Readings for Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Acts 11:19-26
The story in Acts today is significant in the life of the Church primarily because, as a consequence of bringing a large number of gentiles to believe in Christ and because they had no historical connection to Judaism, they identified themselves for the first time as Christians – separate from the Judaism. This new vitality attracted not only Barnabas but Saul as well.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 87:1b-3, 4-5, 6-7
R. All you nations, praise the Lord.
The psalm proclaims the centrality of Jerusalem (Zion) as the source of holiness. Ironically it is positioned after the reading that will lead Christians to understand the New Zion, the Heavenly Jerusalem, a place where those who believe in Christ, the Son of God are favored.
Gospel John 10:22-30
We come at last to the climax of Jesus debates with the Jewish leadership. He is in the temple precincts now. He came there at a time when many of those from all over the region would be there, the Feast of Hanukkah. They press him to state plainly whether or not he is the Messiah. His final response is a chain of logic that leads to his final statement: “The Father and I are one.”
Reflection:
We see in scripture today a question and an answer. The question is asked in the Gospel and it’s one in our hearts rather than in our minds. We have for the past several days been hearing the great “Good Shepherd” discourse and St. John makes reference to that exchange in Jesus’ response to the Jews who are asking him to say explicitly that he is the Messiah.
The Lord must be frustrated with this question (“I told you and you do not believe.”). If he says “I am the Messiah” many of the leaders will accuse him of blasphemy and come after him immediately. In addition, the Messiah many of them expect (probably including one of his own disciples, Judas) is the Royal Messiah who comes in power and majesty to cast down the Romans. That is not what he is; not what they expect.
Rather than trying to go back to the beginning and explain all the prophecy that has already pointed at his true mission and identity, the Lord uses a logic chain to bring them to understand his relationship to the Father. “The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me.” He tells them. And them, probably with that note of sadness in his voice, he tells them that they do not know who he is because they are incapable of making the leap of faith necessary. It is like a child struggling with a math problem, trying to do it in their head and failing because it is too big. Or it is like the painting with two different images buried within it, some people just can’t see both. It is not their fault. And the Lord finally concludes, saying it as clearly as he can; “The Father and I are one.”
We said in the beginning there was a question here and there it is, for all of us. We believe in Jesus, the Christ who is one with the Father. Our faith allows us to make that connection. The question is not; “Do we believe?”, it is; “What do we do with that belief?
The answer to that question is there as well. Jesus said “The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me.” Can we say the same? People we meet should not even pause for a second to ask if we have adopted that proud name first used in Antioch, Christian. Our actions should make that clear. Today we are challenged by the Gospel once more. We are called to act like Christians, to love Christ, to love each other, and to take that message into the world like the sheep of Good Shepherd who sends us.
Pax
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Acts 11:19-26
The story in Acts today is significant in the life of the Church primarily because, as a consequence of bringing a large number of gentiles to believe in Christ and because they had no historical connection to Judaism, they identified themselves for the first time as Christians – separate from the Judaism. This new vitality attracted not only Barnabas but Saul as well.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 87:1b-3, 4-5, 6-7
R. All you nations, praise the Lord.
The psalm proclaims the centrality of Jerusalem (Zion) as the source of holiness. Ironically it is positioned after the reading that will lead Christians to understand the New Zion, the Heavenly Jerusalem, a place where those who believe in Christ, the Son of God are favored.
Gospel John 10:22-30
We come at last to the climax of Jesus debates with the Jewish leadership. He is in the temple precincts now. He came there at a time when many of those from all over the region would be there, the Feast of Hanukkah. They press him to state plainly whether or not he is the Messiah. His final response is a chain of logic that leads to his final statement: “The Father and I are one.”
Reflection:
We see in scripture today a question and an answer. The question is asked in the Gospel and it’s one in our hearts rather than in our minds. We have for the past several days been hearing the great “Good Shepherd” discourse and St. John makes reference to that exchange in Jesus’ response to the Jews who are asking him to say explicitly that he is the Messiah.
The Lord must be frustrated with this question (“I told you and you do not believe.”). If he says “I am the Messiah” many of the leaders will accuse him of blasphemy and come after him immediately. In addition, the Messiah many of them expect (probably including one of his own disciples, Judas) is the Royal Messiah who comes in power and majesty to cast down the Romans. That is not what he is; not what they expect.
Rather than trying to go back to the beginning and explain all the prophecy that has already pointed at his true mission and identity, the Lord uses a logic chain to bring them to understand his relationship to the Father. “The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me.” He tells them. And them, probably with that note of sadness in his voice, he tells them that they do not know who he is because they are incapable of making the leap of faith necessary. It is like a child struggling with a math problem, trying to do it in their head and failing because it is too big. Or it is like the painting with two different images buried within it, some people just can’t see both. It is not their fault. And the Lord finally concludes, saying it as clearly as he can; “The Father and I are one.”
We said in the beginning there was a question here and there it is, for all of us. We believe in Jesus, the Christ who is one with the Father. Our faith allows us to make that connection. The question is not; “Do we believe?”, it is; “What do we do with that belief?
The answer to that question is there as well. Jesus said “The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me.” Can we say the same? People we meet should not even pause for a second to ask if we have adopted that proud name first used in Antioch, Christian. Our actions should make that clear. Today we are challenged by the Gospel once more. We are called to act like Christians, to love Christ, to love each other, and to take that message into the world like the sheep of Good Shepherd who sends us.
Pax
Please Pray for Esther.
[1] After Links to Readings Expire
[2] The picture today is “Paul and Barnabas at Lystra” by Nicolaes Berchem, 1650
[1] After Links to Readings Expire
[2] The picture today is “Paul and Barnabas at Lystra” by Nicolaes Berchem, 1650
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