Daily Reflection | Gospel Reading | RVA

4TH SUNDAY OF EASTER
Psalter: Week 4 / (White)

Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

1^st Reading: Acts 2:14a, 36-41

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven and, with a loud voice, addressed them, ”Fellow Jews and all foreigners now staying in Jerusalem, listen to what I have to say.

Let Israel, then, know for sure, that God has made Lord and Christ this Jesus, whom you crucified.”

When they heard this, they were deeply troubled. And they asked Peter and the other apostles, ”What shall we do, brothers?”

Peter answered: ”Each of you must repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins may be forgiven. Then, you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise of God was made to you and your children, and to all those from afar, whom our God may call.”

With many other words Peter gave the message; and appealed to them, saying, ”Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So, those who accepted his word were baptized; some three thousand persons were added to their number that day.

2^nd Reading: 1 Pt 2:20b-25

Beloved: What merit would there be in taking a beating, when you have done wrong? But if you endure punishment when you have done well that is a grace before God.

This is your calling: remember Christ, who suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you may follow in his way. He did no wrong and there was no deceit in his mouth. He did not return insult, for insult, and, when suffering, he did not curse, but put himself in the hands of God, who judges justly. He went to the cross, bearing our sins on his own body, on the cross, so that we might die to sin, and live an upright life. For, by his wounds, you have been healed. You were like stray sheep, but you have come back to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

Gospel: Jn 10:1-10

Jesus said: Truly, I say to you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. But the shepherd of the sheep enters by the gate. The keeper opens the gate to him and the sheep hear his voice; he calls each of his sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but rather they will run away from him, because they don‘t recognize a stranger‘s voice.”

Jesus used this comparison, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

So Jesus said, ”Truly, I say to you, I am the gate of the sheep. All who came were thieves and robbers, and the sheep did not hear them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved; he will go in and out freely and find food.

”The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy, but I have come that they may have life, life in all its fullness.”

REFLECTION:

Read: The Good Shepherd Sunday. Jesus presents himself as the good shepherd as well as the gate for the sheep’s pen. He offers fullness of life to us by laying down his life for us. Peter invites us to recognize this gift, repent of our sinful ways, and be baptized into life in the Spirit.

Reflect: Our calling is to remember Christ and follow his example of giving life and caring for the world. We are called to be good shepherds who nurture lives – of fellow human beings, people on the margins, life of other species on earth, and the life of the planet. How can we play our part?

Pray: Pray for good priestly and religious vocations in the Church.

Act: Talk to a young man about priestly/religious vocation.

Daily Reflection

Daily Gospel ® is a product Claretian Publications, a division of Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc. (CCFI) which is a pastoral endeavor of the Claretian Missionaries in the Philippines that brings the Word of God to people from all walks of life. CCFI aims to promote integral evangelization and renewed spirituality that is geared towards empowerment and total liberation in response to the needs and challenges of the Church today.

CCFI is a member of Claret Publishing Group, a consortium of the publishing houses of the Claretian Missionaries all over the world: Bangalore, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Chennai, Colombo, Dar es Salaam, Lagos, Madrid, Macao, Manila, Owerry, São Paolo, Varsaw , Yaoundé.

Biblical Texts are taken from Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition (57^th 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

 

DAILY GOSPEL ® 2017
Readings and Reflections
Copyright © 2O16
Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc.
U.P. P.O. Box 4, Diliman,
1101 Quezon City, Philippines
Tel.: (63-2) 921-3984
Fax: (6352) 921-7429
Email: ccfi@claretianpublicationscom
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Web: www.claretianph.com

3RD WEEK OF EASTER
Psalter: Week 3 / (White)

Ps 116:12-13, 14-15, 16-17
How shall I return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?

1^st Reading: Acts 9:31-42

Meanwhile, the Church had peace. It was building up throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, with eyes turned to the Lord, and filled with comfort from the Holy Spirit.

As Peter traveled around, he went to visit the saints who lived in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed, and had been bedridden for eight years. Peter said to him, ”Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed!” And the man got up at once. All the people living in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

There was a disciple in Joppa named Tabitha, which means Dorcas, or Gazelle. She was always doing good works and helping the poor. At that time, she fell sick and died. After having washed her body, they laid her in the upstairs room.

As Lydda is near Joppa, the disciples, on hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, ”Please come to us without delay.”

So Peter went with them. On his arrival, they took him upstairs to the room. All the widows crowded around him in tears, showing him the clothes that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Peter made them all leave the room; and then, he knelt down and prayed. Turning to the dead body, he said, ”Tabitha, stand up.” She opened her eyes, looked at Peter and sat up. Peter gave her his hand and helped her up. Then he called in the saints and widows, and presented her to them alive. This became known throughout all of Joppa; and many people believed in the Lord because of it.

Gospel: Jn 6:60-69

After hearing this, many of Jesus‘ followers said, ”This language is very hard! Who can accept it?”

Jesus was aware that his disciples were murmuring about this, and so he said to them, ”Does this offend you? Then how will you react when you see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, not the flesh. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. But among you there are some who do not believe.”

 From the beginning, Jesus knew who would betray him. So he added, ”As I have told you, no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.”

After this many disciples withdrew and no longer followed him. Jesus asked the Twelve, ”Will you also go away?” Peter answered him, ”Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We now believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

REFLECTION:

We cannot drift and just flow with the tide forever. At a certain point we need to make a stand. So in the gospel today, many of those who follow Jesus for the sake of following have finally voiced their stance, they find the teaching hard and not easy to accept. The time of indecision and hesitance is finished. They finally have to leave. It is funny that sometimes, we spent the better part of our time following something that we really could not accept in the end. We hope against all hope that our companionship will somehow miraculously last even though it is founded on our doubts and insincerity. We are not there to discover the truth but to test our strength of holding on to something that will not prosper. We waste our time.

The Twelve on the other hand choose to stay because they have something they believe to be true. They were convinced that Jesus has the words of eternal life. And so even if the teaching is hard and causes discomfort, even if life becomes a struggle because they were associated with Jesus, they will not leave Jesus and go somewhere. It is their conviction and firm belief in Jesus that will sustain them.

Daily Reflection

Daily Gospel ® is a product Claretian Publications, a division of Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc. (CCFI) which is a pastoral endeavor of the Claretian Missionaries in the Philippines that brings the Word of God to people from all walks of life. CCFI aims to promote integral evangelization and renewed spirituality that is geared towards empowerment and total liberation in response to the needs and challenges of the Church today.

CCFI is a member of Claret Publishing Group, a consortium of the publishing houses of the Claretian Missionaries all over the world: Bangalore, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Chennai, Colombo, Dar es Salaam, Lagos, Madrid, Macao, Manila, Owerry, São Paolo, Varsaw , Yaoundé.

Biblical Texts are taken from Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition (57^th 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

 

DAILY GOSPEL ® 2017
Readings and Reflections
Copyright © 2O16
Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc.
U.P. P.O. Box 4, Diliman,
1101 Quezon City, Philippines
Tel.: (63-2) 921-3984
Fax: (6352) 921-7429
Email: ccfi@claretianpublicationscom
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Web: www.claretianph.com

3RD WEEK OF EASTER
Psalter: Week 3 / (White)

Ps 117:1bc, 2
Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.

1^st Reading: Acts 9:1-20

Meanwhile, Saul considered nothing but violence and death for the disciples of the Lord. He went to the High Priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues of Damascus that would authorize him to arrest, and bring to Jerusalem, anyone he might find, man or woman, belonging to the Way.

As he traveled along and was approaching 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 do you persecute me?” And he asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The voice replied, “I am Jesus, whom you persecute. Now, get up, and go into the city; there, you will be told what you are to do.”

The men who were traveling with him stood there speechless: they had heard the sound, but could see no one. Saul got up from the ground and, opening his eyes, he could not see. They took him by the hand and brought him to Damascus. He was blind; and he did not eat or drink for three days.

 There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, to whom the Lord called in a vision, ”Ananias!” He answered, ”Here I am, Lord!” Then the Lord said to him, ”Go at once to Straight Street and ask, at the house of Judas, for a man of Tarsus named Saul. You will find him praying, for he has just seen in a vision that a man named Ananias has come in and placed his hands upon him, to restore his sight.”

Ananias answered, ”Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem, and now he is here with authority from the High Priest to arrest all who call upon your name.” But the Lord said to him, ”Go! This man is my chosen instrument to bring my name to the pagan nations and their kings, and the people of Israel as well. I myself will show him how much he will have to suffer for my name.” So Ananias left and went to the house. He laid his hands upon Saul and said, ”Saul, my brother, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me to you so that you may receive your sight and be filled with Holy Spirit.” Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes and he could see; he got up and was baptized. Then he took food and was strengthened.

For several days Saul stayed with the disciples at Damascus, and he soon began to proclaim in the synagogues that Jesus was the Son of God.

Gospel: Jn 6:52-59

The Jews were arguing among themselves, ”How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus replied, ”Truly, I say to you, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

My flesh is really food, and my blood is truly drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood, live in me, and I in them. Just as the Father, who is life, sent me, and I have life from the Father, so whoever eats me will have life from me. This is the bread from heaven; not like that of your ancestors, who ate and later died. Those who eat this bread will live forever.”

Jesus spoke in this way in Capernaum when he taught them in the synagogue.

REFLECTION:

Talks of eating human flesh and blood horrifies us. And in the history of our faith, we have been accused of cannibalistic practices especially in the first four hundred years of our existence. Even during the time of Jesus, horror and disgust at this type of conversation is already evident as our gospel today would show. This happens because some people were not privy to the mystery of our faith. They were not aware that the Jesus in front of them is the Son of the Father. He is not only human. He is also God. Hence His discourse is not on the literal physical plane only but more so on the symbolic and the spiritual as well. This type of conversation needs preparation on the part of the hearer. They need to be schooled in the teachings of Jesus. Hence those who first hear it were scandalized. But those who were already prepared profited much and without fear received the ”flesh and blood” of Jesus, the bread of life that comes from heaven.

Daily Reflection

Daily Gospel ® is a product Claretian Publications, a division of Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc. (CCFI) which is a pastoral endeavor of the Claretian Missionaries in the Philippines that brings the Word of God to people from all walks of life. CCFI aims to promote integral evangelization and renewed spirituality that is geared towards empowerment and total liberation in response to the needs and challenges of the Church today.

CCFI is a member of Claret Publishing Group, a consortium of the publishing houses of the Claretian Missionaries all over the world: Bangalore, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Chennai, Colombo, Dar es Salaam, Lagos, Madrid, Macao, Manila, Owerry, São Paolo, Varsaw , Yaoundé.

Biblical Texts are taken from Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition (57^th 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

 

DAILY GOSPEL ® 2017
Readings and Reflections
Copyright © 2O16
Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc.
U.P. P.O. Box 4, Diliman,
1101 Quezon City, Philippines
Tel.: (63-2) 921-3984
Fax: (6352) 921-7429
Email: ccfi@claretianpublicationscom
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Web: www.claretianph.com

3RD WEEK OF EASTER
Psalter: Week 3 / (White)

Ps 66:8-9, 16-17, 20
Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

1^st Reading: Acts 8:26-40

An angel of the Lord said to Philip, ”Go south, toward the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert road.” So he set out and, it happened that, an Ethiopian was passing along that way. He was an official in charge of the treasury of the queen of the Ethiopians. He had come on pilgrimage to Jerusalem and was on his way home. He was sitting in his carriage and reading the prophet Isaiah.

The Spirit said to Philip, ”Go and catch up with that carriage.” So Philip ran up and heard the man reading the prophet Isaiah; and he asked, ”Do you really understand what you are reading?” The Ethiopian replied, ”How can I, unless someone explains it to me?” He then invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. This was the passage of Scripture he was reading: He was led like a sheep to be slaughtered; like a lamb that is dumb before the shearer, he did not open his mouth. He was humbled and deprived of his rights. Who can speak of his descendants? For he was uprooted from the earth.

The official asked Philip, ”Tell me, please, does the prophet speak of him self or of someone else?” Then Philip began to tell him the Good News of Jesus, using this text of Scripture as his starting point. As they traveled down the road, they came to a place where there was some water. Then the Ethiopian official said, ”Look, here is water; what is to keep me from being baptized?”

Then he ordered the carriage to stop. Both Philip and the Ethiopian went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away. The Ethiopian saw him no more, but he continued on his way full of joy.

Philip found himself at Azotus; and he went about, announcing the Good News in all the towns, until he reached Caesarea.

Gospel: Jn 6:44-51

Jesus said to the crowds: ”No one can come to me unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise him up on the last day. It has been written in the Prophets: They shall all be taught by God. So whoever listens and learns from the Father comes to me. For no one has seen the Father except the One who comes from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.

”I am the bread of life. Though your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, they died. But here you have the bread from heaven, so that you may eat of it, and not die.

”I am the living bread from heaven; whoever eats of this bread will live forever. The bread I shall give is my flesh, and I will give it for the life of the world.”

REFLECTION:

Jesus is the bread of the Father, freely given and shared to all. This bread came down from heaven in obedience to the Father so that the world hungry for God would finally have its fill. We can say that Jesus is a type of bread that attracts a particular type of hunger. For not all hunger are alike. It is no wonder that this unique bread of the Father is rejected by many. He is not what they need but something else. Or sometimes they plainly do not know what to make up of their hunger. They do not know what would fill them. It is thus that Jesus speaks of the Father teaching people instructing them and making them aware of their needs. These are the ones who go to Jesus. These are the ones who will find eternal life. And so, ”if today you hear His voice, harden not your heart.” (Ps. 95, 1)

Daily Reflection

Daily Gospel ® is a product Claretian Publications, a division of Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc. (CCFI) which is a pastoral endeavor of the Claretian Missionaries in the Philippines that brings the Word of God to people from all walks of life. CCFI aims to promote integral evangelization and renewed spirituality that is geared towards empowerment and total liberation in response to the needs and challenges of the Church today.

CCFI is a member of Claret Publishing Group, a consortium of the publishing houses of the Claretian Missionaries all over the world: Bangalore, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Chennai, Colombo, Dar es Salaam, Lagos, Madrid, Macao, Manila, Owerry, São Paolo, Varsaw , Yaoundé.

Biblical Texts are taken from Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition (57^th 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

 

DAILY GOSPEL ® 2017
Readings and Reflections
Copyright © 2O16
Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc.
U.P. P.O. Box 4, Diliman,
1101 Quezon City, Philippines
Tel.: (63-2) 921-3984
Fax: (6352) 921-7429
Email: ccfi@claretianpublicationscom
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Web: www.claretianph.com