Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle
Lectionary: 564
Lectionary: 564
Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers and sisters
(there was a group of about one hundred and twenty persons
in the one place).
He said, “My brothers and sisters,
the Scripture had to be fulfilled
which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand
through the mouth of David, concerning Judas,
who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus.
Judas was numbered among us
and was allotted a share in this ministry.
For it is written in the Book of Psalms:
Let his encampment become desolate,
and may no one dwell in it.
and:
May another take his office.
Therefore, it is necessary that one of the men
who accompanied us the whole time
the Lord Jesus came and went among us,
beginning from the baptism of John
until the day on which he was taken up from us,
become with us a witness to his resurrection.”
So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas,
who was also known as Justus, and Matthias.
Then they prayed,
“You, Lord, who know the hearts of all,
show which one of these two you have chosen
to take the place in this apostolic ministry
from which Judas turned away to go to his own place.”
Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias,
and he was counted with the Eleven Apostles.
(there was a group of about one hundred and twenty persons
in the one place).
He said, “My brothers and sisters,
the Scripture had to be fulfilled
which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand
through the mouth of David, concerning Judas,
who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus.
Judas was numbered among us
and was allotted a share in this ministry.
For it is written in the Book of Psalms:
Let his encampment become desolate,
and may no one dwell in it.
and:
May another take his office.
Therefore, it is necessary that one of the men
who accompanied us the whole time
the Lord Jesus came and went among us,
beginning from the baptism of John
until the day on which he was taken up from us,
become with us a witness to his resurrection.”
So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas,
who was also known as Justus, and Matthias.
Then they prayed,
“You, Lord, who know the hearts of all,
show which one of these two you have chosen
to take the place in this apostolic ministry
from which Judas turned away to go to his own place.”
Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias,
and he was counted with the Eleven Apostles.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 113:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
R. (8) The
Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise, you servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD
both now and forever.
R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
From the rising to the setting of the sun
is the name of the LORD to be praised.
High above all nations is the LORD;
above the heavens is his glory.
R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Who is like the LORD, our God, who is enthroned on high
and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?
R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He raises up the lowly from the dust;
from the dunghill he lifts up the poor
To seat them with princes,
with the princes of his own people.
R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise, you servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD
both now and forever.
R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
From the rising to the setting of the sun
is the name of the LORD to be praised.
High above all nations is the LORD;
above the heavens is his glory.
R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Who is like the LORD, our God, who is enthroned on high
and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?
R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He raises up the lowly from the dust;
from the dunghill he lifts up the poor
To seat them with princes,
with the princes of his own people.
R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
AlleluiaSEE JN 15:16
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
I chose you from the world,
to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I chose you from the world,
to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelJN 15:9-17
Jesus said to his disciples:
"As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father's commandments
and remain in his love.
"I have told you this so that my joy might be in you
and your joy might be complete.
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one's life for one's friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another."
"As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father's commandments
and remain in his love.
"I have told you this so that my joy might be in you
and your joy might be complete.
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one's life for one's friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another."
Meditation: Receive
the fullness of God's love and joy
How can love lead to immeasurable joy? Jesus tells his
disciples that he is united with his Father in heaven in a perfect bond of
mutual love, honor, and joy in one another. Their love is inseparable and
unbreakable. That is why the Son delights in obeying the eternal Father who
loves him with infinite love. The Father and Son invite all to join in their
eternal bond of love and friendship. How can we enter into that unbreakable
bond of love and friendship? Jesus, the Word of God who became flesh for
us, shows us the way - keep my word, keep my commandments. If you abide in my
word you will know my love and that love will fill you with immense joy - a joy
which is unsurpassing, exalted, and unfading (2 Peter 1:3,8).
A new command of love
Jesus' commands are not hard or burdensome for those who know his love and mercy. The Lord fills us with his Spirit and transforms our hearts to be like his heart. Paul the Apostle reminds us that "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment - a new way of love and fruitful service which is empowered by his Holy Spirit. We are called to love and serve others just as Jesus has loved us with heartfelt compassion, kindness, and mercy. Jesus proved his love for us by laying down his life for us, even to death on the cross. Our love for God is a response to his exceeding love for us through the gift of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus' commands are not hard or burdensome for those who know his love and mercy. The Lord fills us with his Spirit and transforms our hearts to be like his heart. Paul the Apostle reminds us that "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment - a new way of love and fruitful service which is empowered by his Holy Spirit. We are called to love and serve others just as Jesus has loved us with heartfelt compassion, kindness, and mercy. Jesus proved his love for us by laying down his life for us, even to death on the cross. Our love for God is a response to his exceeding love for us through the gift of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
How do we prove our love for God and grow in the
knowledge and depth of his unfathomable love? The same way Jesus did - by
embracing the way of the cross each and every day. What is the cross in
my life? When my will crosses with God's will,
then his will must be done. If we accept God's way of love,
truth, and wisdom, then we will discover the joy and freedom of loving,
serving, and laying down our lives for others, just as Jesus freely laid down
his life for each and every one of us. Do you know the joy of being united with
the Lord Jesus in a bond of unbreakable love and peace?
A Friend of God
One of the special marks of favor shown in the Scriptures is to be called the friend of God. God called Abraham his friend (Isaiah 41:8), and God spoke with Moses as a "man speaks with his friend" (Exodus 33:11). Jesus, the Lord and Master, calls the disciples his friends rather than his servants (John 15:15). What does it mean to be a friend of God? Friendship certainly entails a relationship of love which goes beyond mere duty or loyalty. Scripture tells us that "a friend loves at all times; and a brother is born for adversity" (Proverbs 17:17).
One of the special marks of favor shown in the Scriptures is to be called the friend of God. God called Abraham his friend (Isaiah 41:8), and God spoke with Moses as a "man speaks with his friend" (Exodus 33:11). Jesus, the Lord and Master, calls the disciples his friends rather than his servants (John 15:15). What does it mean to be a friend of God? Friendship certainly entails a relationship of love which goes beyond mere duty or loyalty. Scripture tells us that "a friend loves at all times; and a brother is born for adversity" (Proverbs 17:17).
The distinctive feature of Jesus' relationship with
his disciples was his personal and unconditional love and care for them. He
loved his own to the very end (John 13:1). He loved his disciples selflessly
and generously because his love was wholly directed to their good. His love was
costly and sacrificial - he gave not only the best he had, but all that he had.
He gave his very own life in order to bring the abundant everlasting life of
the eternal Father to those who believed in him.
The fire of Christ's love purifies and transforms
The love of Jesus Christ compels us to give our best not only to God but to our neighbor who is created in the image and likeness of God. God's love purifies and transforms us into the likeness of Christ. The Lord Jesus promises that those who abide in his love will bear much fruit for the kingdom of God - fruit that will last for eternity as well (John 15:16). If you seek to unite your heart with the heart of Jesus, your life will bear abundant fruit - the fruit which comes from the Holy Spirit who dwells within us - the fruit of love, joy, peace, goodness, and friendship which lasts forever (Galatians 5:22-23).
The love of Jesus Christ compels us to give our best not only to God but to our neighbor who is created in the image and likeness of God. God's love purifies and transforms us into the likeness of Christ. The Lord Jesus promises that those who abide in his love will bear much fruit for the kingdom of God - fruit that will last for eternity as well (John 15:16). If you seek to unite your heart with the heart of Jesus, your life will bear abundant fruit - the fruit which comes from the Holy Spirit who dwells within us - the fruit of love, joy, peace, goodness, and friendship which lasts forever (Galatians 5:22-23).
"Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit and
make me fruitful in your love, mercy, kindness, and compassion. May there be
nothing in my life which keeps me from your love and joy."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Love your enemy and make a friend, by
Gregory the Great, 540-604 A.D.
"The unique, the highest proof of love is this,
to love the person who is against us. This is why Truth himself bore the
suffering of the cross and yet bestowed his love on his persecutors, saying,
'Father, forgive them for they know not what they do' (Luke 23:34).
Why should we wonder that his living disciples loved their enemies, when their
dying master loved his? He expressed the depth of his love when he said, 'No
one has greater love that this, than that he lay down his life for his
friends' (John 15:13).'
The Lord had come to die even for his enemies, and yet he said he would lay
down his life for his friends to show us that when we are able to win over our
enemies by loving them, even our persecutors are our friends." (excerpt from FORTY GOSPEL HOMILIES 27)
FEAST OF SAINT MATTHIAS, APOSTLE
MONDAY, MAY 14, JOHN 15:9-17
(Acts 1:15-17, 20-26; Psalm 113)
MONDAY, MAY 14, JOHN 15:9-17
(Acts 1:15-17, 20-26; Psalm 113)
KEY VERSE: "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love" (v.9).
TO KNOW: Everything that Jesus said and did was in obedience to his Father's word. This same bond should exist between Jesus and his followers. John used two Greek words to define the meaning of the love that Jesus had for them. In the first instance, the word agape expressed the supernatural love of the Father and the Son. In the second occurrence, the word phileo was used, which referred to human affection and friendship. Jesus' disciples were his friends because he had revealed to them everything he heard from the Father. Servants did not have privileged information of what their master did. Jesus chose his friends to be the instruments of God's revelation to the world. Their task would be fruitful if they obeyed Jesus' command to love.
TO LOVE: Have I shown sacrificial love to my friends?
TO SERVE: Risen Lord, help your Church to hand on the faith that we have received, just as the apostles did in their time.
FEAST OF MATTHIAS, APOSTLE
In the Upper Room in Jerusalem the apostles gathered to pray. They cast lots to choose the one who would replace Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed the Lord. Matthias was chosen (Acts 1:24-26). As one of the Twelve he would bear witness to the Risen Christ Tradition says that Matthias preached the Gospel for more than 30 years in Judea, Cappadocia, Egypt and Ethiopia. He is remembered for preaching the need for mortification of the flesh with regard to all its sensual desires. A martyr, Matthias was stoned to death at Colchis in 80 AD. Some relics are in the church of Triers, and others are in Saint Mary Major in Rome.
In the Upper Room in Jerusalem the apostles gathered to pray. They cast lots to choose the one who would replace Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed the Lord. Matthias was chosen (Acts 1:24-26). As one of the Twelve he would bear witness to the Risen Christ Tradition says that Matthias preached the Gospel for more than 30 years in Judea, Cappadocia, Egypt and Ethiopia. He is remembered for preaching the need for mortification of the flesh with regard to all its sensual desires. A martyr, Matthias was stoned to death at Colchis in 80 AD. Some relics are in the church of Triers, and others are in Saint Mary Major in Rome.
Monday 14 May
2018
St Matthias.
Acts 1:15-17, 20-26. Psalm 112(113):1-8. John 15:9-17.
The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his
people—Psalm 112(113):1-8.
You did not choose me: no, I chose you.
Once chosen, there is a job to be done. Then and now, those who
are chosen are commissioned to lead others to God the Father through following
Jesus’ teaching.
Anyone chosen can fail, just as Judas failed. The love passed
down to Judas from the Father through the Son was replaced in Judas’ case by a
love of money. For us today, the choice, put simply, is between God and the ‘me
society’. Let us pray for the grace to love as Jesus loved and for the strength
to remain true to his teachings.
Saint Matthias
Saint of the Day for May 14
(? – ?)
 |
| “Saint Matthias” | Serra Brothers workshop |
Saint Matthias’ Story
According to Acts 1:15-26, during the days after the Ascension
Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers—about 120 of Jesus’ followers. Now
that Judas had betrayed his ministry, it was necessary, Peter said, to fulfill
the scriptural recommendation that another should take his office. “Therefore,
it is necessary that one of the men who accompanied us the whole time the Lord
Jesus came and went among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day
on which he was taken up from us, become with us a witness to his resurrection”
(Acts 1:21-22).
They nominated two men: Joseph Barsabbas and Matthias. They
prayed and drew lots. The choice fell upon Matthias, who was added to the
Eleven.
Matthias is not mentioned by name anywhere else in the New
Testament.
Reflection
What was the holiness of Matthias? Obviously, he was suited for
apostleship by the experience of being with Jesus from his baptism to his
ascension. He must also have been suited personally, or he would not have been
nominated for so great a responsibility. Must we not remind ourselves that the
fundamental holiness of Matthias was his receiving gladly the relationship with
the Father offered him by Jesus and completed by the Holy Spirit? If the
apostles are the foundations of our faith by their witness, they must also be
reminders, if only implicitly, that holiness is entirely a matter of God’s
giving, and it is offered to all, in the everyday circumstances of life. We
receive, and even for this God supplies the power of freedom.
LECTIO DIVINA: ST. MATTHIAS,
APOSTLE - JN 15:9-17
Lectio Divina:
Monday, May 14, 2018
1) OPENING PRAYER
Lord God,
Your apostle Matthias was a witness
to the life and death of Jesus Christ
and to His glorious resurrection.
May your people also today bear witness
to the life of Your Son
by living His life as best as they can,
and radiating the joy
of people who are rising with Him
to a new and deeper life.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Your apostle Matthias was a witness
to the life and death of Jesus Christ
and to His glorious resurrection.
May your people also today bear witness
to the life of Your Son
by living His life as best as they can,
and radiating the joy
of people who are rising with Him
to a new and deeper life.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
2) GOSPEL READING - JOHN
15:9-17
Jesus said to his disciples: "As
the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my
commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's
commandments and remain in his love. "I have told you this so that my joy
might be in you and your joy might be complete. This is my commandment: love
one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's
life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no
longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from
my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you
to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in
my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another."
3) REFLECTION
• Today is the Feast of the Apostle
Matthias.
• John 15:9-11: Remain in My
love, the source of perfect joy. Jesus remains in the love of the
Father observing the commandments that He received from Him. We remain in the
love of Jesus observing the commandments that He has left for us. And we should
observe them in the same measure in which He observed the commandments of the
Father: “If you keep My commandments you will remain in My love, just
as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. In this
union of love of the Father and of Jesus is found the source of true joy: “I
have told you this so that My own joy may be in you and your joy be complete.”
• John 15:12-13: To love one
another as He has loved us. The commandment of Jesus is only one: to
love one another as He has loved us! (Jn 15:12) Jesus surpasses the Old
Testament. The ancient criterion was the following: “You shall love your
neighbor as yourself” (Lev 18:19). The new criterion is this: “Love
one another as I have loved you.” It is the phrase that we
sing even today and which says, “There is no greater love than to give one’s
life for one’s brother!”
• John 15:14-15: Friends and not
servants. “You are My friends if you do what I command you,” that is,
the practice of love to the point of total gift of oneself! Immediately Jesus
presents a very high ideal for the life of His disciples. He says, “I shall
no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s
business. I call you friends because I have made known to you everything I have
learned from My Father!” Jesus no longer had any secrets for His
disciples. He tells us everything that He has heard from the Father! Behold the
wonderful ideal of life in community: to reach a total transparency, to the point
of not having any secrets among us and to have full trust in one another, to be
able to speak about the experience of God that we have and of life, and thus,
be able to enrich one another. The first Christians succeeded in reaching this
ideal after many years: “they had one only heart and one only
soul” (Acts 4:32; 1:14; 2:42-46).
This statement of Jesus is also a
reminder of what it means to believe in Him and be saved (Jn 3:16). To believe
is not an idle thought or a wish. It is an action – many actions. “You
are My friends if you do what I command you” means action.
Some communities think that one is saved by just a thought on their part, and
not doingwhat Jesus commanded. Love not only describes a relationship, it
is also an action verb!
• John 15:16-17: Jesus has
chosen us. We have not chosen Jesus. He met us, called us, and
entrusted a mission to us to go and bear fruit - a fruit which lasts. We need
Him, but He also chooses to need us and our work in order to be able to
continue to do today for the people as He did for the people of Galilee. The
final recommendation: “This is My commandment: to love one another!”
4) FOR PERSONAL CONSIDERATION
• To love our neighbor as Jesus has
loved us. This is the ideal of every Christian. What are my concrete and real
actions that show this?
• Do I make distinctions and only love
some, and others not so much?
• All that I have heard from the Father
I make known to you. This is the ideal of community: to attain total
transparency. How do I live this in my community, including family?
• Using concrete examples, what does
Jesus command me to do? How much do I really do?
• Is Jesus’ commandment only for certain
people or certain parts of the day or week, or is it for all day, every day?
5) CONCLUDING PRAYER
Praise, servants of Yahweh,
praise the name of Yahweh.
Blessed be the name of Yahweh,
henceforth and for ever. (Ps 113:1-2)
praise the name of Yahweh.
Blessed be the name of Yahweh,
henceforth and for ever. (Ps 113:1-2)
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