May 24, 2022 Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

 2022년 5월 24일 부활 제6주간 화요일 

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

제1독서

<주 예수님을 믿으시오. 그러면 그대와 그대의 집안이 구원을 받을 것이오.>

 사도행전 .16,22-34

그 무렵 필리피의 22 군중이 합세하여 바오로와 실라스를 공격하자,

행정관들은 그 두 사람의 옷을 찢어 벗기고 매로 치라고 지시하였다.
23 그렇게 매질을 많이 하게 한 뒤 그들을 감옥에 가두고,
간수에게 단단히 지키라고 명령하였다.
24 이러한 명령을 받은 간수는 그들을 가장 깊은 감방에 가두고
그들의 발에 차꼬를 채웠다.
25 자정 무렵에 바오로와 실라스는 하느님께 찬미가를 부르며 기도하고,
다른 수인들은 거기에 귀를 기울이고 있었다.
26 그런데 갑자기 큰 지진이 일어나 감옥의 기초가 뒤흔들렸다.
그리고 즉시 문들이 모두 열리고 사슬이 다 풀렸다.
27 잠에서 깨어난 간수는 감옥 문들이 열려 있는 것을 보고
칼을 빼어 자결하려고 하였다.
수인들이 달아났으려니 생각하였던 것이다.
28 그때에 바오로가 큰 소리로,
“자신을 해치지 마시오. 우리가 다 여기에 있소.” 하고 말하였다.
29 그러자 간수가 횃불을 달라고 하여 안으로 뛰어 들어가
무서워 떨면서 바오로와 실라스 앞에 엎드렸다.
30 그리고 그들을 밖으로 데리고 나가,
“두 분 선생님, 제가 구원을 받으려면 어떻게 해야 합니까?” 하고 물었다.
31 그들이 대답하였다. “주 예수님을 믿으시오.
그러면 그대와 그대의 집안이 구원을 받을 것이오.”
32 그리고 간수와 그 집의 모든 사람에게 주님의 말씀을 들려주었다.
33 간수는 그날 밤 그 시간에 그들을 데리고 가서 상처를 씻어 주고,
그 자리에서 그와 온 가족이 세례를 받았다.
34 이어서 그들을 자기 집 안으로 데려다가 음식을 대접하고,
하느님을 믿게 된 것을 온 집안과 더불어 기뻐하였다.

복음

<내가 떠나지 않으면 보호자께서 너희에게 오지 않으신다.>

요한 .16,5-11

그때에 예수님께서 제자들에게 말씀하셨다.
5 “이제 나는 나를 보내신 분께 간다.
그런데도 ‘어디로 가십니까?’ 하고 묻는 사람이 너희 가운데 아무도 없다.
6 오히려 내가 이 말을 하였기 때문에 너희 마음에 근심이 가득 찼다.
7 그러나 너희에게 진실을 말하는데, 내가 떠나는 것이 너희에게 이롭다.
내가 떠나지 않으면 보호자께서 너희에게 오지 않으신다.
그러나 내가 가면 그분을 너희에게 보내겠다.
8 보호자께서 오시면
죄와 의로움과 심판에 관한 세상의 그릇된 생각을 밝히실 것이다.
9 그들이 죄에 관하여 잘못 생각하는 것은 나를 믿지 않기 때문이고,
10 그들이 의로움에 관하여 잘못 생각하는 것은
내가 아버지께 가고 너희가 더 이상 나를 보지 못할 것이기 때문이며,
11 그들이 심판에 관하여 잘못 생각하는 것은
이 세상의 우두머리가 이미 심판을 받았기 때문이다.”

 

May 24, 2022
Tuesday of the Sixth 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 16:22-34

The crowd in Philippi joined in the attack on Paul and Silas,

and the magistrates had them stripped

and ordered them to be beaten with rods.

After inflicting many blows on them,

they threw them into prison

and instructed the jailer to guard them securely.

When he received these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell

and secured their feet to a stake.

About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying

and singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened,

there was suddenly such a severe earthquake

that the foundations of the jail shook;

all the doors flew open, and the chains of all were pulled loose.

When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open,

he drew his sword and was about to kill himself,

thinking that the prisoners had escaped.

But Paul shouted out in a loud voice,

“Do no harm to yourself; we are all here.”

He asked for a light and rushed in and,

trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas.

Then he brought them out and said,

“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus

and you and your household will be saved.”

So they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house.

He took them in at that hour of the night and bathed their wounds;

then he and all his family were baptized at once.

He brought them up into his house and provided a meal

and with his household rejoiced at having come to faith in God.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 7c-8

R. (7c) Your right hand saves me, O Lord.

or:

R. Alleluia.

I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,

for you have heard the words of my mouth;

in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;

I will worship at your holy temple,

and give thanks to your name.

R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Because of your kindness and your truth,

you have made great above all things

your name and your promise.

When I called, you answered me;

you built up strength within me.

R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Your right hand saves me.

The LORD will complete what he has done for me;

your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;

forsake not the work of your hands.

R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Gospel

Jn 16:5-11

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Now I am going to the one who sent me,

and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’

But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts.

But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go.

For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you.

But if I go, I will send him to you.

And when he comes he will convict the world

in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation:

sin, because they do not believe in me;

righteousness, because I am going to the Father

and you will no longer see me;

condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.”

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

 

 Imagine with me, if you will, Jesus addressing Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, and the rest of the Apostles, as he is about to address the proverbial elephant in the room and answer the question that the disciples do not want to ask.

Here they are, seated under the shade of several olive trees, and Jesus is standing before them, ready to deliver a message that would probably cause them to feel shame that they were not more concerned about his wellbeing; sadness because he would soon  be leaving them; anxiety about how they would be judged; and also hope, knowing that Jesus would send his Advocate to be with those who commit their lives to the Father.

John’s words may remind many of us of a song and will certainly date those who do remember the words from Joni Mitchell’s 1970s ballad, The Big Yellow Taxi: Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got till it's gone. They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.

Today, the more modern twist on that common phrase and probably the one the Apostles all deeply felt as Jesus addressed them is: The truth is you knew what you had--you just thought you would never lose it.

Jesus, with his Ascension but days away, no doubt sensed how fragile his Apostles were and that without his daily presence, they might disperse. So, like the wise teacher, he reassured them that his leaving is to make way for the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, who will provide them with strength and courage and in whom they will find inspiration and guidance.

Fortunately, the same Advocate that Jesus shared with the Apostles, he also shares with us. Are we using this most precious and sacred gift, the Holy Spirit, each and every day to its maximum benefit, or are we simply following the song lyrics and will soon realize that what we thought we had is now gone?

As we take the time to do our Daily Examen of Conscience, we need to ask how the Holy Spirit is enlightening us and guiding us in our lives, and to look for signs that the Holy Spirit is dwelling in us. Remember, the seven wonderful gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. How can we nurture and develop each one of these gifts in our prayer life and in our daily interactions with others?

Dear Lord, thank you for sending me the Holy Spirit. Please help me to understand more fully that your Advocate is there to guide me and remind me that I need to continually seek the Holy Spirit’s counsel and advice. Help me to grow closer to you and to live a life filled with love for all and filled with service to you. Amen.

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

RISEN REACTIONS

“Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.” —Acts 16:31 “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires” (Gal 5:24). We are “transformed by the renewal” of our minds (Rm 12:2). “We have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor 2:16).

For example, after Sts. Paul and Silas were arrested, stripped, flogged, and put into maximum security (Acts 16:22-24), the natural reaction would be for them to feel sorry for themselves. However, they focused on God rather than themselves, as they prayed and sang hymns into the night (Acts 16:25). Then when an earthquake made it possible for Paul and Silas to easily escape, they didn’t run away, as might be expected. They didn’t think this was their only chance for freedom, so they stayed in jail and converted the jailer and his family (Acts 16:28ff). When Paul and Silas were released from jail later that day, they refused to go until the Philippian magistrates personally escorted them out of jail (Acts 16:35ff). Paul and Silas were audaciously bold, supremely confident, and deeply focused on the Lord. Because they were raised with Christ through Baptism (Col 3:1), they thought “on things above rather than on things of earth” (Col 3:2).

Are you living the risen life of faith? Are your desires and thoughts new and transformed? Do you have the desires and mind of Christ? Are you living your Baptism? Live the Resurrection now.

Prayer:  Father, may I abide in, reside in, and live in Jesus.

Promise:  “I tell you the sober truth: it is much better for you that I go. If I fail to go, the Paraclete will never come to you, whereas if I go, I will send Him to you.” —Jn 16:7

Praise:  “But the wise shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament” (Dn 12:3).

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

 

 Why does God seem far from us at times? Separation and loss of relationship often lead to grief and pain. The apostles were filled with sorrow when Jesus spoke about his imminent departure. Jesus explained that it was for their sake that he must leave them and return to his Father. He promised, however, that they would never be left alone. He will send in his place the best of friends, the Holy Spirit.

Paul reminds us that "nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:39). By sending the Holy Spirit to his followers, the Lord Jesus makes his presence known to us in a new and on-going way. We are not left as orphans, but the Lord himself dwells within us through the power of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 4:9; 6:16b).

The work of the Holy Spirit
Jesus tells his disciples three very important things about the work of the Holy Spirit - to convince the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment. The original word for convince also means convict. The Holy Spirit is our Sanctifier. He makes us holy as God is holy. He does this first by convicting us of our unbelief and sin and by bringing us humbly to the foot of the Cross. The Spirit convinces us of God's love and forgiveness and of our utter dependence on God for his mercy and grace. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to lead us from the error of our unbelief and sinful ways and to show us the way of love and truth.

The Jews who had condemned Jesus as a blasphemer and false messiah thought they were serving God rather than sinning when they crucified Jesus. When the Gospel was later preached on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:37), many were pricked in their heart and convicted of their sin. What made them change their mind about Jesus? The Holy Spirit opened their hearts to recognize Jesus as the true Messiah sent by the Father in heaven.

It is the work of the Holy Spirit to both convict us of our unbelief and wrongdoing and to convince us of God's truth. The Spirit convinces us of the righteousness (moral truth and goodness) of Christ, backed by the fact that Jesus rose again and went to his Father. The Holy Spirit also convicts us of judgment. The Spirit gives us the inner and unshakable conviction that we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God. God's judgments are just and good. He not only forgives those who repent of their wrongdoing, he also vindicates the innocent who have been unjustly treated and restores their rights and he rewards those who have done what is just and good. When we heed his judgments we find true peace, joy and reconciliation with God. Do you allow the Holy Spirit free reign in your life that he may set you free from the grip of sin and set you ablaze with the fire of God's love?

Come Holy Spirit, and let the fire of your love burn in my heart. Let me desire only what is pure, lovely, holy and good and in accord with the will of God and give me the courage to put away all that is not pleasing in your sight."

Psalm 138:1-3,7-8

1 I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart; before the angels I sing your praise;
2 I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness; for you have exalted above everything your name and your word.
3 On the day I called, you answered me, my strength of soul you increased.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me.
8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures for ever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Whatever is not of faith is sin, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"When the Lord said of the Holy Spirit, 'He shall convict the world of sin,' he meant unbelief. For this is what he meant when he said, 'Of sin because they believed not on me.' And he means the same when he says, 'If I had not come and spoken to them, they should not have sin.' (John 15:22). He was not talking about [a time] before they had no sin. Rather, he wanted to indicate that very lack of faith by which they did not believe him even when he was present to them and speaking to them. These were the people who belonged to 'the prince of the power of the air, who now works in the children of unbelief' (Ephesians 2:2). Therefore those in whom there is no faith are the children of the devil because they have nothing in their inner being that would cause them to be forgiven for whatever is committed either by human infirmity, ignorance or any evil will whatever. But the children of God are those who certainly, if they should 'say that they have no sin, deceive themselves, and the truth is not in them,' but immediately (as it continues) 'when they confess their sins' (which the children of the devil do not do, or do not do according to the faith which is peculiar to the children of God), 'he is faithful and just to forgive them their sins and to cleanse them from all unrighteousness'" (1 John 1:9). (excerpt from AGAINST TWO LETTERS OF THE PELAGIANS 3.4)

  

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