In the gospel reading, the Lord worked powerfully through the small amount of food that a young boy made available to him. Do not be afraid. They were for taking him into the boat, but in no time it reached the shore at the place they were making for. She began gathering a group of followers about herself, men and women, priests and religious. The Lord calls each of us in accordance with our own particular nature. The response of Peter and John was to go the community of believers and in their presence to pray, asking God for help to proclaim the gospel with all boldness. The story of Pauls conversion on the road to Damascus has captured the imagination of many people in the course of the centuries, including the imagination of many artists. One of the disciples in the gospel reading is mentioned by name, Thomas. A little later in that same chapter of Johns gospel it is said of Jesus that he gives the Spirit without measure. Yet, the risen Lord always stands among us empowering us to be an Easter people. Yes, we have a role to play; we have to listen to his voice and endeavour to go where he leads. but the preaching of Philip in the period after Pentecost was that time. Yet, Luke, who wrote the Acts of the Apostles, highlights that this experience of persecution was actually a blessing for the church. The story of the Ethiopian shows that if we seek the Lord we will find him, because the Lord is always seeking us. As people of faith, we are always on a journey, on a pilgrimage. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. We are called to be contemplatives in action, like Catherine of Siena. It is Paul who in his letters teaches us that through baptism we have become members of the Lords body, temples of his Spirit, sons and daughters of God, sharing in Jesus own relationship with God. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and gave them out to all who were sitting ready; he then did the same with the fish, giving out as much as was wanted. When we find ourselves struggling with great religious doubts, and, as a result, maybe putting a distance between ourselves and the Lord and between ourselves and the community of believers, the Lord continues to engage with us and seek us out. Barnabas was one of those people who made way for others, who have the generosity of spirit to see that that a certain situation could benefit from the gifts of someone else. They seemed lost without Jesus. It is the Spirit in us who does the praying. Now as they talked this over, Jesus himself came up and walked by their side; but something prevented them from recognising him. FunctionalOur website uses functional cookies. So the other disciples said to him, We have seen the Lord. But he said to them, Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe., Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. He had been through the darkness of Good Friday, with all its pain, confusion and disillusionment. Therein lies our confidence, especially in times of struggle and failure. Now Jesus was challenging him to live by the Spirit. Vocations Sunday reminds us that the most fundamental call that come to us in life is the call of the Lord. As the gospel progresses, their failure become more pronounced, until, at the end, they all deserted him and fled. Do not work for food that cannot last, When the gospel was first preached to non-Jews in the city of Antioch, and a new kind of local church began to be formed consisting of both Jews and pagans, the church in Jerusalem decided to send Barnabas to Antioch to investigate this new development. It includes access to the writings of and about some of our most influential saints, videos, quizes to test your knowledge of Carmel and the faith, prayers, newsletters and links to websites for further study. It is the Holy Spirit who helps us to discern what the Lord is saying to us. Yet, eating the bread that is Jesus, in the sense of believing in Jesus, comes before eating his flesh or his body in the Eucharist. One of the tasks of life for each of us as disciples of the Lord is to try and listen to the particular call that the Lord is addressing to each one of us here and now. At a young age, she decided to give herself to the Lord, and she resisted the attempts of her family to find her a good husband. Coming to his home town, Jesus taught the people in their synagogue in such a way that they were astonished and said, Where did the man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? Whereas the wind can be destructive, the Spirit is always life-giving. As part of their discerning, they sent one of their member, Barnabas, to check out what was happening in Antioch. 1 Peter appears to have been written from the church in Rome sometime after the year 70. Enter your email to receive notifications of new Daily Reflection Posts. Because of his meeting with the Lord, he went from being a violent persecutor of the church to absorbing the violence of others for the sake of the gospel. The risen Lord helps us to see that those places in our lives we associate with loss and suffering can also places where God has been powerfully at work in life-giving ways. In submitting to his Lordship, we are assured that we will experience true freedom, what Saint Paul calls the glorious freedom of the children of God, the freedom to live in the fully human way that God desires for us. In the gospel reading this morning, Jesus calls on the crowd to hear the teaching of the Father, and to learn from it. The presence of a gate does not automatically mean that people will use it. This two-fold movement of coming to Jesus and going forth in his strength expresses well the contemplative and active dimension of the Christian life. How could anyone accept it? Jesus was aware that his followers were complaining about it and said, Does this disturb you? Now the will of him who sent me The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone, Philips teaching led to the Ethiopian requesting baptism. In walking with the two disciples, the Lord transformed them from being downcast to having their hearts burn within them; he rekindled their hope. This morning we ask the Lord to channel our energies and our gifts in ways that serve his purpose in the world. In the words of Saint Paul that Gods power was made perfect in weakness. The second stage is meditatio (reflection) where we think about the text we have chosen and ruminate upon it so that we take from it what God wants to give us. Perth/Singapore/Philippines: 7am; Timor-Leste/Tokyo: 8am; New Zealand: 12pm; Los Angeles: Thursday 4pm; New York/Toronto: Thursday 7pm] to prayerfully reflect on the Gospel of the coming Sunday. In Lukes gospel, Jesus had tried to preach the gospel to a Samaritan village, but the Samaritans rejected him. In the words of todays gospel reading, everybody who does wrong hates the light and avoids it, for fear his actions should be exposed. Being a member of the community of those who believe in Jesus can be a source of bemusement to many, or even derision. Our website places 3rd party cookies from other 3rd party services which aren't Analytical, Social media or Advertising. God sent his Son into the world so that everyone may have eternal life. Jesus said to Nicodemus that he had to be born from above; he had to be born of water and the Spirit. But Jesus said to them, A prophet is only despised in his own country and in his own house, and he did not work many miracles there because of their lack of faith. In the language in which the gospels were written, and the language Jesus spoke, the same word could refer to both the physical wind and the Spirit of God. That fundamental message of Marks gospel remains a word of encouragement to the church, the community of the Lords disciples, today as we battle with our own storms. He went on to show that he continued to trust them. Jesus uses many images of himself in Johns gospel. That Spirit is available to us all. We are grateful to accompany you on your journey of personal conversion. They had rowed three or four miles when they saw Jesus walking on the lake and coming towards the boat. Indeed, it could be argued that the current is flowing in the opposite direction. Yet this mornings gospel assures us that the Lords hold on us is stronger than the forces which seek to remove us from him. Although Peter and the other apostles had been given a formal warning by the religious authorities not to preach the gospel, they carried on regardless because they understood that this was their calling in life, the mission they had received from the risen Lord. Jesus is always calling us too to take some new step on our faith journey. unless a man is born through water and the Spirit, Most of us like the light. The Lords unique call to each one of us is with a view to our being fully alive. Thomas could not bring himself to believe that Jesus had risen, just on the basis of what the other disciples told him. Philip, who helped to open up Gods word for him, goes on to baptize him. The second stage is meditatio (reflection) where we think about the text we have chosen and ruminate upon it so that we take from it what God wants to give us. In todays first reading we have the dramatic story of the call of Paul. that whoever sees the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, The temptation is always to relate to people for what they might be able to give to us rather than relating to them for who they are. The Eucharist was very much at the heart of the life of Sister Gonzaga. We spend our lives learning to receive like little children. Some are asked by Jesus; others are asked by those who meet with Jesus. The one who comes from above is above all. It is the attractiveness of God whose love is beyond human comprehension. Join us on Zoom or organize your own book club with our free resources! The temptation to lock away our faith out of fear can be very strong. The experience of Thomas shows us that religious doubt need not keep us from the Lord or the church; Thomas story suggests also that great doubt can be the prelude to great faith. It is to the Eucharist that we too will be lead as we open up our own stories to the Lords story in the Scriptures. Here and now the Lord wants us to know something of that life to the full which is our ultimate destiny. That is how it is with all who are born of the Spirit.. Given the way Jesus uses the image of the gate or the door of himself in the gospel reading, it is only right that the gates and the doors of churches should be more often open than closed, at least during daylight hours. so it is in my power to take it up again; His frustration at being unable to speak clearly to the people gathered in St. Peters square was painfully obvious. Jesus seems to be saying to Nicodemus and to us that the Spirit of God is not something we can control. The portrayal of the Ethiopian in todays gospel reading suggests that he was engaged in a spiritual search. We can always ask the Lord to do what he can with the little that we have and if we do that we may discover, like the disciples, that something wonderful happens. 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. It is also true that just as we can eat poor quality food in an effort to satisfy our physical hunger, we can try to satisfy our spiritual hunger on poor quality fare. She commenced her role as a public figure, dictating hundreds of letters to popes, monarchs and other letters of note. Heavenly things can be viewed through earthly things. Syria has been in the news for some time because of the unrest there and Damascus, the capital, has been mentioned more than once. The Lords invitation, Come to me, all who labour and are overburdened, is addressed to us all. They had forgotten that Jesus had told them that, having been crucified by his enemies, God would raise him from the dead. Early on in this period, she was tormented by doubt, but this gave way to mystical encounters with Christ. Jesus declares that we need to be born of the Spirit to enter the kingdom of God. It is not a light to be feared or avoided. I give them eternal life; As I, who am sent by the living Father, He is the good shepherd who knows us through and through and who loves us so completely that he laid down his life for us. He goes ahead of them and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice and they trust him. The Lords words will always be life-giving for us. The gospel reading suggests that we respond by listening to his voice and allowing his word to make its home in us. It is my Father's will that whoever sees the Son should have eternal life. The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him. Give me your hand; put it into my side. It was that full story that Jesus went on to tell them, Was it not ordained that the Christ should suffer and so enter into his glory? Having heard Jesus version of the story, they changed direction; they went back to Jerusalem, where they found the eleven assembled together. He is an open gate, not a closed gate. That is our calling too. If we are not masters of the wind, we are even less masters of the Spirit. All rights reserved. Having assured them that they were reconciled to him, he then empowered them to be agents of Gods reconciling love in the world. he who is born of the earth is earthly himself Barnabas was a nick name; it meant Son of Encouragement. In response to their prayer, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to proclaim the word of God boldly. Do not be afraid. In this mornings gospel reading, Jesus declares, I have come so that they may have life, and have it to the full. Doubt no longer but believe. Thomas replied, My Lord and my God! Jesus said to him: You believe because you can see me. 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. We live our lives in response to calls of various kinds. Do you remember the story of Elijah on the holy mountain of Sinai? In his message for Vocations Sunday, Pope Francis says that our response to the Lords personal call to us always requires an exodus from oneself in order to centre ones life on Christ and on his gospel. The gospel reading suggests that the Lord can work powerfully through meagre resources. Because of the chaos and dangers of Rome, the Popes had left Rome for Avignon. In this mornings gospel reading Jesus speaks to Nicodemus of a different kind of birth. The cardinals regretted their decision and elected a second Pope but could not persuade Pope Urban to retire. The gospel reading declares that God gives him (Jesus) the Spirit without reserve, and in this fourth gospel Jesus declares that his words are spirit and life. Before sending them, he breathed the Holy Spirit upon them, the Spirit of Gods enduring love. God often draws us to his Son in and through other people of faith. When he spoke, it was to place their sad, hopeless, story in a whole new light. and yet you people reject our evidence. He is a seeker after truth, after God. The gospel reading goes on to declare that because Jesus comes from heaven, he is able to bear witness to what he has seen and heard in heaven, what he has seen and heard from God his Father. We would normally think of eternal life as beginning after our earthly life is completed, but this mornings gospel reading suggests that eternal life is somehow accessible to us here and now, during this earthly life. The same risen Lord who stood among his disciples on that first Easter morning stands among us on in this Easter time, with all its anxiety and uncertainty. In this mornings gospel reading Jesus speaks as the shepherd who looks after each member of his flock and keeps them all united to himself. We refer to this as kidnapping or people trafficking. Our seeking must ultimately be directed towards him; it cannot stop at or be satisfied with anything less. Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News. Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? When it comes to our faith, there is a great deal to understand. In the gospel reading, Jesus speaks of himself as the good shepherd and he declares that there are other sheep that are not of this fold that he needs to lead as well. Jesus comes to his disciples as God in human form. Do not work for food that cannot last, but for food that endures to eternal life. Todays gospel reading assures us that the Lord comes to us in those difficult and threatening moments. 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. He presents himself as the unique gateway to God, and, in virtue of that, the unique gateway to a life that is stronger than death, to a love that is stronger than sin, to a light which is stronger than any darkness. He certainly helped to create, with Mary, the religious environment in the home which allowed Jesus to grow in his relationship with God. The light of Easter shone through the wounds of Jesus, and if we open ourselves to the risen Lord standing beside us, his light can shine through our wounds too. In both of our readings this morning we have an example of such resistance. The church now had two rival Popes. They were trying to put words on the experience. Our heart sinks a bit when we realize that the days have begun to get shorter. There is a personal bond between the shepherd and this one sheep. Practical Carmelite spirituality for your daily life. He discerned that this unexpected development was from God and that the Lord was asking him to support what was happening in Antioch. As we listen, we are gradually transformed from within. The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; This Easter season is a good time us all to pray, Stay with us Lord. but the sheep took no notice of them. In response, Nicodemus asks How can that be possible? Nicodemus is an example of someone who struggled to come to faith; he struggle to become a disciple of Jesus. 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. However, all Jesus needed was a little generosity on the part of a small boy to feed the crowd. There were many other signs that Jesus worked and the disciples saw, but they are not recorded in this book. It is the story we find in the Jewish scriptures and in the Christian New Testament. The risen Lords face to face meeting with Thomas dispelled all Thomass doubts. He was being the good Pharisee that he believed God wanted him to be. I am the gate. Daily Reflections Each new day is a day of grace and opportunity to reflect. His investment in us will always be greater than our investment in him. Is it the Lord or someone or something else? Or to put the question in another way, Who or what is Lord of our lives? The apostles were clear that Jesus was Lord of their lives and not the religious authorities. Philips proclaiming of the gospel moved the Ethiopian to ask for baptism. The author, Peter, is probably referring to Mark as his spiritual son, his follower in the faith. According the Acts of the Apostles, the name Barnabas means son of encouragement. The story they told the stranger was without any hope in it. - 6:00 pm Dinner. In all four gospels, Jesus shows us how so much of human life can speak to us of Gods life, the kingdom of heaven. Our presence at the Eucharist is one of the primary ways we come to the Lord in faith and open ourselves to his presence as the bread of life. The Carmelites invite you to participate with us for Lectio Divina On-line. Just click on the month of interest and scroll to the day required. Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood His reading of the passage gave rise to a question for him that he sought an answer to from Philip, Tell me, is the prophet referring to himself or someone else? When Philip then proclaimed the gospel to him, the Ethiopian took a further initiative on his spiritual quest, again in the form of a question, Look, there is some water here; is there anything to stop me being baptized? Having been baptized by Philip, the Ethiopian went on his way rejoicing. He was also someone who had the insight to see that this new and exciting development in the church of Antioch was the perfect place for the recently converted Saul to exercise his gifts. 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. The clarity with which the apostles could identify their priorities amid competing claims on their time is admirable. Up until that point, the church had been Jewish Christian; the disciples of Jesus were all Jews. He had a reputation for encouraging people. He is calling on those who have gone looking for him to attend to the deeper hunger in their lives, their spiritual hunger. All who seek the truth are already standing in the light of Christ, even though they may not be aware of it. For us who have been baptized, the connection between word and Eucharist remains very close. Toggle Submenu for Novenas & Celebrations, National Shrine and Museum of St. Therese. One thing we can be sure of is that, whatever the Lords call to me is, it will always be a call towards life. In the Eucharist we consume Christ in a very personal way. Eternal life is not just a life that begins after death. Saul eventually came to Jesus because Jesus went after him. If the Father is to draw us to his Son, we need to be ready both to receive from the faith of others and to give to others from our own faith. He does not retreat from us even though we might retreat from him. because you are no sheep of mine. Yet, there is something that we must do as well. (iii) Monday, Fourth Week of Easter (Year A), In the gospel reading Jesus draws a striking contrast between the good shepherd and the hired man. The first reading puts before us a troubling moment in the life of the church, conflict between Greek speaking and Aramaic speaking Jewish Christian widows regarding the distribution of food. It was becoming clear to Peter that God was drawing pagans as well as Jews into the church, the community of Jesus disciples. We never stand still; we are always looking for more. JANUARY JAN 1st to JAN 28th Click here FEBRUARY JAN 29th to FEB 25th Click here MARCH FEB 26th to MAR 25th Click here APRIL He calls us to be an Easter people, messengers of his merciful love in our world. The Lord stood in the midst of his fearful disciples; he spoke to their fear, Peace be with you, and he drove out their spirit of fear by breathing the Holy Spirit into their lives. The agent of Gods life, the risen Lord, had triumphed over the agents of death. Todays first reading follows on from the rulers, elders and scribes ordering Peter and John in a threatening manner not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. Earlier in that gospel reading, Jesus spoke about the intimate relationship he has with God his Father, No one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son. She exemplifies our own calling to be contemplatives in action, to bring the light of the Lord into the darkness of our world. There was a very large hungry crowd gathered around Jesus and his disciples and the only food source was a small boy with five loaves and two fish. for fear his actions should be exposed; Parents are called upon by their children and then, as parents get older, it is the children who often get called upon by their parents. The works I do in my Fathers name are my witness; Accept cookies within the '%CC%' category to view this content. As the search for God leads to the hearing of the word and as the hearing of the word leads to baptism, so baptism leads us to the Eucharist. Yet, in Marks gospel the risen Jesus remains faithful to his disciples. There is a mysterious quality to the wind. The Lord took Paul by surprise, and he can take any of us by surprise. He is coming from Jerusalem and is reading from the text of the prophet Isaiah, without really understanding what he is reading. When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, Where can we buy enough food for them to eat? He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. The Greek word translated obedience suggests attentive listening. No-one has gone up to heaven except the Son of Man who has come down from heaven. Our coming to believe in Jesus is always in response to the initiative of God the Father towards us. We can all look for Jesus for the wrong reasons. Yet, God is prepared to wait, as Jesus was prepared to wait for Nicodemus. With the Lords help what seemed impossible became possible. He meets us where we are. I know them and they follow me. Here indeed is a light that darkness cannot overcome, a love that human sin cannot extinguish. Our website places social media cookies to show you 3rd party content like YouTube and FaceBook. Jesus said to the crowds, I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. On one occasion, Jesus says of himself: I am the light of the world. The Lord points to that relationship to express something of his own relationship to his disciples. His standing there spoke powerfully of his faithfulness to them. It is written in the prophets: Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. The proclamation of the word leads to baptism and then in the gospel reading Jesus speaks in language that is clearly Eucharistic, the bread that I shall give is my flesh for the life of the world. The church now had two rival Popes, one in Rome and one in Avignon, a situation that was to last for several decades. We might even struggle to get out of bed some mornings. No one can take them out of my hand. He invites us to tell him our story, and he listens carefully to it, even though it is often not the full story.
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