Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Lectionary: 293
Lectionary: 293
After Paul's escorts had taken him to Athens,
they came away with instructions for Silas and Timothy
to join him as soon as possible.
Then Paul stood up at the Areopagus and said:
"You Athenians, I see that in every respect
you are very religious.
For as I walked around looking carefully at your shrines,
I even discovered an altar inscribed, 'To an Unknown God.'
What therefore you unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you.
The God who made the world and all that is in it,
the Lord of heaven and earth,
does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands,
nor is he served by human hands because he needs anything.
Rather it is he who gives to everyone life and breath and everything.
He made from one the whole human race
to dwell on the entire surface of the earth,
and he fixed the ordered seasons and the boundaries of their regions,
so that people might seek God,
even perhaps grope for him and find him,
though indeed he is not far from any one of us.
For 'In him we live and move and have our being,'
as even some of your poets have said,
'For we too are his offspring.'
Since therefore we are the offspring of God,
we ought not to think that the divinity is like an image
fashioned from gold, silver, or stone by human art and imagination.
God has overlooked the times of ignorance,
but now he demands that all people everywhere repent
because he has established a day on which he will 'judge the world
with justice' through a man he has appointed,
and he has provided confirmation for all
by raising him from the dead."
When they heard about resurrection of the dead,
some began to scoff, but others said,
"We should like to hear you on this some other time."
And so Paul left them.
But some did join him, and became believers.
Among them were Dionysius,
a member of the Court of the Areopagus,
a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
After this he left Athens and went to Corinth.
they came away with instructions for Silas and Timothy
to join him as soon as possible.
Then Paul stood up at the Areopagus and said:
"You Athenians, I see that in every respect
you are very religious.
For as I walked around looking carefully at your shrines,
I even discovered an altar inscribed, 'To an Unknown God.'
What therefore you unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you.
The God who made the world and all that is in it,
the Lord of heaven and earth,
does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands,
nor is he served by human hands because he needs anything.
Rather it is he who gives to everyone life and breath and everything.
He made from one the whole human race
to dwell on the entire surface of the earth,
and he fixed the ordered seasons and the boundaries of their regions,
so that people might seek God,
even perhaps grope for him and find him,
though indeed he is not far from any one of us.
For 'In him we live and move and have our being,'
as even some of your poets have said,
'For we too are his offspring.'
Since therefore we are the offspring of God,
we ought not to think that the divinity is like an image
fashioned from gold, silver, or stone by human art and imagination.
God has overlooked the times of ignorance,
but now he demands that all people everywhere repent
because he has established a day on which he will 'judge the world
with justice' through a man he has appointed,
and he has provided confirmation for all
by raising him from the dead."
When they heard about resurrection of the dead,
some began to scoff, but others said,
"We should like to hear you on this some other time."
And so Paul left them.
But some did join him, and became believers.
Among them were Dionysius,
a member of the Court of the Areopagus,
a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
After this he left Athens and went to Corinth.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 148:1-2, 11-12, 13, 14
R. Heaven
and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you his angels;
praise him, all you his hosts.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the kings of the earth and all peoples,
the princes and all the judges of the earth,
Young men too, and maidens,
old men and boys.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
His majesty is above earth and heaven.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has lifted up the horn of his people;
Be this his praise from all his faithful ones,
from the children of Israel, the people close to him.
Alleluia.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you his angels;
praise him, all you his hosts.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the kings of the earth and all peoples,
the princes and all the judges of the earth,
Young men too, and maidens,
old men and boys.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
His majesty is above earth and heaven.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has lifted up the horn of his people;
Be this his praise from all his faithful ones,
from the children of Israel, the people close to him.
Alleluia.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
AlleluiaJN 14:16
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
I will ask the Father
and he will give you another Advocate
to be with you always.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I will ask the Father
and he will give you another Advocate
to be with you always.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelJN 16:12-15
Jesus said to his disciples:
"I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.
But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,
he will guide you to all truth.
He will not speak on his own,
but he will speak what he hears,
and will declare to you the things that are coming.
He will glorify me,
because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.
Everything that the Father has is mine;
for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine
and declare it to you."
"I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.
But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,
he will guide you to all truth.
He will not speak on his own,
but he will speak what he hears,
and will declare to you the things that are coming.
He will glorify me,
because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.
Everything that the Father has is mine;
for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine
and declare it to you."
Meditation: The Holy Spirit will guide you
into all the truth
Do you live in the shadow of doubt and uncertainty or
in the light of God's truth and revelation? Jesus proclaims that he is the
Truth, the Way, and the Life (John 14:6). Truth is not something we create nor
is it our discovery. It is the gift of God who is the possessor and giver of
all truth. Jesus tells his disciples that it is the role of the Holy Spirit to
reveal what is true, right, and good. How can this be? Many skeptics of truth
don't want to believe in an absolute, objective, and unchanging Truth. If truth
is objective then it must be asserted to as trustworthy and right and be
submitted to as authoritative and binding.
Some fear the truth because they think it will inhibit
their freedom to think, judge, and act as they wish. Jesus told his disciples
that the truth will set you free (John 8:32). The truth
liberates us from whatever is false, misleading, doubtful, or deceptive. In God
there is no lie or falsehood since he is utterly true, good, and just. Since he
is the author and source of all that is true and good, then the closer we draw
near to him in order to listen to his word and understand his mind and will for
us, the more we will grow in the knowledge of God and of his great love,
wisdom, and plan for us.
The Spirit of truth
Jesus told his disciples that he would send them the Spirit of truth who will guide you into all the truth ..and declare to you the things that are to come (John 16:13). Jesus knew that his disciples could not fully understand on their own everything he had taught and revealed to them while he was physically present with them. He knew that they would need the ongoing guidance and help of the Holy Spirit after he returned to his Father in heaven. That is why he assured them that the Holy Spirit would take what he had spoken to them and guide them into a fuller understanding of God's wisdom, power, and glory he wished to share with them so they could live in the joy and freedom of his love and truth.
Jesus told his disciples that he would send them the Spirit of truth who will guide you into all the truth ..and declare to you the things that are to come (John 16:13). Jesus knew that his disciples could not fully understand on their own everything he had taught and revealed to them while he was physically present with them. He knew that they would need the ongoing guidance and help of the Holy Spirit after he returned to his Father in heaven. That is why he assured them that the Holy Spirit would take what he had spoken to them and guide them into a fuller understanding of God's wisdom, power, and glory he wished to share with them so they could live in the joy and freedom of his love and truth.
Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) explains the
progressive work of the Spirit in guiding the disciples of Jesus in all the
truth:
"Accordingly, when he says, 'He will
teach you all truth' or 'will guide you into all truth,' I do not think the
fulfillment is possible in anyone's mind in this present life. For who is
there, while living in this corruptible and soul-oppressing body (Wisdom 9:15),
that can know all truth when even the apostle says, 'We know in part'? But it
is effected by the Holy Spirit, of whom we have now received the promise (2
Corinthians 1:21), that we shall attain also to the actual fullness of
knowledge that the same apostle references when he says, 'But then face to
face' and 'Now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known'
(1 Corinthians 13:12). He is not talking about something he knows fully in this
life but about something that would still be in the future when he would attain
that perfection. This is what the Lord promised us through the love of the
Spirit, when he said, 'He will teach you all truth' or 'will guide you unto all
truth.'" (TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 96.4)
On the day of Pentecost
after the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the first disciples of Jesus, the
apostles boldly began to carry out the mission Jesus had entrusted to them - to
proclaim the truth of the Gospel and to make
disciples [followers of Jesus] of all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all
that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you always, to the close of
the age (Matthew 28:19-20).
The Holy Spirit is our Teacher and Helper
Today, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we, too, proclaim the same ancient faith which the apostles taught - that Jesus died, and was buried, and rose again on the third day, and will come again to judge, raise the dead, and give everlasting life (from the Apostles Creed). We not only share the same faith which was given to the apostles, we also have the same Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead. The Lord Jesus gives each of us his Holy Spirit as our divine Teacher and Helper that we may grow in the knowledge, wisdom, and strength of God. Do you listen attentively to God's word and allow his Holy Spirit to give you understanding of God's truth and plan for your life?
Today, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we, too, proclaim the same ancient faith which the apostles taught - that Jesus died, and was buried, and rose again on the third day, and will come again to judge, raise the dead, and give everlasting life (from the Apostles Creed). We not only share the same faith which was given to the apostles, we also have the same Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead. The Lord Jesus gives each of us his Holy Spirit as our divine Teacher and Helper that we may grow in the knowledge, wisdom, and strength of God. Do you listen attentively to God's word and allow his Holy Spirit to give you understanding of God's truth and plan for your life?
"Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit and
guide me in your way of life, truth, and goodness. Free me from ignorance of
your truth, and from deception and moral blindness caused by sinful pride and
the refusal to believe and obey your word of truth. May I love you with all of
my heart, mind, and strength, and seek to please you in all things."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: The Spirit makes Christ known, by
Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"He [the Holy Spirit] will make me clearly known
by pouring love into the hearts of believers and making them spiritual and thus
able to see that the Son whom they had known before only according to the flesh
- and who they thought was only a man like themselves - was equal to the Father.
Or at least, when his love filled them with boldness and cast out fear, they
would proclaim Christ to men and women, and in this way they would spread
Christ’s fame throughout the whole world... For what they were going to do in
the power of the Holy Spirit, this the Holy Spirit says he does himself." (excerpt from TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF
JOHN 100.1)
WEDNESDAY,
MAY 9, JOHN 16:12-15
Easter Weekday
(Acts 17:15, 22 -- 18:1; Psalm 148)
Easter Weekday
(Acts 17:15, 22 -- 18:1; Psalm 148)
KEY VERSE: "But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth" (v.13).
TO KNOW: Jesus had so much to tell his disciples before his passion and death, but he promised them that the Holy Spirit would continue to enlighten their minds after his departure. Those things that confused and perplexed them would be clarified by the Spirit who would be their constant companion and would guide them to all truth. “Revelation” is the word for bringing God's truth to people. The divine revelation of the Father and Son through the Spirit was transmitted by the apostles and the evangelists through their teaching, example, institutions and writings. This "Apostolic Tradition" has been preserved by the Spirit in the doctrine, worship and sacraments of the Church. Divine revelation did not cease with the death of the apostles. The Spirit continues to interpret Christ's eternal message of love and truth for each generation.
TO LOVE: Do I hand on the faith that I have received to others?
TO SERVE: Risen Lord, help the Church to grow in knowledge and wisdom of God's truth.
Wednesday 9 May
2018
Acts 17:15, 22-18:1. Psalm 148:1-2, 11-14. John 16:12-15.
Heaven and earth are filled with your glory—Psalm 148:1-2,
11-14.
The Spirit will lead you to the truth.
For Jesus, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth, whose great
work is to bring God’s truth to us. We have a special name for this bringing of
God’s truth: revelation.
Part of the greatness of Jesus is his inexhaustibility. No one has
ever grasped all that he came to say. No one person has fully worked out all
the significance of his teaching for life and belief, for the individual and
the world, for society and the nation.
Revelation comes to us, not from any book or creed, but from a
living person. The nearer we live to Christ, the better we will know him. The
more we become like him, the more he will have to say to us.
Saint John of Avila
Saint of the Day for May 9
(c. 1500 – May 10, 1569)
 |
| Portrait of Juan de Ávila | El Greco |
Saint John of Avila’s Story
Born
in the Castile region of Spain, John was sent at the age of 14 to the
University of Salamanca to study law. He later moved to Alcala, where he
studied philosophy and theology before his ordination as a diocesan priest.
After
John’s parents died and left him as their sole heir to a considerable fortune,
he distributed his money to the poor. In 1527, he traveled to Seville, hoping
to become a missionary in Mexico. The archbishop of that city persuaded him to
stay and spread the faith in Andalusia. During nine years of work there, he
developed a reputation as an engaging preacher, a perceptive spiritual
director, and a wise confessor.
Because
John was not afraid to denounce vice in high places, he was investigated by the
Inquisition but was cleared in 1533. He later worked in Cordoba and then in
Granada, where he organized the University of Baeza, the first of several
colleges run by diocesan priests who dedicated themselves to teaching and
giving spiritual direction to young people.
He
was friends with Saints Francis Borgia, Ignatius of Loyola, John of God,
John of the Cross, Peter of Alcantara, and Teresa of Avila. John of Avila
worked closely with members of the Society of Jesus and helped their growth
within Spain and its colonies. John’s mystical writings have been translated
into several languages.
He
was beatified in 1894, canonized in 1970, and declared a doctor of the Church
on October 7, 2012.
Reflection
Saint John
of Avila knew that the lives of Christians can contradict the Good News of
Jesus Christ—for example thinking racism is OK—implicitly encouraging
Christians to live their faith-halfheartedly, and causing obstacles to
non-Christians who might accept Baptism. In 16th-century Spain, those who advocated reforming the
Church were often suspected of heresy. Saint John of Avila held his ground
and was eventually recognized as a very reliable teacher of the Christian
faith.
LECTIO DIVINA: JOHN 16:12-15
Lectio Divina:
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
1) OPENING PRAYER
Lord God, our Father,
You are not far away from any of us,
for in You we live and move and exist
and You live in us
through Your Holy Spirit.
Be indeed with us, Lord,
send us Your Holy Spirit of truth
and through Him deepen our understanding
of the life and message of Your Son,
that we may accept the full truth
and live by it consistently.
We ask You this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
You are not far away from any of us,
for in You we live and move and exist
and You live in us
through Your Holy Spirit.
Be indeed with us, Lord,
send us Your Holy Spirit of truth
and through Him deepen our understanding
of the life and message of Your Son,
that we may accept the full truth
and live by it consistently.
We ask You this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
2) GOSPEL READING - JOHN
16:12-15
Jesus said to his disciples: "I
have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the
Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own,
but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming.
He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to
you. Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he
will take from what is mine and declare it to you."
3) REFLECTION
• During the Easter Season, the Gospels
of each day are almost always taken from chapters 12 to 17 of the Gospel of
John. That reveals something regarding the origin and the destination of these
chapters. They not only show what happened before the Passion and the death of
Jesus, but also and above all, the living out of faith of the first communities
after the resurrection. They express the Paschal faith which animated them.
• John 16:12: I still have many things
to say to you. Today’s Gospel begins with this sentence: “I still have many
things to say to you but they would be too much for you to bear now.”
Jesus says two things: the farewell, which characterized the Last Supper, and
the concern of Jesus, the older brother, for His younger brothers, who within a
brief time will be left without His presence. The time left was very short. The
work begun was not yet complete. The disciples were just at the beginning of
their apprenticeship. Three years are a very short time to change life and to
begin to live and to think in a new image of God. Their formation was not yet
finished. Much was still lacking and Jesus still had many things to teach them
and to transmit to them, but He knows His disciples. They are not among the
most intelligent. They would not be capable of knowing all the consequences and
implications of discipleship now. They would become discouraged. They would not
be able to bear this.
• John 16:13-15: The Holy Spirit will
come to their help. “However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will lead you
to the complete truth, since He will not be speaking of His own accord, but
will say only what He has been told and He will reveal to you the things to
come. He will glorify Me, since all He reveals to you will be taken from what
is Mine.” Jesus’ assertion shows the experience of the first
communities. In the measure in which they sought to imitate Jesus, trying to
interpret and apply His Word to the various circumstances of their life, they
experienced the presence and the light of the Spirit. This even happens today
in communities which try to incarnate the Word of Jesus in their life.
The root of this experience is Jesus’ message: “Everything the Father has is
Mine that is why I said, ‘all He reveals to you will be taken from what
is Mine.”
• The action of the Holy Spirit in the
Gospel of John. John uses many images and symbols to signify the action of the
Holy Spirit. As in creation (Gen 1:1), the Spirit also descends on Jesus, “in
the form of a dove, come from Heaven” (Jn 1:32). It is the beginning of the new
creation! Jesus speaks the words of God and communicates the Spirit without
reserve to us (Jn 3:34). His words are Spirit and Life (Jn 6:63). When Jesus
bids farewell, He says that He will send the Paraclete, Consoler, another
Defender, who will remain with us. It is the Holy Spirit (Jn 14:16-17). By His
Passion, death and Resurrection, Jesus won for us the gift of the Holy Spirit.
By Baptism all of us have received this same Spirit of Jesus (Jn 1:33). When He
appeared to the apostles, He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy
Spirit!” (Jn 20:22). The Spirit is like the water which springs from within the
people who believe in Jesus (Jn 7:37-39; 4:14). The first effect of the action
of the Spirit in us is reconciliation: “If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are
forgiven; if you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained.” (Jn 20:23). The
Spirit which Jesus communicates to us has multiple actions: consoles and
spreads (Jn 14:16), communicates truth (Jn 14:17; 16:13), makes us remember
what Jesus taught (Jn 14:26); will give witness to Jesus (Jn 15:26); manifests
the glory of Jesus (Jn 16:14), will convince the world concerning sin and
justice (Jn 16:8). The Spirit is given to us so that we may understand the
complete meaning of the words of Jesus (Jn 14:26; 16:12-13). Encouraged by the
Spirit of Jesus we can adore God in any place (Jn 4:23-24). Here lies the
liberty of the Spirit of which Saint Paul speaks: “Where the Spirit of the Lord
is, there is liberty” (2 Cor 3:17).
4) PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• How do I live my adherence to Jesus:
alone or in community?
• Has my participation in the community
led me to sometimes experience the light and the strength of the Holy Spirit?
• The instructions Jesus gave are
simple, yet can still be difficult to bear out in total fulfillment. How do I
let the Holy Spirit strengthen me and help me to devote myself to His works?
5) CONCLUDING PRAYER
The name of the Lord is sublime,
His splendor transcends earth and heaven.
For He heightens the strength of His people,
to the praise of all His faithful,
the people close to Him. (Ps 148:13-14)
His splendor transcends earth and heaven.
For He heightens the strength of His people,
to the praise of all His faithful,
the people close to Him. (Ps 148:13-14)
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