The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to meditate on the events in our lives that have brought peace and to contemplate our actions in the service of peace.
Peaceful waters
The reading from the Acts of the Apostles relates that seven disciples were chosen to serve.
* [6:2] To serve at table: some commentators think that it is not the serving of food that is described here but rather the keeping of the accounts that recorded the distribution of food to the needy members of the community. In any case, after Stephen and the others are chosen, they are never presented carrying out the task for which they were appointed (Acts 6:2–3). Rather, two of their number, Stephen and Philip, are presented as preachers of the Christian message. They, the Hellenist counterpart of the Twelve, are active in the ministry of the word.1
Psalm 33 praises the greatness and goodness of God.
* [Psalm 33] A hymn in which the just are invited (Ps 33:1–3) to praise God, who by a mere word (Ps 33:4–5) created the three-tiered universe of the heavens, the cosmic waters, and the earth (Ps 33:6–9). Human words, in contrast, effect nothing (Ps 33:10–11). The greatness of human beings consists in God’s choosing them as a special people and their faithful response (Ps 33:12–22).2
In the Gospel of John, Jesus walks on the water as He brings peace to the disciples.
* [6:16–21] The fifth sign is a nature miracle, portraying Jesus sharing Yahweh’s power. Cf. the parallel stories following the multiplication of the loaves in Mk 6:45–52 and Mt 14:22–33.3
Mike Cherney shares that John’s version brings to mind his experience of the world in the last 12 months, a turbulent ride from which (perhaps) we are finally emerging safely on the other side.
Dear Lord,
I pray for trust in you even in the midst of the storm.
We are hopefully nearing the end of a period unlike the others in our lives.
I regularly encounter conflicting narratives of the situation at hand.
I want to trust but I am nagged by doubts.
I am reminded of the apostles’ failure to trust.
I find some consolation in the faith of the early Church.
I recall the strength that the Spirit brought to that community.
I ask for love and your grace in preparation for the time of Pentecost.I desire a heart that is open and the fortitude to live up to my potential.4
Don Schwager quotes “ Christ our physician,” by Saint Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"God sent the human race a physician, a savior, One Who healed without charging a fee. Christ also came to reward those who would be healed by Him. Christ heals the sick, and He makes a gift to those whom He heals. And the gift that He makes is Himself!" (excerpt from Sermon 102,2)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on John 6:16-21 comments that the storm-tossed disciples learned that Jesus is not limited by his physical absence, and we need to trust that as well. We are always in his mind and in his heart. He sees our struggles, and he continues to hold us close and to intercede for us before his Father.
If you have concerns for yourself or a loved one, take heart. Remember the disciples in the boat. Commit to memory this line from today’s responsorial psalm: “The eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness” (33:18). He sees you. He has you in the palm of his hand. And he will act at just the right time. “Jesus, help me to believe and trust that you will never take your eyes off of me.”6
Friar Jude Winkler discusses the racial injustice to Hellenists that prompted the anointing of deacons for service to the community. A heresy mentioned in Revelations is not connected to the Nicolas in Acts, but to the Gnostics. Friar Jude connects the Gospel text to Psalm 23 and the completion of the episode of the loaves and fishes.
A post from Franciscan Media reflects on the life of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha. The Church in Canada celebrates her memorial today.
We like to think that our proposed holiness is thwarted by our situation. If only we could have more solitude, less opposition, better health. Kateri Tekakwitha repeats the example of the saints: Holiness thrives on the cross, anywhere. Yet she did have what Christians—all people—need: the support of a community. She had a good mother, helpful priests, Christian friends. These were present in what we call primitive conditions, and blossomed in the age-old Christian triad of prayer, fasting and almsgiving: union with God in Jesus and the Spirit, self-discipline and often suffering, and charity for her brothers and sisters.7
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares the work of John O’Donohue (1956–2008), a modern teacher on the sacred nature of friendship, who explains how this blessing can be shared.
A person should always offer a prayer of graciousness for the love that has awakened in them. When you feel love for your beloved and the beloved’s love for you, now and again you should offer the warmth of your love as a blessing for those who are damaged and unloved. Send that love out into the world to people who are desperate, to those who are starving, to those who are trapped in prison, in hospitals, and into all the brutal terrains of bleak and tormented lives. When you send that love out from the bountifulness of your own love, it reaches other people. This love is the deepest power of prayer.8
Our work, with the Prince of Peace, includes calming the waters of fear when we encounter people in need on our journey.
References
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