(Optional Memorial for Saint George, Martyr)
(Optional Memorial for Saint Adalbert, Bishop and Martyr)
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| “St Peter and Cornelius the Centurion” by Bernardo Cavallino, c. 1640 |
Commentary:
Reading 1: Acts 11:1-18
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.
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 (female red deer) 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
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
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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 title “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.”)
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 the Vatican II Council. 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
[1] The picture used is “St Peter and Cornelius the Centurion” by Bernardo Cavallino, c. 1640
[4] See NAB footnote on Acts 11:1-18
[5] See NAB Footnote on John 10:1ff
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