4TH WEEK OF EASTER
Psalter: Week 4 / (White)
Ps 89:2-3, 21-22, 25 & 27
For ever I will sing
the goodness of the Lord.
1st Reading: Acts 13:13-25
From Paphos, Paul and his companions set sail and came to Perga in Pamphylia. There, John left them and returned to Jerusalem, while they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. On the Sabbath day they entered the synagogue and sat down. After the reading of the law and the prophets, the officials of the synagogue sent this message to them, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the assembly, please speak up.”
So Paul arose, motioned to them for silence and began, “Fellow Israelites and, also, all you who fear God, listen. The God of our people Israel chose our ancestors; and after he had made them increase during their stay in Egypt, he led them out by powerful deeds. For forty years he fed them in the desert; and after he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance. All this took four hundred and fifty years. After that, he gave them Judges, until Samuel the prophet. Then they asked for a king; and God gave them Saul, son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin; and he was king for forty years. After that time, God removed him and raised up David as king, to whom he bore witness saying: I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will do all I want him to do.
It is from the descendants of David that God has now raised up the promised Savior of Israel, Jesus. Before he appeared, John proclaimed a baptism of repentance for all the people of Israel. As John was ending his life’s work, he said: ‘I am not what you think I am, for, after me, another one is coming, whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.
Gospel: Jn 13:16-20
“Truly, I say to you, the servant is not greater than his master, nor is the messenger greater than he who sent him. Understand this, and blessed are you, if you put it into practice.“
“I am not speaking of you all, because I know the ones I have chosen, and the Scripture has to be fulfilled which says: The one who shares my table will rise up against me. I tell you this now before it happens, so that when it does happen, you may know that I am He.“
“Truly, I say to you, whoever welcomes the one I send, welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, welcomes the One who sent me.”
Reflections
WHOEVER WELCOMES THE ONE I SEND, WELCOMES ME.
Although we know this theoretically, in our daily lives, do we really see Christ in those who come to us? Everyone we meet in our life is someone that is sent to us by Christ. So how can we wave away a beggar who knocks at the window of our car? How can we hide from someone who pesters us with her (what we consider ) trivial concerns? We often wish we were in Christ’s time, that we could see him daily and live close to him. In reality, if we did live in his lifetime and saw him everyday, we would not recognize him. Just like his neighbors, we would ask: ”Who is this who speaks with authority, when we know he is, the son of our neighbor Joseph and his wife, Mary?” It really takes faith to recognize Christ in those whom we meet in our daily lives. This requires MINDFULNESS – a constant watchfulness so that we will not miss the moment of our visitation.
Daily Reflection 2018
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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
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