« The Church celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus during 7 days as if each day was Easter Sunday itself.
« And each Sunday of the Easter Season is called FIRST SUNDAY OF EASTER, SECOND…..
¡ALLELUIA, JESUS, THE LORD IS RISEN!!!!
FIRST READING – Acts 4:32-35
« In this fragment Luke gives a second description of the infant Church (see Acts 2:42-47)
« He speaks of the sharing of goods in the community. The community experiences a great poverty in its midst, as a community of the followers of Jesus they look for solutions to solve the suffering of the brothers and sisters in need. They respond with courage, enthusiasm and faithfulness to the words of Jesus “love one another as I have loved you.”
« What Luke says of this community makes us think
o They were one heart and one soul
o No one claimed that any of his/her possessions were his or her own.
o There were no needy brothers and sisters among them.
o The Apostles gave witness of the resurrection with power.
« This word challenges us, questions us.
o It has been said for us the followers.
o I ask myself if we accept with peace the unequal distributions of the good of creation. Is it something we can tolerate as followers of Jesus, going each one to his or her own business and our own interests?
o Or the strength of the resurrection makes the stone of the tomb of our indifference explode inside of us, and we are moved to do something as we see so much injustice, destruction of creation and above all destruction of the human being.
« From the Reading we may draw a very obvious conclusion: the first community took very seriously the words of the Master “Love one another as I have loved you.”
« It is also true, that in the Church through the centuries there has always been brothers and sisters who have taken these words seriously, and have given up their lives to make them real. We need to give thanks for this.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM - Psalm 118:2-4,13-15,22-24
GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD FOR HE IS GOOD, FOR HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER
Ø The psalmist invites us to praise YHWH. As a background music we hear over and over “for his love endures forever.”
Ø The psalmist remembers the wonders made by the compassionate love of YHWH for his people, throughout history.
SECOND READING 1 Jn 5:1-6
« Let us see some aspects of this letter:
o The community to which the letter is addressed is a community from Asia Minor, a community of disciples of John. Its members are from the second and third generation of Christians.
o They are new Christians, who are far in time and place from the events related to Jesus, far from the members of the first generation even of the second.
o Their behavior is based on the witnesses who saw and touched the Word of Life, and they proclaimed it to the next generation, and these to the present generation, so the joy of the one who proclaims shall be also the joy of those who hear the proclamation.
o These Christians have to endure the threats of the heresy about Jesus: the heresy taught that the historical Jesus was not important, and minimized also the value of the shedding of his blood
o The author uses different ways to help his brothers and sisters:
§ He helps the community to be aware of the demands of the Christian Life
§ Discernment between what it means to be a Christian and what it means not to be a Christian.
§ He offers some criteria to make the discernment. Those who follow the teachings of the Lord are in communion with the Father, and with the Son, and with the Holy Spirit
« Let us reflect on the message from next Sunday’s Reading.
o The Reading is taken from the conclusion of the First Letter of John.
o Who believes that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, is himself also son of God.
o He, who loves the Father, loves also the Son.
o The author goes a step forward, if we love God and fulfill God’s commandments, then we know that we also love the sons of God.
o John says
§ That the commandments are not a burden
§ That faith defeats the world (world considered as sin)
§ Faith in whom? In Jesus the Son of God who came through water and blood.
§ Water does it have a reference to baptism? And the blood to the Eucharist? Or it means the water and blood that flowed from the wounded side of Jesus on the Cross? Or maybe the author wants us to reflect on the reality of the Incarnation of the Word of God?
GOSPEL OF JOHN 20:19-31
On this second Sunday of Easter the liturgy puts before the eyes of our faith the manifestation of the Risen Lord to the eleven. Jesus comes in their midst suddenly, and all can see him. o He says his usual greeting “Shalom=Peace” The Risen Christ is our peace, his presence fills us with an overwhelming joy and we experience a deep peace that nobody can take from us.
o Jesus tells them that they have to continue the work he began with the Incarnation; they are called to be his visible presence in the world.
§ What is that work, that mission?: With the strength of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus they will receive the mission to forgive, to bind and unbind with the same authority of Jesus, who will accept what they bind or unbind here on earth.
o One of them, Thomas, is not with the others. He left the community, why? Probably because he is disappointed and sad. He has left the community when he needed it most, when he needed to share with his friends his sadness, his fear, his disappointment.
Jesus comes back 8 days later, he does not want to leave one his intimate friends without seeing him. o Jesus who continues to love without limits is going to give to Thomas a wonderful gift which will be a gift for us also.
o Thomas, look at me, I am Jesus, the one you love, with whom you were ready to go to Jerusalem to die.
o Do not allow the temptation of sadness to overcome you; do not go away from the community of your friends, who suffer like you.
o Touch my hands, enter into my wounded side that will always be open for you.
o You know that now by the power of the resurrection we are brothers, non only friends, or disciple and teacher.
o “My Lord and my God.” I love you my Lord, forgive my unbelief, my lack of trust.
§ HAPPY THOSE WHO WILL BELIEVE WITHOUT SEEING. Thank you Lord for your words, because we belong to the group of those who struggle day by day
· To believe without seeing.
· To seek you in the midst of darkness.
· To allow your love to find us, your love that always forgets and forgives our lack of trust.
· WE BELIEVE LORD, BUT HELP OUR UNBELIEF, INCREASE OUR FAITH.
But since he (my father) was a good Christian, he told me, "I don't want to thwart your vocation, God forbid. Think it over carefully, commend it to God, and consult with your spiritual director. If he says that this is God's will, then I respect and worship it, however it may pain me. Even so, I'd rather see you become a secular priest than a monk. Whatever happens, may God's will be done."St. Anthony Mary Claret, Founder of the Claretian Missionary Sisters. Autobiography, 78
Ever since this vision I have loved very much evangelical poverty (I loved her already very much before) because our Lord told me that Holy Poverty should be the foundation of this new Apostles, and for lack of this holy virtue all religious order has collapsed. María Antonia París, Foundress of the Claretian Missionary Sisters. Autobiography, 11
No comments:
Post a Comment