Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 05-05-13, Sixth Sunday of Easter

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 05-05-13 | Revised New American Bible

[Salvation]

May 5, 2013

 

Sixth Sunday of Easter

 

Reading 1 Acts 15:1-2, 22-29

Some who had come down from Judea were instructing the brothers,
“Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic practice,
you cannot be saved.”
Because there arose no little dissension and debate
by Paul and Barnabas with them,
it was decided that Paul, Barnabas, and some of the others
should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders
about this question.

The apostles and elders, in agreement with the whole church,
decided to choose representatives
and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.
The ones chosen were Judas, who was called Barsabbas,
and Silas, leaders among the brothers.
This is the letter delivered by them:

“The apostles and the elders, your brothers,
to the brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia
of Gentile origin: greetings.
Since we have heard that some of our number
who went out without any mandate from us
have upset you with their teachings
and disturbed your peace of mind,
we have with one accord decided to choose representatives
and to send them to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So we are sending Judas and Silas
who will also convey this same message by word of mouth:
‘It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us
not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities,
namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols,
from blood, from meats of strangled animals,
and from unlawful marriage.
If you keep free of these,
you will be doing what is right. Farewell.’”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8

R. (4) O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia.
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia.
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia.
May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2 Rev 21:10-14, 22-23

The angel took me in spirit to a great, high mountain
and showed me the holy city Jerusalem
coming down out of heaven from God.
It gleamed with the splendor of God.
Its radiance was like that of a precious stone,
like jasper, clear as crystal.
It had a massive, high wall,
with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed
and on which names were inscribed,
the names of the twelve tribes of the Israelites.
There were three gates facing east,
three north, three south, and three west.
The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation,
on which were inscribed the twelve names
of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

I saw no temple in the city
for its temple is the Lord God almighty and the Lamb.
The city had no need of sun or moon to shine on it,
for the glory of God gave it light,
and its lamp was the Lamb.

Gospel Jn 14:23-29

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words;
yet the word you hear is not mine
but that of the Father who sent me.

“I have told you this while I am with you.
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
You heard me tell you,
‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’
If you loved me,
you would rejoice that I am going to the Father;
for the Father is greater than I.
And now I have told you this before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe.”

[Salvation]

St. Paul Center Blog

Council of Jerusalem: Scott Hahn Reflects on the 6th Sunday of Easter

Posted by Dr. Scott Hahn on 05.03.13 |

Acts 15:1-2, 22-29
Psalm 67:2-3, 5-6, 8
Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23
John 14:23-29

The first Church council, the Council of Jerusalem we hear about in today’s First Reading, decided the shape of the Church as we know it.

Some Jewish Christians had wanted Gentile converts to be circumcised and obey all the complex ritual and purity laws of the Jews.

The council called this a heresy, again showing us that the Church in the divine plan is meant to be a worldwide family of God, no longer a covenant with just one nation.

Today’s Liturgy gives us a profound meditation on the nature and meaning of the Church.

The Church is One, as we see in the First Reading: “the Apostles [bishops] and presbyters [priests], in agreement with the whole Church [laity].”

The Church is Holy, taught and guided by the Spirit that Jesus promises the Apostles in the Gospel.

The Church is Catholic, or universal, making known God’s ways of salvation to all peoples, ruling all in equity, as we sing in today’s Psalm.

And the Church, as John sees in the Second Reading, is Apostolic - founded on the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.

All these marks of the Church are underscored in the story of the council.

Notice that everybody, including Paul, looks to “Jerusalem [and] ...the Apostles” to decide the Church’s true teaching. The Apostles, too, presume that Christian teachers need a “mandate from us.”

And we see the Spirit guiding the Apostles in all truth. Notice how they describe their ruling: “It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us.”

Knowing these truths about the Church, our hearts should never be troubled. The Liturgy’s message today is that the Church is the Lord’s, watched over and guarded by the Advocate, the Holy Spirit sent by the Father in the name of the Son.

This should fill us with confidence, free us to worship with exultation, inspire us to rededicate our lives to His Name - to love Jesus in our keeping of His Word, to rejoice that He and the Father in the Spirit have made their dwelling with us.

[Salvation]

 

6th Sunday of Easter: Shalom of Jesus

 

 

"Peace I leave with you . . ."

 

Sunday Readings: http://usccb.org/bible/readings/050513.cfm



Acts 15: 1-2, 22-29
Rev. 21: 10-14, 22-23
Jn 14: 23-29

It has been said that love is not a feeling – it is a verb.  And being a “verb,” if we remember our grammar 101, it is an action word.  A verb implies an action.  At times someone may sadly say, “There is no love in our marriage anymore.” We could experience the same in family, parish, or our prayer. So we may ponder what we need to do in order to find that love again.  But is it only about feeling in love, bonded, connected, appreciated, affirmed? 

In our Gospel this Sunday we hear Jesus speak of an action: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him . . .” (Jn 14: 23).  That’s quite a promise from our Lord isn’t it?  If we keep his word, which essentially may be defined as loyalty to him, and keep his commandments, then we become spiritually bonded to the work of the Trinity itself.  To love Jesus, means at the same time to love the Father and the Holy Spirit.  From where could we possibly draw anything better?

In the context of his farewell to the Apostles, who he knew would be feeling vulnerable and lost without his presence among them, he says further: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  Do not let your hearts be troubled . . .” (Jn 14: 27).  For the Apostles, there is much to fear or at least that must have been their perception and they felt they would need to rely on their own ingenuity.  But Jesus offers them an even greater assurance: “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I told you . . .” (Jn 14: 26).  But did they grasp his words fully?  Do we? What does it mean to have the guarantee of Jesus’ Peace – his “Shalom” in our lives?

While he wished them the best, he also gave them a promise of his constant abiding presence in this gift of shalom.  It is a Hebrew word not unfamiliar to Jews today and certainly not to those of Jesus’ time.  We commonly translate the word as “peace.” So when Jesus says to his Apostles, “Peace be with you” as he appears to them after the resurrection and when we hear it in the context of this Sunday’s Gospel from John, “my peace I give to you,” we should wonder if it’s more than just the wish for a calm spirit or for good relations between warring nations.

“Shalom” has peace as just one small part of its meaning. It is used both to greet people and a way to say goodbye.  It is the wish not only for peace but for a complete peace; for a feeling of contentment, completeness, well-being and harmony. In wishing his Apostles peace or “shalom” he was offering them the full blessing of completeness; that they would want for nothing if they remain loyal to him: “Whoever loves me will keep my word” (in doing so, you will find completeness) “my Father will love him, and we will come to him” (and in so doing, you will want for nothing).  The added promise of the Holy Spirit completes the fullness of “shalom.” Think of this the next time you offer the “sign of peace” at Mass. We wish a “shalom” to those around us. But this completeness is not always easily maintained.  

For the early Church all was not hearts and flowers. It is clear that controversy and the threat of schism were very real in the beginning years of Christianity.  Our first reading from Acts continues the Easter stories of the growth of Christianity. This Sunday we hear of the first challenge to unity – the acceptance among the Gentile community of the new way.

The burning question on the minds of the Apostles as they heard of the success of Paul and the resulting sign of the Holy Spirit among the non-Jewish believers was of membership. God’s desire, as they saw in Jesus, was expansive in nature; to reach out beyond the boundaries of the Jewish nation to all humankind. But this would mean a break with fellow Jews, something the Apostles themselves were in a quandary about. The solution was a brilliant inspiration of the Holy Spirit and a compassionate pastoral decision. The willingness of the Church to seek a compromise which maintained the shalom which Jesus so desired for his believers.

In the end, Peter, Paul and the others could not deny what they saw among the Gentiles and so they decided to extend the comprehensive peace (shalom) which Jesus offered to them in not requiring the Gentile believers to follow the law of Moses (circumcision for males) but to adhere only to certain restrictions.  (Acts 15: 28-29). A new age had begun and a new direction for the Church – we are they.

In just two weeks the Church celebrates the great Solemnity of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday.  The Easter season will conclude but the push of the Spirit continues until the end of time. Where and how can I contribute that same spirit of “shalom” among those I worship with, work with, and live with? Where do I see something new beginning and continuing today and what challenges do I see facing the Church (they are many and increasing).

Our Eucharist calls us to seek peace and truth.  The sacrament of Reconciliation invites us to experience the shalom of Jesus. May we never tire of that privilege.

Grant, almighty God,
that we may celebrate with heartfelt devotion these days of joy,
which we keep in honor of the risen Lord,
and that what we relive in remembrance
we may always hold to I what we do.

(Roman Missal)

 

Fr. Tim

[Salvation]

Vultus Christi

To See Christ

By

Father Mark

 on May 5, 2013 8:15 AM | 

 

Why did I choose this painting of Saint Antony of Egypt and Saint Paul the Hermit to illustrate today's entry? Saint Antony's face reflects the pure light of Christ shining from the Gospel for Saint Paul, and Saint Paul's face reflects the same pure light of Christ shining from the Gospel for Saint Antony. When two saints meet, their encounter is incandescent with the light of Christ.

4 Jan. 5 May. 4 Sept.

Having our loins, therefore, girded with faith and the performance of good works, let us walk in His paths by the guidance of the Gospel, that we may deserve to see Him Who hath called us to His kingdom. And if we wish to dwell in the tabernacle of His kingdom, we shall by no means reach it unless we run thither by our good deeds. But let us ask the Lord with the Prophet, saying to Him: "Lord, who shall dwell in Thy tabernacle, or who shall rest upon Thy holy hill?" After this question, brethren, let us hear the Lord answering, and shewing to us the way to His tabernacle, and saying: "He that walketh without stain and worketh justice: he that speaketh truth in his heart, that hath not done guile with his tongue: he that hath done no evil to his neighbour, and hath not taken up a reproach against his neighbour:" he that hath brought the malignant evil one to naught, casting him out of his heart with all his suggestions, and hath taken his bad thoughts, while they were yet young, and dashed them down upon the (Rock) Christ. These are they, who fearing the Lord, are not puffed up with their own good works, but knowing that the good which is in them cometh not from themselves but from the Lord, magnify the Lord Who worketh in them, saying with the Prophet: "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy Name give the glory." So the Apostle Paul imputed nothing of his preaching to himself, but said: "By the grace of God I am what I am." And again he saith: "He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."

Ready for Spiritual Combat

In today's portion of the Prologue, Saint Benedict enjoins us to gird our loins with faith and with the performance of good works. To have one's loins girt means to be kitted out with weapons and ready for action on the battlefield. Saint Benedict may have been thinking of the Apostle's exhortation:

Therefore take unto you the armour of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and to stand in all things perfect. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of justice, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace: in all things taking the shield of faith, wherewith you may be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of the most wicked one. And take unto you the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. (Ephesians 6:13-17)

Following the Guidance of the Gospel

In all things the monk is subject to the guidance of the Gospel. The Gospel is the primary and indispensable rule of monks; it is one's habitual reference in every season of life. When a monk hears the Holy Gospel chanted at Matins or at Holy Mass, he hears the very voice of Christ. Heart speaks to heart. He listens to the Holy Gospel with such attention that not a single word of it is lost, for the least syllable of the Gospel is "more to be desired than gold and many precious stones: and sweeter than honey and the honeycomb" (Psalm 18:11).

Saint Antony the Great

Saint Athanasius writes of of Saint Antony that, "he gave such heed to what was read [at the sacred liturgy] that none of the things that were written fell from him to the ground, but he remembered all, and afterwards his memory served him for books." Saint Antony's careful attention to the Word of God is the model of the attention of the heart by which a son of Saint Benedict will want to listen to the Holy Gospel.

The Radiant Face of the Word

Today's monk, having ample access to the text of the Holy Gospels, often in various languages and translations, will supplement the primary hearing of the liturgic Gospel at Matins and at Holy Mass with the reading and meditation of the Gospel in the secret of his cell. He will open the book of the Gospels as reverently as if we were opening the door of the tabernacle. He will read the sacred page in such a way as to peer through the text, as through a lattice work, in order to discover, shining through the letter of the text, the radiant Face of the Word.

Behold he standeth behind our wall, looking through the windows, looking through the lattices. Behold my beloved speaketh to me: Arise, make haste, my love, my dove, my beautiful one, and come. (Canticle 2:9-10)

Saint Benedict's monk is animated by a single desire: he wants to see Him who has called us into His kingdom, Christ the Lord.

[Salvation]

Regnum Christi

Make Me Your Holy Temple

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Sixth Sunday of Easter

John 14:23-29

Jesus answered and said to him, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me. I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name -- he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe.”

Introductory Prayer: Lord, as I begin this prayer I offer you my whole self: my thoughts, desires, decisions, actions, hopes, fears, weaknesses, failures and petty successes. I open my entire being to you, aware that you know everything already. I’m certain of your mercy and of the purifying power of your penetrating, loving gaze.

Petition: May the Blessed Trinity dwell in me.

1. How Can God Dwell in My Stony Heart? We have no writings of Our Lord. The only time we see Our Lord writing, he was bent over writing something in the sand with his finger. However, as his finger traced in the sand, it was also etching into the hardened hearts of the surrounding crowd. They dropped the stones with which they intended to kill the adulterous woman. It is curious how these stones also symbolized the hardness of their hearts. They dropped them because their hearts had also softened. In the Old Testament we see Moses coming down from the mountain with a stone tablet that contained the written law of God, the Ten Commandants. Christ came to crush our stony hearts and to write his law of love there. Christ wants us to give him a blank slate so that he can write whatever he wants in our hearts.

2. Christ Knows We Need Reassurance: It is scary when we learn that a loved one will be leaving us for an undetermined amount of time. We can think of the soldiers who go off to war and how hard it must be for their spouses and children to deal with the loneliness and uncertainties that naturally arise. Yet the good soldier assures them he will return, and he is confident that they will be strong and live upright lives. How hard it must have been for the apostles when Christ told them he would be leaving them. They had left everything to follow him, and now it seemed as if they would be alone. Christ knew how heavy their hearts were, so he assured the apostles that he needed to leave in order that he and the Father could send the Holy Spirit into their hearts. The Holy Spirit enlightens our hearts too, as he enlightened the hearts of the apostles.

3. We Should Rejoice Because Christ Is Going Home: Christ is the Prince of Peace. He sought to uplift the apostles, who were dragged down by sadness and fear at being left alone in the world. Christ tells them, and he tells us, that they should rejoice because he is going home. Christ wants us to rejoice not only because he is going home to the Father, but also because if we keep his word, he and the Father will make their dwelling in us. Their abode will be in our hearts. He wants us to trust the Holy Spirit who will give us the clarity of thought and the strength to live Christ’s teachings coherently. How open am I to the promptings of the Holy Spirit within my soul? What keeps me from perceiving Him within me? Do I need to be more detached from the goods of this life so my friendship with my Lord and Creator can grow?

Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, I want to trust in your word -- in the working of the Holy Spirit in my heart. Help me to let go of the anxieties that at times paralyze my thoughts and actions. I open my heart so that you, the Blessed Trinity, can dwell within me. This gives me supernatural joy, a joy that the world cannot give or take away.

Resolution: I will look to comfort someone who is lonely, helping him or her to know that you are always with us.

[Salvation]

Scripture Speaks:Sixth Sunday of Easter

by Gayle Somers on May 3, 2013 ·

During His conversation with the apostles on the night of His arrest, Jesus looks into the future.  What does He see?

Gospel (Read Jn 14:23-29)

In a long section of St. John’s Gospel that we call “the Last Supper Discourse” (see Jn 13-17), Jesus begins to anticipate His departure from this world and what that will mean for His friends, the apostles.  He emphasizes that to love Him means to live as He taught them.  Those who love Jesus in word and action will live in communion with the Trinity here on earth, even before they reach heaven.

Then, Jesus moves on to describe something that is yet to happen and is of vital importance as we seek to understand how His followers will know what they need to know about Him and His Word after His departure.  How will the Gospel move from this band of apostles and those who traveled with them into all the world?  Once Jesus leaves, how can we know we have the truth about Him and thus be able to live it?

Jesus has a plan to make sure all those who wish to follow Him, in all the years that must pass before His return, will know what they need to know:  “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My Name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.”  If we have read the Gospels carefully, this promise by Jesus has to bring some relief.  We have seen how little they actually understood of what Jesus said and did while He was still with them.  Notice that this promise is made uniquely to the apostles in this conversation.  Jesus switches from speaking about “whoever” (all believers) in vss 23-24 to “you” (the eleven who were with Him at the Last Supper) in vss 25-29.  We can understand by this that although the Holy Spirit will be sent to all believers, He will do a particular work of teaching and reminding the apostles.  Later in this same discourse, Jesus tells the apostles that the Holy Spirit will “guide you into all the truth” (Jn 16:13).  This is an even more expansive promise, because it anticipates that the apostles will, in the future, need to know more than they did on this night.  In all this, the work of the Holy Spirit is of supreme importance.  Jesus knew that He had chosen mere men upon whom to build His Church.  The worldwide proclamation of the Gospel, through all the ages of the Church’s history, would have to come through ordinary flesh and blood.  How could this be anything other than risky?  There is only one way:  a supernatural charism of the Holy Spirit, working in the apostles and their successors, would guarantee “all the truth.”

Because of this magnificent promise, Jesus can leave His apostles with “Peace.”  How is this peace different from what “the world gives”?  Peace in the world depends on circumstances.  The peace of Jesus goes much deeper than that!  His peace grounds us in the truth of God’s love and power, no matter what our circumstances might be.  How can we be sure of this truth?  We look to these promises right here.  The charism given first to the apostles and then passed on through the laying on of hands to their successors enables us to know “all the truth,” expressed now in both Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition.

What an incredible plan!  Did it work?  Our first reading gives us the evidence we need to answer this question.

Possible response:  Lord Jesus, please help me love You in ways that go beyond words and emotions.

First Reading (Read Acts 15:1-2, 22-29)

In Christendom, ever since the Reformation, there are Christians who interpret our Gospel reading differently from the Catholic Church.  They believe the Holy Spirit’s charism of teaching, reminding, and guiding into “all the truth” is given to every believer, not just those who are ordained successors to the apostles (the bishops).  Certainly Catholics recognize the way the Holy Spirit teaches and guides us in our individual lives with God.  However, the Church makes a distinction between that universal work of the Holy Spirit and this particular work of revealing “all the truth,” which we understand to be the dogma we must all believe and the way of life we must all live in order to have the fullness of what Jesus intended to give us.  The Church believes this teaching charism is a gift given exclusively to the apostles and those appointed to follow them.

Fortunately, we can look to the Book of Acts for evidence about which interpretation is the most biblical.  St. Luke tells us about the first episode of confusion over truth experienced by the New Testament Church.  In Antioch, where many Gentile pagans converted to Christianity, some Jewish Christians “who had come down from Judea” told the believers that they needed to be circumcised (always a sign of being in covenant with God) in order to be saved.  This caused quite a rift in the Church there, with Paul and Barnabas insisting that circumcision wasn’t necessary.  Which group had “all the truth”?  They were all believers; they all had the Holy Spirit.  The circumcision group had the Old Testament Scriptures on their side (the New Testament didn’t exist yet).  Jesus hadn’t said anything about a situation like this.  How would it be resolved?

“It was decided that Paul, Barnabas, and some of the others should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question” (emphasis added).  Here we see that the Christians in Antioch knew they couldn’t arrive at the truth about circumcision on their own.  They did not expect the Holy Spirit to lead them into “all the truth” on this question.  They did expect that the apostles in Jerusalem could settle it, because Jesus had promised that charism to them.  However, notice that it was not only the apostles but also “the elders” who were called upon to render a decision.  Who were they?  The “elders” (or “bishops”) were those appointed by the apostles to help lead the new Church (see Acts 14:23).  We can see that right away the apostles were passing along their special charism through the laying on of hands (the growing Church would need many more than twelve leaders).  Because the elders, by their ordination, received this gift of truth from the Holy Spirit, they were included in the decision about “all the truth” concering Gentile circumcision.

This meeting of apostles and elders (the Council of Jerusalem), led by Peter, declared that salvation is by grace (see Acts 15:6-11).  They also sent out a letter explaining how Jewish and Christian converts could peacefully coexist without undue provocation of Jewish sensibilities or undue emphasis on Jewish legal requirements.  These pronouncements were for all Christians.  The Council’s ruling prevented a split in the Church, which surely would have happened if individual Christians followed their individual convictions about circumcision of Gentiles.  Some of our non-Catholic brethren will suggest that this apostolic conciliar method of arriving at “all the truth” was only necessary until all the New Testament was written.   Once that was done, according to this way of thinking, the only teaching authority was the Bible itself.  History before the Reformation refutes this, however.  Even when the New Testament had been completed, the question of its interpretation needed to be addressed.  Major dogmas like the Trinity, the Incarnation, and even which books actually were Scripture were all resolved by apostolic conciliar declarations.  There were many good-hearted, devout, holy Christians who had many different ideas about what the words in Scripture actually meant.  It was, in all these dogmatic matters, ultimately up to the bishops of the Church, in union with the Pope, to make a final determination.  History makes this very clear.

So, we see that the New Testament Church understood apostolic authority in the way it has been preserved in the Catholic Church.  If we are looking for “all the truth” in the many dogmatic and moral questions that arise during the course of human history, we will need to look to those who can trace their ordinations back through a succession of hands to the apostles.   Jesus made His promise of the Holy Spirit’s charism of truth to them, and Scripture tells us they passed it on to others.  Today, by that gift, the Voice of Jesus continues to ring out through His Church to the whole world.  The plan worked!

Possible response:  Lord Jesus, thank You for building a Church that will always be able to teach us “all the truth” about life with You.

Psalm (Read Ps 67:2-3, 5-6, 8)

The psalm captures for us the joy that comes to “all nations” when God’s way may “be known upon earth.”  In the Gospel, when Jesus looked out to the future, He saw God’s plan for that to happen through His one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.  Two thousand years later, we can see its fruit.  Therefore, we want to sing:  “O God, let all the nations praise You!”

Possible response:  The psalm is, itself, a response to our other readings.  Read it again prayerfully to make it your own.

Second Reading (Read Rev 21:10-14, 22-23)

Here we see a splendid vision of the Church at the end of time.  Notice how it is built on the foundation of the “twelve apostles of the Lamb.”  It is not built solely on the bible; it is built on twelve fallible human beings who were given the charism of infallible truth to build it.   All the teaching and preaching authority of the Catholic Church rests right there.  The beauty of this vision, written by an apostle to whom the charism of truth through the Holy Spirit had been given (see Rev 1:10), helps us understand why Jesus promised His peace in the Gospel.  The past, the present, and the future all belong to “the Lord God and the Lamb.”  Alleluia!

Possible response:  Heavenly Father, thank You for the splendor that lies ahead for Your people, the Church—You will dwell with us.  Thank You for its foretaste in the Eucharist at every Mass.

[Salvation]

This Sunday’s Gospel :The Paraclete

by Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D. on May 3, 2013 · 

He wore steel rimmed glasses and had hair to the middle of his back.  The fringe on his buck-skinned jacket bounced as he walked.

At least that was the way I was accustomed to seeing Mike as he bopped around town.  It was just a few years after Woodstock, and we were all taken with hippie culture.  It seemed so free, so new, so exciting.

But that day at the entrance of the mall, I scarcely recognized him.  His hair was cut and his clothing conventional.  He was passing out tracts and spoke to me of the Holy Spirit.  I scratched my head and vaguely remembered some talk about the Holy Spirit in confirmation class.   But I had to admit that I really did not know much about this third person of the Blessed Trinity.

This is quite common among Christians.  God the Father–we can get a glimpse of his tenderness and strength, thanks to Michelangelo’s magnificent Sistine ceiling.  And baby Jesus in the manger, the savior hanging on the Cross–these are images we can easily visualize.  But Holy Spirit, Holy Ghost?  Somehow, we can’t feel quite the same way about a dove as we do about a child on its mother’s lap.  And then what does this “Spirit” do?  The Father creates, the Son saves, but the Spirit?

Jesus calls him the “Paraclete” as he prepares the disciples for his departure (Jn 14:15-21).  Frankly, this does not help us much–unless, of course, we get a bit of explanation.  This word means “Advocate.”  It is the word for lawyer or attorney in Spanish and other languages.  There may be lots of jokes about lawyers, but when you are in trouble with the law, having a good lawyer is no laughing matter.  That’s the role of the Holy Spirit– He is our defense attorney.

Now part of the role of the defense attorney is to tell his client how to plead.  Sometimes, when the evidence against you is overwhelming, the sentence will be a whole lot lighter if you just plead guilty.  The Spirit counsels us to be honest, convicting us gently of sin–not to accuse us, not to condemn us, but to help us win our case.  He is the Spirit of Truth.  Blessed John Paul II’s theme was “Be not afraid.”   Be not afraid of the truth about your sin, your weakness, and your failings, says the Spirit.  For the judge happens to be the one who loves you so much that he died for you. Your judge is the same one who saved the woman caught in adultery from the rage of the hypocrites.

But he is also the one who told the adulteress to “go and sin no more.”  This is the real problem.  How is she to do that?  Sin was where she looked for life.  It drew her like a magnet.

Craving for drugs, booze and “free-sex” drew my hippie friends like a magnet in the 1970′s.  If we were acquitted by the Judge through the counsel of the Advocate, how were we to resist the allure of sin?

Archbishop Fulton Sheen once said that the only way to dislodge sin from one’s life is through the expulsive force of a new love.  This is the role of the Advocate.  He is the Love of God who is poured into our hearts (Ro 5:5) who drives out unlovely loves.  He is the Lord and Giver of true life who makes utterly clear that so many other things that we regarded as “life” are really death warmed-over.

Once you have a taste of the real thing, you are never again satisfied with imitations.  That’s why Mike abandoned the drug scene.  That’s why the Magdalene and the Samaritan woman abandoned all other lovers.  That’s why the rejoicing in Samaria rose to fever pitch (Acts 8:8).

The Holy Spirit is the real thing.  And he does not just come and go.  He is with us always.

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

 

<< Sunday, May 5, 2013 >>

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Acts 15:1-2, 22-29
Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23
View Readings

Psalm 67:2-3, 5-6, 8
John 14:23-29

DESPERATELY NEEDING THE SPIRIT?

"Do not be distressed or fearful." —John 14:27

 

When Jesus told His disciples not to be distressed, they didn't realize they would soon be very distressed. Likewise, when Jesus tells us not to be distressed in today's Gospel reading, we may not realize that this is to be taken personally and immediately. We think that this message is not specifically for us and is generally intended for everybody. Moreover, we may think that things are going well in our lives, and therefore we don't expect any immediate distress. However, the disciples were wrong, and we might be mistaken as well. They were on the threshold of the most distressful time of their lives. Although we may not know it, we may desperately need the Holy Spirit's help (see Jn 14:26).

Assume that two weeks from today you will need to receive a new Pentecost, or else be overwhelmed by distress. Whether or not this happens, the wisest thing is to be ready for anything by being filled with the Holy Spirit. May you desire a new Pentecost more than you want anything else. Jesus has promised: "This much have I told you while I was still with you; the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit Whom the Father will send in My name, will instruct you in everything, and remind you of all that I told you" (Jn 14:25-26). Come, Holy Spirit!

 

Prayer: Father, may I want the Holy Spirit in fullness more than I want to breathe. Renew my Baptism and Confirmation.

Promise: "It is the decision of the Holy Spirit, and ours too, not to lay on you any burden beyond that which is strictly necessary." —Acts 15:28

Praise: Alleluia! Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life! (Jn 11:25) Alleluia forever!

[Salvation]

[Salvation]

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