May 8, 2020 Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter
2020년 5월 8일 부활 제4주간 금요일
오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp
제1독서
사도행전. 13,26-33
그 무렵 바오로가 피시디아 안티오키아에 가 회당에서 말하였다.
26 “형제 여러분, 아브라함의 후손 여러분,
그리고 하느님을 경외하는 여러분,
이 구원의 말씀이 바로 우리에게 파견되셨습니다.
27 그런데 예루살렘 주민들과 그들의 지도자들은
그분을 알아보지 못하고 단죄하여,
안식일마다 봉독되는 예언자들의 말씀이 이루어지게 하였습니다.
28 그들은 사형에 처할 아무런 죄목도 찾아내지 못하였지만,
그분을 죽이라고 빌라도에게 요구하였습니다.
29 그리하여 그분에 관하여 성경에 기록된 모든 것을 그들이 그렇게 다 이행한 뒤,
사람들은 그분을 나무에서 내려 무덤에 모셨습니다.
30 그러나 하느님께서는 그분을 죽은 이들 가운데에서 다시 일으키셨습니다.
31 그 뒤에 그분께서는 당신과 함께 갈릴래아에서 예루살렘으로 올라간 이들에게
여러 날 동안 나타나셨습니다.
이 사람들이 이제 백성 앞에서 그분의 증인이 된 것입니다.
32 그래서 우리는 여러분에게 이 기쁜 소식을 전합니다.
우리 선조들에게 하신 약속을,
33 하느님께서는 예수님을 다시 살리시어
그들의 후손인 우리에게 실현시켜 주셨습니다.
이는 시편 제이편에 기록된 그대로입니다.
‘너는 내 아들. 내가 오늘 너를 낳았노라.’”
복음
요한. 14,1-6
그때에 예수님께서 제자들에게 말씀하셨다.
1 “너희 마음이 산란해지는 일이 없도록 하여라.
하느님을 믿고 또 나를 믿어라.
2 내 아버지의 집에는 거처할 곳이 많다.
그렇지 않으면 내가 너희를 위하여 자리를 마련하러 간다고 말하였겠느냐?
3 내가 가서 너희를 위하여 자리를 마련하면,
다시 와서 너희를 데려다가 내가 있는 곳에 너희도 같이 있게 하겠다.
4 너희는 내가 어디로 가는지 그 길을 알고 있다.”
5 그러자 토마스가 예수님께 말하였다.
“주님, 저희는 주님께서 어디로 가시는지 알지도 못하는데,
어떻게 그 길을 알 수 있겠습니까?”
6 예수님께서 그에게 말씀하셨다. “나는 길이요 진리요 생명이다.
나를 통하지 않고서는 아무도 아버지께 갈 수 없다.”
May 8, 2020
Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass
Reading 1
When Paul came to Antioch in Pisidia, he said in the synagogue:
“My brothers, children of the family of Abraham,
and those others among you who are God-fearing,
to us this word of salvation has been sent.
The inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders failed to recognize him,
and by condemning him they fulfilled the oracles of the prophets
that are read sabbath after sabbath.
For even though they found no grounds for a death sentence,
they asked Pilate to have him put to death,
and when they had accomplished all that was written about him,
they took him down from the tree and placed him in a tomb.
But God raised him from the dead,
and for many days he appeared to those
who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem.
These are now his witnesses before the people.
We ourselves are proclaiming this good news to you
that what God promised our fathers
he has brought to fulfillment for us, their children, by raising up Jesus,
as it is written in the second psalm,
You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (7bc) You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
“I myself have set up my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.”
I will proclaim the decree of the LORD:
The LORD said to me, “You are my Son;
this day I have begotten you.”
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
“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. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
And now, O kings, give heed;
take warning, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him;
with trembling rejoice.
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If there were not,
would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way.”
Thomas said to him,
“Master, we do not know where you are going;
how can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.”
http://evangeli.net/gospel/tomorrow
«I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me»
Fr. Josep Mª MANRESA Lamarca
(Valldoreix, Barcelona, Spain)
Today, on this Friday 4th of Easter, Jesus invites us to stay calm. Serenity and joy flow smoothly like a river of peace from his resurrected Heart towards ours, dazed and restless, so often shaken by an activity as hectic as it is futile.
Ours are times of agitation, restlessness and stress. Times where the father of lies has infected man's intelligence by making him call what is evil good and what is good evil, to put light for darkness and darkness for light, to plant in his soul a burning doubt and skepticism that kills the slightest trace of hope in a horizon of plenitude which the world with its flattery does not know, nor can it give.
The fruits of this devilish enterprise are evident. once the “nonsense” and the loss of transcendence prevail among so many men and women, they find that not only have they forgotten their way, but they have also lost it, because previously they forgot the Way. Wars, all kinds of violence, unreasonable hostility and selfishness before life (birth-control, abortion, euthanasia...), broken families, aimless youth, and so on and so forth, constitute the great lie over which the sad scaffolding of the so called society of “progress” leans on.
In the middle of it all, Jesus, the Prince of Peace, repeats to all men of good will, with his infinite gentleness: «Do not be troubled; trust in God and trust in me» (Jn 14:1). To the right of the Father, He cherish, as a hopeful dream of his mercy, the moment when He shall have us by his side «so that where I am, you also may be» (Jn 14:3). We cannot argue as Thomas did. We already know where the way is. We do know, by sheer grace, the path leading to the Father, in whose house there are many rooms. A place in Heaven is prepared for us that will remain forever empty if we do not occupy it. Let us, therefore, get closer, without any fright and with unlimited trust, to Him who is the only Way, the inalienable Truth and the fullness of Life.
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
In the first reading Paul explains to a Jewish audience how Jesus fulfills the promise of the Messiah as outlined in Scripture. The Psalm is a passage that Paul references. The Gospel has an exchange between Jesus and the apostles at the Last Supper concluding with Jesus saying “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
When I contemplate Paul’s discourse in the synagogue from the perspective of a devout Jew, I can envisage how Paul’s arguments rather than persuading his listeners might upset them. I would not like to be told that my people messed up in terms of Jesus. I can see myself becoming upset and defensive. It may not be surprising that later in this chapter of the Acts of the Apostles Paul is run out of town. Ironically, if I try to consider how I would have addressed the issue if I was Paul, I can see myself acting in much the same way. (Perhaps this is an insight into why it is better for me to keep my opinions to myself at family gatherings.)
If I imagine myself in today’s Gospel, current events draw me to seeing myself in the role of Thomas. These days like Thomas, I find myself asking what is the endgame and how do we get there? Two months ago, my plans for the next six months were clear. Today I live day to day taking what the Lord sets in my path. I am someone who wants to be able to be in control. (I am grateful that my wife of 35 years has been patient with me.) These days I am learning valuable lessons in trust, mostly because I have no other choice. I imagine how Thomas reacted to Jesus’ response to his question. If Thomas was like me, I think that he may not have felt all that reassured.
I think a lot about Thomas. Thomas cares about what he believes. Statements attributed to Thomas appear 3 times in the Gospel of John. In Chapter 11, he is the one who expresses a willingness to support Jesus along the challenging road ahead. In today’s Gospel, some scholars translate Jesus’ declarative “You have faith” as the imperative “Have faith”. Given that latter translation, I can see, after Jesus’ initial discourse, Thomas asking where exactly are you going and how do we get there? In Chapter 20, Thomas doubts the reports of the resurrection until he has an encounter with Jesus. I can relate to someone who doubts. (Perhaps this why I ended up with a career in science. I should add that I find myself wondering how different was Thomas who was away from the other apostles who were hiding in a safehouse? I am not so confident that their faith was very different before the risen Jesus entered their space.) I also receive great consolation in knowing that in the post-Pentecost times, Thomas responded with the strength and confidence gifted by the Spirit. Tradition has it that he was the one who carried the Gospel outside the “known” world perhaps venturing as far as India and China.
My prayer today is guided by my perception of Thomas’ experience.
Dear Lord,
You have given me the gift of caring about what I believe.
Today’s world is full of uncertainty. The direction, in which things are heading, is far from clear.
Jesus delivers a message with confidence, but I find myself with worries and doubts.
In my encounters with You, help me to discern what is true and what matters.
As the feast of Pentecost approaches, open my heart to your Spirit.
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
the untroubled are in trouble
"Do not let your hearts be troubled." —John 14:1
Shortly after Jesus commanded His apostles not to be troubled, He was in agony. He prayed so fervently that "His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground" (Lk 22:44). To be untroubled does not mean not to be in trouble. Jesus was in trouble with the authorities because of His obedience to His Father. To be untroubled does not mean to be without fear or agony. Jesus' heart was broken. To be untroubled does mean to have faith in our heavenly Father and thereby to have a peace beyond understanding (Phil 4:7).
To be untroubled means to rest in living God's will. To be untroubled means to avoid letting our troubles pressure us into committing sin. Paradoxically, to be untroubled means to be in trouble with the world, for in doing God's will we oppose the ways of the world. To be untroubled can mean even to be persecuted with all the fear and distress that comes with persecution. In summary, to be untroubled means to have the faith to accept the grace to do God's will, resist the temptations to sin, get in trouble with the world, and even deserve persecution.
To be untroubled means to carry our daily crosses. "The message of the cross is complete absurdity to those who are headed for ruin, but to us who are experiencing salvation it is the power of God" (1 Cor 1:18).
Prayer: Father, make me a troublemaker by Your standards.
Promise: "God raised Him from the dead, and for many days thereafter Jesus appeared to those who had come up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem. These are His witnesses now before the people." —Acts 13:30-31
Praise: Joseph is learning to pray always. Every day he prays that he will be guided by the Holy Spirit.
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
Do not let your hearts be troubled!
Do you allow any troubles to rob you of God's peace? As much as we try to avoid it, we all inevitably encounter trouble and difficulties. Jesus knew his disciples would have to face trials and persecution after he left them to return to his Father in heaven. Adversity can make us lose hope and become discouraged, or it can press us closer to God and to his promises for us.
"It is the LORD who goes before you; he will be with you, he will not fail you or forsake you; do not fear or be dismayed" (Deuteronomy 31:8).
A place for you in my Father's house
Just as God, who appeared as a Pillar of Cloud by day and a Pillar of Fire by night, went ahead of Moses and the Israelites to lead them safely through the wilderness to the promised land, Jesus tells his disciples that he is going ahead through his ascension into heaven to prepare a place for them in his Father's house - a place of lasting peace, friendship, and happiness with God. God's house is never closed nor over-crowded - there is plenty of room for everyone who believes in God and in his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The greatest fear in this present life - whether it be the separation and loss of a loved one or the threat to one's own life - is put to rest by Jesus' promise that we will live forever with him and the eternal Father. There we will be joined with a great company of saints and angels who will be our friends forever as well.
Do you know the way to the Father's house in heaven? Jesus expected his disciples to know where his life was headed - to dwell in everlasting glory with his Father in heaven. And he expected that his disciples would recognize that this was their ultimate destination as well. Thomas, who was both a doubter and a realist, spoke for all the disciples when he said, "we neither know where you are going nor how we shall get there on our own?" Thomas was a very practical "down to earth" kind of person who wanted to see the map and landmarks showing the exact path that would lead the way to the desired haven. Jesus assured Thomas that he would not only give him everything he needed to complete the journey, he would be Thomas' personal guide as well.
Traveling alone in unfamiliar or uncharted places can be unnerving and bewildering without a companion or guide. And some places are impossible to pass through without the right person who knows the way and who can guarantee a safe passage. Several years ago I was invited by Christian friends to visit their community in Lebanon. They were in the middle of a civil war that would last for 15 years (1975-1990). Months and years of hardship, exposure to danger, and the uncertainty of the war's outcome, as well as being physically cutoff from outside contact with friends, was weighing heavily. I was eager to visit to offer some support. Since I had never traveled there before, nor spoke the local language, I knew that I was helpless without a trustworthy guide. Fortunately a close Christian friend from Lebanon met me half-way on my journey and personally guided me through some unfamiliar territory, including check-points, road-blocks, physical danger, and some social, religious, and political hurdles as well. My guide got me safely to my destination. I literally owed my life to his safe-keeping. The Lord Jesus promised his followers that he would be their personal guide and friend who would lead them to the source of lasting peace, enduring friendship, and abundant life.
I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life
The disciples were surprised that Jesus was going to his Father's house and would return to take them with him. And they were even more surprised when Jesus said he expected them to know the way to the Father's house. Jesus' answer to there question, "show us the way", was both a reminder that his disciples should trust their Master and Teacher to show them the way, and a challenge for them to recognize that Jesus had intimate knowledge of God and where God came from. Jesus made a statement that invoked the very name which God had revealed to Moses, "I am who I am" (Exodus 3:14), and he made three claims which only God could make. He stated unequivocally to his disciples: "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (John 14:6)
Jesus proclaims: I am the Way (John 14:6). He alone knows the way to the Father because he has been with the Father from the beginning - before time and creation ever existed. The Lord Jesus gives us more than a road map and guide book. He personally is the way to the Father's kingdom, and we cannot miss it if we follow him. He accompanies us on our daily journey and watches over us as the good shepherd who leads and sustains us each and every step of the way. Are you in step with the Lord and do you trust in his guiding hand for your life?
Jesus proclaims that he is the Truth (John 14:6). Many can say, "I have taught you the truth." only Jesus can say, I am the Truth. He possesses in himself the fulness of truth. Jesus claims to be one with the Father and to speak the truth which proceeds from the Father. Jesus promised his disciples that if they continued in his word, they would learn the truth and the truth would set them free" (John 8:31). The truth which Jesus proclaims has power to set us free from ignorance, deception, and sin. The words which Jesus speaks are true because there is no lie or falsehood in him. Moral truth requires more than mere words or ideas because the person who speaks them must be true - true in thought, speech, deed, example, and action. Jesus embodies the truth in his person.
Jesus proclaims that he is the Life (John 14:6). He not only shows us the path of life (Psalm 16:11); he gives the kind of life which only God can give - abundant life that lasts forever. Is there any trouble, fear, or distraction that keeps you from the perfect peace and joy of a life surrendered to Jesus Christ?
"Lord Jesus, you fill us with the joy of your saving presence and you give us the hope of everlasting life with the Father in Heaven. Show me the Father that I may grow in the knowledge of your great love and truth."
Psalm 2:6-11a
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."
10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the LORD with fear, with trembling rejoice.
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Walk by faith in the truth, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"Persevere now in walking by faith in the truth, that you may succeed in coming at a definite and due time to the sight of the same truth. For as the apostle says, 'While staying here in the body, we are away from the Lord. For we are walking by faith, not by sight' (2 Corinthians 5:6-7). We are led to the direct sight and vision of the Father by Christian faith. That is why the Lord says, 'No one comes to the Father except through me.'" (excerpt from SERMON 12.5)
More Homilies
April 27, 2018 Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter
