4TH WEEK OF EASTER
Psalter: Week 4 / (White)
St. Damien Joseph de Veuster, priest
Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6 & 8
O God, let all the nations praise you!
1st Reading: Acts 12:24—13:5a
Meanwhile the word of God was increasing and spreading. Barnabas and Saul carried out their mission and then came back to Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.
There were at Antioch—in the Church which was there—prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Symeon known as Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod, and Saul. On one occasion, while they were celebrating the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said to them, ”Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul to do the work for which I have called them.” So, after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
These then, sent by the Holy Spirit, went down to the port of Seleucia and from there sailed to Cyprus. Upon their arrival in Salamis they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogue; John was with them as an assistant.
Gospel: Jn 12:44-50
Yet Jesus had said, and even cried out, ”Whoever believes in me, believes not in me, but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me, sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.
”If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I am not the one to condemn him; for I have come, not to condemn the world, but to save the world. The one who rejects me, and does not receive my words, already has a judge: the very words I have spoken will condemn him on the last day.
”For I have not spoken on my own authority; the Father, who sent me, has instructed me what to say and how to speak. I know that his commandment is eternal life, and that is why the message I give, I give as the Father instructed me.”
REFLECTION:
To see is to believe, but it is only when one hears that a more solid response could be made. For what one sees is explained by what one hears. It is therefore a task to tune our ears to hear in a listening attitude.
But we notice that sometimes, sounds just enter our ear. They are not understood because the attention is to somewhere else. There is no conscious effort to process what is heard. This becomes noticeable when you have too many things in your head already. You become out of focus. And this is the situation that Jesus‘ word find reception. So no matter how many times the Lord talks to us, we can only hear sounds but cannot understand. There is nothing to keep. The word of Jesus was never received anyway. It is because of this that we are condemned. Since the word of Jesus is light and life, then not having it leaves us in darkness and living a life not in fullness. Jesus doesn‘t need to do anything to condemn us. Our inattention has made us the condemned.
Daily Reflection
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Biblical Texts are taken from Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition (57th Edition) The New English Translation for the ROMAN MISSAL
With permission from the EPISCOPAL COMMISION ON LITURGY of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
Readings and Reflections
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