Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter

(Optional Memorial for Saint Damien de Veuster, Priest) [USA]
 
Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Damien of Molaka’i
Biographical information about St. Damien of Molaka’i
 
Or:
 
(Optional Memorial for Saint John of Avila, Priest and Doctor of the Church)
 
Proper readings for the Memorial of St. John of Avila 
Biographical information about St. John of Avila

“Paul and Barnabas at Lystra”
by Nicolaes Berchem, 1650

 
Readings for Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Acts 11:19-26
 
Those who had been scattered by the persecution
that arose because of Stephen
went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch,
preaching the word to no one but Jews.
There were some Cypriots and Cyrenians among them, however,
who came to Antioch and began to speak to the Greeks as well,
proclaiming the Lord Jesus.
The hand of the Lord was with them
and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.
The news about them reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem,
and they sent Barnabas to go to Antioch.
When he arrived and saw the grace of God,
he rejoiced and encouraged them all
to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart,
for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith.
And a large number of people was added to the Lord.
Then he went to Tarsus to look for Saul,
and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch.
For a whole year they met with the Church
and taught a large number of people,
and it was in Antioch that the disciples
were first called Christians.
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Commentary on Acts 11:19-26
 
The story in Acts refers to Acts 8:1-4, the flight of the Christian faithful from Jerusalem following the death of St. Stephen. It is significant in the life of the Church for a few reasons. First, as a consequence of bringing a large number of non-Jews to believe in Christ, namely the Gentile converts, and because the Gentile converts had no historical connection to Judaism, these converts identified themselves for the first time as Christians – separate from Judaism. We note the action of the Holy Spirit is credited with this successful evangelization (as did St. John Chrysostom in his Homily on Acts 25 where he said: “Notice, that it is grace which does everything. And also reflect on the fact that this work is begun by unknown workers and only when it begins to prosper do the Apostles send Barnabas.”). [4] This new vitality attracted not only Barnabas but Saul as well.
 
The second reason this event is so important is that it tells us Christianity has traveled to Antioch, the third city in the Roman Empire with a population of over a half million (behind Rome and Alexandria). The spread of the Gospel is tremendously accelerated from this point.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 87:1b-3, 4-5, 6-7
 
R. (117:1a) All you nations, praise the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
His foundation upon the holy mountains
the LORD loves:
The gates of Zion,
more than any dwelling of Jacob.
Glorious things are said of you,
O city of God!
R. All you nations, praise the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
I tell of Egypt and Babylon
among those who know the LORD;
Of Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia:
"This man was born there."
And of Zion they shall say:
"One and all were born in her;
And he who has established her
is the Most High LORD."
R. All you nations, praise the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
They shall note, when the peoples are enrolled:
"This man was born there."
And all shall sing, in their festive dance:
"My home is within you."
R. All you nations, praise the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 87:1b-3, 4-5, 6-7
 
This post-exilic song was probably sung by pilgrims from around the known world returning to Jerusalem to celebrate in God’s holy city the joys of his bounty. The psalm proclaims the centrality of Jerusalem (Zion) as the source of holiness. The psalmist sings of how Jerusalem is the mother of faith and that, by implication, all are joined to her in faith. Seen in the light of Christ, this unity can also be applied to the Church which brings all peoples to itself. Again, we see the messianic call carried within the hymn.
 
-------------------------------------------
Gospel: John 10:22-30
 
The feast of the Dedication was taking place in Jerusalem.
It was winter.
And Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of Solomon.
So the Jews gathered around him and said to him,
"How long are you going to keep us in suspense?
If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."
Jesus answered them, "I told you and you do not believe.
The works I do in my Father's name testify to me.
But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep.
My sheep hear my voice;
I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.
No one can take them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,
and no one can take them out of the Father's hand.
The Father and I are one."
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jn 10:22-30
 
This is the conclusion of Jesus’ debates with the Jewish leadership. He is in the temple precincts at this point. 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 he is the Messiah. His final response, again using the “Good Shepherd” analogy, is a chain of logic that leads to his final statement: “The Father and I are one.”
 
This passage is set within the great discourse of Jesus at the Feast of the Dedication of the Temple. The topic sets the stage for the second theme, “Jesus the life.” [The first theme was “Jesus as light.”] The “Good Shepherd” takes the sheep, his flock, as his own possession, represented by the faithful. As this passage concludes, we hear conclusively that the Lord is one with the Father, truly God as well as true man. “The Lord utters one of his ‘hard sayings’ which evoke the wrath of the Jews, ‘the Father and I are one.’ In context, Jesus is amplifying his statement that no one can snatch the sheep from him because they have been given him by the father; Father and Son are one in mind, will, and action.” [5]
 
“The shepherd was often depicted as the self-sacrificing caretaker of sheep who was dedicated to their well-being, brought back strays, and kept them safe from the many dangers of the world (cf. 1 Samuel 17:34-35; Psalm 23:2; Amos 3:12; Matthew 18:12). Thus the Lord was the Shepherd of Israel in poetic language (Genesis 49:24; Psalm 80:2). He led his people through the desert like a shepherd leading his flock (Psalm 77:20; Psalm 78:52). The trust that the Israelite should have in the Lord is epitomized by Psalm 23.” [6]
 
CCC: Jn 10:22-23 583; Jn 10:25 548, 582; Jn 10:30 590
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Reflection:
 
We see a question and an answer in Scripture today. The question is asked in the Gospel and we find it in our hearts rather than in our minds. We have, for the past several days, been hearing the great “Good Shepherd” discourse. In the Gospel, St. John makes reference to that exchange through 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 Judas, one of his own disciples) is the royal messiah. The royal messiah is a great hero sent by God, 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 then, probably with that note of sadness in his voice, he continues saying 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 the Good Shepherd who sends us. During this time of isolation, we must work to provide those acts of love that best exemplify our love of Christ.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture used is “Paul and Barnabas at Lystra” by Nicolaes Berchem, 1650.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL).  This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] The Navarre Bible, Gospels and Acts, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, pp. 790-91.
[5] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 63:119, p. 445.
[6] Catholic Bible Dictionary, © by Scott Hahn, 2009, p. 839.

Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter

“St Peter and Cornelius the Centurion”
by Bernardo Cavallino, c. 1640

 
Readings for Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Note: in Cycles A and B when John 10:11-18 is used on the 4th Sunday of Easter, the alternate John 10:1-10 is used.
 
Reading 1: Acts 11:1-18
 
The Apostles and the brothers who were in Judea
heard that the Gentiles too had accepted the word of God.
So when Peter went up to Jerusalem
the circumcised believers confronted him, saying,
'You entered the house of uncircumcised people and ate with them."
Peter began and explained it to them step by step, saying,
"I was at prayer in the city of Joppa
when in a trance I had a vision,
something resembling a large sheet coming down,
lowered from the sky by its four corners, and it came to me.
Looking intently into it,
I observed and saw the four-legged animals of the earth,
the wild beasts, the reptiles, and the birds of the sky.
I also heard a voice say to me, 'Get up, Peter. Slaughter and eat.'
But I said, 'Certainly not, sir,
because nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.'
But a second time a voice from heaven answered,
'What God has made clean, you are not to call profane.'
This happened three times,
and then everything was drawn up again into the sky.
Just then three men appeared at the house where we were,
who had been sent to me from Caesarea.
The Spirit told me to accompany them without discriminating.
These six brothers also went with me,
and we entered the man's house.
He related to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, saying,
'Send someone to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter,
who will speak words to you
by which you and all your household will be saved.'
As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them
as it had upon us at the beginning,
and I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said,
'John baptized with water
but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'
If then God gave them the same gift he gave to us
when we came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ,
who was I to be able to hinder God?"
When they heard this,
they stopped objecting and glorified God, saying,
"God has then granted life-giving repentance to the Gentiles too."
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Acts 11:1-18
 
This passage makes it clear that, at this early point in the development of the Church, Christians still considered themselves to be of the Jewish faith (much like the Messianic Jews of today). But they too have come to the realization that God had fulfilled his messianic promise. “The Jewish Christians of Jerusalem were scandalized to learn of Peter's sojourn in the house of the Gentile Cornelius. Nonetheless, they had to accept the divine directions given to both Peter and Cornelius. They concluded that the setting aside of the legal barriers between Jew and Gentile was an exceptional ordinance of God to indicate that the apostolic kerygma was also to be directed to the Gentiles.” [4]
 
CCC: Acts 11:14 1655
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm:42-3; 43:3, 4
 
R. (see 3a) Athirst is my soul for the living God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
As the hind longs for the running waters,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
Athirst is my soul for God, the living God.
When shall I go and behold the face of God?
R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Send forth your light and your fidelity;
they shall lead me on
And bring me to your holy mountain,
to your dwelling-place.
R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Then will I go in to the altar of God,
the God of my gladness and joy;
Then will I give you thanks upon the harp,
O God, my God!
R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps:42-3; 43:3, 4
 
Psalm 42 and 43 form a single continuous song.  It is an individual lament for a return to Jerusalem where God may be encountered in the temple.  The hind's (female red deer's) longing for water is used to provide the allusion to baptism, bringing belief out of unbelief.
 
CCC: Ps 42:3 2112
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Gospel:  John 10:1-10
 
Jesus said:
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate
but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.
But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice,
as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has driven out all his own,
he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him,
because they recognize his voice.
But they will not follow a stranger;
they will run away from him,
because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.”
Although Jesus used this figure of speech,
the Pharisees did not realize what he was trying to tell them.
So Jesus said again, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
I am the gate for the sheep.
All who came before me are thieves and robbers,
but the sheep did not listen to them.
I am the gate.
Whoever enters through me will be saved,
and will come in and go out and find pasture.
A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy;
I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jn 10:1-10
“The good shepherd discourse continues the theme of attack on the Pharisees that ends John 9. The figure is allegorical: the hired hands are the Pharisees who excommunicated the cured blind man. It serves as a commentary on John 9. For the shepherd motif, used of Yahweh in the Old Testament, cf. Exodus 34; Genesis 48:15; 49:24; Micah 7:14; Psalm 23:1-4; Psalm 80:1.” [5]
 
In the opening verses, the Lord’s analogy to the sheep not entering through the sheep gate reiterates the message explicitly stated in the Bread of Life discourse – no one comes to the Father except through the Son. He continues to explain in detail that he is the gate – and that to deny him as the Son of God leads not to the Father but to death. But, whoever comes to him will be saved (“might have life and have it more abundantly.”).

CCC: Jn 10:1-21 764; Jn 10:11-15 754; Jn 10:11 553, 754; Jn 10:16 60; Jn 10:17-18 614, 649; Jn 10:17 606; Jn 10:18 609
-------------------------------------------
Reflection:
 
The Gospel for Monday continues the Good Shepherd message of the Fourth Sunday of Easter. The emphasis throughout is that Jesus is the way to God’s Kingdom, the source of salvation. Again it is unambiguous and is routinely used by some, to whom the adjective “elitist” belongs, to describe in no uncertain terms that if you have not made some sort of public profession about Jesus you are not saved.
 
There is a great joke running around on the web about a thermodynamics professor who asked on an exam: “Is hell endothermic or exothermic?”  That is, is hell growing or shrinking (literally is it drawing heat from its environment or is it radiating heat)? The question went further and asked for a proof. I will not go through the whole text of the story here because it is a bit long and supposedly won the student whose answer was published an “A” on the exam. One part of the answer given, though, does seem appropriate. The student contended that every Christian denomination in the world had claimed at some point that, if you did not believe and worship God the way they did, you were going to hell. The logic was that everyone must therefore end up in hell. (Along those same lines, I saw a bumper sticker a while back that said: “If it ain’t King James it ain’t Bible.” In my weaker moments I’ve always thought of having a bumper sticker for Catholics say “My Bible is bigger than your Bible,” but that would be childish.)
 
The Catholic Church went through a period where this was the case, probably several periods, in which some of the worst atrocities were committed against people in the name of God. It is truly amazing, as students of Church history know, that the Church has survived in spite of itself. The attitude in the Church truly changed in the 1960s in response to Vatican II. Understanding Christ’s will and intent is a dynamic process and growth always follows discernment.
 
In spite of these changes, we must know that all of the things the Church, or any part of it, has done in its 2,000 year history, considered by today’s standards to be barbaric, are still being taught by many of the anti-Catholic groups as being current teachings, and as condoned by the modern Church. (We will not provide web addresses here, but if you think Christians are one in Christ, do a web search on “Catholic” and see what turns up. If you have not done this before, do it when you have some time to calm down afterwards because some of what is out there will make your blood boil.)
 
Fortunately for us, our first pope, St. Peter the Apostle, has given us the example we must take to heart. In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we see him getting instruction from God about all mankind being invited to follow Christ. He speaks of how one baptism, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, binds us all to one truth. Thank God that the same Holy Spirit works among us today. Our prayer today is for Christian unity, and that the name of Jesus is taken to every part of the world that there might be “one shepherd and one flock.”
 
Pax
 

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[1] The picture used is “St Peter and Cornelius the Centurion” by Bernardo Cavallino, c. 1640.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL).  This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] NAB footnote on Acts 11:1-18.
[5] NAB Footnote on John 10:1ff.

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Catechism Links [1]
 
CCC 754, 764, 2665: Christ the Shepherd and Gate
CCC 553, 857, 861, 881, 896, 1558, 1561, 1568, 1574: Pope and bishops as shepherds
CCC 874, 1120, 1465, 1536, 1548-1551, 1564, 2179, 2686: Priests as shepherds
CCC 60, 442, 543, 674, 724, 755, 775, 781: The Church is made up of Jews and Gentiles
CCC 957, 1138, 1173, 2473-2474: Our communion with the martyrs
 

“Christ the Good Shepherd”
by  Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, c. 1660

Readings for Fourth Sunday of Easter [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1: Acts 13:14, 43-52
 
Paul and Barnabas continued on from Perga
and reached Antioch in Pisidia.
On the sabbath they entered the synagogue and took their seats.
Many Jews and worshipers who were converts to Judaism
followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them
and urged them to remain faithful to the grace of God.
 
On the following sabbath almost the whole city gathered
to hear the word of the Lord.
When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy
and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said.
Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said,
“It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first,
but since you reject it
and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life,
we now turn to the Gentiles.
For so the Lord has commanded us,
I have made you a light to the Gentiles,
that you may be an instrument of salvation
to the ends of the earth.”
 
The Gentiles were delighted when they heard this
and glorified the word of the Lord.
All who were destined for eternal life came to believe,
and the word of the Lord continued to spread
through the whole region.
The Jews, however, incited the women of prominence who were worshipers
and the leading men of the city,
stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas,
and expelled them from their territory.
So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them,
and went to Iconium.
The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.
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Commentary on Acts 13:14, 43-52
 
This excerpt is part of Paul’s first missionary trip. His encounter with the Jewish Community in Antioch begins with his exhortation about Jesus, the Messiah, to the members of that community. This encounter, and the antagonism he faces from the Jews, sets the tone for most such interactions throughout the balance of St. Paul's encounters with the Jewish leadership in his missionary travels.  Much of what is said in verses 15-42 (not presented here) relate to how the Lord came in fulfillment of the Scriptures (see below).
 
In the second part of the reading, the Jews refuse Paul’s apologetic logic. He then turns to the Gentiles of the region who embrace the faith with great fervor, upsetting the Pharisaic community which then forces Paul to leave.
 
"'They shook the dust from their feet': a traditional expression: the Jews regarded as unclean the dust of anywhere other than the holy land of Palestine. Our Lord extended the meaning of the phrase when He told the disciples He was sending them out to preach, 'If any one will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet' (Matthew 10:14; cf. Luke 9:5). This gesture of Paul and Barnabas echoes what Jesus said and amounted to ‘closing the case’ or putting on record the unbelief of the Jews." [5]
 
CCC: Acts 13:48 2640
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 100:1-2, 3, 5
 
R. (3c) We are his people, the sheep of his flock.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
R. We are his people, the sheep of his flock.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
R. We are his people, the sheep of his flock.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
The LORD is good:
his kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.
R. We are his people, the sheep of his flock.
or:
R. Alleluia.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 100:1-2, 3, 5
 
Psalm 100 is a song of praise and thanksgiving. In this section we praise God because he created us. We praise God because he continues to guide us. It affirms God’s saving grace given to his sons and daughters through all generations. It is also an alternate invitatory psalm offered by the faithful in the Liturgy of the Hours as appropriate to begin the day’s prayer of the Church.

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Reading II: Revelation 7:9, 14b-17
 
I, John, had a vision of a great multitude,
which no one could count,
from every nation, race, people, and tongue.
They stood before the throne and before the Lamb,
wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.
 
Then one of the elders said to me,
“These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress;
they have washed their robes
and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
 
“For this reason they stand before God’s throne
and worship him day and night in his temple.
The one who sits on the throne will shelter them.
They will not hunger or thirst anymore,
nor will the sun or any heat strike them.
For the Lamb who is in the center of the throne
will shepherd them
and lead them to springs of life-giving water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
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Commentary on Rv 7:9, 14b-17
 
This part of St. John’s Revelation envisions the Church in heaven glorifying God. He sees a great number “which no one could count,” a possible allusion to the promise made to Abraham (Genesis 15:5; Hebrews 11:12). The elders explain that, after the final test, those who have endured and remained faithful are wearing white robes. Their robes are white because Christ’s sacrifice has washed them clean, they are freed from sin by his sacrifice (the blood of the lamb).
 
Pope John Paul II has commented on this passage as follows: "The people dressed in white robes whom John sees with his prophetic eye are the redeemed, and they form a 'great multitude', which no one could count and which is made up of people of the most varied backgrounds. The blood of the Lamb, who has been offered in sacrifice for all, has exercised its universal and most effective redemptive power in every corner of the earth, extending grace and salvation to that 'great multitude'. After undergoing the trials and being purified in the blood of Christ, they --the redeemed--are now safe in the Kingdom of God, whom they praise and bless for ever and ever" ("Homily", 1 November 1981).” [6]
 
The selection concludes with a series of images from the Old Testament. Christians will no longer know suffering (see Isaiah 49:10; Psalm 121:6; John 4:14; John 7:37), and they will be shepherded by the Lamb (Psalm 23; Isaiah 40:11; Ezekiel 24:33; John 10:11-16). [7]
 
There is a strong connection here between the vision of St. John of those who have suffered persecution (“survived the time of great distress”) and  St. Paul’s persecution in Antioch (Acts 13:14, 43-52). The imagery also connects to St. John's Gospel as the evangelist makes reference to the “Good Shepherd” (John 10:27-30).
 
CCC: Rv 7:9 775, 1138
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Gospel: John 10:27-30
 
Jesus said:
“My sheep hear my voice;
I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.
No one can take them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,
and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand.
The Father and I are one.”
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on  Jn 10:27-30
 
This passage is set within the great discourse of Jesus at the feast of the Dedication of the Temple. The topic sets the stage for the second theme, “Jesus the life.” [The first theme was “Jesus as light.”] The “Good Shepherd” takes the sheep, his flock, as his own possession, represented by the faithful. As this passage concludes, we hear conclusively that the Lord is one with the Father, truly God as well as true man. “The Lord utters one of his ‘hard sayings’ which evoke the wrath of the Jews, ‘the Father and I are one.’ In context, Jesus is amplifying his statement that no one can snatch the sheep from him because they have been given him by the father; Father and Son are one in mind, will, and action.” [8]
 
“The shepherd was often depicted as the self-sacrificing caretaker of sheep who was dedicated to their well-being, brought back strays, and kept them safe from the many dangers of the world (cf. 1 Samuel 17:34-35; Psalm 23:2; Amos 3:12; Matthew 18:12). Thus the Lord was the Shepherd of Israel in poetic language (Genesis 49:24; Psalm 80:2). He led his people through the desert like a shepherd leading his flock (Psalm 77:20; Psalm 78:52). The trust that the Israelite should have in the Lord is epitomized by Psalm 23.” [9]
 
CCC: Jn 10:30 590
-------------------------------------------
Reflection:
 
We constantly thank God for all of his gifts to us.  Today, especially, we also thank our mothers without whom we would not have come into this world and without whom we would not have learned to bless the Lord for all he has done.
 
“The Father and I are one.”
 
What a simple statement.  St. John records the Lord’s words which define Jesus not as just “one of the sons of God.” Rather, he is of the same essence as God, separate in revelation, but sharing continuity of being.  It was because of this sameness that the relationship between the Father and the Son is more than the relationship between a biological parent and his child. It is because he is God that Jesus was able to reveal God’s purpose so completely.
 
In the modern Church we hear these words: “The Father and I are one,” and accept them because we have been taught from our earliest years that God’s manifestation is in the form of a “Trinity of Persons.”  Even though we cannot quite grasp how this is even possible, over time, we come to accept this seeming divine schizophrenia as the nature of our God.  This belief was not always clear.  In the early Church, even as the various councils struggled with codifying the books of Sacred Scripture (much was written in the first few centuries following Christ’s resurrection that was not deemed to have been inspired by God, e.g. the Gospel of St. Thomas), there were people who put forward heretical understandings of the divine nature of Christ, of the Holy Spirit, indeed of God himself.
 
Virtually every possible combination of understandings was put forward at one point in time or another, and sometimes by charismatic and forceful leaders.  Because of the force of will of these usually well-intentioned individuals, some of these misguided philosophies gained popular support, and great schisms threatened the Church.  We will not go through all of the great Christological heresies, but suffice it to say, they all ignored the simple statement made by St. John: “The Father and I are one.”
 
The theological understanding of the unity of persons was a difficult idea to get across to individuals who could not make the leap of faith required to accept it.  We can only imagine the difficulty encountered by the Apostles as they brought the news of God’s revelation to people who had no concept of what the Lord had done.  We have taken for granted the struggles of our forebears in reconciling all of the different explanations for Christ’s divinity, and the very nature of his being.  But what we are led to on this day is a profound gratitude for the great Magisterium of the Church. 
 
From apostolic times it has sifted through the various attempts by mankind’s limited intellect to discover God’s nature and his will.  In the end, because it is beyond human understanding, the Church pronounces the nature of God a mystery; to many, that is not a satisfying answer.  However, to ascribe anything else to the divine nature of God is heretically presumptuous.  
 
“The Father and I are one.”  Accepting this article of faith, we also accept that the Eucharist we share is God’s chosen manifestation of himself for us.  Today as we accept the Most Holy Sacrament of the altar, we are overawed that so great a thing could happen to us.
 
Pax
 

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[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, Published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The picture is “Christ the Good Shepherd” by  Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, c. 1660.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio
[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5] The Navarre Bible, Gospels and Acts, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p 807.
[6] The Navarre Bible: “Revelation and Hebrews and Catholic Letters”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, pp. 66-67.
[7] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 64:42, p.478.
[8] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 63:119, p.445.
[9] Catholic Bible Dictionary, © by Scott Hann, 2009, p. 839.

Saturday of the Third Week of Easter

“St. Peter Raising Tabitha”
by  Fabrizio Santafede, 1611

 
Readings for Saturday of the Third Week of Easter [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
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.
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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. In both situations, the cure of the paralytic (Aeneas), and the raising of Tabitha from the dead, the actions were taken not to increase the reputation of Peter, but to bring people to belief in Christ; an objective accomplished according to Luke’s account of the events.
 
CCC: Acts 9:34 1507
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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.
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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 of this phrase is the death of God's faithful is grievous to God, not that God is pleased with the death.
 
CCC: Ps 116:12 224; Ps 116:13 1330; Ps 116:17 1330
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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 understand the transformative event that was to take place, and they did not like what they did understand. As a result, 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."
 
CCC: Jn 6:60 1336; Jn 6:61 473; Jn 6:62-63 728; Jn 6:62 440; Jn 6:63 2766; Jn 6:67 1336; Jn 6:68 1336; Jn 6:69 438
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Reflection:
 
Sacred Scripture on this day describes two contrasting images of the ministry of Christ.  There seems to be an almost logical inversion of what should be happening.  In the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, St. Paul has been converted, removing the major force of persecution of the Christians.  St. Peter (the same St. Peter who denied Christ three times) now walks among the people, curing many and even raising them from the dead using the power of Jesus’ name. 
 
Yet, following St. John’s great Eucharistic discourse in the Gospel, Jesus himself seems on the verge of failure.  He has tried to help the people who had followed him understand his relationship to God, following his great sign of the multiplication of the loaves.  He had tried to make them understand that he was God’s loving face, revealed to them in human form.  He tried to tell them that he would leave a precious gift in the Eucharist.  Yet, instead of understanding, they left him in droves.  It was so bad that he turned to his disciples and asked them if they wanted to leave too.
 
The personal message we can take away from this seeming role reversal is that we must never lose heart when our efforts at bringing the Lord to others fail.  Jesus preaches a “hard” word to those who had listened to him on the hillside and been fed.  All they wanted was another sign. They did not want to pay the price of faith for the real reward.  We too must not think that by “sugar coating” the Lord’s message we somehow succeed, because we have offended no one.  Those who cannot accept the truth of our faith have not reached a point of spiritual maturity (may never reach a point of spiritual maturity) that will allow them to come to faith in Christ.
 
When people we meet do not accept the Good News, we should be pastorally sensitive.  We should not become condescending or have a sense of superiority because we believe we are so much better at following the Lord. We should not hammer home the more difficult precepts of our faith and drive people away because they cannot come to our level of faith or understanding immediately.  We must have the attitude of Christ as we invite people, through our words and actions, to walk with us on the path of faith.  His was a persistent loving invitation, and even so many could not follow him.
 
Today we take heart at the Lord’s seeming failure to reach the people who could not accept Jesus’ Body and Blood as real food and drink.  We see in St. Peter’s example that the power of God will not be defeated and know that we too may invoke that Holy Name to great purpose for God’s glory.  Our prayer today is that we demonstrate that loving persistence shown by our Savior and that all we meet know our faith in Christ.
 
Pax
 

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[1] The picture is “St. Peter Raising Tabitha” by  Fabrizio Santafede, 1611.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.