Monday
of the Fourth Week of Easter
Lectionary: 279
Lectionary: 279
The
Apostles and the brothers who were in Judea
heard that the Gentiles too had accepted the word of God.
So when Peter went up to Jerusalem
the circumcised believers confronted him, saying,
‘You entered the house of uncircumcised people and ate with them.”
Peter began and explained it to them step by step, saying,
“I was at prayer in the city of Joppa
when in a trance I had a vision,
something resembling a large sheet coming down,
lowered from the sky by its four corners, and it came to me.
Looking intently into it,
I observed and saw the four-legged animals of the earth,
the wild beasts, the reptiles, and the birds of the sky.
I also heard a voice say to me, ‘Get up, Peter. Slaughter and eat.’
But I said, ‘Certainly not, sir,
because nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’
But a second time a voice from heaven answered,
‘What God has made clean, you are not to call profane.’
This happened three times,
and then everything was drawn up again into the sky.
Just then three men appeared at the house where we were,
who had been sent to me from Caesarea.
The Spirit told me to accompany them without discriminating.
These six brothers also went with me,
and we entered the man’s house.
He related to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, saying,
‘Send someone to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter,
who will speak words to you
by which you and all your household will be saved.’
As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them
as it had upon us at the beginning,
and I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said,
‘John baptized with water
but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’
If then God gave them the same gift he gave to us
when we came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ,
who was I to be able to hinder God?”
When they heard this,
they stopped objecting and glorified God, saying,
“God has then granted life-giving repentance to the Gentiles too.”
heard that the Gentiles too had accepted the word of God.
So when Peter went up to Jerusalem
the circumcised believers confronted him, saying,
‘You entered the house of uncircumcised people and ate with them.”
Peter began and explained it to them step by step, saying,
“I was at prayer in the city of Joppa
when in a trance I had a vision,
something resembling a large sheet coming down,
lowered from the sky by its four corners, and it came to me.
Looking intently into it,
I observed and saw the four-legged animals of the earth,
the wild beasts, the reptiles, and the birds of the sky.
I also heard a voice say to me, ‘Get up, Peter. Slaughter and eat.’
But I said, ‘Certainly not, sir,
because nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’
But a second time a voice from heaven answered,
‘What God has made clean, you are not to call profane.’
This happened three times,
and then everything was drawn up again into the sky.
Just then three men appeared at the house where we were,
who had been sent to me from Caesarea.
The Spirit told me to accompany them without discriminating.
These six brothers also went with me,
and we entered the man’s house.
He related to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, saying,
‘Send someone to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter,
who will speak words to you
by which you and all your household will be saved.’
As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them
as it had upon us at the beginning,
and I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said,
‘John baptized with water
but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’
If then God gave them the same gift he gave to us
when we came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ,
who was I to be able to hinder God?”
When they heard this,
they stopped objecting and glorified God, saying,
“God has then granted life-giving repentance to the Gentiles too.”
Responsorial
PsalmPS 42:2-3; 43:3, 4
R.
(see 3a) Athirst is my soul for the living God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
As the hind longs for the running waters,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
Athirst is my soul for God, the living God.
When shall I go and behold the face of God?
R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Send forth your light and your fidelity;
they shall lead me on
And bring me to your holy mountain,
to your dwelling-place.
R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Then will I go in to the altar of God,
the God of my gladness and joy;
Then will I give you thanks upon the harp,
O God, my God!
R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
As the hind longs for the running waters,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
Athirst is my soul for God, the living God.
When shall I go and behold the face of God?
R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Send forth your light and your fidelity;
they shall lead me on
And bring me to your holy mountain,
to your dwelling-place.
R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Then will I go in to the altar of God,
the God of my gladness and joy;
Then will I give you thanks upon the harp,
O God, my God!
R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
AlleluiaJN 10:14
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;
I know my sheep, and mine know me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;
I know my sheep, and mine know me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelJN 10:1-10
Jesus
said:
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate
but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.
But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice,
as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has driven out all his own,
he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him,
because they recognize his voice.
But they will not follow a stranger;
they will run away from him,
because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.”
Although Jesus used this figure of speech,
they did not realize what he was trying to tell them.
So Jesus said again, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
I am the gate for the sheep.
All who came before me are thieves and robbers,
but the sheep did not listen to them.
I am the gate.
Whoever enters through me will be saved,
and will come in and go out and find pasture.
A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy;
I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate
but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.
But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice,
as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has driven out all his own,
he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him,
because they recognize his voice.
But they will not follow a stranger;
they will run away from him,
because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.”
Although Jesus used this figure of speech,
they did not realize what he was trying to tell them.
So Jesus said again, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
I am the gate for the sheep.
All who came before me are thieves and robbers,
but the sheep did not listen to them.
I am the gate.
Whoever enters through me will be saved,
and will come in and go out and find pasture.
A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy;
I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”
Meditation: "I came that they may have
life abundantly"
Do
you know the peace and security of the Good Shepherd who watches over his own?
The Old Testament often speaks of God as shepherd of his people, Israel. The
Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want (Psalm 23:1). Give ear,
O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! (Psalm 80:1) We
are his people, and the sheep of his pasture (Psalm 100:3). The
Messiah is also pictured as the shepherd of God's people: He will feed
his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms (Isaiah
40:11). Jesus says he is the Good Shepherd who will risk his
life to seek out and save the stray sheep (Matthew 18:12, Luke 15:4). He is the Shepherd
and Guardian of our souls (1 Peter 2:25).
What
can shepherding teach us about God and our relationship with him? At the end of
each day the shepherd brought his sheep into shelter. They knew the voice of
their shepherd and came at his beckoning. So familiar was the shepherd and his
sheep, that each was called by a distinct name. In the winter the sheep were
usually brought to a communal village shelter which was locked and kept secure
by a guardian. In the summer months the sheep were usually kept out in the
fields and then gathered into a fold at night which was guarded by a shepherd
throughout the night. He was literally the door through which
the sheep had to pass.
The
Scriptures describe God as a shepherd who brings security and peace to his
people. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this
time forth and for evermore (Psalm 120:8). Even the leaders of God's
people are called shepherds: they shall lead them out and bring them
in; that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep which have no
shepherd (Numbers 27:17). Just as a shepherd kept watch over his sheep
and protected them from danger, so Jesus stands watch over his people as the Shepherd
and Guardian of our souls (1 Peter 2:25). Do you know the peace and
security of a life fully submitted to God?
St.
Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) writes: "He has accomplished what he
taught us: He has shown us what He commanded us to do. He laid down his own
life for his sheep, that within our mystery he might change his body and blood
into food, and nourish the sheep he had redeemed with the food of his own
flesh. He has shown us the way we must follow, despite fear of death. He has
laid down the pattern to which we must conform ourselves. The first duty laid
on us is to use our worldly goods in mercy for the needs of his sheep, and
then, if necessary, give even our lives for them. He that will not give of his
substance for his sheep, how shall he lay down his life for them?" (Tr.
46 in John). Do you look to Jesus the Good Shepherd, to receive the
strength and courage you need to live and serve as his disciple?
"Lord
Jesus, you always lead me in the way of true peace and safety. May I never
doubt your care nor stray from your ways. Keep me safe in the shelter of your
presence."
Daily Quote from the early
church fathers: Green pastures and still waters, by
Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"The pastures that
this good shepherd has prepared for you, in which he has settled you for you to
take your fill, are not various kinds of grasses and green things, among which
some are sweet to the taste, some extremely bitter, which as the seasons
succeed one another are sometimes there and sometimes not. Your pastures are
the words of God and his commandments, and they have all been sown as sweet
grasses. These pastures had been tasted by that man who said to God, 'How sweet
are your words to my palate, more so than honey and the honeycomb in my
mouth!'" (excerpt from Sermon 366,3,1)
MONDAY, APRIL 18, JOHN
10:1-10
Easter Weekday
(Acts 11:1-18; Psalm 42)
Easter Weekday
(Acts 11:1-18; Psalm 42)
KEY VERSE: "I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture" (v 9).
TO KNOW: The figure of God as a shepherd who guides and protects the flock was taken from Israel's pastoral life. Sheep, which belonged to various shepherds, were brought together in a sheepfold at night. At daybreak, the watchman would open the gate. The shepherd knew his own sheep and he would call each one by name as he led them out to pasture. The sheep recognized the shepherd's voice and would follow no one else. The shepherd would walk ahead of his flock as they followed him to a place where they would be safe from thieves who might "steal and slaughter and destroy" (John 10:10a). Jesus is the gateway for the sheep. Those who enter through him will be saved and have abundant life.
TO LOVE: Pray for Pope Francis, the shepherd of God's people.
TO SERVE: Risen Lord, help me to follow you as you guide me day by day.
Monday 18 April 2016
Mon 18th. Acts 11:1-18. My soul is thirsting for the
living God—Ps 41(42):2-3; 42(43):3-4. John 10:1-10.
It’s easy to beat ourselves up for past
mistakes.
Who among us has not regretted an ill-considered
action or comment, a lack of action or love, or an assumption that later
demonstrates poor understanding or misjudgment.
Today’s readings call to mind God’s renewal: Acts
reiterates that ‘what God has made clean, you must not call profane’. God’s
spirit is with us.
Our souls thirst for God, and whatever errors we make
can be turned around for the better, no matter the criticism we give ourselves
or that we receive from others. Our prayer is the words of the Psalmist: ‘Send
out your light and truth; let them lead me to your dwelling’.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus affirms God’s leading.
God has called us by name, and we follow because we know God’s voice. We can
move on from our past mistakes, and live an abundant life.
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
Dissolving Debt
|
I might not have owed anyone a penny. But I was taking more out of
the world than I was putting in. That’s a form of debt: not only to others, but
to ourselves.
April
18
Blessed James Oldo
(1364-1404)
Blessed James Oldo
(1364-1404)
You’ve heard
rags-to-riches stories. Today, we celebrate the reverse.
James of Oldo was born
into a well-to-do family near Milan in 1364. He married a woman who, like him,
appreciated the comforts that came with wealth. But an outbreak of plague drove
James, his wife and their three children out of their home and into the countryside.
Despite those precautions, two of his daughters died from the plague, James
determined to use whatever time he had left to build up treasures in heaven and
to build God’s realm on earth.
He and his wife became
Secular Franciscans. James gave up his old lifestyle and did penance for his
sins. He cared for a sick priest, who taught him Latin. Upon the death of his
wife, James himself became a priest. His house was transformed into a chapel
where small groups of people, many of them fellow Secular Franciscans, came for
prayer and support. James focused on caring for the sick and for prisoners of
war. He died in 1404 after contracting a disease from one of his patients.
James Oldo was
beatified in 1933.
Comment:
The death of those we love brings a troubling awareness of our own mortality. James had that experience when he gazed into a friend’s grave, and it brought him to his senses. He determined to use whatever time he had left to build up treasures in heaven and to build God’s realm on earth. Our time is limited, too. We can use it well or foolishly: The choice is ours.
The death of those we love brings a troubling awareness of our own mortality. James had that experience when he gazed into a friend’s grave, and it brought him to his senses. He determined to use whatever time he had left to build up treasures in heaven and to build God’s realm on earth. Our time is limited, too. We can use it well or foolishly: The choice is ours.
LECTIO DIVINA: JOHN 10,1-10
Lectio Divina:
Monday, April 18, 2016
Easter Time
1) Opening prayer
Lord God, our Father,
the Spirit of Jesus calls us, as he called your Son,
to abandon our old selves and our old world
to be free for new life and growth.
Forgive us our fear and hesitations,
lead us out of our worn-out phrases and habits,
and our self-made certainties,
steep us in the gospel of your Son,
that his good news may become credible
in our times and our world.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
the Spirit of Jesus calls us, as he called your Son,
to abandon our old selves and our old world
to be free for new life and growth.
Forgive us our fear and hesitations,
lead us out of our worn-out phrases and habits,
and our self-made certainties,
steep us in the gospel of your Son,
that his good news may become credible
in our times and our world.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
2) Gospel Reading -
John 10,1-10
Jesus said: “In all
truth I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but
climbs in some other way, is a thief and a bandit. He who enters through the
gate is the shepherd of the flock; the gatekeeper lets him in, the sheep hear
his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and leads them out. When he has
brought out all those that are his, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow
because they know his voice. They will never follow a stranger, but will run
away from him because they do not recognise the voice of strangers.' Jesus told
them this parable but they failed to understand what he was saying to them. So
Jesus spoke to them again: In all truth I tell you, I am the gate of the
sheepfold. All who have come before me are thieves and bandits, but the sheep
took no notice of them. I am the gate. Anyone who enters through me will be
safe: such a one will go in and out and will find pasture. The thief comes only
to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have
it to the full.”
3) Reflection
• In Jesus we have the
model of the true shepherd. In him is fulfilled the expectation of the Good
Shepherd promised by God: the “Great Shepherd” greater than Moses (Hb 13, 20).
• John 10, 1-6: The
gate of the sheepfold. In Jn 10, 1-10 it is said that Jesus is the “gate” to
get to the sheep and to be led to the pastures (10, 7.9-10).
The theme of the sheep
had already been introduced in John 2, 15 and in a particular way in 5, 2 where
it is indicated that there is a Sheep Pool with five porticos along which were
laid the sick to be healed. In this last context the sheep indicate the people
who were oppressed by their directors. In Jn 10, 1, Jesus links the theme of
the sheep to the atrium or inner courtyard of the Temple, the Jewish
institution administered by men of power who trampled on the rights, justice
and exploited the people. Such individuals were called by Jesus “thieves and
bandits”.
Jesus begins his long
presentation before the Pharisees, who were closed up in their unbelief and
insufficiency (9, 40-41) with a general affirmation: a more sure way to enter
into contact with the sheep is that of entering by the gate of the enclosure in
which they are kept. Anyone who enters in a different way is not animated by a
reason of love for the sheep, but in order to exploit them for his own
interest. This is the sin of those who direct the people: to take hold of
everything that belongs to all for themselves. Jesus calls this attitude using
the term “thief”. This was precisely the accusation that Jesus addressed to the
chief priests of the people during his first visit to the Temple (2, 13ss).
Another term that
Jesus uses to indicate those who take away from the people what belongs to them
is: “bandit”. Such a term indicates those who use violence. Therefore, the
chief priests of the Temple oblige the people to submit themselves to the
violence of their system (7, 13; 9, 22). The effect of this is that it produces
a state of death (5, 3.21.25).
The shepherd enters
through the gate to take care of the sheep, not to oppress them or maltreat
them. In fact, the sheep recognize his authority (voice) and follow him. The
voice of Jesus contains a message of liberation for them that is typical of the
Messiah. Besides, his voice is not addressed to an anonymous group of persons
but he calls each one personally. For Jesus no anonymous crowd of people
exists, but each person has a face, a name, dignity. The Temple (the enclosure
of the sheep) has become a place of darkness, characterized only by economic
interests; money has replaced the exclusive attention to God: the Temple has
become the business or trading house (Jn 2, 16).
Jesus leads the people
to take them out of the darkness. And he does not do this in a fictitious way,
but in a real way, because such is the work which the Father has entrusted to
him. The fundamental strokes of this mission are: to enter and to call. Those
who respond to that call, to the call to liberty become a new community: “Those
who are His own”.
• John 10, 7-10: Jesus
is the new door. Jesus again uses the symbolism of the gate in vv. 7-8:
applying this to himself. He is the new door not only in regard to the old
enclosure of Israel represented by the chief priests of the people but also in
regard to those who follow him. He reminds the first ones of his legitimacy to
be the only place of access for the sheep, because he is the Messiah ready to
give his life for the sheep. And it is not by domination or prevarication, that
one can approach the sheep to have a relationship with them, but rather by
assuming the attitude of the one who gives his life for them. His words are a
categorical invitation to change mentality, way of thinking and way of
relating.
The entrance through
Jesus signifies to consider the good of man as a priority and to commit all our
energy to attain this. Anyone who does not enter into this new logic is an
oppressor. The reader finds that the words of Jesus addressed to his
contemporaries and in a particular way to the chief priests of the people, who
have used domination and violence to exploit the people, are truly hard and
strong, firm.
He is the new gate in
regard to every person. But for men and women of today what does it mean to
enter through the door which is Jesus? It implies to “get close to Him”, “to
trust Him” (Jn 6, 35), to follow Him and to allow ourselves to be guided by His
message (8, 31. 51), in definitive it means to participate in the dedication of
Jesus so that the true happiness of man may be accomplished.
4) Personal questions
• Jesus is the Good
Shepherd because he always knows you, but do you recognize him? He is a
Shepherd who comes to your life as a door to go out and to enter: do you allow
Him to lead you when you relate with others?
• In your community,
in your family are you also a door, not to close it, but to remain open to
fraternal communication, to allow esteem and hope to go through?
5) Concluding Prayer
Lord, send out your
light and your truth;
they shall be my
guide,
to lead me to your
holy mountain
to the place where you
dwell. (Ps 43,3)
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