Saturday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Lectionary: 296
Lectionary: 296
After staying in Antioch some
time,
Paul left and traveled in orderly sequence
through the Galatian country and Phrygia,
bringing strength to all the disciples.
Paul left and traveled in orderly sequence
through the Galatian country and Phrygia,
bringing strength to all the disciples.
A Jew named Apollos, a native of
Alexandria,
an eloquent speaker, arrived in Ephesus.
He was an authority on the Scriptures.
He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord and,
with ardent spirit, spoke and taught accurately about Jesus,
although he knew only the baptism of John.
He began to speak boldly in the synagogue;
but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him,
they took him aside
and explained to him the Way of God more accurately.
And when he wanted to cross to Achaia,
the brothers encouraged him
and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him.
After his arrival he gave great assistance
to those who had come to believe through grace.
He vigorously refuted the Jews in public,
establishing from the Scriptures that the Christ is Jesus.
an eloquent speaker, arrived in Ephesus.
He was an authority on the Scriptures.
He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord and,
with ardent spirit, spoke and taught accurately about Jesus,
although he knew only the baptism of John.
He began to speak boldly in the synagogue;
but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him,
they took him aside
and explained to him the Way of God more accurately.
And when he wanted to cross to Achaia,
the brothers encouraged him
and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him.
After his arrival he gave great assistance
to those who had come to believe through grace.
He vigorously refuted the Jews in public,
establishing from the Scriptures that the Christ is Jesus.
Responsorial
Psalm47:2-3, 8-9, 10
R. (8a) God is king of all the
earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
All you peoples, clap your hands;
shout to God with cries of gladness.
For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,
is the great king over all the earth.
R. God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
For king of all the earth is God;
sing hymns of praise.
God reigns over the nations,
God sits upon his holy throne.
R. God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The princes of the peoples are gathered together
with the people of the God of Abraham.
For God’s are the guardians of the earth;
he is supreme.
R. God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
All you peoples, clap your hands;
shout to God with cries of gladness.
For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,
is the great king over all the earth.
R. God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
For king of all the earth is God;
sing hymns of praise.
God reigns over the nations,
God sits upon his holy throne.
R. God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The princes of the peoples are gathered together
with the people of the God of Abraham.
For God’s are the guardians of the earth;
he is supreme.
R. God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
AlleluiaJN 16:28
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I came from the Father and have come into the world;
now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I came from the Father and have come into the world;
now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelJN 16:23B-28
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.
Until now you have not asked anything in my name;
ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.
Until now you have not asked anything in my name;
ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.
“I have told you this in figures
of speech.
The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures
but I will tell you clearly about the Father.
On that day you will ask in my name,
and I do not tell you that I will ask the Father for you.
For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me
and have come to believe that I came from God.
I came from the Father and have come into the world.
Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”
The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures
but I will tell you clearly about the Father.
On that day you will ask in my name,
and I do not tell you that I will ask the Father for you.
For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me
and have come to believe that I came from God.
I came from the Father and have come into the world.
Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”
Meditation: "Ask in
Jesus' name, that your joy may be full"
Do
you pray with confidence to your heavenly Father? Jesus often taught his
disciples by way of illustration or parable. Here he speaks not in "figures" (the
same word used for parables), but in plain speech. Jesus revealed
to them the hidden treasure of the heavenly kingdom and he taught them how to
pray to the Father in his name. Now Jesus opens his heart and speaks in the
plainest of language: "The Father himself loves you!" How
can the disciples be certain of this?
The
Lord Jesus unites us with the Father through the love and power of the Holy
Spirit
Paul the Apostle states that "All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God" (Romans 8:14). Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, Jesus makes it possible for his disciples to have a new relationship as sons and daughters of God the Father (Romans 8:14-17). No one would have dared to call God his or her Father before this! Because of what Jesus has done for us in offering his life for our redemption we now can boldly and confidently pray to God as our Father in heaven.
Paul the Apostle states that "All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God" (Romans 8:14). Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, Jesus makes it possible for his disciples to have a new relationship as sons and daughters of God the Father (Romans 8:14-17). No one would have dared to call God his or her Father before this! Because of what Jesus has done for us in offering his life for our redemption we now can boldly and confidently pray to God as our Father in heaven.
The
presence and action of the Holy Spirit within us is living proof of this new
relationship with the Father. Paul the Apostles says that "when we
cry, ‘Abba! Father!' it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit
that we are children of God" (Romans 8:15-16).
We
can boldly approach God as our Father and ask him for the things we need. In
love he bids us to draw near to his throne of grace and mercy. Do you approach
the Father with confidence in his love and with expectant faith in his promise
to hear your prayers?
"Heavenly
Father, your love knows no bounds and your mercies are new every day. Fill me
with gratitude for your countless blessings and draw me near to your throne of
grace and mercy. Give me confidence and boldness to pray that your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: Offer prayers in Christ's name, by
Cyril of Alexandria, 376-444 A.D.
"He
urges the disciples to seek for spiritual gifts and at the same time gives them
confidence that, if they ask for them, they will not fail to obtain them. He
adds the word Amen, that he might confirm their belief that if they ask the
Father for anything they would receive it from him. He would act as their
mediator and make known their request and, being one with the Father, grant it.
For this is what he means by 'in my name'. For we cannot draw near to God the
Father in any other way than through the Son. For it is by him that we have
access in the one Spirit to the Father (Ephesians 2:8). It was because of this
that he said, 'I am the door. I am the way. No one comes to the Father but by
me' (John 10:7; 14:6). For as the Son is God, he being one with the Father
provides good things for his sanctified people and is found to be generous of
his wealth to us... Let us then offer our prayers in Christ's name. For in this
way, the Father will most readily consent to them and grant his graces to those
who seek them, that receiving them we may rejoice." (excerpt
from COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 11.2)
SATURDAY, MAY 23, JOHN 16:23b-28
EASTER WEEKDAY
(Acts 18:23-28; Psalm 47)
EASTER WEEKDAY
(Acts 18:23-28; Psalm 47)
KEY VERSE: "The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures but I will tell you clearly about the Father" (v.25).
TO KNOW: Jesus often spoke in parables using images of shepherds, vines and women in childbirth ̶ the language of human experience meant to convey the mystery of the kingdom of God. Though Jesus’ disciples were often confused as to the meaning of his words, his passion, death and resurrection would speak clearly to them of God's love. Through the revelation of the Holy Spirit, they would understand everything Jesus told them, and they would have new insights about God's reign. For the seventh time in John's gospel, Jesus said that when he was glorified he would be present to his followers in a new way, and they would be able to pray in the authority of his name. The Father loved them and would grant them whatever they needed in order to do Christ's work on earth.
TO LOVE: For whom do I need to intercede in prayer today?
TO SERVE: Risen Lord, give me what I need to live this day for you.
Saturday 23 May 2020
Acts 18: 23-28. God is king of all the earth –
Psalm 46(47):2-3, 8-10. John 16: 23-28.
‘Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.’
In today’s Gospel Jesus speaks of his relationship with his
Father. When he talks of coming and going he isn’t implying moving from one
place to another. He is talking about being present to us in a different way.
Through his death, Jesus consummates his humanity and enters most fully and
deeply into the fabric of creation, where God dwells. Here is the heart of the
Easter message.
By the grace of God in Jesus, creation is reinvested with its
holiness. Ordinary and common things are shown to be holy things – bread and
wine, water and earth, marriage and parenthood, career and vocation. Our living
and our dying become good and holy, and the world in which we live, die and
rise is the world in which God lives, dies and rises. Lord, for this we give
thanks. Help us to enjoy life in your presence!
Saint Gregory VII
Saint of the Day for May 23
(c. 1025 – May 25, 1085)
 |
| The great controversy between Christ and Satan during the Christian dispensation | from a book by White, Ellen Gould Harmon |
Saint Gregory VII’s Story
The 10th century and the first half of the 11th were dark days
for the Church, partly because the papacy was the pawn of various Roman
families. In 1049, things began to change when Pope Leo IX, a reformer, was
elected. He brought a young monk named Hildebrand to Rome as his counselor and
special representative on important missions. Hildebrand was to become Gregory VII.
Three evils plagued the Church then: simony–the buying and
selling of sacred offices and things; the unlawful marriage of the clergy; and
lay investiture—kings and nobles controlling the appointment of Church
officials. To all of these Hildebrand directed his reformer’s attention, first
as counselor to the popes and later as pope himself.
Gregory’s papal letters stress the role of the bishop of Rome as
the vicar of Christ and the visible center of unity in the Church. He is well
known for his long dispute with Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV over who should
control the selection of bishops and abbots.
Gregory fiercely resisted any attack on the liberty of the
Church. For this he suffered and finally died in exile. He said, “I have loved
justice and hated iniquity; therefore, I die in exile.” Thirty years later the
Church finally won its struggle against lay investiture. The Liturgical
Feast of Saint Gregory VII is May 25.
Reflection
The Gregorian Reform, a milestone in the history of Christ’s
Church, was named after this man who tried to extricate the papacy and the
whole Church from undue control by civil rulers. Against an unhealthy Church
nationalism in some areas, Gregory reasserted the unity of the whole Church
based on Christ, and expressed in the bishop of Rome, the successor of Saint
Peter.
Lectio Divina: John 16:23b-28
Lectio Divina
Saturday, May 23, 2020
1) Opening prayer
Lord God, merciful Father,
it is hard for us to accept pain,
for we know that You have made us
for happiness and joy.
When suffering challenges us
with a provocative "why me?"
help us to discover the depth
of our inner freedom and love
and of all the faith and loyalty
of which we are capable,
together with, and by the power of,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
it is hard for us to accept pain,
for we know that You have made us
for happiness and joy.
When suffering challenges us
with a provocative "why me?"
help us to discover the depth
of our inner freedom and love
and of all the faith and loyalty
of which we are capable,
together with, and by the power of,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
2) Gospel Reading - John 16:23b-28
Jesus said to his disciples: "Amen, amen, I say to you,
whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. Until now you have not
asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be
complete. "I have told you this in figures of speech. The hour is coming
when I will no longer speak to you in figures but I will tell you clearly about
the Father. On that day you will ask in my name, and I do not tell you that I
will ask the Father for you. For the Father himself loves you, because you have
loved me and have come to believe that I came from God. I came from the Father
and have come into the world. Now I am leaving the world and going back to the
Father."
3) Reflection
• John 16:23b: The disciples have full access to the Father.
This is the assurance that Jesus gives to His disciples: they can have access
to God’s fatherhood in union with Him. Jesus’ mediation takes the
disciples to the Father. Clearly, the role of Jesus is not that of substituting
Himself for “His own.” He does not assume it by means of a function of
intercession, but He unites them to Himself, and in communion with Him they
present their needs.
The disciples are certain that Jesus can access the riches of
the Father: “In all truth I tell you, anything you ask from the Father in My
name, He will grant it to you” (v.23b). In such a way, it means, in union with
Him, the petition becomes effective. The object of any petition to the Father
must always be joined to Jesus, that is to say, to His love and to His
commitment to give His life for man (Jn 10:10). Prayer addressed to the Father,
in the name of Jesus, in union with Him (Jn 14:13; 16:23), is heard.
Until now they have not asked anything in the name of Jesus, but
they will be able to do it after His glorification (Jn 14:13) when they will
receive the Spirit who will fully enlighten them on His identity (Jn 4, 22ff)
and will create the union with Him. His own will be able to ask and receive the
fullness of joy when they will go from the sensory vision of Him to that of
faith.
• Jn 16:24-25: In Jesus the direct contact with the Father. The
believers are taken into the relationship between the Son and the Father. In Jn
16:26 Jesus once again speaks about the link produced by the Spirit that
permits His own to present every petition to the Father in union with Him. That
will take place “on that day.” What does this mean: “On that day you will ask”?
It is the day when He will come to His own and will transmit the Spirit to them
(Jn 20:19,22). It is then that the disciples, knowing the relationship between
Jesus and the Father, will know that they will be listened to. It will not be
necessary for Jesus to intervene between the Father and the disciples to ask on
their behalf, not because His mediation has ended, but they, having believed in
the Incarnation of the Word, and being closely united to Christ, will be loved
by the Father as He loves His Son (Jn 17:23,26). In Jesus the disciples
experience direct contact with the Father.
• John 16:26-27: The prayer to the Father. To pray consists,
then, in going to the Father through Jesus; to address the Father in the name
of Jesus. The expression of Jesus in vv. 26-27, “And I do not say that I shall
pray to the Father for you; because the Father Himself loves you”, deserves
special attention. The love of the Father for the disciples is founded on the
adherence of “His own” to Jesus on faith in His provenance, the acknowledgment
of Jesus as gift of the Father.
After having gathered the disciples to Himself Jesus seems to
withdraw from His role of mediator, but in reality He permits that the Father
take us and seize us: “Ask and you will receive and so your joy will be complete”
(v.24). Inserted into the relationship with the Father through union in Him,
our joy is complete and prayer is perfect. God always offers His love to the
whole world, but such a love acquires the sense of reciprocity only if man
responds. Love is incomplete if it does not become reciprocal: as long as man
does not accept, it remains in suspense. However, the disciples accept it
at the moment in which they love Jesus and thus they render operational the
love of the Father. Prayer is this relationship of love. In the end the history
of each one of us is identified with the history of His prayer, even at the
moments which do not seem to be such. Longing, yearning is already prayer
and in the same way, searching, anguish...
4) Personal questions
• Does my personal and community prayer take place in a state of
calmness, silence, and great peace?
• How much effort or commitment do I dedicate to growing in friendship with Jesus? Are you convinced of attaining a real identity through communion with Him and in the love for neighbor?
• How do I view my union with Jesus, reflecting on Song of Songs 2:16, “My beloved is mine, and I am his” ?
• Do I pray in union with Jesus, or with my own ideas and agenda?
• How much effort or commitment do I dedicate to growing in friendship with Jesus? Are you convinced of attaining a real identity through communion with Him and in the love for neighbor?
• How do I view my union with Jesus, reflecting on Song of Songs 2:16, “My beloved is mine, and I am his” ?
• Do I pray in union with Jesus, or with my own ideas and agenda?
5) Concluding Prayer
God reigns over the nations,
seated on His holy throne.
The leaders of the nations rally
to the people of the God of Abraham. (Ps 47:8-9)
seated on His holy throne.
The leaders of the nations rally
to the people of the God of Abraham. (Ps 47:8-9)
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