Our point of view, like that of the two disciples, can be limited. They feared that what was done to Jesus could be done to them. We need to keep praying for the coming of the Holy Spirit afresh upon us, if we are to live our faith to the full in todays world. Just as God became flesh in Jesus, so the Spirit of God can become flesh in our lives. Jesus was pleased that they came looking for him, but he wanted to refine their search. He says, the wind blows where it pleases. Even though we may have turned away from him in the past, he does not turn away from us. The disciples had abandoned the Lord on Good Friday, with the exception of the beloved disciple. JANUARY DEC 26th to JAN 29th Click here FEBRUARY JAN 30th to FEB 26th Click here MARCH FEB 27th to MAR 26th Click here APRIL The sheepfold mentioned in the gospel reading was an enclosed area. According to the Book of Genesis, God created Adam by breathing into his nostrils the breath of life. It was while the first disciples were at prayer in the upper room on the Jewish feast of Pentecost that the Holy Spirit came down upon them in the form of tongues of fire. Jesus had risen from the dead. Believing in him as the one sent by God will open them up to receive all that he wants to give them. Yet, in these Covid times, it hasnt been possible for believers to receive the Eucharist. Having listened to the two disciples, the stranger spoke to them. The hired man, since he is not the shepherd Even though the Pope had been seriously ill for several months, the news of his death yesterday evening came as a great shock and has caused great sadness both within the church and beyond it. Ive been in the coffee shop before and at a neighboring table the people were speaking a language I didnt understand. Click on the "Save cookie settings" button to apply your choice. Even when we turn from his presence, he remains present to us and will work with us as we strive to proclaim the gospel by our lives. Yet, the light of Easter is not like the light of the interrogation room. However, many aspects of church life have not endured because they were not of God. We may be especially conscious of our weakness in these anxious times. In the first reading we have an Ethiopian returning home from his pilgrimage to Jerusalem. He can give them not just physical food that cannot last, but food that endures to eternal life. If we are open to his coming and receptive to his presence we will move on through the storms that come our way and reach our destination. they will never be lost He who comes from heaven In the gospel reading, Jesus declares that no one knows the Son except the Father. Within that community of faith, no member was ever in want, because all who had more than they needed shared with those in need, through the agency of the Apostles. Leading and driving are two very different activities. Therein lies our confidence, especially in times of struggle and failure. God sent his Son into the world so that everyone may have eternal life. In this mornings gospel, in speaking about the wind he is, in reality, speaking about the Holy Spirit, This is how it is with all who are born of the Spirit, he says. The image of Jesus as the gate emphasizes more what we must do in response to all that Jesus has done and is doing for us. They fail to understand who Jesus is and what he says; eventually, they all desert him and Peter denies him. During the hour of his passion and death, Jesus disciples, with the exception of the beloved disciple and the women, ran from him. He pours the Spirit afresh into our hearts so that we can go forth in the strength of his Spirit to reveal his faithful love to all we meet. We cannot control the Spirit of God; like the wind, it blows where it pleases, or where God pleases. He is declaring there that if we do our best to keep following him, if we keep on trying to listen to his voice, he will keep us faithful to himself. She prayed that she might atone for the sins of the church, and shortly afterwards collapsed and died. He says, I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. He speaks to him of the need to be born from above or born of the Spirit. Yet, the gospel reading this morning assures us that in trying to answer the question, What must we do?, we are not thrown back on our own resources alone. Click on the underlined name below for the daily reflections. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal. So they said to him, What can we do to accomplish the works of God? Jesus answered and said to them, This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.. The Lectio is a part of their daily spiritual life. The image from the Catacombs communicates a sense of the close personal connection that the shepherd has with his individual sheep. It was while Jesus was at prayer after his baptism that the Holy Spirit come down upon him. Then there is the reaction of Jesus himself. There are many voices competing for our attention today, but in the midst of them all we need to be attentive to the voice of the Lord so that we can follow him each day. They never follow a stranger but run away from him: they do not recognise the voice of strangers.. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.. He goes ahead of us towards this place and he calls us to follow him. though all who do accept his testimony 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. We are not in the dark about God, wondering who God is and what God is like. It is written in the prophets: Gamaliel said, in effect, that if this new movement is not from God, it will disappear, like so many other movements. Each of us has some responsibility for some little flock of our own, whether we are married or ordained or a religious or a single person. His wounds were not just the marks of human cruelty but signs of his enduring love. Having heard their story, he told them a wider story, drawn from the Jewish Scriptures, a story that began with Moses and the prophets. Since the time of Jesus it has been a centre of pilgrimage not only for Jews but also for Christians. Saint Paul expresses that truth in these terms: Gods power is made perfect in weakness. Catherine, like Jesus, was a mystic in action. He invites us, as he invited the two disciples, to share with him the story of our lives in all its various hues. We can resist for various reasons. Gods gift of his Son to us was not in any way thwarted by the rejection of his Son. 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, We have not seen the Son in the way Paul did; the risen Lord has not appeared to us as he appeared to Paul. There is no other city that is such a significant a pilgrim destination for three major world religions. The way the risen Lord related to tthem is how he relates to us all. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. It was grief and disappointment and disillusionment that caused them to head in the wrong direction. The earliest Christian art is to be found in the Catacombs in Rome. We recognize in the words of todays gospel reading that he is above all others, including all human authority, be it religious or political. Jesus seems to be saying to Nicodemus and to us that the Spirit of God is not something we can control. Our calling is to come out into the light, in the words of the gospel reading. In todays gospel reading, the crowd who had been fed by Jesus in the wilderness go to great lengths to seek him out. Jesus is not calculating about his giving of the Spirit. Your sister in Babylon is the church in Rome. Jesus, who gave his life for us on the cross, gives himself to us as our food and our drink in the Eucharist. His zeal was now tempered by love. It was to him that they must submit, not to them. They were in the throes of deep grief. The reflections and insights of the sisters flow out from their own life of prayer and experiences. Then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. Shortly before her death she had a vision in which it seemed as if the church like a mighty ship was being placed on her back. In reality, it was only beginning. In todays gospel reading, Jesus does not say, Come to my teaching, but Come to me. She came from a prosperous family and her parents wanted her to marry well. Martin Hogan continues to write many books on the Gospel Readings for each day of the Catholic Liturgical Year. However, that doesnt seem to have been true of the conversation the two disciples were having on the road to Emmaus. Is he not the carpenters son? On his search he meets with a companion who helps him to find an answer to some of his questions, who throws light on the word of God that has so intrigued him. The language of eating the flesh, the body, of Jesus and drinking the blood of Jesus is shocking. Only with the help of the Spirit will our relationship with the Lord grow and deepen until that moment in eternity when we attain the glorious freedom of the children of God. Believing in him is the one work that is required if that deeper hunger in our lives is to be satisfied, the hunger for a love that is unconditional, for forgiveness, for truth, for justice, for peace, ultimately, our hunger for God. Yet, the Lord will always seek us out and offer us the gift of peace, the gift of his reconciling love. In todays gospel reading, the two disciples of Jesus had each other for support in the days after Jesus had been crucified. The Father loves the Son Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. To believe is at the same time to wait in joyful hope. And their eyes were opened and they recognised him; but he had vanished from their sight. He is speaking here as the good Shepherd who is prepared to lay down his life so that the members of his flock can have life and have it to the full. News reached the church in Jerusalem that something unexpected was happening. The religious leaders may have wanted to put a lid on what was happening but they discovered that, in the words of Jesus to Nathanael in the gospel reading, the Spirit, like the wind, blows where it pleases. Pope Paul VI declared her a Doctor of the Church in 1970. and that I should raise it up on the last day. we speak only about what we know Jesus came and stood among them. Jesus challenges them to look for him not as the provider of food that cannot last but as the provider of food that endures to eternal life. He offered them the gift of his peace, the gift of his reconciling love. In the gospel reading this morning, the people come to Jesus looking for more of the bread they ate when Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish. Come to me, Jesus says, and through me come to the Father. However, the more fundamental confirmation is the Lord confirming us as we strive every day to follow in his way. Social mediaOur website places social media cookies to show you 3rd party content like YouTube and FaceBook. The Gratuitous Gift of Our Blessed Mother, Gifts of the Holy Spirit in Superabundance, Rejoicing in the Blessings Given to Others. Lectio Divina for May 2023 - carmelites.org.au We reach out towards the Lord who journeys with us in the context of the church, in the company of our fellow pilgrims, those who are stumbling along the path of discipleship with us. Unspectacular Beautiful Fidelity The movement was from God and no human authority could destroy it. Lectio Divina Ebook - English - Espaol - Italiano. It is to the Eucharist that we too will be lead as we open up our own stories to the Lords story in the Scriptures. His last appearance in Johns gospel is much less tentative; along with Joseph of Arimathea, he sees to it that Jesus is given a dignified burial. Like Thomas, they may find it difficult to identify fully with those believers who acclaim with conviction, We have seen the Lord, and whose faith seems so much more assured than theirs. A rule of life was given to the early Carmelites by St Albert Avogadro, Patriach of Jerusalem between the years 1206 - 1214. Yet, there is something that we must do as well. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. Jesus goes on to state that he gives himself to us as food and drink so that we might draw life from him. It didnt really matter which gate you went through. The role of the shepherd was to give life to his flock, to protect them from harm by taking them to the sheepfold for the night, and then to lead them out of the sheepfold to pasture in the morning. This gospel emphasizes their failure. He can satisfy the deepest hungers and thirsts in our hearts. The people in todays gospel reading heard Jesus say to them that they were looking for him for the wrong reasons. And indeed, everybody who does wrong Once in the sheepfold, a gate keeper would keep watch during the night, to protect the sheep from thieves. He feeds a multitude with five loaves and two fish. but you do not believe, When the Lord speaks about life to the full there, we might be tempted to think only in terms of eternal life, life beyond death. After a three year period of prayer and seclusion she set about serving her neighbours, distributing alms to the poor, ministering to the sick and to prisoners. Earlier in that gospel reading, Jesus spoke about the intimate relationship he has with God his Father, No one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son. That is why he could say in his letter to the Philippians, a little written from prison, from a very unpromising situation, I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (v) Monday, Fourth Week of Easter (Year A). 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. Jesus seems to be saying there that if we continue to seek to follow him, he will hold onto us. She died surrounded by her followers and was canonized in 1461. Catholic Daily Mass Readings and Reflections A CATHOLIC MOMENT Saturday April 29, 2023: "This is hard!" John Ciribassi, DVM, Dipl. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. God continues to draw us to his Son through the Word of God and through the ministry of other people of faith, like Philip. Carmelite Rule. There is something wonderfully mysterious about the birth of every child. and speaks in an earthly way. The two disciples were suddenly joined by a stranger who invited them to share their story with him, What matters are you discussing as you walk along? He was inviting them to open their hearts to him. how are you going to believe me when I speak to you about heavenly things? Even Marks gospel is placed second in the New Testament, almost all scholars agree that it was the earliest gospel to be written. His frustration at being unable to speak clearly to the people gathered in St. Peters square was painfully obvious. Yet, eating the bread that is Jesus, in the sense of believing in Jesus, comes before eating his flesh or his body in the Eucharist. Eternal life in the gospel of John is understood as a life of communion with Jesus, the source of true life. We look forward to that day when we will see the Lord, face to face. the kind of food the Son of Man is offering you, An essential element of following Jesus is listening to his voice. NEW: Catholic Daily Reflections Series Two, Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, The Sorrowful Heart of Our Blessed Mother. How much time should be given to each stage depends very much on whether it is used individually or in a group. You must be born from above. We find it very hard to get started. Other days we have a warm wind from the south. It was becoming clear to Peter that God was drawing pagans as well as Jews into the church, the community of Jesus disciples. It only compounded their grief. He does not retreat from us even though we might retreat from him. I tell you most solemnly, Many believers can be troubled by their sense that the light of Easter does not seem to have penetrated their lives sufficiently. 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. as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, What is needed from us is what Jesus called for from Nicodemus, a readiness and willingness to surrender to the movement of the Spirit in our lives. The probing question he asks Philip about the text gives Philip an opening to speak to him about Jesus. The general call of baptism to be the Lords disciple, which is addressed to us all, is then lived out in particular ways in response to the Lords very personal, daily call. Yet, without Marks gospel the church would not have had the gospels of Matthew or Luke in the form they have come down to us. so that a man may eat it and not die. For us this involves seeking out Jesus, as Nicodemus did, because we believe Jesus to be God in human form, the en-fleshed Word. So we can be grateful to Mark for his written gospel. Even after evening had given way to night they had rowed only three to four miles. Catherine was a mystic, and like other great mystics, she enjoyed an intimate relationship with Christ. Those days are gone, unfortunately. 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. When Cleopas had finished telling the stranger their story, the stranger began to tell a different story about the person and the events that were at the centre of Cleopass story. He is not so settled in his own tradition that he doesnt continue to keep seeking God, so as to come to know him more fully. he cannot enter the kingdom of God: According to the verse before our gospel reading (Jn 6:15), Jesus had withdrawn to the mountain by himself, in response to the crowd wanting to make his king. As a result, Marks gospel was overshadowed somewhat in the early centuries by its larger relations, especially Matthew, and also John. In the gospel reading this morning Jesus makes a distinction between food that cannot last and food that endures to eternal life. They had forgotten that Jesus had told them that, having been crucified by his enemies, God would raise him from the dead. The Lord is with his struggling churches to keep them faithful to the end. That is what Jesus was asking of Nicodemus when he called upon him to be born of water and the Spirit. The Lords invitation, Come to me, all who labour and are overburdened, was one she responded to every day of her life. The two disciples were struggling with a deep sense of loss. The gospel reading suggests that the Lord can work powerfully through meagre resources. If the wind is beyond our control and understanding, this is true to an even greater extent of the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit. This was a moment of new creation. We recognize him in the Eucharist as the bread of life, in the language of todays gospel reading. The evangelist is perhaps indicating to us that serious doubt and great faith can reside in one and the same person. He is uniquely placed to bear witness to who God is because, according to Johns gospel, he has been with God from all eternity and has come from God. The word of the Lord nurtures our faith in preparation for our encounter with him in the Sacraments. In the gospel reading, Jesus declares that no one can come to him unless he is drawn by God the Father. Jesus comes to his disciples as God in human form. It is composed by Carmelite scholars and is available in English, Spanish and Italian. Yet, the life that the Lord talks about there is not just a future reality, life beyond death; it is also a present reality. That in turn led on to our receiving the Eucharist. But, as I have told you, Todays gospel reading assures us that the Lord understands a doubting, questioning, faith. The Lord will be calling us to give of ourselves in love to others, so as to experience something of that fullness of life he wants for us. As they walked along together, they were telling each other the story of what happened in recent days. In group prayer, much will depend on the type of group. His standing there spoke powerfully of his faithfulness to them. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever. These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. One thing we can be sure of is that, whatever the Lords personal call to each one of us is, it will always be a call towards life. Nicodemus can speak to the searcher in each of us. but to do the will of the one who sent me. just as the Father knows me Like Nicodemus we can find ourselves at an impasse. It is Paul, the former persecutor of the church, who reminds us in his letters that the bread that we break and the cup that we bless in the Eucharist is a communion with the body and blood of Christ. She was born in 1347, the daughter of a prosperous wool dyer, and died in 1380, at the age of thirty three. Please see our cookies page for further details or agree by clicking the 'Accept all cookies' button. There is a time for every matter under heaven, according to the Book of Ecclesiastes. As the Lord said to Ananias, this man is my chosen instrument to bring my name before pagans and pagan kings and before the people of Israel. When it comes to our faith, there is a great deal to understand. If we offer our own meagre resources to him, he can enhance them beyond all our expectations. We were drawn to Jesus through our parents, through our teachers at school, through our parish community. The conclusion of the letter, which is the conclusion of todays first reading, sends greetings from your sister in Babylon. In the gospel reading, Jesus communicates to Nicodemus just how important the Holy Spirit is if he is to enter the kingdom of God. It is a very human response to get as far away as possible from places that have unhappy memories for us. We have had to live without the Eucharist and this has been a great loss for many Catholics.
carmelite daily reflection