In the words of the gospel reading, though the light has come into the world, people have shown that they prefer darkness to the light, because their deeds were evil. In the world of Jesus, there were no sheepdogs to do the shepherds work for him. We encounter something of the mystery of God in and through every human birth. Yet, in these Covid times, it hasnt been possible for believers to receive the Eucharist. He can give them not just physical food that cannot last, but food that endures to eternal life. The leaders of the Jerusalem church, the Twelve, realized that this problem would not be resolved unless they drew other members of the church into this ministry of providing for all the widows and the other vulnerable people in the church. Those who might be up to no good prefer the cover of darkness. We first come to Jesus in faith before we come to him in the Eucharist. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. However, the more fundamental confirmation is the Lord confirming us as we strive every day to follow in his way. Student Daily Reflection. If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood remains in me and I in him. Our website places 3rd party cookies from other 3rd party services which aren't Analytical, Social media or Advertising. The gospel reading invites us to pay attention to why we are searching for him. Gates have become more of a feature of our urban landscape than they used to be. Carmelite Provincial Centre 75 Wright Street, Middle Park Victoria 3206 Australia.+61 3 9699 1922provincialoffice@carmelites.org.au, Carmelite CommunicationsCommunications Director: Fr David Hofman, O.Carm+61 3 9699 2950communications@carmelites.org.au. As parishioners of the parish of St John the Baptist, we might think of ourselves as having a special calling to enable, to encourage, using our own gifts while also making way for the gifts of others. Two of the disciples of Jesus were on their way to a village called Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking together about all that had happened. Josephs faithfulness to his task created the space for Jesus to be faithful to his calling. Their Easter faith left him cold; he could not be shifted from his Good Friday mood. They all gave access to the football stadium. The one who comes from above is above all. Many of those images stress what Jesus does for us. It was in response to that initiative of theirs that he joined them at table. (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. In todays first reading, Philip preaches the gospel in Samaria and the people there unite in welcoming the message Philip preached. The door of the church here is open from about 9.00 in the morning to 6.00 or 7.00 in the evening every day of the week. He is an open gate, not a closed gate. Once the disciples show a willingness to take Jesus into the boat with them, they reach the shore. Jesus declares that we need to be born of the Spirit to enter the kingdom of God. The Lords invitation, Come to me, all who labour and are overburdened, is addressed to all of us. Our Blessed Mother: The Queen of All Saints! All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. and yet you people reject our evidence. The Lord calls us to a fullness of life now, and hereafter. The conclusion of the letter, which is the conclusion of todays first reading, sends greetings from your sister in Babylon. As the shepherd calls his sheep one by one, so the Lord calls his followers one by one; he calls us by name; he calls us in a way that respects our individuality and uniqueness, in accordance with our own particular nature. There was one of the Pharisees called Nicodemus, a leading Jew, who came to Jesus by night and said, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who comes from God; for no one could perform the signs that you do unless God were with him. Jesus answered: I tell you most solemnly, NEW: Catholic Daily Reflections Series Two, Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, The Sorrowful Heart of Our Blessed Mother. As risen Lord, he shows us the wounds of his passion, as signs of his self-giving love, and also to assure us that he identifies with us in our own wounded-ness. In the city of Antioch, the gospel was being preached to pagans, and they were responding in large numbers. When the Lord appeared to Thomas, he did not rebuke him. #Catholic #Gospel #Reflection #Religion #Jesus #Faith #Homily #Eucharist #Mass #Liturgy #Trinity #Word #Preaching #Priest #Resurrection #Creed #Disciple #Saints #Christianity #Church. They feared that what was done to Jesus could be done to them. Barnabas brought Paul from Tarsus to Antioch. We can all find ourselves asking a similar kind of question to Andrew, What is that between so many? We see some need or other and we recognize that our own personal resources or those of the group are not sufficient to meet the need. These basic human physical needs had to be met first. Unless a man is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God. If we face our doubts and our questions honestly, as Thomas did, and bring them to each other and to the Lord, we too can reach a point where we can make Thomas confession our own, My Lord and my God. The two disciples were journeying away from Jerusalem when the risen Lord joined them in the form of a stranger and opened the Scriptures for them. We get into a certain pattern, whatever it might be, and we sense that it is not really doing us justice. In todays gospel reading, the two disciples of Jesus had each other for support in the days after Jesus had been crucified. When Jesus spoke of himself as the gate in that sense, he was thinking of the gate of a sheepfold. unless a man is born from above, He taught this doctrine at Capernaum, in the synagogue. These are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing this you may have life through his name. Yet, the life that the Lord talks about there is not just a future reality, life beyond death; it is also a present reality. Yet, the Lord insisted and eventually Ananias did as he was asked. It was shortly before the Jewish feast of Passover. The story of Pauls conversion in the first reading has captivated artists down the centuries. Todays gospel reading encourages us to trust that if we are generous with the resources we have, small as they seem to us, the Lord will work powerfully through them in ways that will surprise us. Yet, the Lord managed to break through to him and completely turn his life around, so that the zealous persecutor became the equally zealous preacher of the gospel to the Gentiles. In todays gospel reading, Jesus speaks of the wind as having a mysterious quality. God the Father has entrusted everything to his Son. Then there are other kinds of losses that we experience in the course of our lives, such as the loss of a job, or the loss of full health, or the loss of our good name. It is my Father's will that whoever sees the Son should have eternal life. Both share the same role, that of looking after and caring for the sheep. Jesus speaks about the wind in this mornings gospel reading. In this mornings gospel reading the crowd, who had been fed by Jesus in the wilderness, go looking for him. Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy. Philip, who helped to open up Gods word for him, goes on to baptize him. This particular gate is also the good shepherd who has laid down his life for us so that we might have life and have it to the full. The Lord wants to do the same for us. Todays gospel reading assures us that the Lord comes to us in those difficult and threatening moments. Then there is the reaction of Jesus himself. Jesus struggles to open their eyes. The Father loves the Son and has entrusted everything to him. The gospel reading this morning suggests that there is always a bigger story contained in the Scriptures that can throw a fresh light on all that has happened in our lives. The Lord always meets us where we are, very often in our brokenness, but he also works to lead us beyond where we are. 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. The story that we tell about some event often needs to be enriched by someone elses story about the same happening. I have come As the gate, all who enter through him will be safe; as the gate, all who exit through him will find pasture. He is described there as a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith. They hate and avoid the light because they feel threatened by it, as if it will expose what is wrong in them. He had been violently persecuting the first followers of Jesus, and in persecuting them he was persecuting Gods Son, Jesus, now risen Lord. Leading and driving are two very different activities. Please see our cookies page for further details or agree by clicking the 'Accept all cookies' button. We keep it under wraps or find ourselves being apologetic about it. Jesus distributed to those who were reclining as much as they wanted. We need the Lords help. The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things. We receive his body and blood in the Eucharist so that we may become more fully his body in the world. Eight days later Jesus came and stood in their midst. In the words of this mornings gospel reading, we are to believe in the one that God has sent. It was while he was at prayer that he became aware of the disciples in the boat on the Sea of Galilee struggling with a strong wind and a rough sea. He was attracted by Jesus, and he allowed himself to be drawn to Jesus, even though it meant going against the prevailing current. There are two ways of looking at gates. Just click on the month of interest and scroll to the day required. he who believes in me will never thirst. In other words, it is in giving that we receive; it is in giving life to others that we receive life and become fully alive. He is the good shepherd because he is the faithful shepherd. Those who attempted to extinguish Gods light shining in Jesus only succeeded in making that light of love shine all the more brightly. The reading suggests that the Lord can work in surprising ways in situations that seem daunting. It is written in the prophets: They will all be taught by God; everyone who, Copyright 2020 The Jesuits | All Rights Reserved | Powered by, Easter 4th Week : Sunday 30th April, 2023, Easter 3rd Week : Saturday 29th April, 2023, Easter 3rd Week : Friday 28th April, 2023, Easter 3rd Week : Thursday 27th April, 2023. and I will raise him up at the last day. We try to open our hearts to the gift that the risen Lord is offering us, the gift of his peace, of his reconciling love. The letter also concludes with a greeting from my son Mark. Complete the form below to register. He said that the first stage is lectio (reading) where we read the Word of God, slowly and reflectively so that it sinks into us. We all have the potential to be a Barnabas, to open doors for others so that the Lord can work powerfully through them. God was moving in a way that was taking everyone by surprise. We are grateful to accompany you on your journey of personal conversion. That is closer, perhaps, to how Jesus uses the image of the wind in this mornings gospel reading. 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. Ultimately, the object of our faith is beyond full human understanding, at least in this life. 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. We all have something to receive from someone else. For some centuries reading the Bible in one's own language was rather frowned upon and this led to a lessening of the practice of Lectio Divina. When Jesus says in this mornings gospel reading, I am the gate or I am the door, he was thinking of the gate or the door as an opening through which people could pass rather than as a barrier which prevented people from passing. One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days? And he replied to them, What sort of things? They said to him, The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him. 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. Two grieving disciples walk along, talking together about all that had happened. He did not understand what he was reading. Then he said to them, You foolish men! He was still searching, and, so he came to Jesus by night, under cover of darkness, afraid perhaps to show his interest in Jesus publicly. Having come to know Jesus somewhat, he continues to draw us to himself. It seems that in the course of Jesus public ministry he gradually grew in his relationship with Jesus; he allowed himself to be drawn to Jesus more fully. I give them eternal life; Todays gospel reading assures us that the Lord understands a doubting, questioning, faith. Normally, the Lord comes to us in much more ordinary ways. He is present to each one of us in a very personal way, as he was present to Mary Magdalene, to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, to Thomas in todays gospel reading. If we are open and honest, the Lord will draw us to himself in time, in his time and in ours. The other evangelists took their lead from Mark. 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 this mornings gospel reading we find Nicodemus struggling to understand when Jesus tells him that he must be born from above, born of the Spirit. Others followed his example, leaving us with four gospels altogether. This is one of the ways that friendships are formed and relationships take shape and deepen. The Heart of Perfect Love and Self-Giving, The Cross, the Eucharist and the Blessed Mother, Ascension of the LordorUnity and Perfection in Christ, The Profound Teaching of the Holy Eucharist, Humility of Service, Nourished by the Eucharist, God Becomes ManNine Months Before Christmas, Unwavering Faith in the Face of Confusion, Ask, and All Good Things Will Be Given You, The Road to Virtue Living Between the Extremes, Drawn to Jesus, Drawn to Mercy for Others, Sowing the Word of GodDespite the Results. Jesus immediately challenges him to take a much bigger step towards him; he calls on Nicodemus to allow himself to be born from above, to be born of water and the Spirit. The Lords way of working is different to how the world works. Catherine was both a mystic and a woman of the world, who served those in greatest need and involved herself in the great issues of church and state of the day. 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. Do not be surprised when I say: He goes ahead of them and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice and they trust him. It is the light of God who so loved the world that he gave his only Son, in the language of the gospel reading. I am often struck by a line in Saint Pauls letter to the churches in Galatia, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. A common security measure in many homes and businesses are strong lights that come on at night when somebody comes within a certain radius and breaks the beam. Jesus will do all in his power to keep us united with himself and to prevent us from being taken away from him or falling away from him. He discerned that this unexpected development was from God and that the Lord was asking him to support what was happening in Antioch. When Jesus says of himself, I am the gate, he is claiming to be the gateway to life for all of us. Listening to Gods word prepares us, disposes us, to recognize and receive the Lord who comes to us in the Sacraments. It had already grown dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. what is born of the Spirit is spirit. He was sent because he was known to be a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith. Jesus was concerned about peoples physical needs, their physical hungers. It is that mood of Easter that we try to imbibe and enter into during these seven weeks of the Easter season. Each page includes a reference to each reading, as well as a link to the text of the readings. Unspectacular Beautiful Fidelity This being born of the Spirit will take more than nine months, the period of human birth. Barnabas who appears in this mornings first reading from the Acts of the Apostles is one of the most attractive characters in the New Testament. That is our fundamental calling, to come to the Lord in faith; all else follows from that. This was a letter that was written from Rome. In the words of Saint Paul that Gods power was made perfect in weakness. Sunday, November 27 Monday, November 28 Tuesday, November 29 Wednesday, November 30 Thursday, December 1 Friday, December 2 Saturday, December 3 December 4 - December 10, 2022 We never stand still; we are always looking for more. The gospel reading suggests that just as a shepherd holds his flock together, it is the Lord who holds the church together, the community of his followers. Catherines mysticism did not withdraw her from the world; she was deeply involved in what was happening in Europe and in the church in her time. The disciples had abandoned the Lord on Good Friday, with the exception of the beloved disciple. This is why he draws attention so strongly in todays gospel to the importance of working for the food that endures to eternal life. He calls us to eat his flesh and to drink his blood. When it comes to our relationship with the wind, it is the wind, not us, that has the upper hand. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. The Eucharist was very much at the heart of the life of Sister Gonzaga. Last evening in the Pro-Cathedral, Archbishop Dermot Martin launched the special Year of Vocations. We are called to encourage one another in the faith, to help one another to grow in our relationship with the Lord, to enable one another to be faithful. Our website places advertising cookies to show you 3rd party advertisements based on your interests. His teaching is demanding but not burdensome. I am the gate. Life has triumphed over death!, and our own present experience. The people, seeing this sign that he had given, said, This really is the prophet who is to come into the world. Jesus, who could see they were about to come and take him by force and make him king, escaped back to the hills by himself. He wants the crowd and all of us to pay attention to that deeper, spiritual hunger, by believing in him as the one sent by the Father so that we may have life and have ii to the full. The stranger wanted to show his two companions that there was more to all that had happened in Jerusalem in recent days than their story allowed for. 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. The Lord will always provide such people at times of transition, like the present time. Even though most of us like the light, the gospel reading declares that people have shown they prefer darkness to light. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. It is sent out monthly at the end of the previous month (for instance the Lectio Divina of Febrary will be emailed out by the end of January). He calls us to lead us a place of pasture, to a place where our deepest hungers and thirsts are satisfied. Scepticism and deep faith can often be found in one and the same person. As a result of that initiative they came to recognize the stranger as Jesus at the very moment when he took, blessed, broke and gave the bread to them. As I, who am sent by the living Father, Life after such a loss can be very difficult. The way the Lord related to those two disciples is how he relates to all of us. Rather than joining a religious order, she became a Dominican tertiary. 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. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. The opening up of the Scriptures for the two disciples led them to the recognition of the Lord in the breaking of bread, the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Yet, the light of Easter is not like the light of the interrogation room. He breathed new life into them; he recreated them in his love. Whenever we share our experience with someone else it often takes the form of a story of some kind. The Lord continues to offer the gospel even to those who have rejected it. I firmly believe that churches should be open as often and for as long as possible. Barnabas continued to listen to what the Lord was saying to him. I know my own He comes to assure us that his love for us endures even when we fail him. Are not his sisters all with us? After Saul had his transforming encounter with the risen Lord on the road to Damascus, he was taken in his blind state to a house of one of the members of the church in Damascus. We feel the need to lock ourselves in and lock others out. However, having fed the physical hunger of the crowd, some of that crowd now want Jesus to give them more of the same. However, Mark was the pioneer; he was the first to break this new ground. Whenever two people share a significant experience together, they invariably talk about it together afterwards; they each tell their own story about what happened. He had a reputation for encouraging people. No earthly power can hold back the Spirit. The movement was from God and no human authority could destroy it. When Jesus says in this mornings gospel reading, I am the gate, he is not really saying I am one gate among many. He told them a bigger story from the Scriptures; it was a story that didnt end in death but in glory; it was a story full of hope, about how the promised Messiah would suffer, yes, but would then enter into his glory. The evangelist is perhaps indicating to us that serious doubt and great faith can reside in one and the same person. No one who comes to me will ever hunger; no one who believes in me will ever thirst. Given my very particular circumstances, the relationships and commitments I have at this time, the unique set of gifts and limitations that are mine, what is the Lord asking of me now? What Jesus can offer us, more than anything else, is eternal life, a sharing in Gods own life. The gospels suggest that Jesus identified himself with the shepherds of his time because in saw in their work an image of his own ministry. And indeed, everybody who does wrong He was reconciling them to himself, displaying his faithfulness to them, in spite of how they had failed him. Zacchaeus heard Jesus invite himself to his home. Later on, writing to the church in Corinth, he would say, if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation. They were walking away from Jerusalem, when they really should have been staying put there, because it was in Jerusalem that the risen Lord intended giving them the Holy Spirit, and it was from Jerusalem that he would send them out to the ends of the earth. As Jesus says in the gospel reading, whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in them. The disciples thought Jesus was dead and they presumed their following of him was over. His presence at the heart of the storm can help to ensure that moments of crisis in the church can also be times of new life. Yet, there is something that we must do as well. We are more used to thinking of Jesus as the shepherd than the gate. The first reading this morning is Lukes dramatic account of the call of Paul. Let each Daily Reflection inspire you to live each day as she lived. Our website uses functional cookies. Each day we need to open ourselves afresh to the movement of the Holy Spirit within us. Sometimes, individual members of a group that would normally hostile to Jesus often displayed an openness to Jesus that wouldnt be typical of the group. He invites us, as he invited the two disciples, to share with him the story of our lives in all its various hues. She persuaded Pope Gregory XI to return to Rome from Avignon. We cannot control the Spirit of God; like the wind, it blows where it pleases, or where God pleases. Reflection: While all Scripture is the living word of God carrying a message to us as individuals and as part of the Community of Faith there is something very special about the readings during the Easter season. After a profound mystical experience she had a sense of Christ calling her to serve the wider world and universal church. The Lord will always be calling us to give of ourselves in some way to others, to give life to others. 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.
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