Memorial of Saint Justin, Martyr
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 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 to his Father in heaven. 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 their fears and
calmed the raging waters as well! 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 welfare
and well-being of others - especially that they might find peace and unity with
God and with one another.
Jesus prays for all Christians to be united as one
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 and mind of Jesus - who and what he loved most - love for his Father in heaven and love for all who believe in him. His prayer focuses on the love and unity he desires for all who would believe in him and follow him, not only in the present, but in the future as well.
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 and mind of Jesus - who and what he loved most - love for his Father in heaven and love for all who believe in him. His prayer focuses on the love and unity he desires 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 (John
17:20). 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, respect, service, honor, and friendship with all who belong to Christ.
To make him known and loved by all
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 entrusts 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 all who belong to Christ and do you recognize and accept all baptized Christians as your brothers and sisters in Christ? The Lord Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, draws each one of us into the unity which he and the Father have together and into the unity he desires for all who belong to him - we are all brothers and sisters in Christ and sons and daughters of our beloved Father in heaven.
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 entrusts 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 all who belong to Christ and do you recognize and accept all baptized Christians as your brothers and sisters in Christ? The Lord Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, draws each one of us into the unity which he and the Father have together and into the unity he desires for all who belong to him - we are all brothers and sisters in Christ and sons and daughters of our beloved Father in heaven.
The Lord intercedes for us right now
The Lord Jesus Christ included each one of us in his high priestly prayer at the last supper meal with his disciples on the eve of his sacrifice on the cross (John 17:20). And today the Lord Jesus continues his high priestly office as our intercessor before the throne of God in 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 that was shed for us on the cross?
The Lord Jesus Christ included each one of us in his high priestly prayer at the last supper meal with his disciples on the eve of his sacrifice on the cross (John 17:20). And today the Lord Jesus continues his high priestly office as our intercessor before the throne of God in 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 that was shed for us on the cross?
"Heavenly Father, have mercy on all your people
who have been redeemed by the precious blood of your Son who offered up his
life for us on the cross. Pardon our sins and heal our divisions that we may
grow in love, unity, and holiness together as your sons and daughters. 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 Holy Spirit that we
may be a sign of that unity and a means of its growth. Increase in us a fervent
love, respect, and care for all of our brothers and sisters who believe in
Jesus Christ."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Prayer of unity for all who believe, by Cyprian of Carthage - first
martyr bishop of Africa, 200-258 A.D.
"The Lord's loving-kindness, no less than his
mercy, is great in respect of our salvation in that, not content to redeem us
with his blood, he in addition prayed for us. See now what the desire of his
petition was, that just as the Father and Son are one, so also we should abide
in absolute unity. From this, it may be evident how greatly someone sins who
divides unity and peace, since even the Lord himself petitioned for this same
thing. He no doubt desired that his people should in this way be saved and live
in peace since he knew that discord cannot come into the kingdom of God." (excerpt from THE LORD'S PRAYER 30.1)
THURSDAY,
JUNE 1, JOHN 17:20-26
(Acts 22:30, 23:6-11; Psalm 16)
(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 KNOW: 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 saw this, they would be attracted to the gospel and believe in Jesus Christ (Jn 13:35).
TO LOVE: Are people able to "read" the gospel that I proclaim by my life?
TO SERVE: Risen Lord, help me to work for unity in my parish.
Memorial of
Saint Justin, martyr
Justin was a Christian apologist, born at Flavia Neapolis, about A.D. 100, converted to Christianity about A.D. 130, taught and defended the Christian religion in Asia Minor and at Rome, where he suffered martyrdom about the year 165. Justin had a good education in rhetoric, poetry, and history. He studied various schools of philosophy in Alexandria and Ephesus, joining himself first to Stoicism, then Pythagoreanism, and then Platonism, looking for answers to his questions. While at Ephesus, he was impressed by the steadfastness of the Christian martyrs. After Justin became a Christian, he opened a school of Christian philosophy and there he engaged the Cynic philosopher Crescens in debate, and soon after was arrested on the charge of practicing an unauthorized religion. He refused to renounce Christianity, and was put to death by beheading along with six of his students, one of them a woman. A record of the trial, probably authentic, is known as The Acts of Justin the Martyr.
NOTE: Stocism is an ancient Greek school of philosophy that taught that virtue, the highest good, is based on knowledge, and that the wise live in harmony with the divine Reason (also identified with Fate and Providence), which governs nature. They were indifferent to the changes of fortune and to pleasure and pain.
Pythagoreanism was the system of beliefs held by Pythagoras and his followers who were considerably influenced by mathematics, music and astronomy. Pythagoreanism originated in the 5th century BC and greatly influenced Platonism.
Platonism is the philosophy of Plato that affirms the existence of abstract objects, which are asserted to "exist" in a "third realm" distinct both from the sensible external world and from the internal world of consciousness.
Thursday
1 June 2017
St Justin.
Acts 22:30; 23:6-11. Psalms 15(16):1-2, 5, 7-11. John 17:20-26.
Acts 22:30; 23:6-11. Psalms 15(16):1-2, 5, 7-11. John 17:20-26.
Keep me
safe, O God; you are my hope — Psalms 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 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 the Father has sent us. What love have we been
offered, to live as the children of God and share this friendship.
ST. JUSTIN MARTYR
"We are slain with the sword, but we increase and multiply;
the more we are persecuted and destroyed, the more are deaf to our numbers. As
a vine, by being pruned and cut close, shoots forth new suckers, and bears a
greater abundance of fruit; so is it with us." – St. Justin Martyr
Justin
was born around the year 100 in the Palestinian province of Samaria, the son of
Greek-speaking parents whose ancestors were sent as colonists to that area of
the Roman Empire. Justin's father followed the Greek pagan religion and raised
his son to do the same, but he also provided Justin with an excellent education
in literature and history.
Justin
was an avid lover of truth, and as a young man, became interested in
philosophy and searched for truth in the various schools of thought that
had spread throughout the empire. But he became frustrated with the
professional philosophers' intellectual conceits and limitations, as well as
their apparent indifference to God.
After
several years of study, Justin had a life-changing encounter with an old man
who questioned him about his beliefs and especially about the sufficiency
of philosophy as a means of attaining truth. He urged him to study the
Jewish prophets and told Justin that these authors had not only spoken by
God's inspiration, but also predicted the coming of Christ and the foundation
of his Church.
“Above
all things, pray that the gates of life may be opened to you,” the old man told
Justin, “for these are not things to be discerned, unless God and Christ grant
to a man the knowledge of them.” Justin had always admired Christians from a
distance because of the beauty of their moral lives. As he writes in his
Apologies: "When I was a disciple of Plato, hearing the accusations made
against the Christians and seeing them intrepid in the face of death and of all
that men fear, I said to myself that it was impossible that they should be
living in evil and in the love of pleasure.” The aspiring philosopher
eventually decided to be baptized around the age of 30.
After
his conversion, Justin continued to wear the type of cloak that Greek culture
associated with the philosophers. Inspired by the dedicated example of other
Catholics whom he had seen put to death for their faith, he embraced a simple
and austere lifestyle even after moving to Rome.
Justin
was most likely ordained a deacon, since he preached, did not marry, and gave
religious instruction in his home. He is best known as the author of early
apologetic works which argued for the Catholic faith against the claims of
Jews, pagans, and non-Christian philosophers.
Several
of these works were written to Roman officials, for the purpose of refuting
lies that had been told about the Church. Justin sought to convince the rulers
of the Roman Empire that they had nothing to gain, and much to lose, by
persecuting the Christians. His two most famous apologetical treatises were
"Apologies" and "Dialogue with Tryphon."
In
order to fulfill this task, Justin gave explicit written descriptions of the
early Church's beliefs and its mode of worship. In modern times, scholars have
noted that Justin's descriptions correspond to the traditions of the Catholic
Church on every essential point.
Justin
describes the weekly Sunday liturgy as a sacrifice, and speaks of the Eucharist
as the true body and blood of Christ. He further states that only baptized
persons who believe the Church's teachings, and are free of serious sin, may
receive it.
Justin
also explains in his writings that the Church regards celibacy as a sacred
calling, condemns the common practice of killing infants, and looks down on the
accumulation of excessive wealth and property.
His
first defense of the faith, written to Emperor Antonius Pius around 150,
convinced the emperor to regard the Church with tolerance. In 167, however,
persecution began again under Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
During
that year Justin wrote to the emperor, who was himself a philosopher and the
author of the well-known “Meditations.” He tried to demonstrate the injustice
of the persecutions, and the superiority of the Catholic faith over Greek
philosophy. Justin emphasized the strength of his convictions by stating that
he expected to be put to death for expressing them
He
was, indeed, seized along with a group of other believers, and brought before
Rusticus, prefect of Rome. A surviving eyewitness account shows how Justin the
philosopher became known as “St. Justin Martyr.”
The
prefect made it clear how Justin might save his life: “Obey the gods, and
comply with the edicts of the emperors.” Justin responded that “no one can be
justly blamed or condemned for obeying the commands of our Savior Jesus
Christ.”
Rusticus
briefly questioned Justin and his companions regarding their beliefs about
Christ and their manner of worshiping God. Then he laid down the law.
“Hear
me,” he said, “you who are noted for your eloquence, who think that you make a
profession of the right philosophy. If I cause you to be scourged from head to
foot, do you think you shall go to heaven?”
“If
I suffer what you mention,” Justin replied, “I hope to receive the reward which
those have already received, who have obeyed the precepts of Jesus Christ.”
“There
is nothing which we more earnestly desire, than to endure torments for the sake
of our Lord Jesus Christ,” he explained. “We are Christians, and will never
sacrifice to idols.” Justin was scourged and beheaded along with six companions
who joined him in his confession of faith.
St.
Justin Martyr has been regarded as a saint since the earliest centuries of the
Church. Eastern Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians also celebrate his
feast day on June 1.
LECTIO DIVINA: JOHN 17,20-26
Lectio Divina:
Thursday, June 1, 2017
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)
