Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Lectionary: 291
Lectionary: 291
We set sail from Troas, making a straight run for Samothrace,
and on the next day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi,
a leading city in that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony.
We spent some time in that city.
On the sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river
where we thought there would be a place of prayer.
We sat and spoke with the women who had gathered there.
One of them, a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth,
from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God, listened,
and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention
to what Paul was saying.
After she and her household had been baptized,
she offered us an invitation,
"If you consider me a believer in the Lord,
come and stay at my home," and she prevailed on us.
and on the next day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi,
a leading city in that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony.
We spent some time in that city.
On the sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river
where we thought there would be a place of prayer.
We sat and spoke with the women who had gathered there.
One of them, a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth,
from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God, listened,
and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention
to what Paul was saying.
After she and her household had been baptized,
she offered us an invitation,
"If you consider me a believer in the Lord,
come and stay at my home," and she prevailed on us.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 149:1B-2, 3-4, 5-6A
AND 9B
R. (see 4a) The
Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches.
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches.
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
AlleluiaJN 15:26B, 27A
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
The Spirit of truth will testify to me, says the Lord,
and you also will testify.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Spirit of truth will testify to me, says the Lord,
and you also will testify.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelJN 15:26—16:4A
Jesus said to his disciples:
"When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father,
he will testify to me.
And you also testify,
because you have been with me from the beginning.
"I have told you this so that you may not fall away.
They will expel you from the synagogues;
in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you
will think he is offering worship to God.
They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me.
I have told you this so that when their hour comes
you may remember that I told you."
For the readings of the Optional Memorial of Saint Augustine of Canterbury, please go here.
"When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father,
he will testify to me.
And you also testify,
because you have been with me from the beginning.
"I have told you this so that you may not fall away.
They will expel you from the synagogues;
in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you
will think he is offering worship to God.
They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me.
I have told you this so that when their hour comes
you may remember that I told you."
For the readings of the Optional Memorial of Saint Augustine of Canterbury, please go here.
Meditation: "When
the Counselor comes, the Spirit of truth"
Where
do you find help and support when you most need it? True friendship is
strengthened in adversity. Jesus offers his disciples the best and truest of
friends. Who is this promised friend? Jesus calls the Holy Spirit our Counselor and Advocate (also
translated Paraclete or Helper). How does the Holy
Spirit help us as the counselor? Counselor is a legal term for
the person who defends someone against an adversary and who guides that person
during the ordeal of trial. The Holy Spirit is our Advocate and Helper who
guides and strengthens us and brings us safely through the challenges and adversities
we must face in this life.
Person
and role of the Holy Spirit
As Jesus approaches the hour he was to be glorified - through his death on the cross and his resurrection - he revealed more fully to his disciples the person and role of the Holy Spirit. What does Jesus tell us about the Holy Spirit? First, the Holy Spirit is inseparably one with the Father and the Son. It is the Holy Spirit who gives life - the very life of God - and who makes faith come alive in hearts and minds of people who are receptive to God's word.
As Jesus approaches the hour he was to be glorified - through his death on the cross and his resurrection - he revealed more fully to his disciples the person and role of the Holy Spirit. What does Jesus tell us about the Holy Spirit? First, the Holy Spirit is inseparably one with the Father and the Son. It is the Holy Spirit who gives life - the very life of God - and who makes faith come alive in hearts and minds of people who are receptive to God's word.
The
Holy Spirit makes it possible for us to know God personally. He gives us
experiential knowledge of God as our Father. The Spirit witnesses to our spirit
that the Father has indeed sent his only begotten Son into the world to redeem it
and has raised his Son, Jesus Christ, from the dead and has seated him at his
right hand in glory and power.
The
Holy Spirit reveals to us the knowledge, wisdom and plan of God for the ages
and the Spirit enables us to see with the "eyes of faith" what the
Father and the Son are doing. Through the gift and working of the Holy Spirit
we become witnesses to the great work of God in Christ Jesus.
Spirit
strengthens us in faith and courage
Jesus warned his disciples that they could expect persecution just as Jesus was opposed and treated with hostility. We have been given the Holy Spirit to help us live as disciples of Jesus Christ. The Spirit gives us courage and perseverance when we meet adversities and challenges. Do you pray for the Holy Spirit to strengthen you in faith, hope and love and to give you courage and perseverance when you meet adversities and challenges?
Jesus warned his disciples that they could expect persecution just as Jesus was opposed and treated with hostility. We have been given the Holy Spirit to help us live as disciples of Jesus Christ. The Spirit gives us courage and perseverance when we meet adversities and challenges. Do you pray for the Holy Spirit to strengthen you in faith, hope and love and to give you courage and perseverance when you meet adversities and challenges?
"O
merciful God, fill our hearts, we pray, with the graces of your Holy Spirit;
with love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, humility
and self-control. Teach us to love those who hate us; to pray for those who
despitefully use us; that we may be the children of your love, our Father, who
makes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and
on the unjust. In adversity grant us grace to be patient; in prosperity keep us
humble; may we guard the door of our lips; may we lightly esteem the pleasures
of this world, and thirst after heavenly things; through Jesus Christ our
Lord." (Prayer of Anselm, 1033-1109)
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: The Comforter is with us in our
troubles, by Cyril of Jerusalem, 430-543 A.D.
"He
is called the Comforter because he comforts and encourages us and helps our
infirmities. We do not know what we should pray for as we should, but the
Spirit himself makes intercession for us, with groanings that cannot be uttered
(Romans 8:26), that is, he makes intercession to God. Very often, someone has
been outraged and dishonored unjustly for the sake of Christ. Martyrdom is at
hand; tortures on every side, and fire, and sword, and savage beasts and the
pit. But the Holy Spirit softly whispers to him, 'Wait on the Lord' (Psalm
27:14). What is now happening to you is a small matter; the reward will be
great. Suffer a little while, and you will be with angels forever. 'The
sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that shall
be revealed in us' (Romans 8:18). He portrays to the person the kingdom of
heaven. He gives him a glimpse of the paradise of delight." (excerpt
from CATECHETICAL LECTURES 16.20)
MONDAY, MAY 27, JOHN 15:26--16:4a
Easter Weekday
(Acts 16:11-15; Psalm 149)
Easter Weekday
(Acts 16:11-15; Psalm 149)
KEY VERSE: "The hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God" (16:2).
TO KNOW: Jesus warned his followers that persecution and suffering awaited those who proclaimed the gospel. He told them that the Paraclete (Advocate) the "Spirit of truth" (Jn 15:26), would bear witness to his words and strengthen them in the coming trials. An age of oppression and, at times, violent persecution of the Church existed from the time of Christ's death until the Edict of Tolerance was issued by the Roman Emperor Constantine (312 CE). The original Greek word martus meant giving one's testimony in court. As so many valiant Christians chose to die rather than renounce their commitment to Christ, the focus changed to mean the "martyrs" who died giving testimony to their faith.
TO LOVE: Am I afraid to testify to the truth at home and at work?
TO SERVE: Risen Lord, give the Church the courage to be true to your words despite obstacles and suffering.
Memorial of Saint Augustine of Canterbury
Augustine of Canterbury was a monk and abbot of Saint Andrew's abbey in Rome. He was sent by Pope Gregory the Great with 40 brother monks, including Saint Lawrence of Canterbury, to evangelize the British Isles in 597. One of Augustine’s earliest converts was King Ethelberht who brought 10,000 of his people into the Church. Ordained a bishop in Gaul (modern France) by the archbishop of Arles, Augustine became the Bishop of the first Archbishop of Canterbury. He helped re-establish contact between the Celtic and Latin churches, though he could not bring about his desired uniformity of liturgy and practices between them. The limited success Augustine achieved in England before his death in 605, a short eight years after he arrived in England, would eventually bear fruit long afterward in the conversion of England. Augustine of Canterbury can truly be called the “Apostle of England.” Anglican Archbishops of Canterbury are still referred to as occupying the Chair of Augustine.
MEMORIAL DAY
"The memory of the righteous will be a blessing."
Proverbs 10: 7
Memorial Day, originally known as Decoration Day, was established in 1868 to commemorate those who had died in the Civil War. The first official observance included a program at the National Cemetery at Arlington and memorial services in various communities. General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic designated May 30, 1868, "as a day for strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, hamlet or churchyard in the land." Memorial Day was expanded after World War I to include American casualties of any war or military action. It is celebrated in most states on the last Monday in May.
Memorial Day, originally known as Decoration Day, was established in 1868 to commemorate those who had died in the Civil War. The first official observance included a program at the National Cemetery at Arlington and memorial services in various communities. General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic designated May 30, 1868, "as a day for strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, hamlet or churchyard in the land." Memorial Day was expanded after World War I to include American casualties of any war or military action. It is celebrated in most states on the last Monday in May.
Monday 27 May 2019
ST AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY.
Acts 16:11-15. Psalm 149:1-6, 9. John 15:26 – 16:4.
The Lord takes delight in his people – Psalm 149:1-6, 9.
‘You also are to testify because you have been with me from the
beginning.’
As we journey towards Pentecost, we hear the stories of the
early Christian church with a sense of familiarity. They are earthy stories of
conversion that ring true today. Lydia, ‘in the purple-dye trade’, therefore a
merchant, ‘listened to us, and the Lord opened her heart to accept what Paul
was saying’. She then offers the gift of hospitality, welcoming the disciples
into her home!
Let us pray for those initiated during the Easter Vigil. Are
there any new members of your community? Have you time for coffee with them, to
ask about their journey to faith? Listen with the ear of your heart and allow
the Lord to open your heart.
We are all on a continuing path of conversion of heart to Jesus
and we have much to learn from the newly initiated. We are God’s children, and
the Lord delights in us.
Saint Augustine of Canterbury
Saint of the Day for May 27
(? – May 26, 605)
 |
| Stained glass of Apostle to the English | photo by Lawrence, OP |
Saint Augustine of Canterbury’s Story
In the year 596, some 40 monks set out from Rome to evangelize
the Anglo-Saxons in England. Leading the group was Augustine, the prior of
their monastery. Hardly had he and his men reached Gaul when they heard stories
of the ferocity of the Anglo-Saxons and of the treacherous waters of the
English Channel. Augustine returned to Rome and to Gregory the Great—the pope
who had sent them—only to be assured by him that their fears were groundless.
Augustine set out again. This time the group crossed the English
Channel and landed in the territory of Kent, ruled by King Ethelbert, a pagan
married to a Christian, Bertha. Ethelbert received them kindly, set up a
residence for them in Canterbury and within the year, on Pentecost Sunday 597,
was himself baptized. After being consecrated a bishop in France, Augustine
returned to Canterbury, where he founded his see. He constructed a church and
monastery near where the present cathedral, begun in 1070, now stands. As the
faith spread, additional sees were established at London and Rochester.
Work was sometimes slow and Augustine did not always meet with
success. Attempts to reconcile the Anglo-Saxon Christians with the original
Briton Christians—who had been driven into western England by Anglo-Saxon
invaders—ended in dismal failure. Augustine failed to convince the Britons to
give up certain Celtic customs at variance with Rome and to forget their
bitterness, helping him evangelize their Anglo-Saxon conquerors.
Laboring patiently, Augustine wisely heeded the missionary principles—quite
enlightened for the times—suggested by Pope Gregory: purify rather than destroy
pagan temples and customs; let pagan rites and festivals be transformed into
Christian feasts; retain local customs as far as possible. The limited success
Augustine achieved in England before his death in 605, a short eight years
after his arrival, would eventually bear fruit long after in the conversion of
England. Augustine of Canterbury can truly be called the “Apostle of England.”
Reflection
Augustine of Canterbury comes across today as a very human
saint, one who could suffer like many of us from a failure of nerve. For
example, his first venture to England ended in a big U-turn back to Rome. He
made mistakes and met failure in his peacemaking attempts with the Briton
Christians. He often wrote to Rome for decisions on matters he could have
decided on his own had he been more self-assured. He even received mild
warnings against pride from Pope Gregory, who cautioned him to “fear lest,
amidst the wonders that are done, the weak mind be puffed up by self-esteem.”
Augustine’s perseverance amidst obstacles and only partial success teaches
today’s apostles and pioneers to struggle on despite frustrations and be
satisfied with gradual advances.
Saint Augustine of Canterbury is the Patron Saint of:
England
Lectio Divina: John 15:26 - 16:4a
Lectio Divina
Monday, May 27, 2019
1) Opening prayer
Lord our God,
if we really believe in You and in Your Son,
we cannot but be witnesses.
Send us Your Spirit of strength,
that we may give no flimsy excuses
for not standing up for You
and for the love and rights of our neighbor.
Make us only afraid
of betraying You and people
and of being afraid to bear witness.
We ask You this through Christ our Lord.
if we really believe in You and in Your Son,
we cannot but be witnesses.
Send us Your Spirit of strength,
that we may give no flimsy excuses
for not standing up for You
and for the love and rights of our neighbor.
Make us only afraid
of betraying You and people
and of being afraid to bear witness.
We ask You this through Christ our Lord.
2) Gospel Reading - John 15:26-16:4a
Jesus said to his disciples: "When the Advocate comes whom
I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the
Father, He will testify to me. And you also testify, because you have been with
me from the beginning. "I have told you this so that you may not fall
away. They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact, the hour is coming when
everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God. They will do
this because they have not known either the Father or me. I have told you this
so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you."
3) Reflection
• In chapters 15 to 17 of the Gospel of John, the horizon
extends beyond the historical moment of the Last Supper. Jesus prays to the
Father, “I pray not only for these but also for those who through their
teaching will come to believe in Me” (Jn 17:20). In these chapters, there is constant
reference to the action of the Spirit in the life of the communities after
Easter.
• John 16:26-27: The action of the Holy Spirit in the life of
the community. The first thing that the Spirit does is to give witness to
Jesus: “He will be My witness.” The Spirit is not a spiritual being without a
definition. No! He is the Spirit of Truth who comes from the Father, will be
sent by Jesus Himself, and introduces us to the complete truth (Jn 16:13). The
complete truth is Jesus Himself: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life!” (Jn
14:6). At the end of the first century, there were some Christians who were so
fascinated by the action of the Spirit that they no longer looked at Jesus.
They affirmed that now, after the Resurrection, it was no longer necessary to look
at Jesus of Nazareth, the one “who comes in the flesh.” They withdrew from
Jesus and remained only with the Spirit. They said, “Jesus is anathema!” (1 Cor
12:3). The Gospel of John takes a stand and does not permit the action of the
Spirit to be separated from the memory of Jesus of Nazareth. The Holy Spirit
cannot be isolated with an independent greatness, separated from the mystery of
the Incarnation. The Holy Spirit is inseparably united to the Father and to
Jesus. He is the Spirit of Jesus that the Father sends to us, that same Spirit
that Jesus has gained with His death and Resurrection. And we, receiving this
Spirit in Baptism, should be the prolongation of Jesus: “And you too will be
witnesses!” We can never forget that precisely on the eve of His death Jesus
promises the Spirit, in the moment when He gave Himself for His brothers.
Today, the Charismatic Movement insists on the action of the Spirit and does
much good, but it should always insist on more. It should also insist on
affirming that it is the Spirit of Jesus of Nazareth, who out of love for the
poor and the marginalized was persecuted, arrested and condemned to death.
Precisely because of this, He has promised us His Spirit in such a way that we,
after His death, continue His action and are for humanity the revelation of the
preferential love of the Father for the poor and the oppressed.
• John 16:1-2: Do not be afraid. The Gospel tells us that to be
faithful to Jesus will lead us to difficulties. The disciples will be excluded
from the Synagogue. They will be condemned to death. The same thing that
happened to Jesus will happen to them. This is why at the end of the first
century, there were people who, in order to avoid persecution, diluted or
watered down the message of Jesus transforming it into a Gnostic message:
vague, without any definition, and which did not contradict the ideology of the
Empire. To them is applied what Paul said: “They are afraid of the cross of
Christ” (Gal 6:12). John himself, in his letter, will say concerning them,
“There are many deceivers at large in the world, refusing to acknowledge Jesus
Christ as coming in human nature (He became man). They are the Deceiver; they
are the Antichrist!” (2 Jn 1:7). Thomas’ demand: “Unless I can see the holes
that the nails made in His hands and can put my finger into the holes they
made, and unless I can put my hand into His side, I refuse to believe.” (Jn
20:25) is another variant. The Risen Christ who promises to give us the gift of
the Spirit is Jesus of Nazareth who continues to have, even now, the signs of
torture and of the cross on His risen Body.
• John 16:3-4: They do not know what they do. They do all these
things “because they have never known either the Father or Me.” These people do
not have a correct image of God. They have a vague image of God, in the heart
and in the head. Their God is not the Father of Jesus Christ who gathers us all
together in unity and fraternity. For this reason Jesus was impelled to
say, “Father, forgive them, because they know not what they do.” (Lk 23:34).
Jesus was condemned by the religious authority because, according to their
idea, He had a false image of God. In the words of Jesus there is no hatred or
vengeance, but only compassion: they are ignorant brothers who know nothing of
our Father. This is another “Way” He teaches, as we talked about before, which
guides us especially in dealing with those of other religions or those
Christian denominations that have watered down His word in order to not be
inconvenienced in our society.
4) Personal questions
• The mystery of the Trinity is present in the affirmation of
Jesus, not as a theoretical truth, but as an expression of the Christian with
the mission of Christ. How do I describe my relationship to each of the three
persons of the Trinity?
• How do I live the action of the Spirit in my life in a visible way?
• “They have not known either the Father or Me” applies to one who believes wrongly, believes a false god, or one who is ignorant of God entirely or refuses to believe at all. This passage still applies to Christians in the Middle East just as it did then. It also applies to our experiences within secular society. What are all the ways we experience this lack of knowledge of the Father and the Son in our life today and how can we respond?
• How do I live the action of the Spirit in my life in a visible way?
• “They have not known either the Father or Me” applies to one who believes wrongly, believes a false god, or one who is ignorant of God entirely or refuses to believe at all. This passage still applies to Christians in the Middle East just as it did then. It also applies to our experiences within secular society. What are all the ways we experience this lack of knowledge of the Father and the Son in our life today and how can we respond?
5) Concluding Prayer
Sing a new song to Yahweh:
His praise in the assembly of the faithful!
Israel shall rejoice in its Maker,
the children of Zion delight in their king. (Ps 149:1-2)
His praise in the assembly of the faithful!
Israel shall rejoice in its Maker,
the children of Zion delight in their king. (Ps 149:1-2)
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