Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter

(Optional Memorial of Saint Joseph the Worker)

Proper for the Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker

Additional information about St. Joseph the Worker

“Christ and Nicodemus” by Crijn Hendricksz Volmarijn, c. 1601-1645

Readings for Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter [1]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]

Commentary:

Reading 1: Acts 5:17-26

Commentary on Acts 5:17-26

This is the second time the Apostles are attacked by the Sanhedrin. They have already been told by the Jewish leadership to stop teaching and have been condemned as false prophets, so there is no need for a second trial and they are jailed. Jailing the apostles in Acts doesn’t seem to work very well (see also Acts 12:6-11; 16:25-29).  They fearlessly return to the temple area and resume their mission to proclaim Christ Crucified and Risen, forcing the Sanhedrin to take action.

CCC: Acts 5:18-20 334; Acts 5:20 584; Acts 5:21 584

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R.(7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Commentary on Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

Psalm 34 is a song of thanksgiving and a favorite for celebrating the heroic virtue of the saints. The psalmist, fresh from the experience of being rescued (Psalm 34:5, 7), can teach the "poor," those who are defenseless, to trust in God alone. This psalm, in the words of one being unjustly persecuted, echoes hope for deliverance and freedom. The Lord in his faithful love always hears those who call to him for help and salvation.

CCC: Ps 34:3 716; Ps 34:8 336

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Gospel: John 3:16-21

Commentary on Jn 3:16-21

The dialogue Jesus was having with Nicodemus has now turned into a famous monologue in this passage from the Gospel of St. John. Here, Jesus is clear about his own identity as God’s “only-begotten Son,” and his mission: “that the world might be saved through him.”

The Lord continues by explaining that the salvific event is dependent upon faith and acceptance by those to be saved (“whoever believes in him will not be condemned”) and those who reject this belief are already condemned. The passage concludes with the analogy of light and darkness where the Lord, who is light, comes to save the people but will be rejected by many (“but people preferred darkness to light”). Those who believe in the Lord will be identified by their good works, and the glory that those works bring to God the Father.

CCC: Jn 3:16 219, 444, 454, 458, 706; Jn 3:17 2447; Jn 3:19-24 2845; Jn 3:19-20 208, 1781; Jn 3:21 2778

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Reflection:

We come to a very sticky point with regard to our faith and its relation to the rest of the world in the Lord’s address to Nicodemus.  If, as the Gospel says: “who ever does not believe has already been condemned,” then all those who have either never heard of Jesus, those whose faith does not include Jesus, and those who have heard of Jesus but have not come to faith, are condemned to eternal death.   This one failing has the consequence of denying a person the eternal life of heaven.

As Christians we are taught to follow the Lord, and that means we are constantly asking ourselves, “How would Jesus love?” in the various situations we encounter daily.  When we meet a person who rejects Christianity, or even rejects the divinity of Christ, we feel sorrow for that person who, in rejecting Christ, has invited hell.  You may be surprised at the strength of that word used to describe relatively innocent individuals.  After all, a person could be a moral person, a good person, but one who does not believe in Christ.  So why would we say that person invites hell?

Hell, we are taught from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, has the following attribute:

“Hell's principal punishment consists of eternal separation from God in whom alone man can have the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.” (CCC 1057)

By rejecting Christ, who alone can offer entrance to the heavenly kingdom, that person rejects God.  How should we feel about a person who, out of ignorance, rejects a life with God?  We should feel sorrow for that person and do all we can to invite them to a deeper belief, if we follow God’s law of love.

What we should not do is be condescending toward such a person.  It has happened many times in the history of Christianity, usually with disastrous results.  There are times, even in recent memory, when it appears that we, as Church, behaved in a superior way.  Because we have the truth, we sound to others to be condescending when we tell them that: “Oh, by the way, because you have rejected the truth we offer, you are going to hell.”  If we ever take that tone, we’ve just bought ourselves some serious time in purgatory.  That is not the attitude of Christ.

Today we will pray for those who, as the petitions on Good Friday recounted, do not believe in Christ or do not believe in God.  May they be given one last opportunity to embrace the Risen Son of God when they come before the judgment seat of Christ, and by their profession gain entry into the heavenly kingdom.

Pax

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[1] The picture used is “Christ and Nicodemus” by Crijn Hendricksz Volmarijn, c. 1601-1645.

[2] S.S. Commemoratio

Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter

(Optional Memorial of Saint Pius V, Religious)

Proper for the Memorial of St. Pius V

Biographical information about St. Pius V

“Jesus and Nicodemus” by Alexandre Bida, c.1873

Readings for Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter [1]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]

Commentary:

Reading 1: Acts 4:32-37

Commentary on Acts 4:32-37

This selection from Acts is the second summary describing the community of faith at Jerusalem. The description is of a community completely unified in the faith in the risen Lord. They live in accordance with the practices followed by the disciples when they were with Jesus, sharing all material possessions. The Barnabas mentioned in this selection is presumed to be the same person who later joins Paul in his missionary quests.

CCC: Acts 4:32 952, 2790; Acts 4:33 995

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5

R. (1a) The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Commentary on Ps 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5

Psalm 93 is a hymn of praise commemorating Yahweh as king. The external revelation of God mentioned in Sirach 1:1-10 is celebrated in this song of praise. The image of God’s throne on high, repeated here, reinforces God’s omnipotence.

“'The Lord is king': literally, 'the Lord reigns.' This psalm, and Psalms 47; 96-99, are sometimes called enthronement psalms. They may have been used in a special liturgy during which God's ascent to the throne was ritually reenacted. They have also been interpreted eschatologically, pointing to the coming of God as king at the end-time.” [4]

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Gospel: John 3:7b-15

Commentary on Jn 3:7b-15

Jesus continues the discourse with Nicodemus started in John 3:1-8.  When Nicodemus still does not understand the resurrection to which Jesus points when the Lord says “You must be born from above,” he becomes more explicit, reminding Nicodemus of the remedy of the saraph serpents employed by Moses (Numbers 21:9).  He uses this as an analog to his own crucifixion, the salvation for all who are poisoned by sin.

CCC: Jn 3:7 526, 591; Jn 3:9 505; Jn 3:13 423, 440, 661; Jn 3:15 1033

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Reflection:

The dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus points out a paradox that has long driven different people to express the lived faith differently.  We see this expressed in St. Luke’s description of the early church in the Acts of the Apostles selection heard as the first reading today.

Christians are asked to follow what Jesus taught:  accepting the Lord as the Son of God, as the one who came from heaven to earth bringing the revelation of God’s love, and knowing he died and rose again, returning to the Father.  They are told to try to emulate the perfect unity with Christ that exists in his Heavenly Kingdom.  To do this the Christian is called to remain separate from the world but, paradoxically, is sent into the world to bring the Good News to all the people they encounter.  In the very early Church we see that some Christians remain very isolated from the world. They attempt the communal life that insures that the love of the poor is expressed, and, at the same time, insulates the community from secular mores and attitudes.

This idyllic expression of compete devotion to Christ is expressed in this day and age by monastic communities and the cloistered life of religious brothers and sisters.  It is also expressed by some movements within the greater faith community, people who feel they need to completely align themselves with specific practices in order to express their faith and love of God. 

There is an inherent difficulty with these communities.  It is difficult to remain balanced.  There is a balance between remaining separate from the world and being a part of it.  The model of the Apostles was extraordinary because of the strength of the Holy Spirit that was given to them.  Many times, in attempts to imitate that beautiful communal existence of a large family unified in faith, the weaknesses of human character are exposed. Individuals selfishly take advantage of the willingness of the community to support all equally. Some members might feel they contribute too much while others not enough and vice versa.

We have seen the lengths to which these abuses of power and the willingness of some to take advantage of the generosity others can go, unfortunately. We must always remember that our only true head is Christ, and our informed conscience must always measure the direction given by human leaders according to that standard.  The fact remains that we are called to follow Christ as best we can by remaining apart from the world and its secular values, yet bring Christ to it by our witness.  We pray today for the strength of the Holy Spirit to provide us with the guidance to place those two commands in balance.

Pax

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[1] The Picture is “Jesus and Nicodemus” by Alexandre Bida, c.1873.

[2] S.S. Commemoratio

[4] See NAB footnote on Ps 93.

Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

Proper for the Memorial of St. Catherine of Siena

Biographical information about St. Catherine of Siena

"The Ecstasy of St Catherine of Siena" by Pompeo Batoni, 1743

Readings for Monday of the Second Week of Easter [1]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]

Commentary:

Reading 1: Acts 4:23-31

Commentary on Acts 4:23-31

This selection from Acts continues describing the efforts of Peter and John after they return from being threatened by the Sanhedrin for proclaiming Jesus and performing signs in Jesus' name. They sing Psalm 2: 1-3, implying that those in power oppose the true mission of God. The passage concludes with their prayer for strength in continuing their work. The occurrence of an earth tremor is understood to symbolize God’s presence and affirmative response.

CCC: Acts 4:26-27 436; Acts 4:27-28 600

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 2:1-3, 4-7a, 7b-9

R. (see 11d) Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Commentary on Ps 2:1-3, 4-7a, 7b-9

Psalm 2 is one of the “Royal Psalms.” In this passage we are reminded that God has adopted us as His sons and daughters. The language used is the formal adoption language of the time. The selection focuses on the true ruler of heaven and earth - the Lord, not, as the psalmist points out, worldly kings who do not fear the Most High God.  There is an image used in Psalm 149 in which the Lord empowers the people to cast off their fetters, and use them to bind the secular rulers who oppress them (Psalm 149:8). The song sings of their steadfast commitment to bring this word to the Gentiles, freeing them from their idols. The first strophe is quoted by the apostles in Acts 4:23ff.

CCC: Ps 2:1-2 600; Ps 2:2 436; Ps 2:6-7 745; Ps 2:7-8 2606; Ps 2:7 441, 653, 2836

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Gospel: John 3:1-8

Commentary on Jn 3:1-8

During the Passover Feast, Jesus instructs Nicodemus on the need to turn away from the world of the flesh, and focus instead on life in the spirit of God. This passage is filled with the images of the Christian baptismal calling: “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.” Placed in the Easter season, this can be seen as a reference to the Lord’s resurrection in the spirit. It further points out that the Holy Spirit is a mystery that cannot be fully fathomed by human understanding but whose effects are quite apparent.

CCC: Jn 3:2 581; Jn 3:3-5 782; Jn 3:5-8 691, 728, 1287; Jn 3:5 432, 720, 1215, 1225, 1238, 1257, 1262, 2790; Jn 3:7 526, 591

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Reflection:

Even as we turn away from the events immediately following the resurrection, we are pulled back to that blessed night when so many were baptized and joined us in our adoption as “Children of God.”  We look closely at the Gospel exchange between Jesus and Nicodemus. 

Nicodemus is a member of the Sanhedrin, and one of those “secret disciples” who are afraid to openly follow Jesus.  He comes to Jesus at night, perhaps curious, perhaps compelled by something within him.  He professes his belief that Jesus is “a teacher who has come from God,” implying that he has come to learn at Jesus' feet.

Seeing the turmoil within Nicodemus, a man at once drawn to Christ’s holiness, and at the same time afraid of expressing that desire because of the loss of social acceptability that would accompany that expression, Jesus calls him to conversion.  He tells him that unless he follows his heart and repents from the things of the world to embrace the spiritual life, he will not find what he seeks.  The language used in Jesus' discourse is strikingly similar to St. John the Baptist’s testimony as he baptized the repentant faithful beside the Jordan.

The language makes it clear that Jesus believes Nicodemus must become the “new creation” referenced by Ezekiel 36:24ff.  He must relinquish his “stony heart,” and let God replace it with a heart full of the love of God and all that he created.  It is only through this rebirth that the Kingdom of God may be achieved.

If St. Peter were there with them, he probably would have asked a question like: “Lord we have already been converted, how many times must we accept you as Lord; seven times? “ And Jesus would answer: “seventy times seven.”  Even though we have been baptized, and this can only happen once because once the change is made it may never be undone, we must constantly look to conversion.  Our human nature listens to the sweet-sounding words of temptation, whispered by the evil one from time to time. The veil of holiness slips and we fall away from the love of God.  We all must constantly look to the spiritual rebirth the Lord speaks of as a means of access to his great love.

Today, even as we recall with filial love our brothers and sisters reborn in the baptismal waters of Easter, we recognize our own call to constant conversion.  Our prayer today is that we might always recognize this need and respond to God’s call to rebirth.

Pax

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[1] The picture used is "The Ecstasy of St Catherine of Siena" by Pompeo Batoni, 1743.

[2] S.S. Commemoratio