Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Lectionary: 292
Lectionary: 292
The crowd in Philippi joined in
the attack on Paul and Silas,
and the magistrates had them stripped
and ordered them to be beaten with rods.
After inflicting many blows on them,
they threw them into prison
and instructed the jailer to guard them securely.
When he received these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell
and secured their feet to a stake.
and the magistrates had them stripped
and ordered them to be beaten with rods.
After inflicting many blows on them,
they threw them into prison
and instructed the jailer to guard them securely.
When he received these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell
and secured their feet to a stake.
About midnight, while Paul and
Silas were praying
and singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened,
there was suddenly such a severe earthquake
that the foundations of the jail shook;
all the doors flew open, and the chains of all were pulled loose.
When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open,
he drew his sword and was about to kill himself,
thinking that the prisoners had escaped.
But Paul shouted out in a loud voice,
“Do no harm to yourself; we are all here.”
He asked for a light and rushed in and,
trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas.
Then he brought them out and said,
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus
and you and your household will be saved.”
So they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house.
He took them in at that hour of the night and bathed their wounds;
then he and all his family were baptized at once.
He brought them up into his house and provided a meal
and with his household rejoiced at having come to faith in God.
and singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened,
there was suddenly such a severe earthquake
that the foundations of the jail shook;
all the doors flew open, and the chains of all were pulled loose.
When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open,
he drew his sword and was about to kill himself,
thinking that the prisoners had escaped.
But Paul shouted out in a loud voice,
“Do no harm to yourself; we are all here.”
He asked for a light and rushed in and,
trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas.
Then he brought them out and said,
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus
and you and your household will be saved.”
So they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house.
He took them in at that hour of the night and bathed their wounds;
then he and all his family were baptized at once.
He brought them up into his house and provided a meal
and with his household rejoiced at having come to faith in God.
Responsorial
Psalm138:1-2AB, 2CDE-3, 7C-8
R. (7c) Your right hand saves
me, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple,
and give thanks to your name.
R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Because of your kindness and your truth,
you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Your right hand saves me.
The LORD will complete what he has done for me;
your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.
R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple,
and give thanks to your name.
R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Because of your kindness and your truth,
you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Your right hand saves me.
The LORD will complete what he has done for me;
your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.
R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
AlleluiaJN 16:7, 13
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I will send to you the Spirit of truth, says the Lord;
he will guide you to all truth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I will send to you the Spirit of truth, says the Lord;
he will guide you to all truth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelJN 16:5-11
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Now I am going to the one who sent me,
and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’
But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts.
But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go.
For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you.
But if I go, I will send him to you.
And when he comes he will convict the world
in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation:
sin, because they do not believe in me;
righteousness, because I am going to the Father
and you will no longer see me;
condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.”
“Now I am going to the one who sent me,
and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’
But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts.
But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go.
For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you.
But if I go, I will send him to you.
And when he comes he will convict the world
in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation:
sin, because they do not believe in me;
righteousness, because I am going to the Father
and you will no longer see me;
condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.”
Meditation: "I
will send the Counselor to you"
Why
does God seem far from us at times? Separation and loss of relationship often
lead to grief and pain. The apostles were filled with sorrow when Jesus spoke
about his imminent departure. Jesus explained that it was for their sake that
he must leave them and return to his Father. He promised, however, that
they would never be left alone. He will send in his place the best of friends,
the Holy Spirit.
Paul
reminds us that "nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ
Jesus" (Romans 8:39). By sending the Holy Spirit to his followers, the Lord
Jesus makes his presence known to us in a new and on-going way. We are not left
as orphans, but the Lord himself dwells within us through the power of the Holy
Spirit (2 Corinthians 4:9; 6:16b).
The
work of the Holy Spirit
Jesus tells his disciples three very important things about the work of the Holy Spirit - to convince the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment. The original word for convince also means convict. The Holy Spirit is our Sanctifier. He makes us holy as God is holy. He does this first by convicting us of our unbelief and sin and by bringing us humbly to the foot of the Cross. The Spirit convinces us of God's love and forgiveness and of our utter dependence on God for his mercy and grace. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to lead us from the error of our unbelief and sinful ways and to show us the way of love and truth.
Jesus tells his disciples three very important things about the work of the Holy Spirit - to convince the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment. The original word for convince also means convict. The Holy Spirit is our Sanctifier. He makes us holy as God is holy. He does this first by convicting us of our unbelief and sin and by bringing us humbly to the foot of the Cross. The Spirit convinces us of God's love and forgiveness and of our utter dependence on God for his mercy and grace. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to lead us from the error of our unbelief and sinful ways and to show us the way of love and truth.
The
Jews who had condemned Jesus as a blasphemer and false messiah thought they
were serving God rather than sinning when they crucified Jesus. When the Gospel
was later preached on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:37), many were pricked in
their heart and convicted of their sin. What made them change their mind about
Jesus? The Holy Spirit opened their hearts to recognize Jesus as the true
Messiah sent by the Father in heaven.
It
is the work of the Holy Spirit to both convict us of our unbelief and
wrongdoing and to convince us of God's truth. The Spirit convinces us of the
righteousness (moral truth and goodness) of Christ, backed by the fact that
Jesus rose again and went to his Father. The Holy Spirit also convicts us of
judgment. The Spirit gives us the inner and unshakable conviction that we shall
all stand before the judgment seat of God. God's judgments are just and good.
He not only forgives those who repent of their wrongdoing, he also vindicates
the innocent who have been unjustly treated and restores their rights and he
rewards those who have done what is just and good. When we heed his judgments
we find true peace, joy and reconciliation with God. Do you allow the Holy
Spirit free reign in your life that he may set you free from the grip of sin
and set you ablaze with the fire of God's love?
"Come
Holy Spirit, and let the fire of your love burn in my heart. Let me desire only
what is pure, lovely, holy and good and in accord with the will of God and give
me the courage to put away all that is not pleasing in your sight."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: Whatever is not of faith is sin,
by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"When
the Lord said of the Holy Spirit, 'He shall convict the world of sin,' he meant
unbelief. For this is what he meant when he said, “Of sin because they believed
not on me.' And he means the same when he says, 'If I had not come and spoken
to them, they should not have sin.' (John 15:22). He was not talking about [a
time] before they had no sin. Rather, he wanted to indicate that very lack of
faith by which they did not believe him even when he was present to them and
speaking to them. These were the people who belonged to 'the prince of the
power of the air, who now works in the children of unbelief' (Ephesians 2:2).
Therefore those in whom there is no faith are the children of the devil because
they have nothing in their inner being that would cause them to be forgiven for
whatever is committed either by human infirmity, ignorance or any evil will
whatever. But the children of God are those who certainly, if they should 'say
that they have no sin, deceive themselves, and the truth is not in them,' but
immediately (as it continues) 'when they confess their sins' (which the
children of the devil do not do, or do not do according to the faith which is
peculiar to the children of God), 'he is faithful and just to forgive them
their sins and to cleanse them from all unrighteousness'" (1 John
1:9). (excerpt from AGAINST TWO LETTERS OF THE PELAGIANS 3.4)
TUESDAY, MAY 19, JOHN 16:5-11
EASTER WEEKDAY
(Acts 16:22-34; Psalm 138)
EASTER WEEKDAY
(Acts 16:22-34; Psalm 138)
KEY VERSE: "For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you" (v.7).
TO KNOW: As Jesus prepared for his passion and death, he consoled his grief-stricken disciples. He promised them that when he ascended to the Father, the Spirit would be sent to comfort and empower them. John used legal language to describe the Spirit's work. The Spirit would act as an "advocate" of those who were falsely accused, and would "prosecute" those who refused to believe in Jesus. In the eyes of the world, Jesus was put on trial, found guilty, and sentenced to die in disgrace. But the Spirit proved the world wrong, and the judgment was reversed. The ruler of darkness was the one who was tried, convicted and condemned. Truth triumphed and justice prevailed.
TO LOVE: Do I defend others when they are falsely accused?
TO SERVE: Risen Lord, send your Spirit to help the Church bear witness to your truth.
Tuesday 19 May 2020
Acts 16:22-34. Your right hand has saved me, O
Lord – Psalm 137(138):1-3, 7-8. John 16:5-11.
Unless I go, the Advocate will not come to you
Today’s readings are rich with symbolism and yet offer a real
and pertinent sense of God’s presence. Paul and Silas are broken out of jail,
and instead of running, they sing hymns and console their jailer. Recently, I
have been reading the words of Pedro Arrupe SJ, superior general of the Jesuits
from the 1960s-80s. He had been a missionary to Japan and at one point was
jailed for suspected subversion. He spoke in his memoirs of the deepest
consolation of hearing the soft singing of Christmas hymns one night. His
people had risked their lives to remind Arrupe that they were with him, and
that God was present. Arrupe was released from jail, and like St Paul, thanked
his jailers for allowing him to know and enter into the suffering of the
Christian life. In the deepest, most despairing of circumstances, the Holy
Spirit was there. Where can we too see whispers of that advocate in our lives?
Saint Theophilus of Corte
Saint of the Day for May 19
(October 30, 1676 – June 17, 1740)
 |
| Statue de Saint Théophile de Corte | photo by Pierre Bona |
Saint Theophilus of Corte’s Story
If we expect saints to do marvelous things continually and to
leave us many memorable quotes, we are bound to be disappointed with Saint
Theophilus. The mystery of God’s grace in a person’s life, however, has a
beauty all its own.
Theophilus was born in Corsica of rich and noble parents. As a
young man, he entered the Franciscans and soon showed his love for solitude and
prayer. After admirably completing his studies, he was ordained and assigned to
a retreat house near Subiaco. Inspired by the austere life of the Franciscans
there, he founded other such houses in Corsica and Tuscany. Over the years, he
became famous for his preaching as well as his missionary efforts.
Though he was always somewhat sickly, Theophilus generously
served the needs of God’s people in the confessional, in the sickroom, and at
the graveside. Worn out by his labors, he died on June 17, 1740. He was
canonized in 1930.
Reflection
There is a certain dynamism in all the saints that prompts them
to find ever more selfless ways of responding to God’s grace. As time went on,
Theophilus gave more and more single-hearted service to God and to God’s sons
and daughters. Honoring the saints will make no sense unless we are thus drawn
to live as generously as they did. Their holiness can never substitute for our
own.
Lectio Divina: John 16:5-11
Lectio Divina
Tuesday, May 19, 2020
1) Opening prayer
Lord our God,
if we really believe in You and in Your Son,
we cannot be but 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 be but 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 16:5-11
Jesus said to his disciples: "Now I am going to the one who
sent me, and not one of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' But because I told
you this, grief has filled your hearts. But I tell you the truth, it is better
for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But
if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes he will convict the world in
regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation: sin, because they do not
believe in me; righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no
longer see me; condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been
condemned."
3) Reflection
• John 16:5-7: The sadness of the disciples. Jesus begins with a
rhetorical question that makes evident the sadness of the disciples in light of
of detachment from Jesus: “Now I am going to the One who sent Me; not one of
you asks, ‘where are you going?’” It is clear that for the disciples, the detachment
from the lifestyle lived with Jesus implies suffering. Jesus acknowledges this,
saying “Yet you are sad at heart because I have told you this” (v. 6).
Saint Augustine explains the sentiment of abandonment of the disciples: “They
were afraid to think of losing the visible presence of Christ... they were
grieved, saddened in their human affection at the thought that their eyes would
no longer be consoled in seeing Him.” (Commentary on the Gospel of John, XCIV:
4). Jesus tries to dispel this sadness, due to the fact that they will not have
His presence, revealing to them His departure. He says that if He does not
leave them, the Paraclete will not be able to join them; if He returns to the
Father, He will be able to send the Paraclete to the disciples. His departure
and the detachment of the disciples makes possibility the coming of the
Paraclete: “because unless I go, the Paraclete will not come to you...” (v. 7).
• John 16:8-11: The Mission of the Paraclete. Jesus continues to
describe the mission of the Paraclete. The term “Paraclete” means “advocate,”
that is, support, assistant. Here the Paraclete is presented as the accuser in
a process that is carried out before God and in which the accused is the world,
which has made itself guilty for condemning Jesus: “He will show the world how
wrong it was, about sin, and about who was in the right and about judgment” (v.
8). The Greek verb elègken means that He will make an inquiry, He will
question, will test: He will bring to light a reality and will furnish the
proof of guilt.
The object of the confutation is sin: He will give the world the
proof of the sin that it has committed regarding Jesus and will expose it. What
is the sin in question here? - that of unbelief (Jn 5:44ff; 6:36;
8:21,24,26; 10:31). Besides, for the world to have thought that Jesus was a
sinner (Jn 9:24; 18:30) is an inexcusable sin (Jn 15:21ff).
In the second place He will “refute” the world “concerning
justice.” On the juridical level, the notion of justice which adheres more to
the text is the one which implies a declaration of guilt or innocence in a
judgment. In our context this is the only time that the term “justice” appears
in the Gospel of John. Elsewhere there is the term “just.” In John 16:8 justice
is linked to all that Jesus has affirmed about Himself, that is, the reason why
He is going to the Father. Such a discourse concerns His glorification: Jesus
goes to the Father. The disciples will no longer be able to see Him. He
is about to trust and to submerge Himself completely in the will of the Father.
The glorification of Jesus confirms His divine filiation or son-ship and the
approbation of the Father regarding the mission which Jesus has accomplished.
Therefore, the Spirit will directly show the justice of Christ (Jn 14:26;
15:26) protecting the disciples and the ecclesial community.
The world that has judged Jesus, condemning Him, is condemned by
the “prince of this world,” because he is responsible for His crucifixion
(13:2,27). Jesus, in dying on the Cross, is exalted (12:31) and He has
triumphed over Satan. Now the Spirit will give witness to the significance of
the death of Jesus which coincides with the fall of Satan (Jn 12:32; 14:30;
16:33).
4) Personal questions
• This is the beginning of our exposure to the Trinity. What is
my relationship with the Holy Trinity?
• Do you allow yourself to be led by the Spirit, the Paraclete, who gives you certainty of the error of the world and helps you to adhere to Jesus, and therefore, leads you into the truth about yourself?
• Very few go forth with the intention to sin or do evil, but rather, they are misled or confused. What do you do to discern the authentic influence and advice of the Paraclete versus being mislead?
• Do you allow yourself to be led by the Spirit, the Paraclete, who gives you certainty of the error of the world and helps you to adhere to Jesus, and therefore, leads you into the truth about yourself?
• Very few go forth with the intention to sin or do evil, but rather, they are misled or confused. What do you do to discern the authentic influence and advice of the Paraclete versus being mislead?
5) Concluding Prayer
I thank You, Lord, with all my heart,
for You have listened to the cry I uttered.
In the presence of angels I sing to You,
I bow down before Your holy Temple. (Ps 138:1-2)
for You have listened to the cry I uttered.
In the presence of angels I sing to You,
I bow down before Your holy Temple. (Ps 138:1-2)
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