and thirst of all those who seek
God. In the first Exodus, they have the test of Meriba. Before hunger and
thirst in the desert, many doubted of the presence of God in their midst: “The
Lord is in our midst, yes or no?” (Ex 17, 7) and they complained against Moses
(cf. Ex 17, 2-3; 16, 7-8). They wanted to get away from him and return to
Egypt. The disciples fall into this same temptation, they doubt of the presence
of Jesus in the breaking of the bread. Before the words of Jesus on “eat my
flesh and drink my blood”, many complained like the crowds in the desert (Jn 6,
60) and take the decision to break away from Jesus and with the community:
“they went away and accompanied him no more” (Jn 6, 66).
•
John 6, 67-71: Confession of Peter. At the end only the twelve remain with him.
In the face of the crisis produced by his words and his gestures, Jesus turns
toward his more intimate friends, represented there by the Twelve and says: “Do
you want to go away also?” For Jesus it is not a question of having many people
following him. Neither does he change the discourse when the message does not
please. He speaks in order to reveal the Father and not to please anyone. He
prefers to remain alone, and not be accompanied by persons who are not
committed with the Father’s project. Peter’s response is beautiful: “Lord, to
whom shall we go? You have the message of eternal life, and we believe; we have
come to know that you are the Holy One of God!” Even without understanding
everything, Peter accepts Jesus as Messiah and believes in him. In the name of
the group he professes his faith in the broken bread and in his word. Jesus is
the word and the bread which satisfies the new people of God (Dt 8, 3). In
spite of all his limitations, Peter is not like Nicodemus who wanted to see all
things clearly according to his own ideas. But among the twelve there was
someone who did not accept the proposal of Jesus. In this more intimate circle
there was an enemy (the Devil) (Jn 6, 70-71) “he who shares my table takes
advantage of me” (Si 41, 10; Jn 13, 18).
4)
PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• I
place myself in Peter’s place before Jesus. What response do I give Jesus who
asks me: “Do you want to go away also?”
• I
place myself in Jesus’ place. Today many persons no longer follow Jesus. Whose
fault is it?
5)
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Lord,
I am your servant, I am your servant
and my mother was your servant;
you have undone my fetters.
I shall offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving
and call on the name of Yahweh. (Ps 116,16-17)
and my mother was your servant;
you have undone my fetters.
I shall offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving
and call on the name of Yahweh. (Ps 116,16-17)
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