The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today reassure us of the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we continue our mission as followers of Christ.
In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Timothy joins Paul and Silas and Paul’s Vision of the Man of Macedonia leads to action.
* [16:3] Paul had him circumcised: he did this in order that Timothy might be able to associate with the Jews and so perform a ministry among them. Paul did not object to the Jewish Christians’ adherence to the law. But he insisted that the law could not be imposed on the Gentiles. Paul himself lived in accordance with the law, or as exempt from the law, according to particular circumstances (see 1 Cor 9:19–23).
* [16:7] The Spirit of Jesus: this is an unusual formulation in Luke’s writings. The parallelism with Acts 16:6 indicates its meaning, the holy Spirit.
* [16:10–17] This is the first of the so-called “we-sections” in Acts, where Luke writes as one of Paul’s companions. The other passages are Acts 20:5–15; 21:1–18; 27:1–28:16. Scholars debate whether Luke may not have used the first person plural simply as a literary device to lend color to the narrative. The realism of the narrative, however, lends weight to the argument that the “we” includes Luke or another companion of Paul whose data Luke used as a source. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 16, n.d.)
Psalm 100 declares all lands are summoned to Praise God.
* [Psalm 100] A hymn inviting the people to enter the Temple courts with thank offerings for the God who created them.
* [100:3] Although the people call on all the nations of the world to join in their hymn, they are conscious of being the chosen people of God. (Psalms, PSALM 100, n.d.)
In the Gospel of John, Jesus explains the World’s Hatred.
* [15:18–16:4] The hostile reaction of the world. There are synoptic parallels, predicting persecution, especially at Mt 10:17–25; 24:9–10.
* [15:20] The word I spoke to you: a reference to Jn 13:16.
* [15:21] On account of my name: the idea of persecution for Jesus’ name is frequent in the New Testament (Mt 10:22; 24:9; Acts 9:14). For John, association with Jesus’ name implies union with Jesus. (John, CHAPTER 15, n.d.)
Nancy Shirley reflects on the readings today for the Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima that emphasize the importance of Mary.
Blessed are you, holy virgin Mary, deserving of all praise.
From you rose the sun of justice, Christ our God. (Shirley, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “Those who suffer with Christ reign with Christ,” by Cyril of Alexandria, 375-444 A.D.
"It is just as if Jesus said, 'I, the creator of the universe, who have everything under my hand, both in heaven and on earth, did not bridle their rage or restrain ... their inclinations. Rather, I let each one choose their own course and permitted all to do what they wanted. Therefore, when I was persecuted, I endured it even though I had the power of preventing it. When you too follow in my wake and pursue the same course I did, you also will be persecuted. You're going to have to momentarily endure the aversion of those who hate you without being overly troubled by the ingratitude of those whom you benefit. This is how you attain my glory, for those who suffer with me shall also reign with me.'" (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 10.2) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Acts 16:1-10 comments that the Holy Spirit is mentioned in the second paragraph, when the apostles’ traveling plans don’t work out. It seems that St. Luke wanted to make a point that God shows up in the midst of—and even allows for—life’s inconveniences.
So the next time you find yourself grumbling about life’s latest challenge, turn to the Spirit. He can help you see the situation as an opportunity to lean on God and to ultimately surrender your will to his. He can help you trust that his plan for you will always be the best one.
“Jesus, when my plans are not working, help me to trust yours.” (Meditation on Acts 16:1-10, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler explains the circumcision of Timothy who is Jewish because his mother was Jewish. The passage from Acts reinforces that the Holy Spirit is the guide for the mission of the Church. Friar Jude reminds us of the privilege to participate in the Cross through the events of our life.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, encourages us to pray when we find ourselves questioning our worthiness.
It seems that God insists on looking at what is good in me, what is God in me, and of course always finds it entirely lovable. God fixes God’s gaze intently where I refuse and fear to look—on my shared, Divine Nature as God’s beloved child (see 1 John 3:2). And one day my gaze meets God’s gaze (that is what we mean by both conversion and prayer). At those times I will find God fully lovable and myself fully lovable at the same time. Why? Because it is the same gaze, but they have become one and look out at life together. (Rohr, 2023)
We experience times of joy and suffering on our journey and we are prompted by the Spirit to seek Jesus Presence in all these events.
References
Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 16. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved May 13, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/16?1
John, CHAPTER 15. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved May 13, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/15?
Meditation on Acts 16:1-10. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved May 13, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/05/13/677069/
Psalms, PSALM 100. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved May 13, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/100?1
Rohr, R. (2023, May 13). Freedom from Shame: Weekly Summary — Center for Action and Contemplation. Richard Rohr. Retrieved May 13, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/freedom-from-shame-weekly-summary-2023-05-13/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved May 13, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=may13
Shirley, N. (n.d.). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved May 13, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/051323.html
No comments:
Post a Comment