Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter

(Optional Memorial for Saint Joseph the Worker)
 
Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker
Additional information about St. Joseph the Worker

“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."
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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.
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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 10:11-18
 
Jesus said:
“I am the good shepherd.
A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
A hired man, who is not a shepherd
and whose sheep are not his own,
sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away,
and the wolf catches and scatters them.
This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd,
and I know mine and mine know me,
just as the Father knows me and I know the Father;
and I will lay down my life for the sheep.
I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.
These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice,
and there will be one flock, one shepherd.
This is why the Father loves me,
because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own.
I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again.
This command I have received from my Father.”
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Commentary on Jn 10:11-18
 
We come to the climax of Jesus' debates with the Jewish leadership. This discourse intensifies our consideration of the topic of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Here the Lord differentiates his love for humanity against those who do not take ownership of their charge. "'He did what he said he would do,' St. Gregory comments; 'He gave his life for his sheep, and he gave his body and blood in the sacrament to nourish with His flesh the sheep He had redeemed' (In Evangelia Homilae, 14, ad loc.). [5]]
 
The Lord is in the temple precincts at this point. He came there at a time when many Jews from all over the region would be there, the feast of Hanukkah. Here he contrasts himself (the Good Shepherd) with false shepherds (see Ezekiel 34:1-16), presumably the Pharisees who fail to recognize him as the Messiah.
 
Using the analogy of the sheepfold, he reminds the listener that all manner of people may enter a sheepfold. Those “false shepherds” scatter the sheep and they fall to utter ruin. But only the rightful owner will be recognized by the sheep and find safety (salvation). The analogy concludes with the universal statement of unity “there will be one flock, one shepherd."
 
The final verses speak directly of Jesus’ death and resurrection for the salvation of all: “I lay down my life in order to take it up again.” Special emphasis is placed on Jesus’ ability to lay his life down and take it up through the power he has been given by the Father. We note a contrast here between God’s active role in the resurrection (see Acts 2:24; Acts 4:10.; Romans 1:4; 4:24.) with Jesus' stated power to take up his own life. But even here, credit is given to the Father (“This command I have received from my Father.")
 
CCC: 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 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] The Navarre Bible, Gospels and Acts, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p.625

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 14, 189, 1064, 1226, 1236, 1253-1255, 1427-1429: Conversion, faith, and baptism
CCC 618, 2447: Christ an example in bearing wrongs

“Christ the Good Shepherd”
iconifer and date unknown

 
Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Easter [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1: Acts 2:14a, 36-41
 
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven,
raised his voice, and proclaimed:
“Let the whole house of Israel know for certain
that God has made both Lord and Christ,
this Jesus whom you crucified.”
 
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart,
and they asked Peter and the other apostles,
“What are we to do, my brothers?”
Peter said to them,
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins;
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off,
whomever the Lord our God will call.”
He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them,
“Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”
Those who accepted his message were baptized,
and about three thousand persons were added that day.
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Commentary on Acts 2:14a, 36-41
 
This exhortation to repentance follows the first of six discourses in Acts (Acts 2:14-36) dealing with Jesus’ resurrection and mission as Messiah. It occurs immediately after the Pentecost event. The change in the apostles, especially St. Peter, is amazing.  Peter, who only a short time before had cringed when charged, “You too are one of them,” (Luke 22:58) now, filled with the Holy, Spirit boldly proclaims the kerygma. The focus of this selection is the idea of internal conversion of heart – repentance as acceptance of the offer of Christ’s salvation to all peoples (“For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off”). The response to St. Peter’s discourse was impressive, with a huge number in the Jewish audience accepting the call to repentance and the acceptance of Jesus as the Christ.
 
CCC: Acts 2:34-36 447, 449; Acts 2:36-38 1433; Acts 2:36 440, 597, 695, 731, 746; Acts 2:38 1226, 1262, 1287, 1427; Acts 2:41 363, 1226
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 23: 1-3a, 3b4, 5, 6
 
R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
 
Psalm 23 is one of the most familiar songs in the entire psalter. “God's loving care for the psalmist is portrayed under the figures of a shepherd for the flock (Psalm 23:1-4) and a host's generosity toward a guest (Psalm 23:5-6). The imagery of both sections is drawn from traditions of the exodus (Isaiah 40:11; 49:10; Jeremiah 31:10).” [5] While the theme of shepherd is mentioned in the first strophe, the psalm really speaks to the peace given to those who follow the Lord and place their trust in Him, even into the “dark valley.”
 
The reference in the third strophe above: “'You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes' occurs in an exodus context in Psalm 78:19. As my enemies watch: my enemies see that I am God's friend and guest. Oil: a perfumed ointment made from olive oil, used especially at banquets (Psalm 104:15; Matthew 26:7; Luke 7:37, 46; John 12:2).” [6]
 
CCC: Ps 23:5 1293
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Reading 2: 1 Peter 2:20b-25
 
Beloved:
If you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good,
this is a grace before God.
For to this you have been called,
because Christ also suffered for you,
leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps.
He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.
 
When he was insulted, he returned no insult;
when he suffered, he did not threaten;
instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly.
He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross,
so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness.
By his wounds you have been healed.
 
For you had gone astray like sheep,
but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.
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Commentary on 1 Pt 2:20b-25
 
St. Peter, in this selection speaks to a Church undergoing persecution. He encourages them not to react to this unjust treatment with violence, but to submit with humility as Christ did. To illustrate his point, he quotes Isaiah (Isaiah 53:9b). Following this quote, he goes on to describe Jesus’ passion with language reminiscent of the Suffering Servant section of Isaiah 53:4-12. The concluding verse, speaking of the pre-conversion community as being like sheep who had gone astray, links the passage to both St. John’s Gospel (John 10:1-10) and Psalm 23.
 
CCC: 1 Pt 2:21 618; 1 Pt 2:24 612
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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.”
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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.”[7]
 
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:
 
We begin the fourth week since the joy of Easter burst upon the Church and the world.  We see the effect this event has had on the apostles, strengthened by the gift of the Holy Spirit, as St. Peter fearlessly proclaims the Risen Christ to the people of Jerusalem.  We have heard the entire discourse in Scripture during the weeks since the Easter event.  Today we are given the conclusion, and the question asked by those who have heard of and understood the terrible mistake made by the Jewish leadership when they condemned and crucified the Son of God.  They ask Peter: “What are we to do, my brothers?”
 
The answer the disciples give to that question is the same answer Jesus announced to the Pharisees before his death.  He tells them in the discourse of the Good Shepherd in St. John’s Gospel, that: “I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.”  The answer St. Peter gave directed his audience to that gate: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
 
As we reflect upon these historical events in the life of faith, we seek a meaning that will direct our footsteps.  We believe that Jesus is the “way the truth, and the life.”  We have come to believe, as the disciples responding to Jesus at the conclusion of the Bread of Life discourse, “and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”  Very good, right, we are on the road to salvation.  Our professions of faith in the Lord flings open the “gate” to the Father.
 
Our challenge, of course, is we must push that gate open each day.  Belief that Jesus is the way does not mean we cannot take a wrong turn.  If following Jesus were the only path available each day, our job would be easy.  If making the right choices each day was easy, we would be guaranteed an easy trip home to the Father.  Unfortunately, there are other choices we can make.  Unlike the Lord, we are not the ultimate expression of love for all humanity, and as a result we must be reminded that, each day, we must open that gate and choose the right path.  Each day we must rededicate ourselves to the Father through His Son.  Each day our actions must express that dedication, that love.
 
Why after four weeks of constant celebration of our Easter joy do we still need to be reminded?  It is because each day we must hear St. Peter’s words in response to our own question: “What are we to do?”  Our response, repentance and conversion – each day we seek the “gate.”
 
Pax

In other years on April 30th: Optional Memorial for SAINT PIUS V, POPE, RELIGIOUS
 

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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 used today is “Christ the Good Shepherd” iconifer and date unknown.
[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] See NAB footnote on Psalm 23.
[6] Ibid.
[7] See NAB Footnote on John 10:1ff.

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

 
Proper readings 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 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.
-------------------------------------------
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."
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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 "The Ecstasy of St Catherine of Siena" by Pompeo Batoni, 1743.
[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.

Friday of the Third Week of Easter

(Optional Memorial for Saint Peter Chanel, Priest and Martyr)
 
Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Peter Chanel 
Biographical information about St. Peter Chanel
 
Or
 
(Optional Memorial for Saint Louis Mary De Montfort, Priest)
 
Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Louis Mary De Montfort 
Biographical information about St. Louis Mary De Montfort
 

“The Conversion of St. Paul”
by Parmigianino, 1530’s

Readings for Friday of the Third Week of Easter [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Acts 9:1-20
 
Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord,
went to the high priest and asked him
for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that,
if he should find any men or women who belonged to the Way,
he might bring them back to Jerusalem in chains.
On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus,
a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him.
He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him,
"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"
He said, "Who are you, sir?"
The reply came, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do."
The men who were traveling with him stood speechless,
for they heard the voice but could see no one.
Saul got up from the ground,
but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing;
so they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus.
For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank.
 
There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias,
and the Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias."
He answered, "Here I am, Lord."
The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight
and ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul.
He is there praying,
and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias
come in and lay his hands on him,
that he may regain his sight."
But Ananias replied,
"Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man,
what evil things he has done to your holy ones in Jerusalem.
And here he has authority from the chief priests
to imprison all who call upon your name."
But the Lord said to him,
"Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine
to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and children of Israel,
and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name."
So Ananias went and entered the house;
laying his hands on him, he said,
"Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me,
Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came,
that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."
Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes
and he regained his sight.
He got up and was baptized,
and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength.
 
He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus,
and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues,
that he is the Son of God.
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Commentary on Acts 9:1-20
 
This is the first of three accounts of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, the hero of the second half of the Acts of the Apostles, written by St. Luke (see also Acts 22:1-16 and 26:9-18). With the topic of evangelization of the world already initiated with the story of Philip and the eunuch, St. Luke now focuses on evangelization of the Gentiles.
 
According to these accounts, Saul, the enforcer of the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, was an involuntary convert. He was a person of zeal and energy that the Lord turned, as Scripture says, into God’s instrument. Although St. Luke only gives Saul the title “apostle” twice (Acts 14: 4; 14), this passage provides a parallel. Paul sees the Kyrios – the risen Lord; he is called, he is given the gift of the Holy Spirit, and he proclaims Christ crucified.
 
CCC: Acts 9:3-18 639; Acts 9:4-5 598; Acts 9:13 823; Acts 9:14 432; Acts 9:20 442
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 117:1bc, 2
 
R. (Mark 16:15) Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Praise the LORD, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!
R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
For steadfast is his kindness toward us,
and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.
R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
or:
R. Alleluia.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 117:1bc, 2
 
“This shortest of hymns calls on the nations to acknowledge God's supremacy. The supremacy of Israel's God has been demonstrated to them by the people's secure existence, which is owed entirely to God's gracious fidelity.” [4] Using a refrain from St. Mark’s Gospel, the psalm is one of praise for the Good News of God’s salvation.
 
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Gospel: John 6:52-59
 
The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying,
"How can this man give us his Flesh to eat?"
Jesus said to them,
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood,
you do not have life within you.
Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood
has eternal life,
and I will raise him on the last day.
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.
Just as the living Father sent me
and I have life because of the Father,
so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.
This is the bread that came down from heaven.
Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died,
whoever eats this bread will live forever."
These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jn 6:52-59
 
The “Bread of Life” discourse continues (somewhat redundant with the preceding verses), and the Lord escalates his language. The people who had come to him because they had been fed with the five barley loaves just cannot make the leap from bread made with wheat or barley to the “Bread of Life,” offered as true food and drink for the spirit. Even when he alludes to manna as an example of real food (Exodus 16:1ff), they still do not see that the Son of God offers them his resurrected body as their meal and they are repulsed, especially because of the language he uses (the word “gnaw” is used, not just “eat” in the original texts).
 
Verse 58 (“This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever”) conveys the key purpose to the Lord's discourse, the offer of salvation, eternal life with the father.  Just as he will later say to the "Good Thief" as they hang on their crosses, "Today you will be with me in Paradise," (Luke 23:43) he speaks to this crowd of the offer he makes available through his sacrifice.
 
CCC: Jn 6 1338; Jn 6:53-56 2837; Jn 6:53 1384; Jn 6:54 994, 1001, 1406, 1509, 1524; Jn 6:56 787, 1391, 1406; Jn 6:57 1391; Jn 6:58 1509
-------------------------------------------
Reflection:
 
The story of St. Paul’s emotional conversion to Christianity does not say what happened to him in detail once he regained his sight and was baptized.  We are told only: “He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus, and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.”  However, knowing what we know about the early Christians, we can be quite confident that he participated in the Eucharistic meal with those who followed “The Way.”
 
What must that re-creation of the meal in the upper room have meant to St. Paul, one educated in Jewish law and tradition?  It followed a familiar pattern; it was like the Passover Meal at the beginning.  But then Jesus, the Kyrios, the Risen Lord, whom he had encountered on the road to Damascus, changed everything.  All his adult life, St. Paul had worshiped a God who accepted his sacrifices and holocausts (burnt offerings) at the temple.  St. Paul knew the psalms, and had sung many times the great penitential songs which told of God’s desire for a contrite heart, not the blood of animals.  Here at last was the complete sacrifice, offered time and again for complete forgiveness.
 
We hear in his letters the impact of this selfless offering, made by the Only Son of God, upon the apostle.  His zeal in persecuting the Christian community was an episode in his life that would haunt him.  While it was clear that Christ forgave him and St. Paul knew this, we are not convinced that he could ever have forgiven himself.  That is what the Eucharist did for St. Paul.  His numerous encounters with the Broken Bread made him whole and gave him strength. It was the Eucharist that led him to tell the known world of the Savior who gave his life for the sins of all mankind, and left them an eternal legacy in his body and blood.
 
As we recall St. Paul’s conversion, let us remember the untold role that his sharing of the Eucharist must have played in his later accomplishments on the part of Christ.  Today we pray for all those who persecute the Church, especially in the Middle East, that their eyes might be opened to see the Glory of the Risen Lord and be called to his table.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture used is “The Conversion of St. Paul” by Parmigianino, 1530’s.
[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] NAB footnote on Ps 117.