May 5, 2021 Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter

2021년 5월 5일 부활 제5주간 수요일 

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

제1독서

<할례 문제 때문에 예루살렘에 있는 사도들과 원로들에게 올라가기로 하였다.>

사도행전. 15,1-6
그 무렵 1 유다에서 어떤 사람들이 내려와,
“모세의 관습에 따라 할례를 받지 않으면
여러분은 구원을 받을 수 없습니다.” 하고 형제들을 가르쳤다.
2 그리하여 바오로와 바르나바 두 사람과 그들 사이에
적지 않은 분쟁과 논란이 일어나,
그 문제 때문에 바오로와 바르나바와 신자들 가운데 다른 몇 사람이
예루살렘에 있는 사도들과 원로들에게 올라가기로 하였다.
3 이렇게 안티오키아 교회에서 파견된 그들은 페니키아와 사마리아를 거쳐 가면서,

다른 민족들이 하느님께 돌아선 이야기를 해 주어
모든 형제에게 큰 기쁨을 주었다.
4 그들은 예루살렘에 도착하여 교회와 사도들과 원로들의 영접을 받고,
하느님께서 자기들과 함께 해 주신 모든 일을 보고하였다.
5 그런데 바리사이파에 속하였다가 믿게 된 사람 몇이 나서서,
“그들에게 할례를 베풀고
또 모세의 율법을 지키라고 명령해야 합니다.” 하고 말하였다.
6 사도들과 원로들이 이 문제를 검토하려고 모였다. 

 

복음

<내 안에 머무르고 나도 그 안에 머무르는 사람은 많은 열매를 맺는다.>

요한 15,1-8
그때에 예수님께서 제자들에게 말씀하셨다.
1 “나는 참포도나무요 나의 아버지는 농부이시다.
2 나에게 붙어 있으면서 열매를 맺지 않는 가지는 아버지께서 다 쳐 내시고,
열매를 맺는 가지는 모두 깨끗이 손질하시어 더 많은 열매를 맺게 하신다.
3 너희는 내가 너희에게 한 말로 이미 깨끗하게 되었다.
4 내 안에 머물러라. 나도 너희 안에 머무르겠다.
가지가 포도나무에 붙어 있지 않으면 스스로 열매를 맺을 수 없는 것처럼,
너희도 내 안에 머무르지 않으면 열매를 맺지 못한다.
5 나는 포도나무요 너희는 가지다.
내 안에 머무르고 나도 그 안에 머무르는 사람은 많은 열매를 맺는다.
너희는 나 없이 아무것도 하지 못한다.
6 내 안에 머무르지 않으면 잘린 가지처럼 밖에 던져져 말라 버린다.
그러면 사람들이 그런 가지들을 모아 불에 던져 태워 버린다.
7 너희가 내 안에 머무르고 내 말이 너희 안에 머무르면,
너희가 원하는 것은 무엇이든지 청하여라.
너희에게 그대로 이루어질 것이다.
8 너희가 많은 열매를 맺고 내 제자가 되면,
그것으로 내 아버지께서 영광스럽게 되실 것이다.” 

May 5, 2021 

Wednesday of the Fifth 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 15:1-6
Some who had come down from Judea were instructing the brothers,
“Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic practice,
you cannot be saved.”
Because there arose no little dissension and debate
by Paul and Barnabas with them,
it was decided that Paul, Barnabas, and some of the others
should go up to Jerusalem to the Apostles and presbyters
about this question. 
They were sent on their journey by the Church,
and passed through Phoenicia and Samaria
telling of the conversion of the Gentiles,
and brought great joy to all the brethren.
When they arrived in Jerusalem,
they were welcomed by the Church,
as well as by the Apostles and the presbyters,
and they reported what God had done with them.
But some from the party of the Pharisees who had become believers
stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them
and direct them to observe the Mosaic law.”

The Apostles and the presbyters met together to see about this matter.

Responsorial Psalm

122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5

R. (see 1) Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the LORD.”
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel

Jn 15:1-8

Jesus said to his disciples:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,
and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
Remain in me, as I remain in you.
Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own
unless it remains on the vine,
so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,
because without me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me
will be thrown out like a branch and wither;
people will gather them and throw them into a fire
and they will be burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
By this is my Father glorified,
that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

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

 Abide in Me

I watched a crew of 3 strong men take down a graceful old tree.  For decades the tree shadowed the yard.  Gave shelter to generations of swooping, singing, playful birds and homes to fluffy, scurrying, beady-eyed squirrels. It canopied little people’s tea parties and offered a leg up to many a child reaching for the sky.  This tall, full, green leafed tree was beautiful, alive and giving.  Swaying in the glory of God.   It offered life to much of creation, a resting place for the sleepy, challenge to the adventurous and numerous untold gifts. 

Why take it down? With the screeching swipe of the saw and earth quivering thud of weighty severed limbs, came ground scaring divots.  Each time I felt gut-punched.  I kept vigil all day.  A dear friend, for the last 25 years was being dismembered.  I am not an arborist, but it was not hard to see that the tree was healthy.  The wood was fresh, clear and strong – no decay.  It was still bearing fruit. For some reason, unknown to me, someone decided that tree was no longer healthy and/or useful or desirable.   My tears swelled as its broken branches were hauled to the chipper and devoured.   It is gone. Within a year there may not be a sign of its past existence. 

John writes, “…my Father is the vinegrower.  He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit.  Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit…” (I ask, why was this tree instead not pruned?)  “I am the vine and you are the branches.  Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit…”.  As horrifying as the death and destruction of that tree sounds, the gospel goes on to say, “whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch…thrown into the fire and burned.”  This does not sound much better.

Where is the “good-news” in all of this? If I am faithful to God and abide in God, John says, “ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

Read on…the really good-news comes in the following 3 verses, 9-11.  Love (loved) is written five times; Joy is used twice; abide three times!  “As the Father has loved me, so I love you; abide in my love."  The previous 8 versus are not meant to frighten or scare us, but “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.”  I ask myself, how was God/Spirit with me, abiding in me, as I sat in vigil with my beloved tree?   No immediate answer in the midst of pain.  Gradually, I did experience a glimmer of gratitude for the numerous gifts over decades that tree had given.  I sat with this, savoring it and very gradually experienced a sort of joy. There is more here to savor.  Ask yourself, when and how have I experienced God/Jesus/Spirit abiding in me in a tragic moment – maybe sometime during this year off COVID? Take your time sitting with Spirit.  Where is God’s lifegiving fruit of joy in my life?  Difficult questions in hard times.  In love the answer, the comfort, the joy will come.

“Remain in (love with) me as I remain in (love with) you…”
John 15:4

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

 

SUBMIT TO THE CHURCH

“The apostles and presbyters accordingly convened to look into the matter.” —Acts 15:6

What did you eat for breakfast this morning? What did you eat for supper last night? Had the outcome of the meeting between St. Paul, St. Barnabas, and the church in Jerusalem gone differently, you might not be eating bacon or ham in your meals (see Acts 15:29). Your life could be quite different, and perhaps you might not even be a Christian at present, if the Christian leaders in Jerusalem had not followed the Holy Spirit.

The discernment of the early Christians was marvelous to behold. It would have been easy for the Church to insist upon retaining Jewish kosher food practices and other such customs. Nonetheless, the Church leaders relied upon the Holy Spirit for discernment (Acts 15:28). Their openness to the Spirit’s leading resulted in unity in the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:3).

For two thousand years the Church has been discerning the Spirit. Many refuse to accept the unity offered by submission to the Church’s discernment and teaching. However, by your docile submission to the Church, the lives of your loved ones can be changed for the good. Will you participate in the unity the Holy Spirit offers you by submitting to the Church’s teaching?

Prayer:  Father, help me to be docile to Your teaching at all times.

Promise:  “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” —Jn 15:5

Praise:  Robert and his wife didn’t understand the Church’s teachings on sexuality until they practiced it.

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

Why does Jesus speak of himself as the true vine? The image of the vine was a rich one for the Jews since the land of Israel was covered with numerous vineyards. It had religious connotations to it as well. Isaiah spoke of the house of Israel as "the vineyard of the Lord"(Isaiah 5:7). Jeremiah said that God had planted Israel "as his choice vine" (Jeremiah 2:21). While the vine became a symbol of Israel as a nation, it also was used in the Scriptures as a sign of degeneration - a deformed state of spiritual growth and moral decline. Isaiah's prophecy spoke of Israel as a vineyard which "yielded wild grapes" (see Isaiah 5:1-7). Jeremiah said that Israel had become a "degenerate and wild vine" (Jeremiah 2:21).

One must be firmly rooted in the "Tree of Life"
When Jesus calls himself the true vine he makes clear that no one can grow in spiritual fruitfulness and moral goodness unless they are rooted in God and in his life-giving word. Religious affiliation or association with spiritually minded people is not sufficient by itself - one must be firmly rooted in the "Tree of Life" (Revelation 22:1-2, Genesis 2:8-9) who is the eternal Father and his only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus makes a claim which only God can make - he is the true source of life that sustains us and makes us fruitful in living the abundant life which God has for us. It is only through Jesus Christ that one can be fully grafted into the true "vineyard of the Lord".

Bearing the fruit of righteousness, peace, and joy
Jesus offers true life - the abundant life which comes from God and which results in great fruitfulness. How does the vine become fruitful? The vine dresser must carefully prune the vine before it can bear good fruit. Vines characteristically have two kinds of branches - those which bear fruit and those which don't. The non-bearing branches must be carefully pruned back in order for the vine to conserve its strength for bearing good fruit. Jesus used this image to describe the kind of life he produces in those who are united with him - the fruit of "righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17). Jesus says there can be no fruit in our lives apart from him. The fruit he speaks of here is the fruit of the Holy Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23).

There is a simple truth here: We are either fruit-bearing or non-fruit-bearing. There is no in-between. But the bearing of healthy fruit requires drastic pruning. The Lord promises that we will bear much fruit if we abide in him and allow him to purify us. Do you trust in the Lord's healing and transforming power to give you the abundant life and fruit of his heavenly kingdom? 

Lord Jesus, may I be one with you in all that I say and do. Draw me close that I may glorify you and bear fruit for your kingdom. Inflame my heart with your love and remove from it anything that would make me ineffective or unfruitful in loving and serving you as my All.

Psalm 122:1-5

1 I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD!"
2 Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!
3 Jerusalem, built as a city which is bound firmly together,
4 to which the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
5 There thrones for judgment were set, the thrones of the house of David.

Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Cleansed by Jesus' word, by Basil the Great, 329-379 A.D.

"So the world - life enslaved by carnal passions - can no more receive the grace of the Spirit than a weak eye can look at the light of a sunbeam. First the Lord cleansed his disciples' lives through his teaching, and then he gave them the ability to both see and contemplate the Spirit. He says, 'You are already made clean by the word I have spoken to you' (John 15:3). Therefore 'the world cannot receive him, because it neither sees him nor knows him... You know him, for he dwells with you' (John 14:17). Isaiah says, 'He who settled the earth and the things in it; and gives breath to the people on it, and Spirit to them that tread on it' (Isaiah 42:5). From this we can learn that those who trample earthly things and rise above them become worthy to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (excerpt from ON THE HOLY SPIRIT 22.53) 

 

 

More Homilies

May 13, 2020 Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter