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He would not join the community of those who had experienced the risen Lord for themselves. He walked with them with a view to getting them to change direction, but before he could do that, he had to walk with them in the wrong direction for a while. The story is a reminder to us that we need each other on the journey of faith. The first letter of Peter was written from the church of Rome to churches that are now in modern day Turkey. Gates create an opening through which people can pass in and out. When the disciples said, We have seen the Lord, he answered, Unless I see the holes that the nails made in his hands and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe. Eight days later the disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. I lay it down of my own free will, Martin Hogan continues to write many books on the Gospel Readings for each day of the Catholic Liturgical Year. Nicodemus journeyed closer to Jesus in the course of the gospel of John. When they found him on the other side, they said to him, Rabbi, when did you come here? Just click on the month of interest and scroll to the day required. Babylon is often a code for Rome in the New Testament. He entered into their situation; he invited them to tell their story, What matters were you discussing as you walk along? The story they told was the reason they were leaving Jerusalem, the very city where the Lord wanted them to remain. Nowadays we can harness the wind to generate electricity, but there is so much about the wind which is beyond our control and understanding. Divine Office You must be born from above. One of the images of Jesus that you find in the catacombs is that of the Good Shepherd. The risen Lord is present in the crucible of doubt, drawing us to himself, calling out to us as he called to Thomas, Doubt no longer but believe. Leading is much more respectful of our freedom, of our humanity. Was it not ordained that the Christ should suffer and so enter into his glory? Then, starting with Moses and going through all the prophets, he explained to them the passages throughout the scriptures that were about himself. When Philip saw the large hungry crowd, he almost despaired, Six months wages wouldnt buy enough to give each of them a little Andrew was just a little more hopeful. Shortly after his return, Pope Gregory died. There is always a sense in which we can say with John the Baptist he must increase and I must decrease. At the meal that followed they recognised the strangers true identity in the breaking of bread. # Indicates reflections from the most recent year which are available on the active calendar page Up until then, the story of Jesus live had been passed primarily by word of mouth. After saying this he breathed on them and said: Receive the Holy Spirit. In todays first reading, the early church prays to God for the strength it needs to preach the gospel in the face of the threats of their enemies, even though it had already received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Carmelites | Carmelitani | Carmelitas :: O.Carm :: Lectio Divina And indeed, everybody who does wrong He says, the wind blows where it pleases. For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God. God will find many ways of bringing us to his Son, if we allow ourselves to be drawn. Then they said to each other, Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?. The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him. I am the gate. They were trying to put words on the experience. "Lectio Divina", a Latin term, means "divine reading" and describes a way of reading the Scriptures whereby we gradually let go of our own agenda and open ourselves to what God wants to say to us. In the world of Jesus, there were no sheepdogs to help the shepherd in his work with the sheep. That is why he calls out to us to pass through him, because he knows himself to be the gateway to all that we long for at the deepest core of our being. The gospel reminds us that, while the physical and material is vital because we are physical and material beings, our searching must not stop at the physical and the material. One of the questions that Jesus is often asked in Johns gospel is Where do you come from? When people ask that question they generally mean Where about in Judea or in Galilee do you come from? However, the attentive readers of Johns gospel will recognize that there is more to that question than those who ask it realize. and that I should raise it up on the last day. Our ultimate salvation is much more the Lords doing than ours. Click on the "Save cookie settings" button to apply your choice. Thomas stood in the light of Easter, yet that light did not dispel his darkness. In calling us to himself he also sends us into the world afire with the flame of his love. The church now had two rival Popes, one in Rome and one in Avignon, a situation that was to last for several decades. When Jesus says in todays gospel reading that, as the good shepherd, I lay down my life for my sheep, he is saying that he lays down his life for each one of us individually. The Ethiopian was full of questions as he listened to Gods word. The third stage is oratio (response) where we leave our thinking aside and simply let our hearts speak to God. The bread of the word is a necessary first course, as it were, that prepares us to receive the Eucharist well. One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days? And he replied to them, What sort of things? They said to him, The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him. We can all draw strength in these times from that very personal relationship with the Lord he invites us to have with him. Yet, the Lord will always seek us out and offer us the gift of peace, the gift of his reconciling love. They reveal a certain insight into what has happened, but very often a limited insight. This can happen all too easily as we know. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. He had a sense of the Lord coming to him in the sound of a gentle breeze. This is the reaction of the generous person, of the one who is prepared to give all he or she has, even though it appears to be far less than what is needed. This is the will of my Father, that all who see the Son may have eternal life. Jesus went off to the other side of the Sea of Galilee or of Tiberias and a large crowd followed him, impressed by the signs he gave by curing the sick. We never stand still; we are always looking for more. Sometimes we may find ourselves in the role of the Ethiopian, seeking the Lord, needing someone like a Philip to guide and lead us. A large horse stands behind the prone Paul, occupying the centre of the painting. The basis physical needs of people were very important for him. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the risen Lord and we need his Spirit if our lives are to proclaim his word, his presence, with clarity and courage. Communion with the Lord is the gateway to eternal life here and now and beyond this life. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. Even when we have turned against the Lord, he continues to call us to draw life from him. This mornings first reading is one of many wonderful stories in the Acts of the Apostles, the story of how an Ethiopian eunuch who served at the court of the queen of Ethiopia came to Christ. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. However, in spite of the locked doors, the risen Jesus came and stood among them. In the gospel reading this morning, the people come to Jesus looking for more of the bread they ate when Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish. The story they told ended in death, but the full story ended in life. The Lord who is the gate is also the shepherd who protects and nourishes us each day. We may be especially conscious of our weakness in these anxious times. The Lord points to that relationship to express something of his own relationship to his disciples. He calls to us as someone who knows us and cares about us. Reflection: While all Scripture is the living word of God carrying a message to us as individuals and as part of the Community of Faith there is something very special about the readings during the Easter season. There is always some element of doubt in our faith, because, as Saint Paul says in one of his letters, now we see as in a mirror dimly, then we will see face to face. When it comes to faith, not all move to the same rhythm. When Philip, one of the deacons of the church joins him, he invites Philip to join him in his search and to throw light on what he is reading. The Lord was saying to them, in effect, open those doors and get out there. In todays gospel reading, the crowd who had been fed by Jesus in the wilderness go to great lengths to seek him out. In the gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, there is often a connection between prayer and the coming of the Holy Spirit. In the gospel reading, the Lord worked powerfully through the small amount of food that a young boy made available to him. The Lord is there before us even if we have not invited him in, even if we have locked ourselves away from him. and these I have to lead as well. We are not in the dark about God, wondering who God is and what God is like. According to the Book of Genesis, God created Adam by breathing into his nostrils the breath of life. In Jesus, the earthly has become the revelation of the heavenly, and Jesus shows us how to see the deeper, heavenly, reality in and through the earthly reality. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained., Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. Sometimes, we seem to hear that call more loudly than at other times. The purpose of all that Jesus said and did - of his life, death and resurrection - is that we might have life, and have it in abundance. Complete the form below to register. She was convinced that the wound in the body of Christ could only be healed by great sacrifice. Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him. The death of Jesus had destroyed their hope. We can all look for Jesus for the wrong reasons. God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, Our calling is to surrender to this Spirit in our lives, to allow ourselves to be born of this Spirit, to be born from above, in the words of Jesus to Nicodemus. As Peter puts it in todays second reading, You did not see him, yet you love him. Jesus said to Nicodemus that he had to be born from above; he had to be born of water and the Spirit. In todays gospel reading we find two disciples heading away from Jerusalem having shared a very significant experience. There tends to be a restlessness in all of us. We all know from our own experience that liturgical time doesnt always correspond to where we are on our own lifes journey. The Lords invitation, Come to me, all who labour and are overburdened, was one she responded to every day of her life. The Ethiopian was searching, but he needed help from someone who was a little further down the road of faith that he himself was. This is a call to Eucharistic communion with the Lord. They wanted to get out of the city where Jesus had been crucified as quickly as possible. The faith of the Ethiopian is first nurtured by Philip through his proclamation of the word before the Ethiopian comes to celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism. When we listen attentively to the Lords word, we are opening ourselves to Holy Spirit, and in the power of that Spirit we will be able to witness to our faith in the Lord with something of the courage shown by Peter and the apostles in todays first reading. He took the few resources that the young boy was generous enough to part with and, having prayed the prayer of thanksgiving to God over these small pieces of food, he somehow fed the enormous crowd. At that time Jesus responded: I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Other boats, however, had put in from Tiberias, near the place where the bread had been eaten. This is a powerful image of how Jesus wishes to relate to us. In response, Jesus challenges them to work, not for food that cannot last, but for food that endures to eternal life. Then their eyes were opened, and the sad journey away from Jerusalem became a joyful journey back to the city. This mornings first reading is set in Damascus and its vicinity. We gather to celebrate the Eucharist so that we can draw life from the Lord. That same early tradition places Mark in the church of Rome, the city where Peter was crucified, the city where the church experienced the first real persecution lead by the Roman state. Jesus words to Nicodemus in this mornings gospel reading remind us, however, that our growing towards the Lord is not just our own doing; it is ultimately the work of the Spirit in our lives. All authentic love is life-giving, and Gods love, revealed in the coming of Jesus, is life-giving to an exceptional degree. Even though we may have failed him in the past, through our fear, he stands among us not to condemn us but to renew us, to recreate us in his love. Gradually the words of Scripture begin to dissolve and the Word is revealed before the eyes of our heart. All of a sudden it is bright beyond 7.00 pm. The Lord will not allow anything or anyone to come between himself and ourselves. We can never underestimate the ways that the Lord can touch the lives of people today, if we allow him to work through what we have, even if what we have seems very insignificant at times. They seemed lost without Jesus. Afterwards, both the two disciples and the Ethiopian went on their way rejoicing. As they walked along together, they were telling each other the story of what happened in recent days. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. (ii) Monday, Fourth Week of Easter (Year A). Jesus knows that if the boy is prepared to part with his precious little store, great things can happen. The light of Gods love shines through the gospel and God passionately desires that this light would shine upon all, in every time and place, just as the earthly sun shines on all. Sometimes our own grief, or anger, or deep disappointment, can cause us to head off in wrong directions too. With great wisdom he suggests that they should leave the apostles alone and just wait and see. Yet, this is not a closed relationship. Read. Nicodemus heard Jesus say to him that he needed to born of water and the Spirit. Having told the story to each other, the two disciples told it to the stranger who joined them on the road. We can easily miss out on that earlier stage that we find in our readings, the stage of engaging with the Scriptures, questioning them and searching for answers to our questions. What we want from him can be far too limited. But, as I have told you, you can see me and still you do not believe. Yet, the life that the Lord talks about there is not just a future reality, life beyond death; it is also a present reality. In the words of the gospel reading, though the light has come into the world, people have shown that they prefer darkness to the light, because their deeds were evil. You, a teacher in Israel, and you do not know these things! replied Jesus. That is not to say that Jesus teaching is not demanding. but anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.. In todays gospel reading, Jesus says with reference to himself: Light has come into the world. We take hope and wisdom from St. Therese of Lisieux's sayings and reflections from her Story of a Soul and other writings. Whenever we strive to be faithful to the Lords ways, whenever we seek to witness to him, we can always be assured of the Lords confirming presence. In his weakness, he is ready to be redirected by the Lord. Even though Gods quest for us is the more fundamental one, we need to be engaged in our own quest for God. The risen Lord remains faithful to his failed disciples and his faithfulness finally allows them to see clearly and to go out afresh to preach the gospel. You do not cease to gather together with Your Word, a holy people from every land, city, and nation, so that in charity they may offer worship that is pleasing to you. The stories we tell each other can often be like that. Is not his mother the woman called Mary, and his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Jude? He is speaking here as the good Shepherd who is prepared to lay down his life so that the members of his flock can have life and have it to the full. The last we see of Nicodemus in Johns gospel is at the foot of the cross, helping to arrange a dignified burial for Jesus; he had allowed himself to be drawn to Jesus more fully; he had opened himself to the Spirit a little more. He was an enabler; he brought out the best in others. Jesus fed the hungry multitude in the wilderness with five loaves and two fish. However, once we set out for that other side, we often find ourselves struggling, like the disciples. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Fathers hand. Is he not the carpenters son? I tell you most solemnly, No one who comes to me will ever hunger; no one who believes in me will ever thirst. This work of Barnabas allowed the risen Lord to continue his work. Jesus said: I am the good shepherd. I am sure many of you who have lost loved ones will have been supported in your loss by the supportive presence of family and friends. Yet, Marks portrayal of the failure of the disciples serves as a foil for his portrayal of Jesus faithfulness to them, in spite of all their weaknesses. Their understanding of what had happened was far too limited. We are all concerned about the church today. We simply rest in the Word of God. In the second scene of todays gospel reading, the focus is on one disciple, Thomas. The season of Easter is a good time to invite the Spirit afresh into our lives. Jesus will do all in his power to keep us united with himself and to prevent us from being taken away from him or falling away from him. Whenever two people share a significant experience together, they invariably talk about it together afterwards; they each tell their own story about what happened. God gives him the Spirit without reserve. Our reflections on the daily reading - Carmelites Ireland - Facebook The painting conveys a sense of this powerful figure now rendered helpless before the risen Lord. The religious leaders may have wanted to put a lid on what was happening but they discovered that, in the words of Jesus to Nathanael in the gospel reading, the Spirit, like the wind, blows where it pleases. It was the Holy Spirit who prompted Philip to meet the Ethiopian. Supplied by the Madonna Magazine. I tell you most solemnly, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but gets in some other way is a thief and a brigand. Reflections on Daily Readings 2023 Introduction We have compiled a comprehensive set of reflections on the readings, covering the entire year. The Ethiopian asked Philip to explain the Scripture he was reading and Philip responded to his request. In the case of the two disciples, when their hearts began to burn within them with new hope, they took the initiative to invite the stranger to their table. This is what we find Barnabas doing in todays first reading. In this mornings gospel reading, Jesus speaks of the wind that blows where it pleases. Following on his conversion, Paul had returned to Tarsus, his home city. What is of God will also endure. Even when we turn from his presence, he remains present to us and will work with us as we strive to proclaim the gospel by our lives. His investment in us will always be greater than our investment in him. We are anxious lest someone might steal from us. The Lord calls each of us to be a good shepherd in some shape or form to others. Resources - St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish Moree In the gospel reading Jesus speaks of things of this world and heavenly things. The Lord will do the rest. Complete the form below to register. and there will be only one flock, These cookies may track your personal data. In 1378, the Great Schism began, splitting the allegiance of Christendom between two, then three, popes. Jesus revealed Gods faithfulness to us; he loved us even when we put him to death. Sunday, November 27 Monday, November 28 Tuesday, November 29 Wednesday, November 30 Thursday, December 1 Friday, December 2 Saturday, December 3 December 4 - December 10, 2022 Not that anybody has seen the Father, No one can take them out of my hand. Yet, Jesus also declares in that gospel reading that the Father reveals these things to mere children. Sunday. The first reading says that when Barnabas got there, he could see for himself that God had given grace, and this pleased him, and he went on to give encouragement to what was happening. In that image Jesus paints in the gospel reading, the shepherd does not lead the sheep to pasture one at a time, but together as a flock. The cross Pope Francis wears around his neck bears the image of the Good Shepherd, bearing the lost sheep upon his shoulders. There is a personal bond between the shepherd and this one sheep. Philip answered him, Two hundred days wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many? Jesus said, Have the people recline. Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. He had been through the darkness of Good Friday, with all its pain, confusion and disillusionment. And their eyes were opened and they recognised him; but he had vanished from their sight. As a sailing boat needs the wind, we need the Spirit at our back if we are to make our way towards the Lord. The very personal call that the Lord addresses to each one of us will always be a call to give of ourselves in some way to others, to give life to others. The Lords call to each of us is very personal and our response is very personal but it is never a private affair. This mornings gospel reading shows us the difference that Easter made in the lives of the first disciples. He comes to assure us that his love for us endures even when we fail him. He lifted the story of the two disciples into this bigger story of Gods faithful love. Our website places 3rd party cookies from other 3rd party services which aren't Analytical, Social media or Advertising. Life has triumphed over death!, and our own present experience. In his diary he wrote, It is not like a child that I believe in Christ and confess him. These writings were dictated by her as she only learnt to write towards the very end of her life. Catherine was one of the great mystics of the church. Within that general call which we all share, we each have a particular call that is in keeping with our own unique gifts and limitations, our own distinctive set of experiences. In this mornings gospel reading Jesus speaks to Nicodemus of a different kind of birth.