Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

“God the Father with the Holy Spirit and Angels”
by Bartholomaeus Spranger c. 1582

 Readings for Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Acts 17:15, 22—18:1
 
After Paul's escorts had taken him to Athens,
they came away with instructions for Silas and Timothy
to join him as soon as possible.
 
Then Paul stood up at the Areopagus and said:
"You Athenians, I see that in every respect
you are very religious.
For as I walked around looking carefully at your shrines,
I even discovered an altar inscribed, 'To an Unknown God.'
What therefore you unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you.
The God who made the world and all that is in it,
the Lord of heaven and earth,
does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands,
nor is he served by human hands because he needs anything.
Rather it is he who gives to everyone life and breath and everything.
He made from one the whole human race
to dwell on the entire surface of the earth,
and he fixed the ordered seasons and the boundaries of their regions,
so that people might seek God,
even perhaps grope for him and find him,
though indeed he is not far from any one of us.
For 'In him we live and move and have our being,'
as even some of your poets have said,
'For we too are his offspring.'
Since therefore we are the offspring of God,
we ought not to think that the divinity is like an image
fashioned from gold, silver, or stone by human art and imagination.
God has overlooked the times of ignorance,
but now he demands that all people everywhere repent
because he has established a day on which he will 'judge the world
with justice' through a man he has appointed,
and he has provided confirmation for all
by raising him from the dead."
 
When they heard about resurrection of the dead,
some began to scoff, but others said,
"We should like to hear you on this some other time."
And so Paul left them.
But some did join him, and became believers.
Among them were Dionysius,
a member of the Court of the Areopagus,
a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
After this he left Athens and went to Corinth.
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Commentary on Acts 17:15, 22—18:1
 
This selection places St. Paul in Athens speaking to the pagans in one of their principal venues. In his rhetoric, he uses their own beliefs to bring them to understanding by first telling them, using their “Unknown God” as a starting point, that God is not bound in gold, silver, or stone (as their idols are), but that he exists all around them, creator of all that is and will be.
 
When he gets to a point at which he begins talking about Jesus and the Lord’s resurrection, he loses most of them, but some remain and Christianity in that city has begun. From Athens he and his companions move to Corinth.
 
CCC: Acts 17:24-29 287; Acts 17:26-28 28; Acts 17:26-27 57; Acts 17:26 360; Acts 17:27-28 32; Acts 17:27 2566; Acts 17:28 300; Acts 17:31 679; Acts 17:32 996
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 148:1-2, 11-12, 13, 14
 
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you his angels;
praise him, all you his hosts.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Let the kings of the earth and all peoples,
the princes and all the judges of the earth,
Young men too, and maidens,
old men and boys.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
His majesty is above earth and heaven.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
He has lifted up the horn of his people;
Be this his praise from all his faithful ones,
from the children of Israel, the people close to him.
Alleluia.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 148:1-2, 11-12, 13, 14
 
Psalm 148 is a hymn of praise. In this selection, we find the psalmist (presumably King David) singing of the omnipotence of God, his power and majesty, and his promise of salvation. This poem is related to the Benedicite, or “Song of the Three Children,” in Daniel 3:52-90. In both, we find catalogs of natural phenomena praising God. [4]

 
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Gospel: John 16:12-15
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
"I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.
But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,
he will guide you to all truth.
He will not speak on his own,
but he will speak what he hears,
and will declare to you the things that are coming.
He will glorify me,
because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.
Everything that the Father has is mine;
for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine
and declare it to you."
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jn 16:12-15
 
Jesus’ farewell speech continues.  His reference to the coming of the Holy Spirit is explained further, and the unity of the Holy Trinity comes into focus. The Lord tells his friends that this Advocate will give them what is also his (the Lord’s). He tells the disciples that the Holy Spirit will not bring new revelations but will allow them to understand the things that have already happened. And in that revelatory understanding, Christ will be glorified because he and the Father are one.
 
CCC: Jn 16:13-15 2615; Jn 16:13 91, 243, 687, 692, 1117, 2466, 2671; Jn 16:14-15 485; Jn 16:14 244, 690
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Reflection:
 
Any skill or craft may look simple or easy on the surface.  Take the making of a table, what is there to it?  It will have legs and a top.  How simple is that?  Yet great carpenters will know what kind of wood to use.  They know what tools will be needed and how to use them and those tools will change depending on the size of the piece to be built and the complexity of its design.  True artists of the craft will take a lifetime to perfect their skill.
 
Apply that same idea to Jesus’ farewell to his disciples being described in St. John’s Gospel.  He tells them straight out: “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.”  Although he is a young man by our standards, in his early 30s, he is going to meet his passion and death.  With this statement it appears that his disciples have figured out what Jesus is saying and are understandably distraught.
 
While we do not know exactly how old his friends are, we do know they have a huge task in front of them.  They are to take the Good News to the world.  As they do so, principally because of the gift of the Holy Spirit to be received on Pentecost, they will understand more of what they cannot understand at the moment of this telling.
 
It is like this with us as well.  Who among us did not grow up with our parents telling us about Jesus, and how we needed to love him and be loved by him?  That very simplistic understanding was what we could grasp at the early phase of our relationship to him.  As we grew older, we began to understand better what it meant to love the Lord and be loved by him.  And now, as we recall the words of St. John once more, we see how far we have come and know that, like the disciples, we have a long way yet to go.
 
Today we give thanks for our relationship to the risen Lord, and we ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit to take us further as we truly come to understand all that God will let us understand before we meet him face to face.
 
Pax
 

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[1] The picture used today is “God the Father with the Holy Spirit and Angels” by Bartholomaeus Spranger c. 1582.
[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] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 35:164, p. 601.

Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

“Madonna and Child with God the Father,
the Holy Spirit and Adoring Angels”
by Pieter Lisaert III, c. 1590s

 
Readings for Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Acts 16:22-34
 
The crowd in Philippi joined in the attack on Paul and Silas,
and the magistrates had them stripped
and ordered them to be beaten with rods.
After inflicting many blows on them,
they threw them into prison
and instructed the jailer to guard them securely.
When he received these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell
and secured their feet to a stake.
 
About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying
and singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened,
there was suddenly such a severe earthquake
that the foundations of the jail shook;
all the doors flew open, and the chains of all were pulled loose.
When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open,
he drew his sword and was about to kill himself,
thinking that the prisoners had escaped.
But Paul shouted out in a loud voice,
"Do no harm to yourself; we are all here."
He asked for a light and rushed in and,
trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas.
Then he brought them out and said,
"Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus
and you and your household will be saved."
So they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house.
He took them in at that hour of the night and bathed their wounds;
then he and all his family were baptized at once.
He brought them up into his house and provided a meal
and with his household rejoiced at having come to faith in God.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Acts 16:22-34
 
This selection is another part of the first of the “we” sections in Acts. Here the events of Paul and Silas being beaten, jailed, and then released are given. Most scholars point to the anti-Jewish mentality of the crowd and the leadership (magistrates) at the beginning of this passage (v. 22).  Their harsh treatment and conditions of their confinement appear to be a reaction to the fear of St. Paul's reputed power (“and instructed the jailer to guard them securely. When he received these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and secured their feet to a stake").  The earthquake that followed apparently confirmed this worry and at least the jailer was so convinced that he converted instantly.
 
"This is the first time St Paul comes into conflict with Gentiles. As might be expected, the incident does not take the form of a riot, as happened in cities of Asia Minor (13:50; 14:5, 19), but of a civil suit before local magistrates. The people who bring the charge say nothing about their real reason  ̶  loss of profit. They accuse Paul of two things. Their first charge is disturbance of the peace. The second seems to be based on regulations forbidding Roman citizens to practice alien cults, especially where these conflict with Roman custom." [4]
 
The jailer and those present interpreted the earthquake 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.
 
CCC: Acts 16:31-33 1226; Acts 16:31 1655; Acts 16:33 1252
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 7c-8
 
R. (7c) Your right hand saves me, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple,
and give thanks to your name.
R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Because of your kindness and your truth,
you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Your right hand saves me.
The LORD will complete what he has done for me;
your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.
R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Psalm 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 7c-8
 
Psalm 138 is a psalm of thanksgiving. It contains the same sense as if it were a continuation of the prayer of Esther C:12, 14-16, 23-25. It praises God for his saving works and expresses confidence in his saving help. It also supports the rescue of Paul and Silas (Acts 16:22ff) who prayed and whose prayers were answered by divine intervention. (“When I called, you answered me.”)
 
CCC: Ps 138 304; Ps 138:2 214
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Gospel: John 16:5-11
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Now I am going to the one who sent me,
and not one of you asks me, 'Where are you going?'
But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts.
But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go.
For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you.
But if I go, I will send him to you.
And when he comes he will convict the world
in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation:
sin, because they do not believe in me;
righteousness, because I am going to the Father
and you will no longer see me;
condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned."
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Commentary on Jn 16:5-11
 
"Jesus speaks about the Holy Spirit three times during the discourse of the Last Supper. The first time (John 14:15ff), He says that another Paraclete (advocate, consoler) will come, sent by the Father, to be with them forever; secondly, He says (John 14:26) that He Himself will send them, on behalf of the Father, the Spirit of truth who will teach them everything; and now He unfolds for them the complete plan of salvation and announces that the Holy Spirit will be sent once He ascends into Heaven." [5]
 
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 to be given by the Advocate earlier, we now hear of its role as judge. This movement from “guide” to “judge” demonstrates the completeness of this Person of the Trinity.
 
CCC: Jn 16:11 385
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Reflection:
 
There are a number of paradoxes we face living as Christians in a secular world.  We are to be of the world but separate from it; we are to love our enemies, and while we are to live in a world that is not bound by Christian values, we are told to “Stop judging, that you may not be judged” (Matthew 7:1).
 
Still, if we are to live in the world, we must make judgments each day about what course of action to take in given situations. And even the most idealistic person finds that many of these judgments fall into what can only be called “a gray area” as opposed to black or white.  What are we to do?  How are we supposed to decide which course of action is best?
 
It was for precisely this reason that Jesus left us the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, as St. John says in the Gospel passage today.  The Advocate is an indwelling Spirit of holiness conferred in baptism and sealed in confirmation.  The Advocate provides us with access to God’s wisdom and it is through this access we are to chart the course for our lives in the world.
 
There is, of course, some difficulty for most of us surrounding the appropriate use of the Holy Spirit as counselor and guide.  It is like the stereotype applied to men driving to a destination to which they have never been and getting turned around (note, this is a pre-GPS analogy).  According to the stereotypical assessment – they will not stop and ask for directions except as a last resort (ignoring, out of pride, the wisdom of their wives' advice to do so).  We tend to do the same thing in life.  We do not ask for (or perhaps more significantly, listen to) the help of the Holy Spirit when making our decisions.  It is, after all, difficult to tap into that source of wisdom, especially if it is not a regular practice and even more especially because it requires listening with our spirit. Worse yet, when things get terribly difficult because we did not listen, we frequently blame God for not coming to our assistance.
 
Like most things of God, being guided by the Holy Spirit takes discipline and practice; two elements of human behavior we sometimes avoid because it means taking a more difficult path.  Today we are reminded that the gift of the Spirit has been given and we just need to learn to use it.  That guidance will be our right judgment in difficult situations and provide a course that will allow us to walk with our Lord in this life and ascend with him to the next.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “Madonna and Child with God the Father, the Holy Spirit and Adoring Angels” by Pieter Lisaert III, c. 1590s.
[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, p. 823.
[5] Id p. 657.

Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter

“Pentecost”
by Jean II Restout, 1732

Readings for Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Acts 16:11-15
 
We set sail from Troas, making a straight run for Samothrace,
and on the next day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi,
a leading city in that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony.
We spent some time in that city.
On the sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river
where we thought there would be a place of prayer.
We sat and spoke with the women who had gathered there.
One of them, a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth,
from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God, listened,
and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention
to what Paul was saying.
After she and her household had been baptized,
she offered us an invitation,
"If you consider me a believer in the Lord,
come and stay at my home," and she prevailed on us.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Acts 16:11-15
 
This passage recounts how St. Paul and his companions leave for Philippi in Macedonia. We hear of the conversion of Lydia and her family. It is not clear if Lydia is part of the Jewish community of that region or, like the eunuch converted by Philip (Acts 8:26-40), a “God-fearer” who embraced the concept of monotheism. It appears that she gives St. Paul a base from which the rest of the community can be evangelized.
 
"Look at her [Lydia’s] wisdom, how full of humility her words are: 'If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord.' Nothing could be more persuasive. Who would not have been softened by these words. She did not simply request or entreat: she left them free to decide and yet by her insistence obliged them to stay at her house. See how she straightaway bears fruit and accounts her calling a great gain" (St. John Chrysostom, "Hom. On Acts", 35)
 
CCC: Acts 16:15 1226, 1252
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b
 
R. (see 4a) The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches.
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b
 
Psalm 149 is a communal song of praise, rejoicing in God’s kingship and inviting the faithful to celebrate his saving works. We rejoice because God brings victory to the lowly and hope to the oppressed. The psalmist calls to the faithful to give praise in the assembly of the people – to give witness to their faith publicly – communally, as God’s chosen ones.
 
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Gospel: John 15:26—16:4a
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
"When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father,
he will testify to me.
And you also testify,
because you have been with me from the beginning.
 
"I have told you this so that you may not fall away.
They will expel you from the synagogues;
in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you
will think he is offering worship to God.
They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me.
I have told you this so that when their hour comes
you may remember that I told you."
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Commentary on Jn 15:26—16:4a
 
Jesus continues the theme of the strength to be given in the “Advocate,” the “Spirit of truth,” the Holy Spirit (see commentary on John 14:15-21). In this instance, he predicts to his friends that, once they begin to spread the Good News he gives them, they will face serious condemnation from their own faith community.
 
Jesus tells them they will be martyred by people who believe they are doing God’s will. Their attackers do this because they do not know Jesus or understand that the Father is in him and he is in the Father, and he is in his disciples, so his disciples are also in the Father. This foreknowledge is intended to strengthen them when their hour comes. (“I have told you this so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you.”)
 
CCC: Jn 15:26 244, 248, 263, 692, 719, 729, 1433, 2671
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Reflection:
 
With only two more weeks to go before Pentecost, we are already looking forward to our celebration of the great gift of the New Advocate. Holy Scripture reminds us of that impending event and gives us more information about what it can do for us if we are open to its guidance. We also get a pretty clear idea that, to our logical minds, following the guidance of that Holy Spirit might not be the safest thing to do.
 
Jesus tells his disciples that when they start spreading the Lord’s story of God’s salvation to the Jewish people, the Jews will not accept that Jesus was the fulfillment of all the Law and Prophets. They will reject the disciples, expel them from the synagogues, and kill them. St. John tells this story as the only apostle not martyred but sent into exile. All of this probably would not have come to pass if the Lord had not left them the Holy Spirit to strengthen them. (Remember how they cowered in the locked room following Jesus’ passion and execution?)
 
In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we see the Holy Spirit acting again as Lydia hears St. Paul’s words. We note that their fame (infamy) must have preceded them since they are not speaking in synagogues. Lydia hears the Word and confesses her faith, being baptized with her whole household, and invites St. Paul and his companions to use her house while they are in Philippi. We know the result of that visit, as we later see St. Paul craft a letter to the church he establishes there.
 
We are reminded by these events that, as we leave our doors today, we enter mission territory, and are called to be a voice for the Lord in that sometimes-hostile land. We pray once more for the strength we were given in the Holy Spirit, who will be our advocate and guide today.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture used is “Pentecost” by Jean II Restout, 1732.
[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.

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Catechism Links [1]
 
CCC 2746-2751: Christ’s prayer at the Last Supper
CCC 214, 218-221, 231, 257, 733, 2331, 2577: God is love
CCC 1789, 1822-1829, 2067, 2069: Love of God and neighbor fulfills the Commandments
CCC 2347, 2709: Friendship with Christ

“Dead Christ Supported by Two Angels”
by Giovanni Bellini, 1460

Readings for Sixth Sunday of Easter [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1: Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48
 
When Peter entered, Cornelius met him
and, falling at his feet, paid him homage.
Peter, however, raised him up, saying,
"Get up. I myself am also a human being."
 
Then Peter proceeded to speak and said,
"In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.
Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly
is acceptable to him."
 
While Peter was still speaking these things,
the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the word.
The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter
were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit
should have been poured out on the Gentiles also,
for they could hear them speaking in tongues and glorifying God.
Then Peter responded,
"Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people,
who have received the Holy Spirit even as we have?"
He ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
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Commentary on Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48
 
This is part of Peter’s speech to the Cornelius and his family (Gentiles). Peter has clearly been influenced by the universal salvation through Christ preached by Paul. He proclaims that God is for everyone not just the Israelites. He then launches into the Good News which he starts with a description of the baptism of the Lord ( Acts 10:34-38) and how the Holy Spirit descended. Even as he recounted this, the Holy Spirit descends upon those gathered and Peter has the entire household baptized.
 
“This scene is reminiscent of Pentecost. There the Holy Spirit came down on the first disciples, Jews all of them. Now he is given to Gentiles, unexpectedly and irresistibly. It is as if the Lord wanted to confirm to Peter everything he had so far revealed to him about the admission of Cornelius to the Church. The centurion and his family are baptized on Peter's instructions, without first becoming Jews through circumcision.” [5]
 
CCC: Acts 10:35 761; Acts 10:48 1226
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Responsorial Psalm: Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4
 
R. (cf. 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4
 
Psalm 98 is a song of praise and thanksgiving. We see in this selection how God is praised for the strength he lends his people, and the salvation he brings to those who are faithful. The psalm rejoices in God’s salvation. The Lord has revealed his compassion toward the people and they sing his praises in response. As the Hebrews saw this as salvation for the people of Israel from its enemies, we see the deeper expression of God’s love as he sent his Son for salvation and justice for the whole world.
 
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Reading II: 1 John 4:7-10
 
Beloved, let us love one another,
because love is of God;
everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.
In this way the love of God was revealed to us:
God sent his only Son into the world
so that we might have life through him.
In this is love:
not that we have loved God, but that he loved us
and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.
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Commentary on 1 Jn 4:7-10
 
This wonderful selection from St. John’s first letter is a summary of the apostle’s major contribution to our understanding of God as revealed through his Only Begotten Son. The exhortation to love one another is repeated frequently throughout the author’s Gospel and his letters. The idea that “God is love” is central to our understanding of God and Christ. In this short passage we see not only a glimpse of God’s intent in sending Jesus to the world as a proof of his love for us through “expiation of our sins,” but also our own imperative as Christians to love one another in imitation of him.
 
“John begins his appeal for love, as a demand which is laid upon every believer who seeks to live as a true child of God, by reminding his readers of the dominical command to “love one another” (see John 13:34–35; 15:12, 17). Characteristically, this ethical injunction is closely linked to a supporting theological statement about the origin of love itself and of the one who loves. Theology and ethics belong together throughout 1 John.” [6]
 
CCC: 1 Jn 4:8 214, 221, 733, 1604; 1 Jn 4:9 458, 516; 1 Jn 4:10 457, 604, 614, 620, 1428
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Gospel: John 15:9-17
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
"As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father's commandments
and remain in his love.
 
"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you
and your joy might be complete.
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one's life for one's friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another."
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Commentary on Jn 15:9-17
 
The discourse on the union of Jesus with his disciples continues. His words become a monologue and go beyond the immediate crisis of Christ’s departure. In this passage Jesus focuses on the chain of love from the Father, through the Son, to his adopted sons and daughters.

There is much made of the use of the difference in the Greek words for ”love" used in this discourse. When Jesus says “No one has greater love than this,” the word agapao (intimate, selfless love) is used, while when he says “You are my friends,” the word phileo (casual "friendly" [brotherly] type of love) is used. St. John uses the two words synonymously, so the message is clear – reiterated at the end of the passage – "Love one another."

St. John also distinguishes the disciples' new relationship with God saying, “I no longer call you slaves…I have called you friends.” Jesus designates the disciples “friends of God.” This designation is supported and defined in other places in Sacred Scripture. It separates the disciples from Moses, Joshua, and David who carried the designation “Servants of the Lord” (see Deuteronomy 34:5, Joshua 24:29, and Psalm 89:21). Calling them “friends” of God establishes the same relationship as that enjoyed by Abraham (see James 2:23): “Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,' and he was called 'the friend of God.'" [7] The clear reference was that they, like Abraham, would be patriarchs of the New Covenant.
 
CCC: Jn 15:9-10 1824; 15:9 1823; 15:12 459, 1823, 1970, 2074; 15:13 363, 609, 614; 15:15 1972, 2347; 15:16-17 2745; 15:16 434, 737, 2615, 2815
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Reflection:
 
This simple command to his disciples (“love one another as I love you”) is the most difficult thing ever asked by God of humankind.  If it were asked of mother and child – it could be possible, at least most of the time.  If it were asked between two siblings, it might be possible if they were close to each other.  But to ask it of friends, even very close friends, and ask that it not just be applied among themselves but to others as well- that is incredibly difficult. 
 
What Jesus commands his disciples (the emphasis is added because it is not a request or suggestion), is to love one another as he loved them.  That love is not a simple hug and slap on the back.  That is an “I lay my life down gladly for you in spite of all your faults” love.  That is the give-the-other-cheek-with-humility love that does not seek to give guilt.  That is the love that allows one person to tell another the most painful truth without giving offense and that truth being accepted without anger, but with thanks.  Christ’s love is the love that transforms the lover into something more than human, some creation that is linked to God, intimately.
 
God the Father, through his Son, Jesus who is the Christ, with the Holy Spirit, commands us to love one another!  If we are to accomplish this and thereby remain in him and he in us as Scripture says, we must draw on the strength and wisdom that flows from him.  We must do this, knowing that our love cannot be perfect as his love for us is perfect.  But we can imagine, can’t we?  We can envision how much he loves us.  We see it in the sacrifice of the Mass.  We feel it in the sacrament of reconciliation.   We can understand it intellectually.  That means we can work toward that kind of love for one another.
 
In the opening statement of this reflection, it was said that the kind of love Christ commanded was possible between family members.  It is at a deep level.  That is, a mother at some deep level will love her child and siblings will love each other at some deep level.  But too frequently, love and trust are violated, and because of the depth of feeling, a rift occurs, hatred shows its ugly and destructive face and damage is done in a depth proportionate to the love that existed before.  We must look inside our own familial relationships and find the damage there. This must be the first step in trying to follow Jesus’ command to love one another.  Pray for the strength to repair those damaged feelings and see if love cannot rule there once more.
 
As always these reflections apply first to me and so I am making my pledge to love my family as God loves me.  That means my children when they do mean and hurtful things or when they are just inconsiderate (since my wife is perfect, I don’t need to worry about her) but I will try to expand that command to reach all the relationships I have at work, at church, in my social life.  In that way I can approach the command Jesus gives us:  "This I command you: love one another."
 
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 used is “Dead Christ Supported by Two Angels” by Giovanni Bellini, 1460
[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. 789.
[6] Stephen S. Smalley, 1, 2, 3 John, vol. 51, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1984), 236.
[7] St. John synthesizes Isaiah 41:8 and 2 Chronicles 20:7 in which Abraham is called God’s friend.

Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter

“Martyrdom of the Apostles”
Altarpiece (interior left wing)
by Stefan Lochner, 1435-40

Readings for Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Acts 16:1-10
 
Paul reached also Derbe and Lystra
where there was a disciple named Timothy,
the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer,
but his father was a Greek.
The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him,
and Paul wanted him to come along with him.
On account of the Jews of that region, Paul had him circumcised,
for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
As they traveled from city to city,
they handed on to the people for observance the decisions
reached by the Apostles and presbyters in Jerusalem.
Day after day the churches grew stronger in faith
and increased in number.
 
They traveled through the Phrygian and Galatian territory
because they had been prevented by the Holy Spirit
from preaching the message in the province of Asia.
When they came to Mysia, they tried to go on into Bithynia,
but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them,
so they crossed through Mysia and came down to Troas.
During the night Paul had a vision.
A Macedonian stood before him and implored him with these words,
"Come over to Macedonia and help us."
When he had seen the vision,
we sought passage to Macedonia at once,
concluding that God had called us to proclaim the Good News to them.
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Commentary on Acts 16:1-10
 
In this passage from Acts, Paul finds Timothy to whom he later writes his great descriptions on the infrastructure of the Church.  Together, they travel throughout the region and, as the reading says: “Day after day the churches grew stronger in faith and increased in number.”  Paul had Timothy circumcised so he could minister to the Jews as well as the Greeks in their travels.  Paul personally held fast to Jewish law.  God calls them onward through visions of the work to be done in God’s service.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 100:1b-2, 3, 5
 
R. (2a) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
The LORD is good:
his kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 100:1b-2, 3, 5
 
Psalm 100 is a song of praise and thanksgiving. In this selection we praise God because he created us. We praise God because he continues to guide us. The psalm affirms God’s saving grace, given to his sons and daughters through all generations.
 
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Gospel: John 15:18-21
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
"If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first.
If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own;
but because you do not belong to the world,
and I have chosen you out of the world,
the world hates you.
Remember the word I spoke to you,
'No slave is greater than his master.'
If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.
If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
And they will do all these things to you on account of my name,
because they do not know the one who sent me."
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Commentary on John 15:18-21
 
Jesus gives the disciples a paradox in telling them that, while they are part of the world, they do not belong to the world.  John gives us three different meanings of "the world."  In this instance it probably refers to fallen Israel - the spear of the devil that opposes God and hates the truth.  In other instances it refers to the universe created by God (John 1:10) and the fallen family of mankind in need of redemption (John 3:17). [4]  The disciples are separated from that society through their association with Christ. He then reminds them that because they are his, they too will suffer persecution by those he came to save.
 
CCC: Jn 15:19-20 675; Jn 15:20 530, 765
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Reflection:
 
During this Easter Season we do well to remember the legacy of the likes of St. Paul. The reading from Acts of the Apostles describes the great work he has undertaken because, as Christ says in the Gospel, “I have chosen you out of the world.” Many of the saints demonstrate this to us. We will soon venerate Saint Bernadine  (May 20) on his feast day. He spoke to this very issue in one of his homilies, and we cannot do better than this saint. Here is an excerpt from his legacy:
 
When a fire is lit to clear a field, it burns off all the dry and useless weeds and thorns. When the sun rises and darkness is dispelled, robbers, night-prowlers and burglars hide away. So, when Paul's voice was raised to preach the Gospel to the nations, like a great clap of thunder in the sky, his preaching was a blazing fire carrying all before it. It was the sun rising in full glory. Infidelity was consumed by it, false beliefs fled away, and the truth appeared like a great candle lighting the whole world with its brilliant flame.
 
By word of mouth, by letters, by miracles, and by the example of his own life, Saint Paul bore the name of Jesus wherever he went. He praised the name of Jesus "at all times," but never more than when "bearing witness to his faith."
 
Moreover, the apostle did indeed carry this name "before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel" as a light to enlighten all nations. And this was his cry wherever he journeyed: "The night is passing away, the day is at hand. Let us then cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves honorably as in the day." Paul himself showed forth the burning and shining light set upon a candlestick, everywhere proclaiming "Jesus, and him crucified."
 
And so, the Church, the bride of Christ strengthened by his testimony, rejoices with the psalmist, singing: "O God from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds." The psalmist exhorts her to do this, as he says: "Sing to the Lord, and bless his name, proclaim his salvation day after day." And this salvation is Jesus, her savior.
 
-from a sermon by Saint Bernadine of Siena
 
Pax
 
 

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[1] The picture used is “Martyrdom of the Apostles” Altarpiece (interior left wing) by Stefan Lochner, 1435-40.
[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] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. p. 161.