FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER- CYCLE C – 2022
The new heavens and the new
earth will become a reality by the fire of the Holy Spirit and through the
preaching of the Church.
They will be the mature fruit of the commandment given by Jesus, which
is the fulfillment of the Law given at Mount Sinai.
ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
Ø
With chapter 13, in which we read that the community of Antioch sends
Paul and Barnabas in a mission, we start the last part of this book.
Ø
The Acts describe for us different communities or local churches with
different organization and different names for the leadership or servants. That
means that we learn about different models of the Church.
o
The church of Antioch is presided by 5 leaders of whom Luke gives the names in
chapter 13,1.
o
This list begins with the name of Barnabas and ends with the name of
Paul. Luke
calls them prophets and teachers.
o
Luis Alonso Schökel in his commentary on the Biblia de nuestro Pueblo says:
§
Luke helps us to see how the movement of the Spirit fashions the different
churches,
§
Calling their members to be leaders, facilitators, responsible of the
community with different functions and different titles according to the needs
of each community
§
With a great participation in decision-making.
o
The Apostles are the leaders in the community of Jerusalem, besides
them we hear that some men are called deacons and others elders or
presbyters.
o
Luke does not tell us how the five leaders of Antioch planned the
first mission of Paul and Barnabas, but
o
What they say is that
§
The initiative comes from the Holy Spirit
§ The preparation was done through fasting and prayer.
FIRST READING Acts 14:21-27
Ø
Paul and Barnabas continue their mission they began in Antioch, as we have
read on the Fourth Sunday of Easter.
Ø
We learned that they had difficulties with the Jews, and they decided
to go to the Gentiles to announce to them the Good News of Jesus. We learned
also that the Gentiles were happy about that decision.
Ø
Today we find them visiting several towns, establishing in them new
communities (churches) and appointing elders to lead the community. To select
them, again they fast and pray, afterwards they command them to the grace of
God, and leave to another town.
Ø
They continue their way back to Antioch from where they left, sent by
the community.
Ø
On their arrival, they reported to the community how the Lord had opened
the doors of faith to the Gentiles.
Ø To us, the descendants of those first Gentiles, the doors of faith were opened through the sacrament of Baptism
RESPONSORIAL PSALM 145
I WILL PRAISE YOUR NAME FOREVER, MY KING AND MY GOD.
The Lord is gracious and
merciful
Slow to anger and of
great kindness
The Lord is good to all
And compassionate toward
all his works.
I WILL PRAISE YOUR NAME FOREVER, MY KING AND MY GOD.
And let your faithful
ones bless you
Let them discourse of the
glory of your kingdom
And speak of your might.
I WILL PRAISE YOUR NAME FOREVER, MY KING AND MY GOD.
And the glorious splendor
of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is a kingdom
for all ages
And your dominion endures
through all generations.
I WILL PRAISE YOUR NAME FOREVER, MY KING AND MY GOD.
«
Many of the psalms are hymns to
God who makes himself known through creation and through history.
«
There are psalms of praise used usually for worship
«
They may be organized as follows
o
Hymns to God the Creator and the Lord of the Covenant, the God of
history.
o
Hymns to God as King.
o
Royal psalms about the King
o
Canticles to Zion.
«
Psalm 145 which we will pray on Sunday belongs to the group of Hymns
to the Creator and Lord.
SECOND READING Rev 21:1-5a
ü
Last Sunday we left John contemplating a huge multitude of men and
women….
ü
Today almost at the end of the Book of Revelation John sees again
something he describes to us. He says that he sees the new heavens and the new
earth, and that the sea is no more.
o
New heavens and new earth, new creation made through the redemption of
Christ, where sin is eliminated, and death as well.
o
This is the fruit of Christ’s death on the cross. This fruit will
reach its fullness when all of us, men and women, open up ourselves to the gift
of redemption, which Christ wants to give to us. When all of us will be ready
to walk together through the way that leads to the Father, led by the hand of
Christ the Lord.
o
The former earth, where sin abides, does not exist anymore, not
because God will destroy his wonderful creation, but because he will destroy
our sin, to allow the new earth, the new society to develop, where love, peace,
justice, brotherhood … will reign.
o
The sea does not exist anymore, because in the Scriptures the sea is
the symbol of sin, and it will not have a place in the new earth, it has
already been destroyed by Christ.
o
John sees also the New Jerusalem coming down from heaven; the city
becomes the bride adorned for her husband. She is the new creation, the new
earth and the new heavens
o
From the throne a voice is heard, remember that the Father and also
the Lamb are on the throne, the voice invites us to look at, what?
§
The dwelling of God among men and women
§
He will dwell with them and
§
They will be his people
§
The New Covenant prophesized by Jeremiah becomes a reality (Jer
31,33.)
§
He will wipe every tear from their eyes, there shall be no more death
or mourning, wailing or pain.
o
The One who seats on the throne says: BEHOLD I MAKE ALL THINGS NEW.
The liturgy takes us back to the conversation of Jesus with his Apostles,
after the meal at his Last Supper,
before going to the cross. During the meal he gives to us the Sacrament
of his Body and blood. He also gives to
his own the most beautiful and sacred teaching from among all his
teachings.
I GIVE YOU A NEW COMMANDMENT:
o LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
o
AS I HAVE LOVED YOU, SO YOU ALSO SHOULD LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
o
THIS IS HOW ALL WILL KNOW THAT YOU ARE MY DISCIPLES,
o
IF YOU HAVE LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER.
We call this commandment the “new commandment”, as a matter of fact
Jesus calls it so
o
But it is really the fullness of the Law proclaimed by God and
given to Moses on Mount Sinai
o
And before that He had carved this law in the heart of every man and
every woman who is born into this world.
o
If those of us, followers of
Jesus, who have been baptized into his death and resurrection
§
Live this commandment, that is we make it a reality in our daily
life
§
And we proclaim it with our words as Paul and Barnabas did
§
The new earth and the new heaven will be a reality, which we do not
have to wait after our death to enjoy it, because it is already among us from
the moment that Jesus nailed all our sins to his cross.
§
Now we must play our part, we need to open up to his gift, and get
ready to work so that others may be able to enjoy what we already enjoy.
§
LET US PUT OUR HANDS TO THE TASK, LET US BEGIN WITH ENTHUSIASM AND
FIRE IN OUR HEART. JESUS WALKS WITH US, AND
LOVES IN AND THROUGH US EVERYONE. LET US MAKE HIS PRESENCE AND LOVE VISIBLE IN
OUR LIVES.
CLARETIAN CORNER
TERESITA AL BARRACIN
I do not want to be good to have much glory in heaven; no, I only want to please Jesus and to work for his glory, I want Jesus to reign in my heart so that I can make him reign in the world and I want above all to make him very happy... Nor do I want the thought of my sanctification to disturb me; since, as I am consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, I only have to take care of making him reign in the world while He takes care of me and my things, therefore I do not want to be troubled by my many imperfections because Jesus will be in charge of uprooting them from my heart if He so deems it convenient for His glory. (Notes December 1942 and January 1943. Arch Gral RMI, SA, 3.5.2)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Congregatio de Causis Sanctorum, Mariae
Teresiae, Positio super virtutibus ( p.82)
FLOR SERRANO, Gonzalo, “Introducción y comentario
a los salmos” en Comentario al Antiguo
Testamento II – La Casa de la
Biblia, 1997, 3ª. Edición.
RAVASI, Gianfranco, Según Las Escrituras, Año C, 2006
SCHÖKEL, Luis Alonso, comentario a la Biblia de Nuestro Pueblo, 2010
No comments:
Post a Comment