Tuesday
of the Fourth Week of Easter
Lectionary: 280
Lectionary: 280
Those
who had been scattered by the persecution
that arose because of Stephen
went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch,
preaching the word to no one but Jews.
There were some Cypriots and Cyrenians among them, however,
who came to Antioch and began to speak to the Greeks as well,
proclaiming the Lord Jesus.
The hand of the Lord was with them
and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.
The news about them reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem,
and they sent Barnabas to go to Antioch.
When he arrived and saw the grace of God,
he rejoiced and encouraged them all
to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart,
for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith.
And a large number of people was added to the Lord.
Then he went to Tarsus to look for Saul,
and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch.
For a whole year they met with the Church
and taught a large number of people,
and it was in Antioch that the disciples
were first called Christians.
that arose because of Stephen
went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch,
preaching the word to no one but Jews.
There were some Cypriots and Cyrenians among them, however,
who came to Antioch and began to speak to the Greeks as well,
proclaiming the Lord Jesus.
The hand of the Lord was with them
and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.
The news about them reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem,
and they sent Barnabas to go to Antioch.
When he arrived and saw the grace of God,
he rejoiced and encouraged them all
to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart,
for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith.
And a large number of people was added to the Lord.
Then he went to Tarsus to look for Saul,
and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch.
For a whole year they met with the Church
and taught a large number of people,
and it was in Antioch that the disciples
were first called Christians.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 87:1B-3, 4-5, 6-7
R.
(117:1a) All you nations, praise the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
His foundation upon the holy mountains
the LORD loves:
The gates of Zion,
more than any dwelling of Jacob.
Glorious things are said of you,
O city of God!
R. All you nations, praise the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I tell of Egypt and Babylon
among those who know the LORD;
Of Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia:
“This man was born there.”
And of Zion they shall say:
“One and all were born in her;
And he who has established her
is the Most High LORD.”
R. All you nations, praise the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
They shall note, when the peoples are enrolled:
“This man was born there.”
And all shall sing, in their festive dance:
“My home is within you.”
R. All you nations, praise the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
His foundation upon the holy mountains
the LORD loves:
The gates of Zion,
more than any dwelling of Jacob.
Glorious things are said of you,
O city of God!
R. All you nations, praise the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I tell of Egypt and Babylon
among those who know the LORD;
Of Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia:
“This man was born there.”
And of Zion they shall say:
“One and all were born in her;
And he who has established her
is the Most High LORD.”
R. All you nations, praise the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
They shall note, when the peoples are enrolled:
“This man was born there.”
And all shall sing, in their festive dance:
“My home is within you.”
R. All you nations, praise the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
AlleluiaJN 10:27
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelJN 10:22-30
The
feast of the Dedication was taking place in Jerusalem.
It was winter.
And Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of Solomon.
So the Jews gathered around him and said to him,
“How long are you going to keep us in suspense?
If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe.
The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me.
But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep.
My sheep hear my voice;
I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.
No one can take them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,
and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand.
The Father and I are one.”
It was winter.
And Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of Solomon.
So the Jews gathered around him and said to him,
“How long are you going to keep us in suspense?
If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe.
The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me.
But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep.
My sheep hear my voice;
I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.
No one can take them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,
and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand.
The Father and I are one.”
Meditation: "My sheep hear my voice"
How secure is your faith
and trust in God? Scripture describes God’s word as a "lamp for
our feet and a light for our steps"(Psalm 119:105). The Jewish Feast
of the Dedication is also called theFestival of Lights or Hanakkuh.
This feast was held in late December, near the time when Christians celebrate
the feast of Christmas. This is the time of year when the day is shortest and
the night longest. Jesus used this occasion to declare that he is the
true light of the world (John 8:12). In his light we can see who God
truly is and we can find the true path to heaven.
Jesus speaks of the
tremendous trust he has in God his Father and the tremendous trust we ought to
have in him because he is our good shepherd (John 10:11). Sheep without a
shepherd are defenseless against prey, such as wolves, and often get lost and
bewildered without a guide. That is why shepherds literally live with their
sheep out in the open field and mountain sides. The shepherd guards his sheep
from the dangers of storms, floods, and beasts of prey. The shepherd leads his
sheep to the best places for feeding and the best streams for drinking. He
finds the best place for their rest and safety at night. The sheep recognize
the voice of their shepherd and heed his call when he leads them to safe
pasture and rest.
We are very much like
sheep who stray, we become easy prey to forces which can destroy us - sin,
Satan, and a world in opposition to God and his people. The Lord Jesus came not
only to free us from Satan's snares and the grip of sin, he came to personally
lead us to the best of places where we can feed on his "word of life"
and drink from the "living waters" of his Holy Spirit. The sheep who
heed the voice of Jesus, the good shepherd, have no fear. He leads them to the
best of places - everlasting peace, joy, and fellowship with God and his
people.
In this present life we
will encounter trials, difficulties, and persecution. We can face them alone or
we can follow Jesus, the true shepherd, who will bring us safely through every
difficulty to the place of peace and security with God. Do you listen to the
voice of the Good Shepherd and heed his commands?
"Lord Jesus, you
are the Good Shepherd who secures what is best for us. I place all my hope and
trust in you. Open my ears to hear your voice today and to follow your
commands."
Daily Quote from the
early church fathers: The Great might of Christ's hand, by
Clement of Alexandria, 150-215 A.D.
"The faithful also
have the help of Christ, and the devil is not able to snatch them. Those who
have an endless enjoyment of good things remain in Christ's hand, no one
thereafter snatching them away from the bliss that is given to them. [No one
can throw them] into punishment or torments. For it is not possible that those
who are in Christ's hand should be snatched away to be punished because of the
great might Christ has. For 'the hand' in the divine Scripture signifies 'the
power'” It cannot be doubted therefore that the hand of Christ is unconquerable
and mighty to all things." (excerpt from the COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL
OF JOHN 7.1)
TUESDAY, APRIL 19, JOHN
10:22-30
Easter Weekday
(Acts 11:19-26; Psalm 87)
Easter Weekday
(Acts 11:19-26; Psalm 87)
KEY VERSE: "But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep" (v 26).
TO KNOW: As a faithful Jew, Jesus went to the temple for the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah). This feast commemorated the rededication of the temple by the Maccabees after its desecration in 164 BCE by the Syrian King Antiochus IV Epiphanes (1 Mc 4:36-59). While in the temple, Jesus was confronted by those who demanded to know whether or not he claimed to be the Messiah. Jesus pointed to the works that he did as evidence that God had sent him. The words and deeds of Jesus were the words and deeds of God. The reason his adversaries did not recognize him was because they did not belong to his flock. Those who belonged to Jesus knew him and followed him. God gave these faithful ones to Jesus, the "good shepherd" (v 11), who kept careful watch over his own. No one could snatch them from his hand because he and the Father were one
TO LOVE: Do I follow Christ when he calls?
TO SERVE: Risen Lord, help me to discern your voice from the voices of those who would lead me astray.
Tuesday 19 April 2016
Tue 19th. Acts 11:19-26. All you nations, praise the
Lord—Ps 86(87):1-7. John 10:22-30.
The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice.
Repeatedly in the Hebrew Scriptures God implores his
people to listen to him. ‘Listen, listen to me … Pay attention, come to me.
Listen and your soul will live’ (Is 55:2-3). The same plea is frequently on the
lips of Jesus, the one of whom the Father said, ‘This is my beloved son …
Listen to him’ (Mk 9:7). Jesus upbraided both those who failed to listen to him
and those, who having listened to him, failed to act on his words. In addition
to Jesus’ mother, our exemplars in this connection might be Solomon who prayed
for a ‘listening heart’ (1 Kg 3:9) and Mary of Bethany who ‘sat down at the
Lord’s feet and listened to his words’ (Lk 10:39). Let us make our own the
response of the boy Samuel, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening’ (I Sam
3:10).
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
|
Victory of Love
|
Any kind of fear is against love—and when we’re most in fear,
we’re least able to give. We want to be in communion with reality, because to
be in communion with reality helps everyone, everywhere: past, present, and to
come. We want to participate in the victory of love over fear.
April
19
St. Gianna Beretta Molla
(1922-1962)
St. Gianna Beretta Molla
(1922-1962)
In less than 40 years,
Gianna Beretta Molla became a pediatric physician, a wife, a mother and a
saint!
She was born in
Magenta (near Milano) as the 10th of Alberto and Maria Beretta’s 13 children.
An active member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Gianna earned degrees in
medicine and surgery from the University of Pavia and eventually opened a
clinic in Mesero. Gianna also enjoyed skiing and mountain climbing.
Shortly before her
1955 marriage to Pietro Molla, Gianna wrote to him: “Love is the most beautiful
sentiment that the Lord has put into the soul of men and women.” She and
Pietro had three children, Pierluigi, Maria Zita, and Laura.
Early in the pregnancy
for her fourth child, doctors discovered that Gianna had both a child and a
tumor in her uterus. She allowed the surgeons to remove the tumor but not to
perform the complete hysterectomy that they recommended, which would have
killed the child. Seven months later, Gianna Emanuela Molla was born. The
following week, her mother Gianna died in Monza of complications from
childbirth. She is buried in Mesero.
Gianna
Emanuela went on to become a physician herself. Gianna Beretta Molla was
beatified in 1994 and canonized 10 years later.
Comment:
With great faith and courage, Gianna Molla made the choice that enabled her daughter to be born. We can often wish that we were in different circumstances, but holiness frequently comes from making difficult choices in bad situations.
With great faith and courage, Gianna Molla made the choice that enabled her daughter to be born. We can often wish that we were in different circumstances, but holiness frequently comes from making difficult choices in bad situations.
Quote:
In his homily at the canonization Mass, Pope John Paul II said: “Gianna Beretta Molla was a simple, but more than ever, significant messenger of divine love…Following the example of Christ, who ‘having loved his own…loved them to the end’ [John 13:1], this holy mother of a family remained heroically faithful to the commitment she made on the day of her marriage. The extreme sacrifice she sealed with her life testifies that only those who have the courage to give of themselves totally to God and to others are able to fulfill themselves.”
In his homily at the canonization Mass, Pope John Paul II said: “Gianna Beretta Molla was a simple, but more than ever, significant messenger of divine love…Following the example of Christ, who ‘having loved his own…loved them to the end’ [John 13:1], this holy mother of a family remained heroically faithful to the commitment she made on the day of her marriage. The extreme sacrifice she sealed with her life testifies that only those who have the courage to give of themselves totally to God and to others are able to fulfill themselves.”
LECTIO DIVINA: JOHN 10,22-30
Lectio Divina:
Tuesday, April 19, 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 10,22-30
It was the time of the feast of
Dedication in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the Temple walking up
and down in the Portico of Solomon. The Jews gathered round him and said, 'How
much longer are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell
us openly.'
Jesus replied: I have told you, but you
do not believe. The works I do in my Father's name are my witness; but you do
not believe, because you are no sheep of mine. The sheep that belong to me
listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life;
they will never be lost and no one will ever steal them from my hand. The
Father, for what he has given me, is greater than anyone, and no one can steal
anything from the Father's hand. The Father and I are one.
3) REFLECTION
• Chapters one to twelve of the Gospel
of John are called “The Book of Signs”. In these chapters we have the
progressive revelation of the Mystery of God in Jesus. In the measure in which
Jesus makes this revelation, adherence and opposition grow around him according
to the vision or idea which each one has of the coming of the Messiah. This way
of describing the activity of Jesus does not only serve to inform how adherence
to Jesus took place at that time, but also and above all, how this should take
place in us today, his readers. At that time, all expected the coming of the
Messiah and they had their criteria of how to recognize him. They wanted him to
be like they imagined that he should be. But Jesus does not submit himself to
that requirement. He reveals the Father as the Father is and not as his
listeners would want him to be. He asks for conversion in the way of thinking
and of acting. Today, also, each one of us has his/her own likes and own
preferences. Some times we read the Gospel to see if we find in it a
confirmation of our desires. Today’s Gospel presents some light concerning
this.
• John 10, 22-24: The Jews question
Jesus. It was cold; it was the month of October. It was the Feast of the
dedication which celebrated the purification of the temple done by Judah
Maccabee (2 M 4, 36.59). It was a very popular Feast with much light. Jesus was
out on the square of the Temple, in the Portico of Solomon. The Jews said:
"How much longer are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the
Christ, tell us openly”. They wanted Jesus to define himself and that they
could verify, according to their own criteria, if Jesus was or was not the
Messiah. They wanted some proofs. It is the attitude of the one who feels that
he dominates the situation. The new ones must present their credentials.
Otherwise, they have no right to speak or to act.
• John 10, 25-26: Response of Jesus: the
works that I do are my witness. The response of Jesus is always the same: “I
have told you, but you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name
are my witness; but you do not believe, because you are no sheep of mine”. It
is not a question of giving proofs. It would be useless. When a person does not
want to accept the witness of some one, there is no proof which is valid and
which will lead the person to change and think differently. The basic problem
is the disinterested openness of the person toward God and toward truth. Where
this openness exists, Jesus is recognized by his sheep. “The sheep that belong
to me listen to my voice”. Jesus will say these words before Pilate (Jn 18,
37). The Pharisees lacked this openness.
• John 10, 27-28: My sheep listen to my
voice. Jesus repeats the parable of the Good Shepherd who knows his sheep and
they know him. This mutual understanding – between Jesus who comes in the name
of the Father and the persons who open themselves to truth – is the source of
eternal life. This union between the Creator and the creature through Jesus
exceeds every threat of death: “They will never be lost and no one will ever
steal them from my hand!” They are safe and secure and, because of this, they
are in peace and enjoy full freedom.
• John 10, 29-30: The Father and I are
one. These two verses refer to the mystery of the union between Jesus and the
Father: “The Father, for what he has given me, is greater than anyone, and no
one can steal anything from my Father’s hand. The Father and I are one”. These
and other phrases make us guess or have a glimpse at something of the greatest
mystery: “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn 14, 9). “The Father
is in me and I am in the Father” (Jn 10, 38). This union between Jesus and the
Father is not something automatic, but rather it is the fruit of obedience: “I
always do what pleases my Father” (Jn 8, 29; 6, 38; 17, 4). “My food is to do
the will of the Father” (Jn 4, 34; 5, 30). The Letter to the Hebrews says that
Jesus learnt obedience from the things that he suffered (Heb 5, 8). “He was
obedient until death and death on the Cross” (Ph 2, 8). The obedience of Jesus
is not a disciplinary one, but rather it was prophetic. He obeys in order to be
total transparency and, thus, to be the revelation of the Father. Because of
this, he could say: “The Father and I are one!” It was a long process of
obedience and of incarnation which lasted 33 years. It began with Mary’s YES
(Lk 1, 38) and ended with: “It is all fulfilled!” (Jn 19, 30).
4) PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• Is my obedience to God, disciplinary
or prophetic? Do I reveal something of God or am I only concerned about my own
salvation?
• Jesus does not submit himself to the
exigencies of those who want to verify if he is the Messiah. In me, is there
something of this attitude of dominion and of inquiry of the enemies of Jesus?
5) CONCLUDING PRAYER
May God show kindness and bless us,
and make his face shine on us.
Then the earth will acknowledge your ways,
and all nations your power to save. (Ps 67,2-3)
and make his face shine on us.
Then the earth will acknowledge your ways,
and all nations your power to save. (Ps 67,2-3)
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét