Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena,
Virgin and Doctor of the Church[1]
(Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter)
Memorial of Catherine of Siena
Readings for Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter[2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Acts 16:22-34
We are given another part of the first of the “we sections” in Acts. Here the events of Paul and Silas being first beaten and jailed, and then released is given. The jailer and those present interpreted the earth quake and its effect on the jail cells as a sign from God. This gave weight to Paul’s evangelical approach that led to their release and the jailer’s conversion.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 7c-8
R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.
While Psalm 38 is a song of thanksgiving, here it supports the rescue of Paul and Silas who prayed and whose prayers were answered by divine intervention (“When I called, you ansered me”).
Gospel John 16:5-11
In this selection Jesus reemphasizes that he is returning to the Father and it is only when he does so that the Paraclete will be given to the disciples. Above the active support and guidance promised of the Advocate earlier, we now here of its role as judge.
Reflection:
The message we derive from scripture today is that we should be reassured and comforted because of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives. Here is how we get to that; in the Gospel, we hear of the disciples’ state of mind. They are frightened; the Lord has just told them again that he is leaving them. He also said they should, in a sense, be glad because that event would be the immediate predecessor to the arrival of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, which would take his place in a mystical way. (We understand this because of our belief in the unity of the Triune God).
Next, although inversely because it was the first reading, we hear how these disciples (now Apostles) began to spread the word in a hostile environment. Although St. Paul was not one of the 11 or the 12 he was adopted as an Apostle and we find him in Philippi with Silas taking a beating and being jailed for the cause. We need to understand that these stories from the Acts are not intended to scare us but to make us aware that in spite of the message of peace and forgiveness we spread as Christ’s ambassadors, the world will not love us. In their situation, Paul and Silas, faithful in their captivity (praying and singing hymns of praise to the other prisoners), were helped by what seemed to be divine intervention. They turned a very bad situation into one which glorified God and advanced His cause.
That is how we get to the message today that we, as the modern heralds of the Lord, should be fearless in our proclamation. The Advocate is with us to support and guide us.
Pax
[1] The picture used is “Pope Aeneas Piccolomini Canonizes Catherine of Siena” by Pinturicchio, 1502-08
[2] After Links to Readings Expire
Virgin and Doctor of the Church[1]
(Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter)
Memorial of Catherine of Siena
Readings for Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter[2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Acts 16:22-34
We are given another part of the first of the “we sections” in Acts. Here the events of Paul and Silas being first beaten and jailed, and then released is given. The jailer and those present interpreted the earth quake and its effect on the jail cells as a sign from God. This gave weight to Paul’s evangelical approach that led to their release and the jailer’s conversion.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 7c-8
R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.
While Psalm 38 is a song of thanksgiving, here it supports the rescue of Paul and Silas who prayed and whose prayers were answered by divine intervention (“When I called, you ansered me”).
Gospel John 16:5-11
In this selection Jesus reemphasizes that he is returning to the Father and it is only when he does so that the Paraclete will be given to the disciples. Above the active support and guidance promised of the Advocate earlier, we now here of its role as judge.
Reflection:
The message we derive from scripture today is that we should be reassured and comforted because of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives. Here is how we get to that; in the Gospel, we hear of the disciples’ state of mind. They are frightened; the Lord has just told them again that he is leaving them. He also said they should, in a sense, be glad because that event would be the immediate predecessor to the arrival of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, which would take his place in a mystical way. (We understand this because of our belief in the unity of the Triune God).
Next, although inversely because it was the first reading, we hear how these disciples (now Apostles) began to spread the word in a hostile environment. Although St. Paul was not one of the 11 or the 12 he was adopted as an Apostle and we find him in Philippi with Silas taking a beating and being jailed for the cause. We need to understand that these stories from the Acts are not intended to scare us but to make us aware that in spite of the message of peace and forgiveness we spread as Christ’s ambassadors, the world will not love us. In their situation, Paul and Silas, faithful in their captivity (praying and singing hymns of praise to the other prisoners), were helped by what seemed to be divine intervention. They turned a very bad situation into one which glorified God and advanced His cause.
That is how we get to the message today that we, as the modern heralds of the Lord, should be fearless in our proclamation. The Advocate is with us to support and guide us.
Pax
[1] The picture used is “Pope Aeneas Piccolomini Canonizes Catherine of Siena” by Pinturicchio, 1502-08
[2] After Links to Readings Expire
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