Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Saint Athanasius
Readings for Saturday of the Third Week of Easter[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: Acts 9:31-42
The Church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria
was at peace.
She was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord,
and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit she grew in numbers.
As Peter was passing through every region,
he went down to the holy ones living in Lydda.
There he found a man named Aeneas,
who had been confined to bed for eight years, for he was paralyzed.
Peter said to him,
"Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed."
He got up at once.
And all the inhabitants of Lydda and Sharon saw him,
and they turned to the Lord.
Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha
(which translated is Dorcas).
She was completely occupied with good deeds and almsgiving.
Now during those days she fell sick and died,
so after washing her, they laid her out in a room upstairs.
Since Lydda was near Joppa,
the disciples, hearing that Peter was there,
sent two men to him with the request,
"Please come to us without delay."
So Peter got up and went with them.
When he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs
where all the widows came to him weeping
and showing him the tunics and cloaks
that Dorcas had made while she was with them.
Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed.
Then he turned to her body and said, "Tabitha, rise up."
She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up.
He gave her his hand and raised her up,
and when he had called the holy ones and the widows,
he presented her alive.
This became known all over Joppa,
and many came to believe in the Lord.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Acts 9:31-42
The Church is at peace following Paul’s conversion and the cessation of persecution by the Sanhedrin’s main enforcer. Peter now demonstrates through miraculous healings that the authority of Christ over illness and death has been passed on to the Apostles.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 116:12-13, 14-15, 16-17
R. (12) How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?
or:
R. Alleluia.
How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD
R. How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?
or:
R. Alleluia.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
R. How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?
or:
R. Alleluia.
O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.
To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
R. How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?
or:
R. Alleluia.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 116:12-13, 14-15, 16-17
Psalm 116 is a song of thanksgiving. This selection is an individual prayer and promise to God. The singer understands that the Lord is his salvation. A little confusing is -“Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones.”- The meaning is that the death of God's faithful is grievous to God, not that God is pleased with the death.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: John 6:60-69
Many of the disciples of Jesus who were listening said,
"This saying is hard; who can accept it?"
Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this,
he said to them, "Does this shock you?
What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
It is the Spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail.
The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.
But there are some of you who do not believe."
Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe
and the one who would betray him.
And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me
unless it is granted him by my Father."
As a result of this,
many of his disciples returned to their former way of life
and no longer walked with him.
Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?"
Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe
and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jn 6:60-69
St. John describes the ebb and flow of the Lord’s followers. He is concluding his discourse on the “Bread of Life” and has just told the disciples once more: “For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.” This was cannibalism, they did not get it and they did not like what they did get, so many who had seen him perform the sign of the Multiplication of the Loaves and followed him now were repulsed and went home.The twelve stayed with him and in response to Jesus question; “Do you also want to leave?" Simon Peter answers with his profession of faith; “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
"This saying is hard; who can accept it?"
We never understand just how true this statement is until we try to convince someone who has never been exposed to Christianity of the truth of God and the promise of Christ. A number of years ago there was a young intern working in the Information Technology Department of a major US hospital. This young man was from China and had never been exposed to Christianity or even the concept of an all powerful God.
He noted that a co-worker was a religious person (a Catholic as it turned out) and asked him to explain the entire concept. Where would you start if you were confronted with such a question? The Catholic decided to start with a question first and asked the young man if he believed in God. Perhaps it was the language barrier but the young man could not understand the question. So the co-worker asked how the young man thought the creation of the universe came about. The young man shrugged and said “Big Bang”.
So the Christian asked “And were did the ‘Big Bang’ come from?”
Again the shrug, this time accompanied by “No one knows.”
Using that as a starting point, the Christian launched into a proposition of God as the agent of that beginning and then into how the early Hebrews had come to this realization. He explained, over a period of days, how God had made Himself known to the Jewish people, about the Exodus and the history chronicled in the Old Testament. Because he knew where the story was headed, he made sure to insert the promise of the Messiah who was to continue the promise of Kind David’s reign.
When, at last he came to the appearance of Jesus in the New Testament, with John the Baptist, Mary and Joseph, things began to fit together for the young man. Then it came to the part about Jesus promising his body was food and his blood was drink and the young Chinese man looked at the Christian in surprise and asked “Isn’t cannibalism against the law in this custom?”
Try as he might the Catholic could not get him over that concept. Worse, there was no way to bring the understanding of the young man to faith without that important article of faith. It took months until the foundational belief that God was both omnipotent and operated outside the range of human understanding could be developed. Even then they young man would at times shake his head and say “And you believe this is all true?”
There are some who cannot let go of their rational selves and accept on faith what is obvious to those of us who have accepted Christ as Savior and Lord. The Lord left us a gift that is, as some of those earlier disciples said "This saying is hard; who can accept it?" Our response must be St. Peters – "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."
Pax
Saint Athanasius
Readings for Saturday of the Third Week of Easter[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: Acts 9:31-42
The Church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria
was at peace.
She was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord,
and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit she grew in numbers.
As Peter was passing through every region,
he went down to the holy ones living in Lydda.
There he found a man named Aeneas,
who had been confined to bed for eight years, for he was paralyzed.
Peter said to him,
"Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed."
He got up at once.
And all the inhabitants of Lydda and Sharon saw him,
and they turned to the Lord.
Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha
(which translated is Dorcas).
She was completely occupied with good deeds and almsgiving.
Now during those days she fell sick and died,
so after washing her, they laid her out in a room upstairs.
Since Lydda was near Joppa,
the disciples, hearing that Peter was there,
sent two men to him with the request,
"Please come to us without delay."
So Peter got up and went with them.
When he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs
where all the widows came to him weeping
and showing him the tunics and cloaks
that Dorcas had made while she was with them.
Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed.
Then he turned to her body and said, "Tabitha, rise up."
She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up.
He gave her his hand and raised her up,
and when he had called the holy ones and the widows,
he presented her alive.
This became known all over Joppa,
and many came to believe in the Lord.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Acts 9:31-42
The Church is at peace following Paul’s conversion and the cessation of persecution by the Sanhedrin’s main enforcer. Peter now demonstrates through miraculous healings that the authority of Christ over illness and death has been passed on to the Apostles.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 116:12-13, 14-15, 16-17
R. (12) How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?
or:
R. Alleluia.
How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD
R. How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?
or:
R. Alleluia.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
R. How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?
or:
R. Alleluia.
O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.
To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
R. How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?
or:
R. Alleluia.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 116:12-13, 14-15, 16-17
Psalm 116 is a song of thanksgiving. This selection is an individual prayer and promise to God. The singer understands that the Lord is his salvation. A little confusing is -“Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones.”- The meaning is that the death of God's faithful is grievous to God, not that God is pleased with the death.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: John 6:60-69
Many of the disciples of Jesus who were listening said,
"This saying is hard; who can accept it?"
Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this,
he said to them, "Does this shock you?
What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
It is the Spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail.
The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.
But there are some of you who do not believe."
Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe
and the one who would betray him.
And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me
unless it is granted him by my Father."
As a result of this,
many of his disciples returned to their former way of life
and no longer walked with him.
Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?"
Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe
and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jn 6:60-69
St. John describes the ebb and flow of the Lord’s followers. He is concluding his discourse on the “Bread of Life” and has just told the disciples once more: “For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.” This was cannibalism, they did not get it and they did not like what they did get, so many who had seen him perform the sign of the Multiplication of the Loaves and followed him now were repulsed and went home.The twelve stayed with him and in response to Jesus question; “Do you also want to leave?" Simon Peter answers with his profession of faith; “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
"This saying is hard; who can accept it?"
We never understand just how true this statement is until we try to convince someone who has never been exposed to Christianity of the truth of God and the promise of Christ. A number of years ago there was a young intern working in the Information Technology Department of a major US hospital. This young man was from China and had never been exposed to Christianity or even the concept of an all powerful God.
He noted that a co-worker was a religious person (a Catholic as it turned out) and asked him to explain the entire concept. Where would you start if you were confronted with such a question? The Catholic decided to start with a question first and asked the young man if he believed in God. Perhaps it was the language barrier but the young man could not understand the question. So the co-worker asked how the young man thought the creation of the universe came about. The young man shrugged and said “Big Bang”.
So the Christian asked “And were did the ‘Big Bang’ come from?”
Again the shrug, this time accompanied by “No one knows.”
Using that as a starting point, the Christian launched into a proposition of God as the agent of that beginning and then into how the early Hebrews had come to this realization. He explained, over a period of days, how God had made Himself known to the Jewish people, about the Exodus and the history chronicled in the Old Testament. Because he knew where the story was headed, he made sure to insert the promise of the Messiah who was to continue the promise of Kind David’s reign.
When, at last he came to the appearance of Jesus in the New Testament, with John the Baptist, Mary and Joseph, things began to fit together for the young man. Then it came to the part about Jesus promising his body was food and his blood was drink and the young Chinese man looked at the Christian in surprise and asked “Isn’t cannibalism against the law in this custom?”
Try as he might the Catholic could not get him over that concept. Worse, there was no way to bring the understanding of the young man to faith without that important article of faith. It took months until the foundational belief that God was both omnipotent and operated outside the range of human understanding could be developed. Even then they young man would at times shake his head and say “And you believe this is all true?”
There are some who cannot let go of their rational selves and accept on faith what is obvious to those of us who have accepted Christ as Savior and Lord. The Lord left us a gift that is, as some of those earlier disciples said "This saying is hard; who can accept it?" Our response must be St. Peters – "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."
Pax
[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used is “Eucharist in Fruit Wreath” (detail), by Jan Davidsz de Heem, 1648
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
[2] The picture used is “Eucharist in Fruit Wreath” (detail), by Jan Davidsz de Heem, 1648
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
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