Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Lectionary: 282
Lectionary: 282
From Paphos, Paul and his companions
set sail and arrived at Perga in Pamphylia.
But John left them and returned to Jerusalem.
They continued on from Perga and reached Antioch in Pisidia.
On the sabbath they entered into the synagogue and took their seats.
After the reading of the law and the prophets,
the synagogue officials sent word to them,
"My brothers, if one of you has a word of exhortation
for the people, please speak."
So Paul got up, motioned with his hand, and said,
"Fellow children of Israel and you others who are God-fearing, listen.
The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors
and exalted the people during their sojourn in the land of Egypt.
With uplifted arm he led them out,
and for about forty years he put up with them in the desert.
When he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan,
he gave them their land as an inheritance
at the end of about four hundred and fifty years.
After these things he provided judges up to Samuel the prophet.
Then they asked for a king.
God gave them Saul, son of Kish,
a man from the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.
Then he removed him and raised up David as their king;
of him he testified,
I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;
he will carry out my every wish.
From this man's descendants God, according to his promise,
has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.
John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance
to all the people of Israel;
and as John was completing his course, he would say,
'What do you suppose that I am? I am not he.
Behold, one is coming after me;
I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.'"
set sail and arrived at Perga in Pamphylia.
But John left them and returned to Jerusalem.
They continued on from Perga and reached Antioch in Pisidia.
On the sabbath they entered into the synagogue and took their seats.
After the reading of the law and the prophets,
the synagogue officials sent word to them,
"My brothers, if one of you has a word of exhortation
for the people, please speak."
So Paul got up, motioned with his hand, and said,
"Fellow children of Israel and you others who are God-fearing, listen.
The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors
and exalted the people during their sojourn in the land of Egypt.
With uplifted arm he led them out,
and for about forty years he put up with them in the desert.
When he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan,
he gave them their land as an inheritance
at the end of about four hundred and fifty years.
After these things he provided judges up to Samuel the prophet.
Then they asked for a king.
God gave them Saul, son of Kish,
a man from the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.
Then he removed him and raised up David as their king;
of him he testified,
I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;
he will carry out my every wish.
From this man's descendants God, according to his promise,
has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.
John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance
to all the people of Israel;
and as John was completing his course, he would say,
'What do you suppose that I am? I am not he.
Behold, one is coming after me;
I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.'"
Responsorial
PsalmPS 89:2-3, 21-22, 25 AND
27
R. (2) For
ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The favors of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, "My kindness is established forever";
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
"I have found David, my servant;
with my holy oil I have anointed him,
That my hand may be always with him,
and that my arm may make him strong."
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
"My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him,
and through my name shall his horn be exalted.
He shall say of me, 'You are my father,
my God, the Rock, my savior.'"
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The favors of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, "My kindness is established forever";
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
"I have found David, my servant;
with my holy oil I have anointed him,
That my hand may be always with him,
and that my arm may make him strong."
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
"My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him,
and through my name shall his horn be exalted.
He shall say of me, 'You are my father,
my God, the Rock, my savior.'"
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
AlleluiaSEE RV 1:5AB
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Jesus Christ, you are the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead,
you have loved us and freed us from our sins by your Blood.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus Christ, you are the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead,
you have loved us and freed us from our sins by your Blood.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelJN 13:16-20
When Jesus had washed the disciples' feet, he said to them:
"Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master
nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him.
If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.
I am not speaking of all of you.
I know those whom I have chosen.
But so that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me.
From now on I am telling you before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe that I AM.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send
receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me."
"Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master
nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him.
If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.
I am not speaking of all of you.
I know those whom I have chosen.
But so that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me.
From now on I am telling you before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe that I AM.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send
receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me."
Meditation: "The one who receives me"
How do you treat those who cause you grief or harm,
especially those who are close to you in some way? In his last supper
discourse, Jesus addressed the issue of fidelity and disloyalty in
relationships. Jesus knew beforehand that one of his own disciples would betray
him. Such knowledge could have easily led Jesus to distance himself from such a
person and to protect himself from harm's way. Instead, Jesus expresses his
love, affection, and loyalty to those who were his own, even to the one he knew
would "stab him in the back" when he got the opportunity. Jesus used
a quotation from Psalm 4:9 which describes an act of treachery by one's closest
friend. In the culture of Jesus' day, to eat bread with
someone was a gesture of friendship and trust. Jesus extends such friendship to
Judas right at the moment when Judas is conspiring to betray his master. The
expression lift his heel against me reinforces the brute
nature of this act of violent rejection.
Love and loyalty that endure to the end
Jesus loved his disciples to the end and proved his faithfulness to them even to death on the cross. Through his death and resurrection Jesus opened a new way of relationship and friendship with God. Jesus tells his disciples that if they accept him they also accept the Father who sent him. This principle extends to all who belong to Christ and who speak in his name. To accept the Lord's messenger is to accept Jesus himself. The great honor and the great responsibility a Christian has is to stand in the world for Jesus Christ. As his disciples and ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20), we are called to speak for him and to act on his behalf. Are you ready to stand for Jesus at the cross of humiliation, rejection, opposition, and suffering?
Jesus loved his disciples to the end and proved his faithfulness to them even to death on the cross. Through his death and resurrection Jesus opened a new way of relationship and friendship with God. Jesus tells his disciples that if they accept him they also accept the Father who sent him. This principle extends to all who belong to Christ and who speak in his name. To accept the Lord's messenger is to accept Jesus himself. The great honor and the great responsibility a Christian has is to stand in the world for Jesus Christ. As his disciples and ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20), we are called to speak for him and to act on his behalf. Are you ready to stand for Jesus at the cross of humiliation, rejection, opposition, and suffering?
"Eternal God, who are the light of the minds that
know you, the joy of the hearts that love you, and the strength of the wills
that serve you; grant us so to know you, that we may truly love you, and so to
love you that we may fully serve you, whom to serve is perfect freedom, in
Jesus our Lord." (Prayer of Saint
Augustine)
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: The Master wants his servants to reach their
potential, by Origen, 185-254 A.D.
THURSDAY, APRIL 26, JOHN 13:16-20
Easter Weekday
(Acts 13:13-25; Psalm 89)
Easter Weekday
(Acts 13:13-25; Psalm 89)
KEY VERSE: "No slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him" (v.16).
TO KNOW: Chapter one through twelve of John's gospel is called the "Book of Signs." Chapter thirteen begins the "Book of Glory" (13:1--20:31). On the threshold of Jesus' passion, resurrection and glorious ascension, he took the role of a lowly slave, washing the feet of his disciples (v.1-15). He told his followers that as servants and messengers of the gospel (Greek, apostolos), they must imitate his humility and love: "You also should do as I have done to you" (13:15). A disciple was one who learned from the master, and acted on his words. If his followers truly understood this, they would be blessed, and all who received Jesus' messengers would be blessed in turn. But Jesus' words were not received by all. In the midst of this outpouring of love, Judas prepared to betray his master. Jesus told his disciples this before it happened, "so that you will believe that I AM" (13:19). Jesus’ “I AM” statement indicates that he was equating Himself with the "I AM" title of God revealed to Moses (Ex 3:14, Ego Eimi).
TO LOVE: How have I served the Lord and his people today?
TO SERVE: Risen Lord, help me to understand that the way to glory is through humble service.
www.togetherwithgodsword.com
Saint Pedro de San José Betancur
Saint of the Day for April 26
(March 19, 1626 – April 25, 1667)
 |
| Saint Pedro de San José Betancur | Catedral de La Laguna | photo by Koppchen |
Saint Pedro de San José Betancur’s Story
Central America claimed its first saint with the canonization of
Pedro de San José Betancur. Known as the “Saint Francis of the Americas,” Pedro
de Betancur is the first saint to have worked and died in Guatemala.
Pedro very much wanted to become a priest, but God had other
plans for the young man born into a poor family on Tenerife in the Canary
Islands. Pedro was a shepherd until age 24, when he began to make his way to
Guatemala, hoping to connect with a relative engaged in government service
there. By the time he reached Havana, he was out of money. After working there
to earn more, he got to Guatemala City the following year. When he arrived, he
was so destitute that he joined the breadline that the Franciscans had
established.
Soon, Pedro enrolled in the local Jesuit college in hopes of
studying for the priesthood. No matter how hard he tried, however, he could not
master the material; he withdrew from school. In 1655, he joined the Secular
Franciscan Order. Three years later, he opened a hospital for the convalescent
poor; a shelter for the homeless, and a school for the poor soon followed. Not
wanting to neglect the rich of Guatemala City, Pedro began walking through
their part of town ringing a bell and inviting them to repent.
Other men came to share in Pedro’s work. Out of this group came
the Bethlehemite Congregation, which won papal approval after Pedro’s death. A
Bethlehemite sisters’ community, similarly founded after Pedro’s death, was
inspired by his life of prayer and compassion.
He is sometimes credited with originating the Christmas
Eve posadas procession in which people representing Mary and
Joseph seek a night’s lodging from their neighbors. The custom soon spread to
Mexico and other Central American countries.
Pedro died in 1667, and was canonized by Pope
John Paul II in Guatemala City on July 30, 2002.
Calling the new saint an “outstanding example” of Christian
mercy, the Holy Father noted that Saint Pedro practiced mercy “heroically with
the lowliest and the most deprived.” Speaking to the estimated 500,000
Guatemalans in attendance, the Holy Father spoke of the social ills that plague
the country today and of the need for change.
“Let us think of the children and young people who are homeless
or deprived of an education; of abandoned women with their many needs; of the
hordes of social outcasts who live in the cities; of the victims of organized
crime, of prostitution or of drugs; of the sick who are neglected and the
elderly who live in loneliness,” he said in his homily during the three-hour
liturgy.
Reflection
As humans, we often pride ourselves on our ability to reason.
But as Pedro’s life shows, other skills may be an even more crucial element of
our humanity than a clever mind: compassion, imagination, love. Unable to
master studies for the priesthood despite his efforts, Pedro responded to the
needs of homeless and sick people; he provided education to the poor and
salvation to the rich. He became holy—as fully human as any of us can ever be.
LECTIO DIVINA: JOHN 13,16-20
Lectio Divina:
Thursday, April 26, 2018
Easter Time
1) OPENING PRAYER
All-powerful God,
your Son Jesus reminds us today
that we are no greater than your and our servant,
Jesus, our Lord and master.
Give us the love and endurance
to serve you and people
without waiting for awards or gratitude
and to accept the difficulties and contradictions
which are part of the Christian life
and which are normal for followers
of him who bore the cross for us,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
your Son Jesus reminds us today
that we are no greater than your and our servant,
Jesus, our Lord and master.
Give us the love and endurance
to serve you and people
without waiting for awards or gratitude
and to accept the difficulties and contradictions
which are part of the Christian life
and which are normal for followers
of him who bore the cross for us,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
2) GOSPEL READING - JOHN
13,16-20
Jesus said to his disciples: 'In all
truth I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, no messenger is
greater than the one who sent him. 'Now that you know this, blessed are you if
you behave accordingly. I am not speaking about all of you: I know the ones I
have chosen; but what scripture says must be fulfilled: 'He who shares my table
takes advantage of me. I tell you this now, before it happens, so that when it
does happen you may believe that I am He. In all truth I tell you, whoever
welcomes the one I send, welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me, welcomes the one
who sent me.'
3) REFLECTION
• Beginning today, April 17th until the
8th of May, every day, except on feast days, the Gospel of each day is taken
from the long conversation of Jesus with the disciples during the Last Supper
(Jn 13 to 17). In these five chapters which describe the farewell of Jesus, the
presence of those three threads of which we had spoken before, is perceived,
those threads which knit and compose the Gospel of John: the word of Jesus, the
word of the community and the word of the Evangelist who writes the last
redaction of the Fourth Gospel. In these chapters, the three threads are
intertwined in such a way that the whole is presented as a unique fabric or
cloth of a rare beauty and inspiration, where it is difficult to distinguish
what is from one and what is from the other, but where everything is the Word
of God for us.
• These five chapters present the
conversation which Jesus had with his friends, the evening when he was arrested
and was put to death. It was a friendly conversation, which remained in the
memory of the Beloved Disciple. Jesus seems to want to prolong to the maximum
this last encounter, this moment of great intimacy. The same thing happens
today. There is conversation and conversation. There is the superficial
conversation which uses words and words and reveals the emptiness of the
person. And there is the conversation which goes to the depth of the heart and
remains in the memory. All of us, once in a while, have these moments of
friendly living together, which expand the heart and constitute the force in
moments of difficulty. They help to trust and to overcome fear.
• The five verses of today’s Gospel draw
two conclusions from the washing of the feet (Jn 13, 1-15). They speak (a) of
service as the principal characteristic of the followers of Jesus, and (b) of
the identity of Jesus, the revelation of the Father.
• John 13, 16-17: The servant is not
greater than his master. Jesus has just finished washing the feet of the
disciples. Peter becomes afraid and does not want Jesus to wash his feet. “If I
do not wash you, you can have no share with me” (Jn 13, 8). And it is enough to
wash the feet; there is no need to wash the rest (Jn 13, 10). The symbolical
value of the gesture of the washing of the feet consists in accepting Jesus as
Messiah, Servant, who gives himself for others, and to reject a Messiah,
glorious king. This gift of self, servant of all is the key to understand the
gesture of the washing of the feet. To understand this is the root of the
happiness of a person: “Knowing these things, you will be blessed if you put
them into practice”. But there were some persons, even among the disciples, who
did not accept Jesus, Messiah, Servant. They did not want to be the servants of
others. Probably, they wanted a glorious Messiah, King and Judge, according to
the official ideology. Jesus says: “I am not speaking about all of you; I know
the ones I have chosen; but what Scripture says must be fulfilled: He who shares
my table takes advantage of me!” John refers to Judas, whose betrayal will be
announced immediately after (Jn 13, 21-30).
• John 13, 18-20: I tell you this now,
before it happens, so that you may believe that I AM HE. It was on the occasion
of the liberation from Egypt at the foot of Mount Sinai that God revealed his
name to Moses: “I am with you!” (Ex 3, 12), “I am who I am” (Ex 3, 14). “I Am”
or “I AM” has sent me to you!” (Ex 3, 14). The name Yahweh (Ex 3, 15) expresses
the absolute certainty of the liberating presence of God at the side of his
people. In many ways and on may occasions this same expression I Am is used by
Jesus (Jn 8, 24; 8, 28; 8, 58; Jn 6, 20; 18, 5.8; Mk 14, 62; Lk 22, 70). Jesus
is the presence of the liberating face of God in our midst.
4) PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• The servant is not greater than his
master. How do I make of my life a permanent service of others?
• Jesus knew how to live together with
persons who did not accept him. And I?
5) CONCLUDING PRAYER
I shall sing the faithful love of Yahweh
for ever,
from age to age my lips shall declare your constancy,
for you have said: love is built to last for ever,
you have fixed your constancy firm in the heavens. (Sal 89,1-2)
from age to age my lips shall declare your constancy,
for you have said: love is built to last for ever,
you have fixed your constancy firm in the heavens. (Sal 89,1-2)
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