The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary invite us to communicate with those with whom we share our journey about the Way of full life in relationship with Jesus through the Holy Spirit.
The reading from the Acts of the Apostles describes the mission of Paul in Ephesus.
* [19:1–6] Upon his arrival in Ephesus, Paul discovers other people at the same religious stage as Apollos, though they seem to have considered themselves followers of Christ, not of the Baptist. On the relation between baptism and the reception of the Spirit, see note on Acts 8:16. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 19, n.d.)
Psalm 68 is a hymn of Praise and Thanksgiving.
* [Psalm 68] The Psalm is extremely difficult because the Hebrew text is badly preserved and the ceremony that it describes is uncertain. The translation assumes the Psalm accompanied the early autumn Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkoth), which included a procession of the tribes (Ps 68:25–28). Israel was being oppressed by a foreign power, perhaps Egypt (Ps 68:31–32)—unless Egypt stands for any oppressor. The Psalm may have been composed from segments of ancient poems, which would explain why the transitions are implied rather than explicitly stated. At any rate, Ps 68:2 is based on Nm 10:35–36, and Ps 68:8–9 are derived from Jgs 5:4–5. The argument develops in nine stanzas (each of three to five poetic lines): 1. confidence that God will destroy Israel’s enemies (Ps 68:2–4); 2. call to praise God as savior (Ps 68:5–7); (Psalms, PSALM 68, n.d.)
In the Gospel of John, Jesus speaks plainly about His departure and peace that will come through the Advocate.
* [16:30] The reference is seemingly to the fact that Jesus could anticipate their question in Jn 16:19. The disciples naively think they have the full understanding that is the climax of “the hour” of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension (Jn 16:25), but the only part of the hour that is at hand for them is their share in the passion (Jn 16:32). (John, CHAPTER 16, n.d.)
Jay Carney shares the hope that St. Paul and Pope Francis will inspire all of us to do our own small part to evangelize in our corners of the world, building up a culture of encounter through sharing the joy of the gospel.
First, in keeping with his overall missionary spirit, Paul demonstrates a willingness to go out…. Second, for their part, the disciples of John the Baptist demonstrate a willingness to go deeper. … Third, Paul reflects a willingness to go forth to debate and dialogue with his opponents…. As Pope Francis said in Evangelii Gaudium, and has repeated many times since, “evangelization also involves the path of dialogue” (EG 238). (Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “In Christ we have peace,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"When [Jesus] says, 'These things have I spoken to you, that in me you might have peace,' he refers not only to what he has just said but also to what he had said all along, either from the time that he first had disciples, or since the supper, when he began this long and wonderful discourse... He declares this to be the object of his whole discourse, that is, that in him they might have peace. And this peace will have no end but is itself the end of every godly action and intention." (excerpt from TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 104.1.15) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on John 16:29-33 comments that faith is not static. That’s a good thing because it can keep growing in us—as it did with the disciples after Pentecost. But our faith can also be shaken in trying times—as it was when the disciples abandoned Jesus. Or our faith can become so lukewarm that it has no real impact on our lives. So how can we keep our faith growing and not waning?
Faith is a journey with lots of ruts in the road, so we shouldn’t be surprised when we stumble. But by following the example of the first disciples—recalling God’s word, asking for the grace of the Holy Spirit, and depending on our brothers and sisters—we can count on our faith to get stronger with each day. “Jesus, I believe in you. Increase my faith.” (Meditation on John 16:29-33, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the time when Apollos did not know the Baptism of the Spirit. Baptism and Confirmation confer different aspects of the Spirit. Friar Jude reminds us of the shalom that Jesus' Hour of Glory on the Cross brings us through Love to conquer the world.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares the work of Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis, who comments that religion at its best teaches us how to “see” with greater clarity, which increases our courage and capacity to love ourselves, others, even our enemies.
In its truest sense, religion should reconnect human beings—bind them again—to the creation, to one another, to the divine, to love. Religion should reveal to us how much we need one another to survive and thrive. Religion should be revelatory and revolutionary, helping us see how our biases about color, gender, sexuality, and class cause deep hurt to both body and soul. . . . The teaching of rabbi Jesus is simple: Love God. Love neighbor. Love self. Love period. . . . At a lecture in Israel, I heard one of my favorite rabbis, Donniel Hartman, say, “A life of faith isn’t just about walking with God, but how one walks with humanity. The core feature of a moral life is to see. Choosing not to see is immoral. The goal of religion is to improve our willingness and our ability to see.” A spiritual life is supposed to help us see better. The aim of Love, and any God worth worshipping, is improved sight. . . . (Rohr, 2022)
Our journey brings us to encounter opportunities to relate to people and witness to the peace of Christ in the actions of our lives.
References
Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 19. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved May 30, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/19?1
Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. (n.d.). Creighton University's Online Ministries. Retrieved May 30, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/053022.html
John, CHAPTER 16. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved May 30, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/16?29
Meditation on John 16:29-33. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved May 30, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/05/30/396625/
Psalms, PSALM 68. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved May 30, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/68?2
Rohr, R. (2022, May 30). Seeing All Things. Daily Meditations Archive: 2022. Retrieved May 30, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/seeing-all-the-things-2022-05-30/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture ... Retrieved May 30, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=may30
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