April 20, 2020 Monday of the Second Week of Easter

2020년 4월 20일 부활 제2주간 월요일 

오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp 

제1독서

사도행전. 4,23-31
.그 무렵 23 풀려난 베드로와 요한은 동료들에게 가서,

수석 사제들과 원로들이 자기들에게 한 말을 그대로 전하였다.
24 동료들은 그 말을 듣고 한마음으로 목소리를 높여 하느님께 아뢰었다.
“주님, 주님은 하늘과 땅과 바다와
그 안에 있는 모든 것을 만드신 분이십니다.
25 주님께서는 성령으로
주님의 종인 저희 조상 다윗의 입을 통하여 말씀하셨습니다.
‘어찌하여 민족들이 술렁거리며 겨레들이 헛일을 꾸미는가?
26 주님을 거슬러, 그분의 기름부음받은이를 거슬러
세상의 임금들이 들고일어나며 군주들이 함께 모였구나.’
27 과연 헤로데와 본시오 빌라도는 주님께서 기름을 부으신 분,
곧 주님의 거룩한 종 예수님을 없애려고,
다른 민족들은 물론 이스라엘 백성과도 함께 이 도성에 모여,
28 그렇게 되도록 주님의 손과 주님의 뜻으로 예정하신 일들을 다 실행하였습니다.
29 이제, 주님! 저들의 위협을 보시고,
주님의 종들이 주님의 말씀을 아주 담대히 전할 수 있게 해 주십시오.
30 저희가 그렇게 할 때, 주님께서는 손을 뻗으시어 병자들을 고치시고,
주님의 거룩한 종 예수님의 이름으로
표징과 이적들이 일어나게 해 주십시오.”
31 이렇게 기도를 마치자 그들이 모여 있는 곳이 흔들리면서
모두 성령으로 가득 차, 하느님의 말씀을 담대히 전하였다.

복음

요한. 3,1-8” 

 바리사이 가운데 니코데모라는 사람이 있었다.
그는 유다인들의 최고 의회 의원이었다.
2 그 사람이 밤에 예수님께 와서 말하였다.
“스승님, 저희는 스승님이 하느님에게서 오신 스승이심을 알고 있습니다.
하느님께서 함께 계시지 않으면,
당신께서 일으키시는 그러한 표징들을 아무도 일으킬 수 없기 때문입니다.”
3 그러자 예수님께서 그에게 이르셨다. “내가 진실로 진실로 너에게 말한다.
누구든지 위로부터 태어나지 않으면 하느님의 나라를 볼 수 없다.”
4 니코데모가 예수님께 말하였다.
“이미 늙은 사람이 어떻게 또 태어날 수 있겠습니까?
어머니 배 속에 다시 들어갔다가 태어날 수야 없지 않습니까?”
5 예수님께서 대답하셨다. “내가 진실로 진실로 너에게 말한다.
누구든지 물과 성령으로 태어나지 않으면, 하느님 나라에 들어갈 수 없다.
6 육에서 태어난 것은 육이고 영에서 태어난 것은 영이다.
7 ‘너희는 위로부터 태어나야 한다.’고 내가 말하였다고 놀라지 마라.
8 바람은 불고 싶은 데로 분다.
너는 그 소리를 들어도 어디에서 와 어디로 가는지 모른다.
영에서 태어난 이도 다 이와 같다.”

April 20, 2020
Monday of the Second Week of Easter 

Daily Readings — Audio

Daily Reflections — Video

http://www.usccb.org/bible/ 

Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass 

Reading 1

Acts 4:23-31

After their release Peter and John went back to their own people
and reported what the chief priests and elders had told them.
And when they heard it,
they raised their voices to God with one accord
and said, “Sovereign Lord, maker of heaven and earth
and the sea and all that is in them,
you said by the Holy Spirit
through the mouth of our father David, your servant:

Why did the Gentiles rage
and the peoples entertain folly?
The kings of the earth took their stand
and the princes gathered together
against the Lord and against his anointed. 

Indeed they gathered in this city
against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed,
Herod and Pontius Pilate,
together with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel ,
to do what your hand and your will
had long ago planned to take place.
And now, Lord, take note of their threats,
and enable your servants to speak your word
with all boldness, as you stretch forth your hand to heal,
and signs and wonders are done
through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
As they prayed, the place where they were gathered shook,
and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 2:1-3, 4-7a, 7b-9

R. (see 11d) Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Why do the nations rage
and the peoples utter folly?
The kings of the earth rise up,
and the princes conspire together
against the LORD and against his anointed:
“Let us break their fetters
and cast their bonds from us!”
R. Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He who is throned in heaven laughs;
the LORD derides them.
Then in anger he speaks to them;
he terrifies them in his wrath:
“I myself have set up my king
on Zion , my holy mountain.”
I will proclaim the decree of the LORD.
R. Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD said to me, “You are my Son;
this day I have begotten you.
Ask of me and I will give you
the nations for an inheritance
and the ends of the earth for your possession.
You shall rule them with an iron rod;
you shall shatter them like an earthen dish.”
R. Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

 

Gospel

Jn 3:1-8

There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
He came to Jesus at night and said to him,
“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God,
for no one can do these signs that you are doing
unless God is with him.”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God .” 
Nicodemus said to him,
“How can a man once grown old be born again?
Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?”
Jesus answered,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born of water and Spirit
he cannot enter the Kingdom of God .
What is born of flesh is flesh
and what is born of spirit is spirit.
Do not be amazed that I told you,
‘You must be born from above.’
The wind blows where it wills,
and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

http://evangeli.net/gospel/tomorrow

 «No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again from above»

Fr. Josep Mª MASSANA i Mola OFM
(Barcelona, Spain)

Today, «a ruler of the Jews» (Jn 3:1) comes to Jesus. The Gospel says he does it by night: what would his comrades say should they find out? In Jesus' teachings we find a baptismal catechesis that, most surely, circulated in the Evangelist community.

A few days ago we were still celebrating the Paschal Vigil. An integral part of it was the Baptism celebration, which is the Passover, a step from death to life. The solemn benediction of water and the renewal of baptismal promises were key points of that holy night.

In the baptism ritual there is an immersion in water (death symbol) and an emergence from water (a new life image). We are submerged in sin and we come out of it renewed. This is what Jesus calls «to be born from above» or «to be born again» (cf. Jn 3:3). This is “to be born of water”, “to be born of the Spirit” or “of the blowing wind...”.

Water and Spirit are the two symbols used by Jesus. Both express the action of the Holy Spirit that purifies and grants life, cleans and encourages, calms the thirst and breathes, smoothes and speaks. Water and Spirit make a single thing.

But Jesus also says the flesh is in opposition to the Spirit: «What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit» (Jn 3:6). Carnal man is humanly born when he appears down here. But the carnal man is defeated by the spiritual man, who is spiritually born in the Baptism. Which means to be born anew and of above. A beautiful formula by Saint Paul could be our reflection and action motto, mostly in this Paschal time: «Or are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life» (Rm 6:3-4).

http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html

 

This first week of Easter has readings playing on the theme of darkness: Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb while it was dark; the Emmaus disciples remind Jesus that it is getting dark; at the lake the disciples try in vain to fish at night. All of these darknesses occur prior to people recognizing Jesus and they point to a waning faith. By contrast in today’s gospel reading we are presented with a dawning faith, even as Nicodemus seeks Jesus at night, in the dark. This tells us that there is darkness and there is darkness, that there are different types of darkness and it would be helpful to consider them.

There is a darkness desired in order to seek God and this is Nicodemus’ darkness. It is also the darkness we seek, when in prayer we dim all secondary lights to be more receptive to the one who is light. There is also a darkness desired in order to avoid God, as Jesus reproached the religious leaders: if you were blind, you would not be at fault, you are only closing your eyes to the light, perhaps thinking that “what you don’t see won’t hurt you”. Bernard Lonergan calls this attitude scotosis (Greek root), a penchant for darkness. There is also a darkness not desired, but encountered in our desire to seek God, and John of the Cross calls this the dark night of the soul. Yet John begins that poem with the verse: one dark night... fired by love’s urgent longings. It is that inner fire that sustains a person during the dark night of the soul.

In my experience there is also a darkness that is not desired, but encountered in the absence of any desire in days of fatigue, of feeling burnt out, of feeling blah. This I like to call the dark night of blah. So, what sustains us during this dark night of blah? I feel sustained only by my own experience of having been restored to seeking God in past situations, precisely when I least expected it. It challenges us to trust in the Spirit that, as today’s gospel reading reminds us, blows where it wills without our knowing where it comes from or goes to.

 http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp

our only need

"The place where they were gathered shook as they prayed. They were filled with the Holy Spirit." —Acts 4:31

When Peter and John were released from jail, they did not ask for:

• future safety,
• protection from their enemies,
• justice after being wrongly arrested, or
• an easier mission.

Rather, they asked to be filled again with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4; 4:31) and thereby receive "complete assurance," that is, holy boldness in witnessing for the risen Christ (Acts 4:29).

Let's not focus on the immensity of our problems and the human impossibility of dealing with them. It doesn't make that much difference whether we have to move a mountain or a mountain range. It's irrelevant whether we face thousands of enemies or only a few. Even if Satan himself is pulling out his heavy artillery, it isn't important. We must turn to the Spirit dwelling within us (see 1 Cor 3:16), Who can handle any degree of difficulty. We need only stir into flame the gift of the Spirit in our lives, for "the Spirit God has given us is no cowardly spirit, but rather one That makes us strong, loving, and wise" (2 Tm 1:6, 7).

Come, Holy Spirit! Give us Easter.

Prayer:  Father, may I be baptized in and preoccupied with the Holy Spirit.

Promise:  "The wind blows where it will. You hear the sound it makes but you do not know where it comes from, or where it goes. So it is with everyone begotten of the Spirit." —Jn 3:8

Praise:  Tom prays regularly for discernment to know what comes from the Holy Spirit and what comes from the evil one.

Reference:  (For a related teaching on Pentecost Novena, order, listen to, or download our CD 103-1 or DVD 103 on our website.)

 http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/

 "Unless one is born anew"

Do you nourish your faith with prayerful reflection of the word of God? When Nicodemus heard about Jesus' miracles and extraordinary teaching, he decided to meet with him privately, away from the crowds and the public spotlight. Nicodemus was no ordinary Jew. He was a religious ruler and member of the Sanhedrin, which was the supreme court of the Jews, and a teacher of Israel (John 3:10). He was a devout Pharisee who sought to perfectly follow the law of Moses, as prescribed in the Five Books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, Leviticus, and Numbers) and further elaborated in the numerous scribal laws, recorded in the Mishnah and the Talmud.

Nicodemus decided to meet with Jesus at night, possibly for two reasons. He may have been cautious and  not ready to publicly associate himself with Jesus since many Pharisees opposed Jesus' teaching and called him a Sabbath breaker. It is also likely that Nicodemus chose the night as the best time for seeking a private and undisturbed conversation with Jesus. The rabbis declared that the best time to study the law was at night after the day's work was completed and the household was at rest. When Nicodemus saw Jesus he addressed him as rabbi (a teacher of God's word and law) and acknowledged that Jesus' teaching came from God.

How can one get right with God and enter his kingdom?
Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus went to the very heart of the Mosaic law - how can one get right with God and enter God's kingdom? Jesus' answer was brief and startling: "Unless one is born anew, he cannot see God." The new birth which Jesus spoke about was not a physical birth but the beginning of a spiritual birth which is something completely new and radical, and from above, namely from God himself. Jesus said that this rebirth was necessary if one was to enter God's kingdom. Nicodemus thought that to be born again, even spiritually, was impossible. He probably knew too well from experience that anyone who wants to be changed from within, can't accomplish this by oneself. Jesus explained that this change could only come about through the work and action of the Holy Spirit. This rebirth in the Spirit is very real and experiential, like the wind which can be felt and heard while it is visibly unseen to the naked eye.

Rebirth to new life in the power of the Holy Spirit
What does it mean to be reborn in the Spirit? The new birth which Jesus speaks of is a spiritual birth to a life which is transformed through the power of God. This new life brings us into an experiential relationship with God as his adopted sons and daughters (Romans 6:4; 8:10-11). This new birth is made possible when one is baptized into Christ and receives the gift of the Holy Spirit. God wants to renew all of his people in the gift of new life in his Holy Spirit. This new life in the Spirit brings us into God's kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy (Romans 14:17).

What is the kingdom of God - which is also called the kingdom of heaven? God's kingdom - his reign and blessing as King over us - is the abundant everlasting life and power from heaven which God shares with those who accept him as the Eternal Father and Author of Life and Ruler of All he has created. Jesus explains in the prayer he gave to his disciples, what we call the Lord's Prayer or the Our Father, that God's kingdom is that society of men and women who acknowledge God as their Lord and Ruler and who obey his word and live according to his will on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).

We are sons and daughters of God and citizens of his kingdom
To be reborn in the Spirit is to enter that society in which God is honored and obeyed. Those who willingly accept God's rule in their lives become citizens of God's heavenly kingdom and members of God's family - his adopted sons and daughters. And they enter into possession of the life which comes from God himself, an everlasting life of love, peace, joy, and freedom from sin, oppression, and corruption. Do you know the joy and freedom of the new birth and abundant life which Jesus Christ has won for you?

"Lord Jesus Christ, you offer us abundant new life and power to live as sons and daughters of our Father in heaven. Renew in me the gift of faith to accept and obey your life-giving word and to cooperate with the transforming power of your Holy Spirit who changes us into your likeness. May your kingdom come and your will be done in my life today, tomorrow, and always."

Psalm 2:1-9

1 Why do the nations conspire, and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and his anointed, saying,
3 "Let us burst their bonds asunder, and cast their cords from us."
4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the LORD has them in derision.
5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying,
6 "I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill."
7 I will tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my son, today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."

A Daily Quote from early church fathers: Reborn and Fed by the Spirit, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"And then that rebirth, which brings about the forgiveness of all past sins, takes place in the Holy Spirit, according to the Lord's own words, 'Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, one cannot enter the kingdom of God.' But it is one thing to be born of the Spirit, another to be fed by the Spirit; just as it is one thing to be born of the flesh, which happens when a mother gives birth, and another to be fed from the flesh, which appears when she nurses the baby. We see the child turn to drink with delight from the bosom of her who brought it forth to life. Its life continues to be nourished by the same source which brought it into being." (excerpt from Sermon 71.19)

  

More Homilies

April 24, 2017 Monday of the Second Week of Easter