Saturday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Lectionary: 284
Lectionary: 284
On the following sabbath
almost the whole city
gathered to hear the word of the Lord.
When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy
and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said.
Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said,
“It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first,
but since you reject it
and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life,
we now turn to the Gentiles.
For so the Lord has commanded us,
I have made you a light to the Gentiles,
that you may be an instrument of salvation
to the ends of the earth.”
The Gentiles were delighted when they heard this
and glorified the word of the Lord.
All who were destined for eternal life came to believe,
and the word of the Lord continued to spread
through the whole region.
The Jews, however, incited the women of prominence who were worshipers
and the leading men of the city,
stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas,
and expelled them from their territory.
So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them
and went to Iconium.
The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.
almost the whole city
gathered to hear the word of the Lord.
When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy
and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said.
Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said,
“It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first,
but since you reject it
and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life,
we now turn to the Gentiles.
For so the Lord has commanded us,
I have made you a light to the Gentiles,
that you may be an instrument of salvation
to the ends of the earth.”
The Gentiles were delighted when they heard this
and glorified the word of the Lord.
All who were destined for eternal life came to believe,
and the word of the Lord continued to spread
through the whole region.
The Jews, however, incited the women of prominence who were worshipers
and the leading men of the city,
stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas,
and expelled them from their territory.
So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them
and went to Iconium.
The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 98:1, 2-3AB, 3CD-4
R. (3cd) All the
ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
AlleluiaJN 8:31B-32
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelJN 14:7-14
Jesus said to his disciples:
"If you know me, then you will also know my Father.
From now on you do know him and have seen him."
Philip said to Jesus,
"Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us."
Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you for so long a time
and you still do not know me, Philip?
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.
The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,
or else, believe because of the works themselves.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father.
And whatever you ask in my name, I will do,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it."
"If you know me, then you will also know my Father.
From now on you do know him and have seen him."
Philip said to Jesus,
"Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us."
Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you for so long a time
and you still do not know me, Philip?
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.
The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,
or else, believe because of the works themselves.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father.
And whatever you ask in my name, I will do,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it."
Meditation: "Lord, show us the
Father"
What’s the greatest thing we can aim for in this life?
- Is it not to know God personally as your Father and Redeemer? What is the
best thing we can possess in this life, bringing more joy, contentment, life
and happiness, than anything else? - Is it not true knowledge and understanding
of who God is and what kind of relationship he wants to have with you?
Scripture tells us the greatest thing we can know and possess is true knowledge
of God: Thus says the Lord: "Let not the wise man glory in his
wisdom, let not the mighty glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in
his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and
knows me" (Jeremiah 9:23-24).
We can know God the Father personally and be united
with him
One of the greatest truths of the Christian faith is that we can know the living God. Our knowledge of God is not simply limited to knowing something about God, but we can know God personally. The essence of Christianity, and what makes it distinct from Judaism and other religions, is the personal knowledge of God as our Father.
One of the greatest truths of the Christian faith is that we can know the living God. Our knowledge of God is not simply limited to knowing something about God, but we can know God personally. The essence of Christianity, and what makes it distinct from Judaism and other religions, is the personal knowledge of God as our Father.
Jesus makes it possible for each of us to personally
know God as our heavenly Father. To see Jesus is to see what God is like. In
Jesus we see the perfect love of God - a God who cares intensely and who yearns
over men and women, loving them to the point of laying down his life for them
upon the Cross. Jesus is the revelation of God - a God who loves us
unconditionally, unselfishly and perfectly - without neglecting or forgetting
us even for a brief moment. If we put our trust in Jesus and believe in him,
Jesus promises that God the Father will hear our prayers when we pray in his
name. That is why Jesus taught his followers to pray with confidence, Our
Father who art in heaven ..give us this day our daily bread (Matthew
6:9,11; Luke 11:2-3). Do you pray to your Father in heaven
with joy and confidence in his personal love and care for you?
"Lord Jesus, you fill us with the joy of your
saving presence and you give us the hope of everlasting life with God our
Father in Heaven. Show me the Father that I may know and glorify him
always."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: The Father's portrait in the Son, by
Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D.
"By means of this image the Lord showed Philip
the Father. Yes, he who looks on the Son sees, in portrait, the Father. Notice
what kind of portrait is spoken of. It is truth, righteousness, the power of
God. It is not silent, for it is the Word. It is not insensible, for it is
Wisdom. It is not vain and foolish, for it is power. It is not soulless, for it
is the life. It is not dead, for it is the resurrection." (excerpt from ON THE CHRISTIAN FAITH 1.7.50)
SATURDAY,
APRIL 28, JOHN 14:7-14
Easter Weekday
(Acts 13:44-52; Psalm 98)
Easter Weekday
(Acts 13:44-52; Psalm 98)
KEY VERSE: "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father" (v.9).
TO KNOW: Jesus came to reveal God the Father. His words and works testified to the life and truth that he shared with the Father. Philip asked for some manifestation (theophany) of God such as Moses experienced on Mount Sinai (Ex 33:18). Jesus said that if they really understood who he was, they would "see" the Father in him. Although God is Spirit, Jesus is the living revelation of God the Father who acts in and through him. If his disciples could not believe Jesus' words, at least they could believe in the works he had done. Jesus assured his followers that if they had faith in him, they would accomplish even greater works. He promised to empower the Church to act in his name through the coming of the Holy Spirit.
TO LOVE: In what ways do I see Jesus working through me? Am I able to see him working in others?
TO SERVE: Risen Lord, help me to understand the Divine mystery you came to reveal.
Optional Memorial of Saint Peter Chanel, priest and martyr
Peter Chanel was born in France and was ordained in 1827 at age 24. He was assigned to Crozet, a parish in decline, and brought about a spiritual revival. The reading of letters of missionaries in far-away lands inflamed his heart with zeal, and he resolved to devote his life to the Apostolate. He joined the Society of Mary (Marist Fathers) in 1831. He taught at the Belley seminary for five years, and led a band of missionaries to the New Hebrides in 1836, an area where cannibalism had only recently been outlawed. He learned the local language, and taught in the local school. He converted many, in part because of his ministry to the sick. Niuliki, a native king who was jealous of his influence. Thus, on April 28, 1841, three years after his arrival, Peter was seized and clubbed to death by those he had come to serve. Within five months the entire island was converted to Christianity. Peter Chanel became the first martyr in Oceania.
Optional Memorial of Saint Louis
Grignion de Montfort, priest
Under the Blessed Virgin Mary's inspiration, to whom he was devoted, Louis Grignion de Montfort founded the Congregation of the Daughters of Divine Wisdom, a religious institute of women devoted to the care of the destitute. During this work, he began his apostolate of preaching the Rosary and authentic Marian devotion. He preached so effectively against the errors of Jansenism that he was expelled from several dioceses in France. In Rome Pope Clement XI conferred on him the title and authority of Missionary Apostolic, which enabled him to continue his work. Louis was one of the greatest apostles of the Rosary in his day, and by means of his inspiring book, The Secret of the Rosary, he is still so today. The most common manner of reciting the Rosary is the method that originated with Saint Louis's preaching. In 1715, he founded a missionary band known as the Company of Mary.
NOTE: Jansenism refers to the austere doctrines of Cornelius Jansen who denied free will, and held that human beings, depraved in nature, were unable to resist God's grace. Jansenist teaching was akin to Calvin's doctrine of predestination. Jansenism was condemned by Pope Innocent X in 1653, and by Clement XI in 1713. The strict and morally rigorous movement lingered on, and continued to have an influence on moral and spiritual writing.
Saturday 28
April 2018
St Peter Chanel.
Acts 13:44-52. Psalm 97(98):1-4. John 14:7-14.
All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power
of God—Psalm 97(98):1-4.
Or else believe me for the sake of the works
themselves.
So
often we hear non-believers ask, ‘How can you believe in God?’ But if we look
at the legacy left by Jesus, how can we not? There are differences among the
gospel writers on some points, but no one could deny that Jesus existed or
that he had a profound effect on the world. His words, actions and
teachings were revolutionary at the time and still are now.
The
more I study the actions of Jesus, the more moved I am by the person that he
was and the more I am inspired to look for signs of Jesus in those around me.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells Philip that those who believe in him will also
do the acts that he does, and greater, because they believe in him. Let this be
our challenge today.
Saint Peter Chanel
Saint of the Day for April 28
(1803 – April 28, 1841)
Saint Peter Chanel’s Story
Anyone who has worked in loneliness, with great adaptation
required and with little apparent success, will find a kindred spirit in Peter
Chanel.
Born in France, Peter’s interest in the missions began in
school, when he read letters missionaries to America sent back home. As a young
priest, Peter revived a parish in a “bad” district by the simple method of
showing great devotion to the sick. Wanting to be a missionary, he joined the Society
of Mary, the Marists, at 28. Obediently, he taught in the seminary for five
years. Then, as superior of seven Marists, he traveled to Western Oceania. The
bishop accompanying the missionaries left Peter and a brother on Futuna Island
northeast of Fiji, promising to return in six months. He was gone five years.
Meanwhile, Peter struggled with this new language and mastered
it, making the difficult adjustment to life with whalers, traders, and warring
natives. Despite little apparent success and severe want, he maintained a
serene and gentle spirit, plus endless patience and courage. A few natives had
been baptized, a few more were being instructed. When the chieftain’s son asked
to be baptized, persecution by the chieftain reached a climax. Father Chanel
was clubbed to death.
Within two years after his death, the whole island became
Catholic and has remained so. He was canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1954. Peter
Chanel is the first martyr of Oceania and its patron.
Reflection
Suffering for Christ means suffering because we are like Christ.
Very often the opposition we meet is the result of our own selfishness or
imprudence. We are not martyrs when we are “persecuted” by those who merely treat
us as we treat them. A Christian martyr is one who, like Christ, is simply a
witness to God’s love, and brings out of human hearts the good or evil that is
already there.
Saint Peter Chanel is the Patron Saint of:
Oceania
LECTIO DIVINA: JOHN 14,7-14
Lectio Divina:
Saturday, April 28, 2018
Easter Time
1) OPENING PRAYER
Lord our God,
you are distant and unknown, and yet so near
that you know and love and save us
through your Son Jesus Christ.
May he be present in us and in our actions
that we may do the same works
of justice, truth and loving service
and thus become the sign to the world
that your Son is alive
and that you are a saving God
now and for ever.
you are distant and unknown, and yet so near
that you know and love and save us
through your Son Jesus Christ.
May he be present in us and in our actions
that we may do the same works
of justice, truth and loving service
and thus become the sign to the world
that your Son is alive
and that you are a saving God
now and for ever.
2) GOSPEL READING - JOHN
14,7-14
Jesus said to his disciples: "If
you know me, you will know my Father too. From this moment you know him and have
seen him.
Philip said, 'Lord, show us the Father
and then we shall be satisfied.' Jesus said to him,
'Have I been with you all this time,
Philip, and you still do not know me? 'Anyone who has seen me has seen the
Father, so how can you say, "Show us the Father"? Do you not believe
that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? What I say to you I do not
speak of my own accord: it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his works.
You must believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me;
or at least believe it on the evidence of these works.
In all truth I tell you, whoever
believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself, and will perform
even greater works, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my
name I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me
anything in my name, I will do it.
3) REFLECTION
• John 14, 7: To know Jesus is to know
the Father. The text of today’s Gospel is the continuation of that of
yesterday. Thomas had asked: “Lord we do not know where you are going, how can
we know the way?” Jesus answers: “I am the Way, I am Truth and Life! No one can
come to the Father except through me.” And he adds: “If you know me, you will
know the Father too. From this moment you know him and have seen him”. This is
the first phrase of today’s Gospel. Jesus always speaks of the Father, because
it was the life of the Father which appeared in all that he said and did. This
constant reference to the Father provokes Philip’s question.
• John 14, 8-11: Philip asks: “Lord,
show us the Father and then we will be satisfied!” This was the desire of the
disciples, the desire of many persons of the communities of the Beloved
Disciple and it is the desire of many people today: What do people do to see
the Father of whom Jesus speaks so much? The response of Jesus is very
beautiful and is valid even now: “Have I been with you all this time, Philip,
and you still do not know me! Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!”
People should not think that God is far away from us, distant and unknown.
Anyone who wants to know how and who God the Father is, it suffices that he
looks at Jesus. He has revealed him in his words and gestures of his life! “I
am in the Father and the Father is in me!” Through his obedience, Jesus
identified himself totally with the Father. At every moment he did what the
Father asked him to do (Jn 5, 30; 8, 28-29.38). This is why, in Jesus
everything is revelation of the Father! And the signs and the works are the
works of the Father! As people say: “The son is the face of the father!” This
is why in Jesus and for Jesus, God is in our midst.
• John 14, 12-14: The Promise of Jesus.
Jesus makes a promise to say that his intimacy with the Father is not his
privilege only, but that it is possible for all those who believe in him. We
also, through Jesus, can succeed in doing beautiful things for others as Jesus
did for the people of his time. He intercedes for us. Everything that people
ask him for; he asks the Father and always obtains it. as long as it is to
render service. Jesus is our advocate, he defends us. He leaves but he does not
leave us defenceless. He promises that he will ask the Father and the Father
will send another advocate or consoler, the Holy Spirit. Jesus even says that
it is necessary for him to leave, because otherwise the Holy Spirit will not be
able to come (Jn 16, 7). And the Holy Spirit will fulfil the things of Jesus in
us, if we act in the name of Jesus and we observe the great commandment of the
practice of love.
4) PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• To know Jesus is to know the Father.
In the Bible the word “to know a person” is not only an intellectual
understanding, but it also presupposes a profound experience of the presence of
the person in one’s life. Do I know Jesus?
• Do I know the Father?
5) CONCLUDING PRAYER
The whole wide world has seen
the saving power of our God.
Acclaim Yahweh, all the earth,
burst into shouts of joy! (Ps 98,3-4)
the saving power of our God.
Acclaim Yahweh, all the earth,
burst into shouts of joy! (Ps 98,3-4)
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