Saint Gregory VII, Pope
Saint Mary Magdalene of Pazzi, Virgin
Saint Bede the Venerable, Priest, Doctor
Memorial Bench for Saint Gregory VII
Memorial Bench for Saint Mary Magdalene of Pazzi
Memorial Bench for Saint Bede the Venerable
Readings for Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter[i][ii]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[iii]
Reading 1: Acts 19:1-8
While Apollos was in Corinth,
Paul traveled through the interior of the country
and down to Ephesus where he found some disciples.
He said to them,
"Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?"
They answered him,
"We have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."
He said, "How were you baptized?"
They replied, "With the baptism of John."
Paul then said, "John baptized with a baptism of repentance,
telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him,
that is, in Jesus."
When they heard this,
they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
And when Paul laid his hands on them,
the Holy Spirit came upon them,
and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
Altogether there were about twelve men.
He entered the synagogue, and for three months debated boldly
with persuasive arguments about the Kingdom of God.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Acts 19:1-8
While Apollos stays in Corinth strengthening the Church there, Paul goes down to Ephesus. In this passage he describes the difference between the Baptism of John which was for repentance and the baptism of Jesus (for forgiveness). It is important to note that the gift of the Holy Spirit is given in the sacrament of Baptism demonstrated here.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 68:2-3ab, 4-5acd, 6-7ab
R. (33a) Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
God arises; his enemies are scattered,
and those who hate him flee before him.
As smoke is driven away, so are they driven;
as wax melts before the fire.
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
But the just rejoice and exult before God;
they are glad and rejoice.
Sing to God, chant praise to his name;
whose name is the LORD.
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The father of orphans and the defender of widows
is God in his holy dwelling.
God gives a home to the forsaken;
he leads forth prisoners to prosperity.
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 68:2-3ab, 4-5acd, 6-7ab
Psalm 68 gives praise and thanksgiving for God’s salvation. It is from God alone that salvation comes replacing the loss of the poor (widows and orphans) with his justice and presence.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: John 16:29-33
The disciples said to Jesus,
"Now you are talking plainly, and not in any figure of speech.
Now we realize that you know everything
and that you do not need to have anyone question you.
Because of this we believe that you came from God."
Jesus answered them, "Do you believe now?
Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived
when each of you will be scattered to his own home
and you will leave me alone.
But I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
I have told you this so that you might have peace in me.
In the world you will have trouble,
but take courage, I have conquered the world."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jn 16:29-33
Here, in St. John’s Gospel, we see the great solace of the disciples as Jesus essentially forgives them in advance for deserting him when he is confronted in the garden. Even as they confess that they believe in Him, Jesus knows they will flee when he is taken prisoner.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
What we hear in the Acts of the Apostles today is important in that it highlights what is accomplished for us in Baptism. Notice how Paul is asking members of the Church at Ephesus if they had received the gift of the Holy Spirit and how they did not know what he was talking about? These must have been some of the Lords very first disciples. They had met John the Baptist or one of his disciples and had then turned to follow Christ. They only had the baptism of John.
We recall that John was baptizing in the Jordan. He had high jacked a Hebrew purification rite detailed in the book of the Prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 36 24ff) and was asking the people to repent. Repentance is not forgiveness. What John the Baptist was asking for was a change of heart. There is a huge difference between what John was asking for and what Jesus accomplishes in our Baptism. Jesus does not ask for a change or heart, in Baptism he causes an indelible change in our very nature. He washes away sin, as if it were never there. He causes us to become a new creation clothed in him, reborn in him and invested with the Holy Spirit.
Is it any wonder the people who had only received John’s baptism were being re-baptized? It was completely different. When they came to John at the Jordan, it was like what happened to us on Ash Wednesday. We are told to “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.” Repent, in other words. The Baptism we receive in Christ; in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, is the gift of Jesus that makes us his adopted sons and daughters.
Through our Baptism into him and into his death, we have the gates of salvation opened up to us and we have the grace to access the Lord when ever we want. Is it any wonder that Baptism is called the most important sacrament? (The Eucharist is the most holy).
Pax
[i] ALTRE
[ii] The picture today is “St. Paul at Preaching at Ephesus” by Eustache Le Sueur, 1649
[iii] 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.
Saint Mary Magdalene of Pazzi, Virgin
Saint Bede the Venerable, Priest, Doctor
Memorial Bench for Saint Gregory VII
Memorial Bench for Saint Mary Magdalene of Pazzi
Memorial Bench for Saint Bede the Venerable
Readings for Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter[i][ii]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[iii]
Reading 1: Acts 19:1-8
While Apollos was in Corinth,
Paul traveled through the interior of the country
and down to Ephesus where he found some disciples.
He said to them,
"Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?"
They answered him,
"We have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."
He said, "How were you baptized?"
They replied, "With the baptism of John."
Paul then said, "John baptized with a baptism of repentance,
telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him,
that is, in Jesus."
When they heard this,
they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
And when Paul laid his hands on them,
the Holy Spirit came upon them,
and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
Altogether there were about twelve men.
He entered the synagogue, and for three months debated boldly
with persuasive arguments about the Kingdom of God.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Acts 19:1-8
While Apollos stays in Corinth strengthening the Church there, Paul goes down to Ephesus. In this passage he describes the difference between the Baptism of John which was for repentance and the baptism of Jesus (for forgiveness). It is important to note that the gift of the Holy Spirit is given in the sacrament of Baptism demonstrated here.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 68:2-3ab, 4-5acd, 6-7ab
R. (33a) Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
God arises; his enemies are scattered,
and those who hate him flee before him.
As smoke is driven away, so are they driven;
as wax melts before the fire.
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
But the just rejoice and exult before God;
they are glad and rejoice.
Sing to God, chant praise to his name;
whose name is the LORD.
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The father of orphans and the defender of widows
is God in his holy dwelling.
God gives a home to the forsaken;
he leads forth prisoners to prosperity.
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 68:2-3ab, 4-5acd, 6-7ab
Psalm 68 gives praise and thanksgiving for God’s salvation. It is from God alone that salvation comes replacing the loss of the poor (widows and orphans) with his justice and presence.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: John 16:29-33
The disciples said to Jesus,
"Now you are talking plainly, and not in any figure of speech.
Now we realize that you know everything
and that you do not need to have anyone question you.
Because of this we believe that you came from God."
Jesus answered them, "Do you believe now?
Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived
when each of you will be scattered to his own home
and you will leave me alone.
But I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
I have told you this so that you might have peace in me.
In the world you will have trouble,
but take courage, I have conquered the world."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jn 16:29-33
Here, in St. John’s Gospel, we see the great solace of the disciples as Jesus essentially forgives them in advance for deserting him when he is confronted in the garden. Even as they confess that they believe in Him, Jesus knows they will flee when he is taken prisoner.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
What we hear in the Acts of the Apostles today is important in that it highlights what is accomplished for us in Baptism. Notice how Paul is asking members of the Church at Ephesus if they had received the gift of the Holy Spirit and how they did not know what he was talking about? These must have been some of the Lords very first disciples. They had met John the Baptist or one of his disciples and had then turned to follow Christ. They only had the baptism of John.
We recall that John was baptizing in the Jordan. He had high jacked a Hebrew purification rite detailed in the book of the Prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 36 24ff) and was asking the people to repent. Repentance is not forgiveness. What John the Baptist was asking for was a change of heart. There is a huge difference between what John was asking for and what Jesus accomplishes in our Baptism. Jesus does not ask for a change or heart, in Baptism he causes an indelible change in our very nature. He washes away sin, as if it were never there. He causes us to become a new creation clothed in him, reborn in him and invested with the Holy Spirit.
Is it any wonder the people who had only received John’s baptism were being re-baptized? It was completely different. When they came to John at the Jordan, it was like what happened to us on Ash Wednesday. We are told to “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.” Repent, in other words. The Baptism we receive in Christ; in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, is the gift of Jesus that makes us his adopted sons and daughters.
Through our Baptism into him and into his death, we have the gates of salvation opened up to us and we have the grace to access the Lord when ever we want. Is it any wonder that Baptism is called the most important sacrament? (The Eucharist is the most holy).
Pax
[i] ALTRE
[ii] The picture today is “St. Paul at Preaching at Ephesus” by Eustache Le Sueur, 1649
[iii] 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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