MAY 2006

May 31, 2006

Feast, Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary - B

ZEPHANIAH 3:14-18A

Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and

exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The LORD has removed

the judgment against you, he has turned away your enemies; The King of

Israel, the LORD, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to

fear. On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem: Fear not, O Zion, be

not discouraged! The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior;

He will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, He

will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals.

LUKE 1:39-56

Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of

Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb,

and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice

and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit

of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my

Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting

reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you

who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be

fulfilled." And Mary said: "My soul proclaims the greatness of the

Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor

on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me

blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his

Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has

shown the strength of his arm, he has scattered the proud in their

conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted

up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich

he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel

for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our

fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever." Mary remained with her

about three months and then returned to her home.

REFLECTION

Today's feast, the Visitation, is a celebration of hope. Without hope,

is there anything in the world that we might possibly find attractive?

We need hope. Just look about the world, not only in our country, but

throughout the entire world. Immense stores of hatred, selfishness and

cynicism that motivate the most inhuman crimes assault our senses. The

brutality, the animal passions let loose are portrayed vividly in print

and picture and show a world without hope.

The world our Lady was born into was undoubtedly more hopeless, for

Christ was not yet conceived in it. Christ had not yet become a part of

our humanity. Then our Lady said "yes" to God, and the child she bore

was indeed God's own Son. As fully human as he was divine, he would

make known in our world his Father's love for us, his promise of

redemption and the hope that this promise bears. Our Lady carrying

within her womb the Love of God, and journeying to Elizabeth, the child

in her womb blessing and quickening the child Elizabeth carried: this

is the symbol of our hope, it is the pledge that our hope will be

fulfilled, it is the promise that we, the human race, can grow to the

maturity needed to attain salvation.

May 30, 2006

Tuesday 7th Week of Easter - Yr II

ACTS 20:17-27

>From Miletus Paul had the presbyters of the Church at Ephesus summoned.

When they came to him, he addressed them, "You know how I lived among

you the whole time from the day I first came to the province of Asia. I

served the Lord with all humility and with the tears and trials that

came to me because of the plots of the Jews, and I did not at all

shrink from telling you what was for your benefit, or from teaching you

in public or in your homes. I earnestly bore witness for both Jews and

Greeks to repentance before God and to faith in our Lord Jesus. But

now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem. What will happen

to me there I do not know, except that in one city after another the

Holy Spirit has been warning me that imprisonment and hardships await

me. Yet I consider life of no importance to me, if only I may finish my

course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to bear

witness to the Gospel of God's grace. "But now I know that none of you

to whom I preached the kingdom during my travels will ever see my face

again. And so I solemnly declare to you this day that I am not

responsible for the blood of any of you, for I did not shrink from

proclaiming to you the entire plan of God."

JOHN 17:1-11A

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come.

Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just as you

gave him authority over all people, so that your son may give eternal

life to all you gave him. Now this is eternal life, that they should

know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ. I

glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to

do. Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with

you before the world began. "I revealed your name to those whom you

gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to

me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you

gave me is from you, because the words you gave to me I have given to

them, and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you,

and they have believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I do not pray

for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are

yours, and everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine,

and I have been glorified in them. And now I will no longer be in the

world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you."

REFLECTION

Today's Gospel begins with the prayer Jesus says to his Father for all

those who would be his followers. Jesus prays this prayer on the night

before he is to die. He has no regrets. He knows he has done the work

his Father gave him to do: to make his Father known among the people of

his day.

Paul in the first reading also looks back over his life. He is about to

set off from Ephesus for Jerusalem, where he knows will be the

beginning of the end for him. He harbors no regrets about this life. He

has made use of all the opportunities God had given to him to make the

name of Jesus known among the Gentiles. He has fulfilled the mission

given him by the Lord.

The difference between Jesus and Paul is perhaps the difference between

the saints and the rest of us. We miss the opportunities the Lord gives

us by always living in the future. "Tomorrow I will get down to doing

something about my spiritual life." "Tomorrow I will reconcile with

those who have hurt me." "Tomorrow I will start giving more time to my

family."

As we get older, most of us discover and recall lost opportunities. The

one consolation we have is that it was the Lord Jesus who said,

excusing the weariness of his apostles, "The spirit is willing, the

flesh is weak." But will it not be unfortunate if we will have to go

empty-handed into the presence of so loving and understanding a Lord?

May 29, 2006

Monday 7th Week of Easter - Yr II

ACTS 19:1-8

While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior of the

country and down to Ephesus where he found some disciples. He said to

them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?" They

answered him, "We have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."

He said, "How were you baptized?" They replied, "With the baptism of

John." Paul then said, "John baptized with a baptism of repentance,

telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him,

that is, in Jesus." When they heard this, they were baptized in the

name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy

Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

Altogether there were about twelve men. He entered the synagogue, and

for three months debated boldly with persuasive arguments about the

Kingdom of God.

JOHN 16:29-33

The disciples said to Jesus, "Now you are talking plainly, and not in

any figure of speech. Now we realize that you know everything and that

you do not need to have anyone question you. Because of this we believe

that you came from God." Jesus answered them, "Do you believe now?

Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived when each of you will be

scattered to his own home and you will leave me alone. But I am not

alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you this so that you

might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take

courage, I have conquered the world."

REFLECTION

Deep into his missionary journey, we still note the persevering

attitude and intense zeal of Paul to share the Gospel of Jesus. We

further note the growing communities as he continued his journey as

well as the growing strength of opposition in the places he visited.

We, however, cannot diminish the ministry and almost veiled role of the

Holy Spirit in the life and ministry of Paul. Somehow, to further the

cause of the Kingdom of God, pieces of cloth were made instruments to

minister to the great needs of the ever growing Gentile communities.

With Paul empowered by the Holy Spirit, he passed on and shared the

varied gifts of the Holy Spirit to other faithful and trusted disciples

of the Lord Jesus. As Paul prayed and interceded, the power of the Holy

Spirit was further manifested in the lives on men and women who were

similarly led by the Spirit of Jesus.

In today's brief Gospel reading, Jesus speaks words that proclaim his

unlimited compassion and love for his disciples. At the beginning of

this Gospel passage, the apostles are feeling pretty good. They've had

a good meal and delightful wine. Jesus is talking about leaving them,

which they can't seem to comprehend. But he's also assured them that

God loves them and will give them anything they ask for in his name.

Jesus then dampens their good feelings, indicating that their life

together will come to an end. Not only will he be taken from them;

they'll all abandon him. They'll be scattered. They'll leave him alone,

by himself. It's here that Jesus proclaims that his love and compassion

for them is without limit. He tells them, "Yet I can never be alone;

the Father is with me. I tell you all this that in me you my find

peace." Now, even before they have abandoned him, he goes beyond

lightening the burden of guilt and beyond the forgiveness it implies.

He promises them a peace that presupposes total absence of guilt and

forgiveness of sins.

The apostles, of course, at that moment could not comprehend what Jesus

was implying. But after his resurrection they certainly must have

recalled his words each time he appeared to them and spoke the single

word of greeting, "Peace!"

May 28, 2006

Solemnity of Our Lord's Ascension - B

ACTS 1:1-11

In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and

taught until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through

the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented

himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing

to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While

meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but

to wait for "the promise of the Father about which you have heard me

speak; for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be

baptized with the Holy Spirit." When they had gathered together they

asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to

Israel?" He answered them, "It is not for you to know the times or

seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. But you

will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be

my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the

ends of the earth." When he had said this, as they were looking on, he

was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. While they were

looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed

in white garments stood beside them. They said, "Men of Galilee, why

are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been

taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have

seen him going into heaven."

EPHESIANS 4:1-13

I,then prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of

the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with

patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve

the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one

Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord,

one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and

through all and in all. But grace was given to each of us according to

the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore, it says: "He ascended on high

and took prisoners captive; he gave gifts to men." What does "he

ascended" mean except that he also descended into the lower (regions)

of the earth? The one who descended is also the one who ascended far

above all the heavens, that he might fill all things. And he gave some

as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as

pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry,

for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of

faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the extent

of the full stature of Christ.

MARK 16:15-20

Jesus said to his disciples: "Go into the whole world and proclaim the

gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be

saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will

accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons,

they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their

hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They

will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." So then the Lord

Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his

seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached

everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word

through accompanying signs.

REFLECTION

The Feast of the Ascension of Jesus into heaven does not celebrate the

end of Jesus' presence in the world. On the contrary, it celebrates a

change of the way Jesus is present in the world. It celebrates the fact

that Jesus is no longer physically present in the world through his

human body. Jesus is now present in the world through his mystical body

in a spiritual way. He is present through his Church: "Where two or

three are gathered together in my name," Jesus said, "There am I in the

midst of them." (Matt. 18: 19-20)

Jesus is now present through us, his followers. The Ascension

therefore, marks not only a change in the way in which Jesus is present

in the world, it also marks a change in Jesus' activity in the world.

Jesus no longer acts through the members of his physical body, but

through the members of his mystical body.

The Feast of the Ascension is one of the most important feasts of the

entire liturgical year. That's why we celebrate it in a special way. We

might compare the Feast of the Ascension to the passing of a baton from

one runner to another in a relay race. On this day over 2,000 years

ago, Jesus passed the baton of continuing his work on earth to his

followers.

According to Fr. Nil Guillemette, S.J., people in this world are

divided into three major opinions or philosophies: those for whom this

world is everything and heaven is nothing, those for whom heaven or the

afterlife is everything and this world is nothing, and finally, those

(the Christians) for whom heaven is already here in this world,

wherever there is love (for "God is love). The glorification of

Christ's humanity is very significant in this respect.

Far from inviting us to give up our earthly tasks in the open-mouth

expectation of a heavenly compensation to our limitations and failures,

the Ascension points to our earthly mission.

In his glorified state, Jesus is now present to all time and all space,

very much interested in each one of our lives, "working with his

disciples" as today's Gospel tells us. If we truly believe in him, we

too will perform powerful signs wherever we live and work. The greatest

of these is our patient love for our brothers.

Let's close with these words of Jesus to his followers in the Sermon on

the Mount. They take on special meaning for us in the light of today's

feast.

"You are the salt of all mankind.

But if salt loses its saltiness, there is no way to make it salty

again. It has become worthless, so it is thrown out and people trample

on it. You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be

hidden in the same way your light must shine before people. So that

they will see the good things you do, and praise your Father in

heaven."

May 27, 2006

Saturday 6th Week of Easter - Yr II

ACTS 18:23-28

After staying in Antioch some time, Paul left and traveled in orderly

sequence through the Galatian country and Phrygia, bringing strength to

all the disciples. A Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, an

eloquent speaker, arrived in Ephesus. He was an authority on the

Scriptures. He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord and, with

ardent spirit, spoke and taught accurately about Jesus, although he

knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the

synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside

and explained to him the Way of God more accurately. And when he wanted

to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the

disciples there to welcome him. After his arrival he gave great

assistance to those who had come to believe through grace. He

vigorously refuted the Jews in public, establishing from the Scriptures

that the Christ is Jesus.

JOHN 16:23B-28

Jesus said to his disciples: "Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you

ask the Father in my name he will give you. Until now you have not

asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy

may be complete. "I have told you this in figures of speech. The hour

is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures but I will tell

you clearly about the Father. On that day you will ask in my name, and

I do not tell you that I will ask the Father for you. For the Father

himself loves you, because you have loved me and have come to believe

that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the

world. Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father."

REFLECTION

We Christians often see prayer as a magic formula for getting our

wishes granted. We pray for a specific favor - wealth, the upper hand

over our enemies, success in our endeavors. We pray and we expect the

results we're praying for.

This isn't the way prayer works. Prayer does not bestow on us the

magical power of a controlling God who will without fail give us what

we pray for. We do not hypnotize God with certain prayer formulas

repeated incessantly, nor do we wear him down with a torrent of words

and phrases.

Jesus tells us in today's Gospel to ask the Father anything we want in

Jesus' name. This last phrase, "in Jesus' name," shows prayer in a

whole new light. Our petitions are to be made in accordance with Jesus'

teaching. What we pray for is not to be that which is contrary to his

teaching. Should a person expect from Jesus a positive response to a

prayer that seeks vengeance?

Sr. Regina Coll, C.S.J., concludes her reflections on today's Gospel

reading:

"While we are assured that God will answer our prayer, praying is not

about trying to change God's mind. Praying is opening our heart to God

and listening so that we may know what Christ wants for us. Let us open

our hearts to hear what God is calling us to be."

May 26, 2006

Memorial, St. Philip Neri, priest

Friday 6th Week of Easter - Yr II

ACTS 18:9-18

One night while Paul was in Corinth, the Lord said to him in a vision,

"Do not be afraid. Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with

you. No one will attack and harm you, for I have many people in this

city." He settled there for a year and a half and taught the word of

God among them. But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews rose

up together against Paul and brought him to the tribunal, saying, "This

man is inducing people to worship God contrary to the law." When Paul

was about to reply, Gallio spoke to the Jews, "If it were a matter of

some crime or malicious fraud, I should with reason hear the complaint

of you Jews; but since it is a question of arguments over doctrine and

titles and your own law, see to it yourselves. I do not wish to be a

judge of such matters." And he drove them away from the tribunal. They

all seized Sosthenes, the synagogue official, and beat him in full view

of the tribunal. But none of this was of concern to Gallio. Paul

remained for quite some time, and after saying farewell to the brothers

he sailed for Syria, together with Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae

he had shaved his head because he had taken a vow.

JOHN 16:20-23

Jesus said to his disciples: "Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep

and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief

will become joy. When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because

her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no

longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born

into the world. So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you

again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away

from you. On that day you will not question me about anything. Amen,

amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give

you."

REFLECTION

When Jesus told his disciples that he would be leaving them and then

after a bit he would return to them, he was very likely referring to

his three days' separation from them while he would be in the tomb.

They would grieve his loss, but their sorrow would turn to joy on his

return to them. And of course this is what happened.

The joy the apostles felt when Jesus retuned to them was so intense

that it carried them through years of persecution and trials, to

martyrdoms, which they joyously accepted.

Success in ministry often enough follows this same pattern: those being

evangelized will resist the word, whether it's the word preached or the

word acted out in our lives, and their resistance may manifest itself

in insult, ridicule or even physical violence. The pain guarantees the

success of ministry. We see this pattern playing itself out in the

first reading.

The Acts of the Apostles and Paul in his letters tell us how the

Apostle of the Gentiles frequently suffered because of his ministry. In

today's first reading Paul, accused by his own people, has been brought

by them before a pagan official on charges stemming from his preaching

the name of Christ. Paul had however the great joy of knowing that he

was leading many of his listeners to discipleship with Christ.

We have our trials and often enough they cause us to wonder why this is

happening to us, why we cannot find God. We tend to forget that the

deaths of martyrs are the seeds that give growth to the Church.

With this realization, we need only to remember to cling to Christ, and

peace will descend on us, a peace that the world can neither give nor

take from us.

May 25, 2006

Thursday 6th Week of Easter - Yr II

ACTS 18:1-8

Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he met a Jew named Aquila,

a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife

Priscilla because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. He

went to visit them and, because he practiced the same trade, stayed

with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. Every sabbath,

he entered into discussions in the synagogue, attempting to convince

both Jews and Greeks. When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia,

Paul began to occupy himself totally with preaching the word,

testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. When they opposed him

and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, "Your

blood be on your heads! I am clear of responsibility. From now on I

will go to the Gentiles." So he left there and went to a house

belonging to a man named Titus Justus, a worshiper of God; his house

was next to a synagogue. Crispus, the synagogue official, came to

believe in the Lord along with his entire household, and many of the

Corinthians who heard believed and were baptized.

JOHN 16:16-20

Jesus said to his disciples: "A little while and you will no longer see

me, and again a little while later and you will see me." So some of his

disciples said to one another, "What does this mean that he is saying

to us, 'A little while and you will not see me, and again a little

while and you will see me,' and 'Because I am going to the Father'?" So

they said, "What is this 'little while' of which he speaks? We do not

know what he means." Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said

to them, "Are you discussing with one another what I said, 'A little

while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will

see me'? Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the

world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy."

REFLECTION

In today's Gospel, we see that the disciples do not understand what

Jesus has been saying. In particular, they do not understand what Jesus

is talking about when he tells them that they will not see him, and

then a little later they will see him again. They do not know what he

is talking about.

It seems obvious to us that Jesus was talking about his death and

resurrection. But we Christians today have the benefit of hindsight. So

what seems obvious to us would not have been so clear to the disciples.

They could not have understood that Jesus was talking about dying, and

then rising again and appearing to them.

Some of the most difficult moments in our lives are when we do not

understand what God's plan is for us, like times when life is filled

with suffering, and we do not understand why God would allow this

happen to us. Or times when we feel that Jesus has deserted us, right

at the moment when we really need him. Or when a crushing blow

unexpectedly threatens to derail us. Or when we struggle with that

all-important question: Its is during these moments we seem to ask

ourselves "Where is God?"

We do not always understand Jesus. If we did, then he will not be God.

Perhaps, if we can always understood his plan for us, then perhaps we

will not be living by faith. Faith is believing in Jesus even though we

do not see him, even when we do not always understand his plan for us.

Let us continue to trust Jesus in good times and especially in

difficult times. Let us be reminded to ask him to help us, to strength

our faith and trust in him, especially during those times when we need

him the most.

May 24, 2006

Wednesday 6th Week of Easter - Yr II

ACTS 17:15, 22-18:1

After Paul's escorts had taken him to Athens, they came away with

instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.

Then Paul stood up at the Areopagus and said: "You Athenians, I see

that in every respect you are very religious. For as I walked around

looking carefully at your shrines, I even discovered an altar

inscribed, 'To an Unknown God.' What therefore you unknowingly worship,

I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and all that is in it,

the Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in sanctuaries made by

human hands, nor is he served by human hands because he needs anything.

Rather it is he who gives to everyone life and breath and everything.

He made from one the whole human race to dwell on the entire surface of

the earth, and he fixed the ordered seasons and the boundaries of their

regions, so that people might seek God, even perhaps grope for him and

find him, though indeed he is not far from any one of us. For 'In him

we live and move and have our being,' as even some of your poets have

said, 'For we too are his offspring.' Since therefore we are the

offspring of God, we ought not to think that the divinity is like an

image fashioned from gold, silver, or stone by human art and

imagination. God has overlooked the times of ignorance, but now he

demands that all people everywhere repent because he has established a

day on which he will 'judge the world with justice' through a man he

has appointed, and he has provided confirmation for all by raising him

from the dead." When they heard about resurrection of the dead, some

began to scoff, but others said, "We should like to hear you on this

some other time." And so Paul left them. But some did join him, and

became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the Court of

the Areopagus, a woman named Damaris, and others with them. After this

he left Athens and went to Corinth.

JOHN 16:12-15

Jesus said to his disciples: "I have much more to tell you, but you

cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will

guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak

what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. He

will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it

to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told

you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you."

REFLECTION

What does this promise of our Lord before his passion have to do with

us 2,000 years after his death and resurrection? Also, what connection

is there with the Athenians of the first century, during the time of

Jesus and St. Paul? What did Jesus mean when he said, "The Spirit of

truth to guide us to all truth."

Jesus had earlier said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." When

Jesus realized that his death was near, he implanted to the disciples

all the tools that they would need to help them continue their mission

here on earth. It was at that moment that Jesus wanted them to grasp

the truth: He was not only sent by God like the prophets before him,

but that he himself is one with God.

At that time, most of his teachings must have appeared confusing and

hard to accept. Jesus gave hope to those who were very confused and

very sad. If we were in the place of the apostles during the Last

Supper, how would we have felt? What would be going through our minds?

Would we have been confused and overwhelmed by his many teachings even

if they touched the heart and may have appeared at that time

ridiculous?

After his resurrection, our Lord sent the Holy Spirit to the apostles

so that he may be with them in a different way. The Spirit guided them

in all the things they did and reminded them of all that he had said.

It was the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that they began to understand

the teachings of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit revealed and confirmed that the God loves all that he

had created. Today, the Holy Spirit continues to reveal and guide us

towards this truth, even in the midst of all the troubles and problems

we are encountering.

As for the Athenians in the 1st century, the Holy Spirit showed them an

indication of this truth. Through his preaching at the Areopagus, St.

Paul opened their hearts and minds to accept the fullness of this

truth.

May 23, 2006

Tuesday 6th Week of Easter - Yr II

ACTS 16:22-34

The crowd in Philippi joined in the attack on Paul and Silas, and the

magistrates had them stripped and ordered them to be beaten with rods.

After inflicting many blows on them, they threw them into prison and

instructed the jailer to guard them securely. When he received these

instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and secured their feet

to a stake. About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying and

singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened, there was suddenly such

a severe earthquake that the foundations of the jail shook; all the

doors flew open, and the chains of all were pulled loose. When the

jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword

and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped.

But Paul shouted out in a loud voice, "Do no harm to yourself; we are

all here." He asked for a light and rushed in and, trembling with fear,

he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said,

"Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord

Jesus and you and your household will be saved." So they spoke the word

of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house. He took them in at

that hour of the night and bathed their wounds; then he and all his

family were baptized at once. He brought them up into his house and

provided a meal and with his household rejoiced at having come to faith

in God.

JOHN 16:5-11

Jesus said to his disciples: "Now I am going to the one who sent me,

and not one of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' But because I told

you this, grief has filled your hearts. But I tell you the truth, it is

better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not

come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes he

will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and

condemnation: sin, because they do not believe in me; righteousness,

because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me;

condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned."

REFLECTION

The sudden change in the attitude of the jailer in the first reading

invites study and reflection. In one instant he's a terrified, fearful

man, bent on suicide. In the next he's leading his prisoners out of the

jail, bathing their wounds, and spreading a feast before them. He was

fearful because he thought his prisoners had escaped from detention.

Now, by his own volition and decision he gives freedom to these same

men who have been entrusted to his charge by his superiors.

Paul, of course, along with Silas, reacted much differently when

confronted with crisis. Without any semblance of a trial, Paul had been

scourged publicly. He was a Roman citizen, and to scourge a Roman

citizen was a crime punishable by death. Furthermore a Roman citizen

could not be punished at all without a trial. Yet, in spite of this

public, very painful, humiliating, and unjust experience, we find Paul,

and Silas with him, marvelously calm, though chained in prison. When

the earthquake struck, their calm continued. Paul calmly called out to

the jailer to dissuade him from killing himself.

Paul and Silas, and the jailer as well, found their faith an enormous

source of strength. Depending on the depth of our faith and the

intensity of our love for the Lord Jesus, we share this same source of

strength with them. In time of crisis, for instance when we must accept

rejection by those we love and admire for the sake of Christ's values

or when because of these same values we must say no to wealth immorally

acquired, we can dip into this strength-source. The Lord Jesus himself

will share his strength with us. Then we will profess Jesus joyfully,

even though the environment be hostile.

May 22, 2006

Monday 6th Week of Easter - Yr II

ACTS 16:11-15

We set sail from Troas, making a straight run for Samothrace, and on

the next day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, a leading city in

that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We spent some time in

that city. On the sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river

where we thought there would be a place of prayer. We sat and spoke

with the women who had gathered there. One of them, a woman named

Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth, from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper

of God, listened, and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to

what Paul was saying. After she and her household had been baptized,

she offered us an invitation, "If you consider me a believer in the

Lord, come and stay at my home," and she prevailed on us.

JOHN 15:26-16:4A

Jesus said to his disciples: "When the Advocate comes whom I will send

you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father,

he will testify to me. And you also testify, because you have been with

me from the beginning. "I have told you this so that you may not fall

away. They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact, the hour is

coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to

God. They will do this because they have not known either the Father or

me. I have told you this so that when their hour comes you may remember

that I told you."

REFLECTION

The first reading relates the path that Paul and Barnabas took after

leaving Jerusalem and as they progressed towards the area of the

Gentiles. In the first reading, they meet Lydia, a dealer in purple

cloth from the city of Thyatira, listened and as a result, the Lord

enlightened and opened her heart to hear what Paul was saying.

We can relate this particular instance in our daily lives. When we

allow ourselves to listen and open our hearts to what God is trying to

tell us, we may be able to hear and understand him. However, there are

times no matter how hard we try, it seems that his Word refuses to give

meaning in our lives. During those times, we need to ask the help of

the Holy Spirit to open our ears, mind and heart so that we can reap

the full benefit from the Lord's Word.

In the Gospel today, Jesus emphatically states that he will be sending

the Advocate to the disciples and to us. Jesus reminds us that the

Spirit of truth will testify to you and me. These words of Jesus should

comfort and encourage us all. The disciples were once a group of people

who were afraid for their own lives, especially during the period after

Jesus was crucified. But they turned into a group of brave men,

unafraid to proclaim the teachings of the Lord and enduring all kinds

of suffering and persecution. In the last forty days which Jesus spent

with the disciples after his resurrection, Jesus gave his disciples a

lasting hope and courage which they needed to fulfill their mission

that was entrusted to them - that of bringing the Word of the Lord to

all nations.

May 21, 2006

6th Sunday of Easter - B

ACTS 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48

When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and, falling at his feet, paid

him homage. Peter, however, raised him up, saying, "Get up. I myself am

also a human being." Then Peter proceeded to speak and said, "In truth,

I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever

fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him." While Peter was

still speaking these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were

listening to the word. The circumcised believers who had accompanied

Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit should have been

poured out on the Gentiles also, for they could hear them speaking in

tongues and glorifying God. Then Peter responded, "Can anyone withhold

the water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit

even as we have?" He ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus

Christ.

1 JOHN 4:7-10

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who

loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does

not know God, for God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed

to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life

through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he

loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.

JOHN 15:9-17

Jesus said to his disciples: "As the Father loves me, so I also love

you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in

my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his

love. "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy

might be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love

you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for

one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no

longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master

is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything

I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who

chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so

that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I

command you: love one another."

REFLECTION

Agapй describes God's totally self-giving love for us humans and for

the whole world. It's the amazing love that takes the initiative,

reaching out to forgive and accept the undeserving.

Because of this love, the central message of Scripture is called

"Gospel" - "Good News." Someone has defined the Gospel as the "good

news that God loves us at our worst." God doesn't love us on the

condition that we've cleaned ourselves up and done things worthy of

divine favor. No, God loves us when we were in sin, when we've hit rock

bottom, when there's no way to go but up. We can take comfort in Paul's

words in Romans 5:8: "God proves his love for us in that while we still

were sinners, Christ died for us."

When all is said and done, God's love of agapй boils down to a

question of giving. It's a question of self-giving. It's a question of

forgiving. It's a question of thanksgiving.

We have seen how love is a question of self-giving. It is also a

question of forgiving. Forgiveness has to be part of every love

relationship, precisely because we are human. Being human, we sin

against one another and hurt one another - even members of our own

family. And for that reason, fathers must be ready to forgive sons.

Sons must be ready to forgive fathers. Mothers must be ready to forgive

daughters. Daughters must be ready to forgive mothers. Brothers must be

ready to forgive sisters. Sisters must be ready to forgive brothers.

And friends must be ready to forgive friends. And they must be ready to

do this not seven times, but as Jesus said, "seventy times seven

times."

How often do we pray the "Our Father" at Mass, especially the words,

"Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us." And how

often we say them on Sunday but fail to practice them from Monday to

Saturday even within our own family.

We often forget that Jesus himself said, "If you forgive others their

wrongs, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not

forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your wrongs." And so

besides self-giving, love also involves forgiving. This leads us to the

third kind of giving that love involves - thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is especially important when it comes to our love for God.

The one thing everyone is capable of giving God is thanks. When we have

nothing else to give God, we can still give our thanks. There is no

excuse on earth for not giving thanks to God.

Helen Hayes is one of the first actresses ever to come out of

Hollywood. She recalls the end of World War I. She was only 18 then,

starring in the Broadway play, Dear Brutus.

During a rehearsal one day, someone came running into the theatre,

shouting the news that the war was over. Immediately the entire place

went wild. The cast forgot about the rehearsal and took off to

celebrate. Helen did not join them, however. Instead she headed for St.

Patrick's Cathedral, making her way through the crowds of celebrating

people. She writes:

"I had visions of being the only person in that vast chapel offering

thanks to the Lord. But when I got there the cathedral was so packed I

couldn't get inside. I was forced to offer my prayer on the steps."

That moving story illustrates the kind of giving that love involves -

especially love of God. It makes us ask ourselves about our own love of

God. How filled with thanksgiving is it?

Lord, on this special day of days,

Give us the courage to imitate our mothers. We give you thanks for our

mothers -

Especially for their living example of what love involves:

Self-giving to others,

Forgiving of those who hurt us,

And Thanksgiving to God. Amen.

May 20, 2006

Saturday 5th Week of Easter - Yr II

ACTS 16:1-10

Paul reached also Derbe and Lystra where there was a disciple named

Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father

was a Greek. The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him,

and Paul wanted him to come along with him. On account of the Jews of

that region, Paul had him circumcised, for they all knew that his

father was a Greek. As they traveled from city to city, they handed on

to the people for observance the decisions reached by the Apostles and

presbyters in Jerusalem. Day after day the churches grew stronger in

faith and increased in number. They traveled through the Phrygian and

Galatian territory because they had been prevented by the Holy Spirit

from preaching the message in the province of Asia. When they came to

Mysia, they tried to go on into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did

not allow them, so they crossed through Mysia and came down to Troas.

During the night Paul had a vision. A Macedonian stood before him and

implored him with these words, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."

When he had seen the vision, we sought passage to Macedonia at once,

concluding that God had called us to proclaim the Good News to them.

JOHN 15:18-21

Jesus said to his disciples: "If the world hates you, realize that it

hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its

own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you

out of the world, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to

you, 'No slave is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they

will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep

yours. And they will do all these things to you on account of my name,

because they do not know the one who sent me."

REFLECTION

Have we ever been in a position in which being a Christian puts us at a

disadvantage - feeling uncomfortable, and at the other extreme, being

threatened with death? At the latter extreme were Stephen and those

who, like him, make fidelity to Christ an absolute value.

Hopefully we have chosen to submit to the pain rather than compromise

Christ's values. For instance, standing firm against signing a contract

because of ethical and moral considerations, even though your business

associates urge you to sign; or refusing to join a group of friends

intent on a night of indulgence or illicit activity.

The basic reality is that the world will hate anyone whose life is

governed by Christian values. Christ warns us about this in today's

Gospel: "If the world hates you, don't be surprised, it hated me before

you. It will persecute you as it has persecuted me." The reason for the

world's hatred is very simple: "I have taken you out of this world, you

do not belong to this world. Your values and mine are different than

this world's values. The world will see your adherence to my values as

a hostile rejection of its values. The world will hate you and

persecute you, as it has me."

May 19, 2006

Friday 5th Week of Easter - Yr II

ACTS 15:22-31

The Apostles and presbyters, in agreement with the whole Church,

decided to choose representatives and to send them to Antioch with Paul

and Barnabas. The ones chosen were Judas, who was called Barsabbas, and

Silas, leaders among the brothers. This is the letter delivered by

them: "The Apostles and the presbyters, your brothers, to the brothers

in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia of Gentile origin: greetings. Since we

have heard that some of our number who went out without any mandate

from us have upset you with their teachings and disturbed your peace of

mind, we have with one accord decided to choose representatives and to

send them to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, who have

dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. So we are

sending Judas and Silas who will also convey this same message by word

of mouth: 'It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us not to place

on you any burden beyond these necessities, namely, to abstain from

meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meats of strangled animals,

and from unlawful marriage. If you keep free of these, you will be

doing what is right. Farewell.'" And so they were sent on their

journey. Upon their arrival in Antioch they called the assembly

together and delivered the letter. When the people read it, they were

delighted with the exhortation.

JOHN 15:12-17

Jesus said to his disciples: "This is my commandment: love one another

as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's

life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command

you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what

his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you

everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me,

but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will

remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.

This I command you: love one another."

REFLECTION

John's Gospel narrates the conversation Jesus had with his apostles at

the Last Supper. He was aware of the plotting of Judas and the Jewish

leaders. He would leave the supper room and enter into the hours of his

passion and death. He realized he would be abandoned and denied by his

own disciples. Yet there is no pleading with them "to please support me

in my trials, to stay at my side, to give me of your strength in the

hour of my weakness." Through Chapter 15 of St. John's Gospel we read

that Jesus has a lack of interest for himself; his concern is only for

his disciples and for others.

It's true that while he was in the Garden of Gethsemane a few moments

later, he did ask Peter, James and John to remain awake and to assist

him with their prayers. However, this was the moment at which the

devil's temptation was strongest. For Satan was tempting Jesus to

abandon his values, to refuse his Father's bidding, to turn away from

the path of suffering and death. At that moment Jesus needed the

strength the apostles could win for him through their prayers. He

begged the apostles therefore to remain awake and to pray. Yet even at

that moment, when they failed him and slept while he was being buffeted

by Satan's temptations, his concern for them compelled him to excuse

them. "The spirit is willing," he reflected, "but the flesh is weak."

Throughout the whole of Chapter 15 Jesus is concerned only about these

men, his disciples. Listen to Jesus' words and see where his concern

lay. "Remain in me and let my words remain in you and anything you ask

will be given to you." "Go out and bear much fruit, fruit that will

last and then the Father will give you anything you ask in my name."

"What I command you is to love one another."

If only we could have this total disregard for self and this fullness

of love for one another, what a happy world we could create!

May 18, 2006

Thursday 5th Week of Easter - Yr II

ACTS 15:7-21

After much debate had taken place, Peter got up and said to the

Apostles and the presbyters, "My brothers, you are well aware that from

early days God made his choice among you that through my mouth the

Gentiles would hear the word of the Gospel and believe. And God, who

knows the heart, bore witness by granting them the Holy Spirit just as

he did us. He made no distinction between us and them, for by faith he

purified their hearts. Why, then, are you now putting God to the test

by placing on the shoulders of the disciples a yoke that neither our

ancestors nor we have been able to bear? On the contrary, we believe

that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way

as they." The whole assembly fell silent, and they listened while Paul

and Barnabas described the signs and wonders God had worked among the

Gentiles through them. After they had fallen silent, James responded,

"My brothers, listen to me. Symeon has described how God first

concerned himself with acquiring from among the Gentiles a people for

his name. The words of the prophets agree with this, as is written:

After this I shall return and rebuild the fallen hut of David; from its

ruins I shall rebuild it and raise it up again, so that the rest of

humanity may seek out the Lord, even all the Gentiles on whom my name

is invoked. Thus says the Lord who accomplishes these things, known

from of old. It is my judgment, therefore, that we ought to stop

troubling the Gentiles who turn to God, but tell them by letter to

avoid pollution from idols, unlawful marriage, the meat of strangled

animals, and blood. For Moses, for generations now, has had those who

proclaim him in every town, as he has been read in the synagogues every

sabbath."

JOHN 15:9-11

Jesus said to his disciples: "As the Father loves me, so I also love

you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in

my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his

love. "I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy

might be complete."

REFLECTION

To remain in God's love is a twofold process: we are his beloved, and

we are called to love others as he loves us.

It is crucial that we make an effort to remain in his love. When we are

in union with Jesus, all our thoughts, emotions, intentions and actions

are directed to him. His love is there, giving us the source of

strength we need as we sustain and build relationships with those

around us - family, friends, colleagues at work, our community. In

psychological developmental stages, there is a stage of crisis between

intimacy and isolation. Jesus' call to love is manifest when we are

able to nurture healthy, loving relationships. When we are able to draw

others (and sometimes even ourselves) out of isolation, out of our

loneliness - we see the power of Jesus' love at work.

Oftentimes we have a lot of requirements when it comes to accepting

God's love for us and sharing it with others. We would rather stay

within the comfort zone of doing the minimum requirements as followers

of Christ - loving only when it is easy and convenient to do so. But

God's love cannot be contained within the parameters we set around it -

his love calls us to complete obedience to his will. The obedience that

Jesus asks of us is not obedience to worldly rules, but to the Father

who is pure, total love. Obedience means following his commandment to

love others with our whole heart, mind, soul and self. A love that

brings out the best in people, for God's love is perfect.

With Jesus dwelling in us, we, too, must dwell in him. Dwelling in

Jesus means that we are steadfast in our promise to walk with him, to

journey with him. When we dwell in his love, there is no room for

selfishness and pride, but there are wide-open spaces where faith,

happiness, harmony, goodness, truth and grace can reside. Our union

with him is intimate - we are embraced in his loving arms, we are

invited to dance with him, to share in his joy for which we were

created and which brings the deepest fulfillment to our lives. "To live

in Jesus" is to live in Jesus' love.

May 17, 2006

Wednesday 5th Week of Easter - Yr II

ACTS 15:1-6

Some who had come down from Judea were instructing the brothers,

"Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic practice, you

cannot be saved." Because there arose no little dissension and debate

by Paul and Barnabas with them, it was decided that Paul, Barnabas, and

some of the others should go up to Jerusalem to the Apostles and

presbyters about this question. They were sent on their journey by the

Church, and passed through Phoenicia and Samaria telling of the

conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brethren.

When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the Church, as

well as by the Apostles and the presbyters, and they reported what God

had done with them. But some from the party of the Pharisees who had

become believers stood up and said, "It is necessary to circumcise them

and direct them to observe the Mosaic law." The Apostles and the

presbyters met together to see about this matter.

JOHN 15:1-8

Jesus said to his disciples: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the

vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,

and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are

already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me,

as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own

unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in

me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in

him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone

who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither;

people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be

burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for

whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father

glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples."

REFLECTION

Today's Gospel has a very mystical tone to it. The reality that Christ

is describing - the oneness of the Christian with Christ, the Christian

living in Christ - is a mystical reality, which we can neither fully

describe nor explain. Christ has revealed to us the fact of our

mystical oneness with him. And with this metaphor, he tries to give us

some insights into what that oneness involves.

In a wondrous manner, while maintaining his individuality and his

personal identity, the Christian remains one with Christ, as the branch

is one with the vine; the Christian lives in Christ, has his being in

Christ, as the branch lives and has its being in the vine. When the

branch produces fruit, it is the vine that is fruitful. So also when

the Christian acts, by some mysterious alchemy of divine Providence, it

is, in reality, Christ who is acting. And as the branch cannot bear

fruit if it is not in the vine, the Christian can bear no fruit unless

he is in Christ.

But these are all merely empty words. We should not approach a reality

of the life of the Christian in Christ, by way of intellect and reason.

We are reminded to go to prayer in the hope that doing so, God will

give us the grace to intuitively comprehend this mystery.

May 16, 2006

Tuesday 5th Week of Easter - Yr II

ACTS 14:19-28

In those days, some Jews from Antioch and Iconium arrived and won over

the crowds. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing

that he was dead. But when the disciples gathered around him, he got up

and entered the city. On the following day he left with Barnabas for

Derbe. After they had proclaimed the good news to that city and made a

considerable number of disciples, they returned to Lystra and to

Iconium and to Antioch. They strengthened the spirits of the disciples

and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying, "It is necessary

for us to undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God." They

appointed presbyters for them in each Church and, with prayer and

fasting, commended them to the Lord in whom they had put their faith.

Then they traveled through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia. After

proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia. From there

they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of

God for the work they had now accomplished. And when they arrived, they

called the Church together and reported what God had done with them and

how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. Then they spent no

little time with the disciples.

JOHN 14:27-31A

Jesus said to his disciples: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give

to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your

hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, 'I am going away

and I will come back to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I

am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I

have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may

believe. I will no longer speak much with you, for the ruler of the

world is coming. He has no power over me, but the world must know that

I love the Father and that I do just as the Father has commanded me."

REFLECTION

In today's Gospel Jesus promises his apostles his own peace.

Paradoxically while Christ's peace is totally incompatible with the

world's peace, it is quite compatible with all the pain the world can

inflict on the Christian.

What kind of peace does the world give? It's not really peace; it's

distraction and escapism. In the pursuit and the attainment of worldly

values, material belongings, pleasure, power, we escape our

responsibilities for the pain, the evil in our world. This pseudo peace

is clearly incompatible with Christ's values.

On the other hand, Jesus' peace can coexist within us, at a very deep

level, in spite of the most intense pain the world can inflict on us.

When the world, through the Jewish priests and Pharisees, acted to

destroy Jesus, Jesus experienced agonizing pain, and prayed in the

Garden, "Father, take away this chalice from me," and on the cross, "My

God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Yet beneath this physical

turmoil Jesus was at peace, for he continued his prayer in the Garden,

"Not my will, but yours be done," and on the cross, "Into your hands I

commend my spirit."

Perhaps we should sincerely ask the Lord Jesus to give us the courage

to abandon the pursuit of the illusory peace that the world offers.

May 15, 2006

Memorial, St. Isidore the Farmer

Monday 5th Week of Easter - Yr II

ACTS 14:5-18

There was an attempt in Iconium by both the Gentiles and the Jews,

together with their leaders, to attack and stone Paul and Barnabas.

They realized it, and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe

and to the surrounding countryside, where they continued to proclaim

the Good News. At Lystra there was a crippled man, lame from birth, who

had never walked. He listened to Paul speaking, who looked intently at

him, saw that he had the faith to be healed, and called out in a loud

voice, "Stand up straight on your feet." He jumped up and began to walk

about. When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they cried out in

Lycaonian, "The gods have come down to us in human form." They called

Barnabas "Zeus" and Paul "Hermes," because he was the chief speaker.

And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city,

brought oxen and garlands to the gates, for he together with the people

intended to offer sacrifice. The Apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their

garments when they heard this and rushed out into the crowd, shouting,

"Men, why are you doing this? We are of the same nature as you, human

beings. We proclaim to you good news that you should turn from these

idols to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and all that

is in them. In past generations he allowed all Gentiles to go their own

ways; yet, in bestowing his goodness, he did not leave himself without

witness, for he gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and

filled you with nourishment and gladness for your hearts." Even with

these words, they scarcely restrained the crowds from offering

sacrifice to them.

JOHN 14:21-26

Jesus said to his disciples: "Whoever has my commandments and observes

them is the one who loves me. Whoever loves me will be loved by my

Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him." Judas, not the

Iscariot, said to him, "Master, then what happened that you will reveal

yourself to us and not to the world?" Jesus answered and said to him,

"Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and

we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not

love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but

that of the Father who sent me. "I have told you this while I am with

you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name

- he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you."

REFLECTION

Today, Jesus continues his Farewell Discourse. He has been urging his

apostles not to allow his coming departure to trouble their hearts. He

has told them that he will come back for them and bring them to his

Father's house where there are rooms enough for all. He himself will

prepare a place for them at his Father's house, where they will remain

with him forever. He has promised them that while he is separated from

them they will do even greater works than he himself has done, and he

has assured them that he will give to them anything they ask of him in

his name.

The other apostle named Judas, not the traitor, is curious about Jesus'

final manifestation at the end of time. He asks, "Why is it that you

will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?" Jesus does not answer

his question. Instead he speaks of how he will reveal himself to

believers who will be in this world during the years between his

departure and his return. Jesus explains that he and his Father will

come to anyone who loves him, who is therefore true to his word ... he

explains that he and his Father will come to that person and will make

their dwelling place in him.

God's dwelling in us is a profound mystery. It refers to a continuous

presence of the Lord and his Father within us, a loving response to our

love for them. The Holy Spirit, too, dwells within us, instructing us

in everything, and reminding us of all that Jesus has taught us.

The effects of this indwelling will be evident to anyone who looks on

us. For it will allow us to listen to God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

and it will enable us to live our lives in accordance with God's

values, even though such a life be totally other oriented and

profoundly counter-cultural.

May 14, 2006

5th Sunday of Easter - B

ACTS 9:26-31

When Saul arrived in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they

were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. Then

Barnabas took charge of him and brought him to the apostles, and he

reported to them how he had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken to

him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.

He moved about freely with them in Jerusalem, and spoke out boldly in

the name of the Lord. He also spoke and debated with the Hellenists,

but they tried to kill him. And when the brothers learned of this, they

took him down to Caesarea and sent him on his way to Tarsus. The church

throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace. It was being

built up and walked in the fear of the Lord, and with the consolation

of the Holy Spirit it grew in numbers.

1 JOHN 3:18-24

Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth. Now

this is how we shall know that we belong to the truth and reassure our

hearts before him in whatever our hearts condemn, for God is greater

than our hearts and knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not

condemn us, we have confidence in God and receive from him whatever we

ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And his

commandment is this: we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus

Christ, and love one another just as he commanded us. Those who keep

his commandments remain in him, and he in them, and the way we know

that he remains in us is from the Spirit he gave us.

JOHN 15:1-8

Jesus said to his disciples: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the

vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,

and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are