May 6th Reading and Meditation from John 15:1-8

Daily Mass Readings

First Reading: Acts 9:26-31
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 22:26-27, 28, 30, 31-32
Second Reading: First John 3:18-24
Gospel: John 15:1-8

A Reading from the Gospel of John 15:1-8

Jesus said to his disciples:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,
and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
Remain in me, as I remain in you.
Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own
unless it remains on the vine,
so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,
because without me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me
will be thrown out like a branch and wither;
people will gather them and throw them into a fire
and they will be burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
By this is my Father glorified,
that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

 

Meditation:

Dear Lord, Help me to take a quiet moment and place myself in your presence, particularly during those times when life has made me weary and I lose sight of the forest through the trees.  This is the time I most need your helping hand and wise words.  For more than anything my joy lies in glorifying you.  Amen.

 

May 5th Reading from Acts 13:44-52

Daily Mass Readings

First Reading: Acts 13:44-52
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 98:1, 2-3, 3-4
Gospel: John 14:7-14

A Reading from Acts 13:44-52

On the following sabbath
almost the whole city
gathered to hear the word of the Lord.
When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy
and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said.
Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said,
“It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first,
but since you reject it
and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life,
we now turn to the Gentiles.
For so the Lord has commanded us,
I have made you a light to the Gentiles,
that you may be an instrument of salvation
to the ends of the earth.”

The Gentiles were delighted when they heard this
and glorified the word of the Lord.
All who were destined for eternal life came to believe,
and the word of the Lord continued to spread
through the whole region.
The Jews, however, incited the women of prominence who were worshipers
and the leading men of the city,
stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas,
and expelled them from their territory.
So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them
and went to Iconium.
The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

 

 

 

May 3ird Reading and Reflection from the Gospel of John 14:6-14

Daily Mass Readings
First Reading: First Corinthians 15:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 19:2-3, 4-5
Gospel: John 14:6-14

A Reading from the Gospel of John 14:6-14

Jesus said to Thomas, “I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you know me, then you will also know my Father.
From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to him,
“Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time
and you still do not know me, Philip?
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.
The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,
or else, believe because of the works themselves.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father.
And whatever you ask in my name, I will do,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”

 

Reflection: 

I believe that this is one of the most touching gospels in the Bible.  It shows God as Father, not as a remote energy, but as a being of flesh and blood here on earth.  The meaning goes so deep if we reflect that this God/Father was one who walked among his people, healed them, cried for them, prayed for them, loved them.  He held them, literally and figuratively.

In this passage you get a glimpse of the enormous love that Jesus had for his disciples, in this story it is Philip. Jesus wants more than anything for Philip to recognize him, to believe completely in him.  As a father would ask of his son, put your trust in me, follow my example and ask me for what you need.  I will give you whatever you ask.

We know the depth of parents love, because even if we were not blessed enough to have deeply loving parents, we have observed this love.  Imagine this love times an infinity.  All that God is asking of you is to recognize him, to know him, to ask him for what you need, knowing that your Father in heaven has a love for you beyond what the world of humans can hold, beyond what the stars in the sky can measure.

We have been provided for even before we were born.  All that we have to do is to recognize the Love that surrounds us every minute, every second of our lives.

 

May 2nd Reading and Reflection from the Gospel of John 12:44-50

Daily Mass Readings

First Reading: Acts 12:24-13:5
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8
Gospel: John 12:44-50

A Reading from the Gospel of John 12:44-50

Jesus cried out and said,
“Whoever believes in me believes not only in me
but also in the one who sent me,
and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me.
I came into the world as light,
so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness.
And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them,
I do not condemn him,
for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world.
Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words
has something judge him: the word that I spoke,
it will condemn him on the last day,
because I did not speak on my own,
but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak.
And I know that his commandment is eternal life.
So what I say, I say as the Father told me.

 

Reflection: 

 

If you hear the word of Jesus but do not follow it, for example; to notice your own faults rather than point out the faults of your neighbor, Jesus tells us that he will not condemn.  Rather the word that he spoke will condemn that person on the last day.

 

The word, not Jesus will condemn.  How can this happen?  There are many ways to view what Jesus is saying and I will point out just one here.  If you are always concentrating on other’s faults your energy goes into nothing.  Complaining about other people and pointing out what you believe they should improve upon does nothing.  If you are not actively helping people by using compassion and love, the effort is wasted.  Jesus says to work upon you first, to root out your own faults.  So if you do not follow the word of Jesus your actions condemn you, the word condemns you for what you did not do.

 

So in lieu of the example, the people who don’t follow the word, instead of working on making themselves more beautiful and light they focus the energy away from themselves, and it is wasted.  This wasted energy is ultimately a condemnation of the soul.

 

May 1st Reading from the Gospel of John 10:22-30

Daily Mass Readings

First Reading: Acts 11:19-26
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 87:1-3, 4-5, 6-7
Gospel: John 10:22-30

A Reading from the Gospel of John 10:22-30

The feast of the Dedication was taking place in Jerusalem.
It was winter.
And Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of Solomon.
So the Jews gathered around him and said to him,
“How long are you going to keep us in suspense?
If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe.
The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me.
But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep.
My sheep hear my voice;
I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.
No one can take them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,
and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand.
The Father and I are one.”

 

 

 

April 30th Reading and Reflection from the Gospel of John 10:1-10

Daily Mass Readings

First Reading: Acts 11:1-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 42:2-3; 43:3, 4
Gospel: John 10:1-10

A Reading from the Gospel of 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 he 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,
they 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.”

 

Reflection: 

Jesus is the true shepherd, the others that came before him drifted away because they were not in truth.  All that is false shall fade away.  And now 2000 years later we still follow the good shepherd; a testimony to the truth of his words and to the truth of his way.

And the good shepherd came so that we may, “have life and have it more abundantly.”

This may seem contrary to the Christian image that emphasizes heaven above earth and giving up the things of this earth.  It seems that the emphasis on increasing the quality of life, here on earth is often glossed over when discussing Jesus and his teachings.

Jesus also said, “whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the Gospel will save it.”  Today we read that Jesus came to give life more abundantly.  By putting these two teachings together we can gather that Jesus is saying that by living in accord to the gospel and giving up other things not in harmony with the way that Jesus laid out, life will be more abundant and in fact better, not worse.  Jesus did not come to teach us to look forward to death or to hate our lives; Jesus came to show us how to live more fully and richly thereby increasing our quality of life.

 

April 29th Reading and Meditation from the Gospel of John 10:11-18

Daily Mass Readings

First Reading: Acts 4:8-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 21, 29
Second Reading: First John 3:1-2
Gospel: John 10:11-18

A Reading from the Gospel of 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.”

 

Meditation:  Dear Lord, The sacrifice of your son reminds me that the most important aims of life are to know the Lord.  Guide me in my constant journey to draw closer to you.  Amen.

 

April 28th Reading from the Gospel of John 6:60-69

Daily Mass Readings

First Reading: Acts 9:31-42
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 116:12-13, 14-15, 16-17
Gospel: John 6:60-69

A Reading of the Gospel of 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.”

 

April 27th Reading and Reflection from Acts 9:1-20

Daily Mass Readings

First Reading: Acts 9:1-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 117:1, 2
Gospel: John 6:52-59

A Reading from 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.

 

 

Reflection

Saul was a man who hated Christians and even stood by as they were murdered.  It is difficult to understand why Jesus would want him as a disciple.  Yet in spite of his past, Jesus appears to Saul as a dazzling bright light and asks him, why are you persecuting me?

Now maybe if this voice had faded away and Saul was allowed to go on his way to Damascus, Saul would have gone on as before.  But in order to drive home his point, Saul is blinded by the bright light of the Lord; literally blinded for three days.  When you are sick or disabled it is very difficult to think of anything else.  Saul remained this way until an upright disciple of Jesus, Ananais, is told to go and lay his hands upon Saul so that he may regain his sight.  At this request, Ananais reacts much as most of us would react, with uncertainty.  Why Saul, the great persecutor of Christians?   But Ananais does as the Lord asks and goes to Saul to lay his hands upon him so that he may see.

After this Saul continues on to be called Paul and becomes one of the greatest disciples of Jesus Christ.  Wouldn’t it have been easier to choose someone who was of a pure heart, who didn’t have the blood of Christians upon his hands?  But God sees potential, he sees beyond our actions, beyond even our thoughts and our beliefs.  Again we see an example of a passionate man, passionate in his hatred of Christians, but passionate.  Perhaps God saw that passion, that emotion, and decided that he wanted it for his side.  Perhaps he just wanted to show the power of God.  The fact is that we do not know why God chooses who he chooses.  But we do know that the strength of God’s hand has the power to change a man’s heart.  As high above the heavens from the earth are God’s thoughts above man’s.  We call it a Miracle.

 

April 26th Reading and Reflection from the Gospel of John 6:44-51

Daily Mass Readings

First Reading: Acts 8:26-40
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 66:8-9, 16-17, 20
Gospel: John 6:44-51

A Reading from the Gospel of John 6:44-51

Jesus said to the crowds:
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him,
and I will raise him on the last day.
It is written in the prophets:

They shall all be taught by God.

Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.
Not that anyone has seen the Father
except the one who is from God;
he has seen the Father.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes has eternal life.
I am the bread of life.
Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;
this is the bread that comes down from heaven
so that one may eat it and not die.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give
is my Flesh for the life of the world.”

 

Meditation: 

Our lives are formed by the choices that we make.  We are the beginning and the end of our choices.  Our past guides the choices we make and the choices that we make form us.

We have the choice of listening to God and learning from him.  This is the most important choice that we will ever make.  Jesus tells us that God draws us to Jesus.  And Jesus leads us to everlasting life.

Every day we should strive to make the choices that will take us in the direction that we desire to go in.  With the Grace of God we can find the strength to make the choices that will transform us and lead us to everlasting life.