May 18, 2020 Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter
2020년 5월 18일 부활 제6주간 월요일
오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp
제1독서
사도행전. 16,11-15
11 우리는 배를 타고 트로아스를 떠나 사모트라케로 직행하여
이튿날 네아폴리스로 갔다.
12 거기에서 또 필리피로 갔는데,
그곳은 마케도니아 지역에서 첫째가는 도시로 로마 식민시였다.
우리는 그 도시에서 며칠을 보냈는데,
13 안식일에는 유다인들의 기도처가 있다고 생각되는 성문 밖 강가로 나갔다.
그리고 거기에 앉아 그곳에 모여 있는 여자들에게 말씀을 전하였다.
14 티아티라 시 출신의 자색 옷감 장수로
이미 하느님을 섬기는 이였던 리디아라는 여자도 듣고 있었는데,
바오로가 하는 말에 귀 기울이도록 하느님께서 그의 마음을 열어 주셨다.
15 리디아는 온 집안과 함께 세례를 받고 나서,
“저를 주님의 신자로 여기시면
저의 집에 오셔서 지내십시오.” 하고 청하며 우리에게 강권하였다.
복음
요한. 15,26ㅡ16,4ㄱ
그때에 예수님께서 제자들에게 말씀하셨다.
26 “내가 아버지에게서 너희에게로 보낼 보호자,
곧 아버지에게서 나오시는 진리의 영이 오시면,
그분께서 나를 증언하실 것이다.
27 그리고 너희도 처음부터 나와 함께 있었으므로 나를 증언할 것이다.
16,1 내가 너희에게 이 말을 한 이유는 너희가 떨어져 나가지 않게 하려는 것이다.
2 사람들이 너희를 회당에서 내쫓을 것이다.
게다가 너희를 죽이는 자마다 하느님께 봉사한다고 생각할 때가 온다.
3 그들은 아버지도 나도 알지 못하기 때문에 그러한 짓을 할 것이다.
4 내가 너희에게 이 말을 한 이유는,
그들의 때가 오면 내가 너희에게 한 말을 기억하게 하려는 것이다.”
May 18, 2020
Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass
Reading 1
Acts 16:11-15
We set sail from Troas, making a straight run for Samothrace,
and on the next day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi,
a leading city in that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony.
We spent some time in that city.
On the sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river
where we thought there would be a place of prayer.
We sat and spoke with the women who had gathered there.
One of them, a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth,
from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God, listened,
and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention
to what Paul was saying.
After she and her household had been baptized,
she offered us an invitation,
“If you consider me a believer in the Lord,
come and stay at my home,” and she prevailed on us.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (see 4a) The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches.
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples:
“When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father,
he will testify to me.
And you also testify,
because you have been with me from the beginning.
“I have told you this so that you may not fall away.
They will expel you from the synagogues;
in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you
will think he is offering worship to God.
They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me.
I have told you this so that when their hour comes
you may remember that I told you.”
http://evangeli.net/gospel/tomorrow
«And you also must testify»
Fr. Higinio Rafael ROSOLEN IVE
(Cobourg, ontario, Canada)
Today, in the Gospel, Jesus announces and promises the coming of the Holy Spirit: "When the Paraclete comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, he will testify about me" (John 15:26). "Paraclete" literally means one called to the side of another", and is usually translated as "Comforter". In this way, Jesus reminds us of the goodness of God, for the Holy Spirit being God's love, He infuses into our hearts peace, equanimity in adversity and joy for the things of God. He makes us look at things above and join God.
Besides, Jesus also said to the Apostles: «And you must also testify» (Jn 15:27). To bear witness to it is necessary:
1º To have communion and intimacy with Jesus. This originates from our day-to-day behavior with Him: to read the Gospel, to hear His words, to know His teachings, to frequent His sacraments, to be in communion with His Church, to imitate His example, to fulfil His commandments, to identify Him in the Saints, to recognize Him in our brothers, to have His spirit and to love Him. It is a matter of having a personal and living experience of Jesus.
2º If it appears in our works our testimony is trustworthy. A witness is not only a person who knows something to be true but who is also willing to say it and live by it. What we experience and live by in our soul must be also transmitted beyond. We are witnesses of Jesus not only when we know His teachings, but - and mainly - when we want and make others to know Him and love Him. As the saying goes: «Words move people, examples compel them».
Pope Francis said: “I am grateful for the beautiful example given to me by so many Christians who joyfully sacrifice their lives and their time. This witness comforts and sustains me in my own effort to overcome selfishness and to give more fully of myself." And he added: «I especially want to ask you a testimony of fraternal communion that becomes attractive and radiant». This is always an enticing light.
«I will send you the Spirit of truth. When this Helper has come from the Father, He will be my witness»
Fr. Jordi POU i Sabater
(Sant Jordi Desvalls, Girona, Spain)
Today, the Gospel is almost as applicable as it was in the last years of St. John the Evangelist. In those days, to be a Christian was not in fashion (in fact, it was rather dangerous) as, now a days, it is not either. Should we want to be well regarded by our society, we better not be Christians, because, in many ways —as it happened to the first Christian Jews— «they will put us out of the Jewish communities» (Jn 16:2).
We are well aware that to be a Christian today is to go upstream. It has always been. Even when “everybody” was a Christian: those who really wanted to be Christians were not too well considered by some. If abiding by Jesus Christ's law, a Christian is a living witness of what God had planned for all men; it is the clear evidence that it is both possible to imitate Jesus Christ and to live with a man's dignity. Many, though, will not be pleased with this example, very much in the same way as Jesus displeased those who killed him. The reasons for this refusal may be several, and we have to bear in mind that, at times, our testimony will be taken as an accusation.
It would not be fair to say that, because of his writings, St. John was a pessimist: he gives us a vivid description of a victorious Church and of Christ's final triumph. It cannot be said either he did not have to go through the same suffering he describes. He does not hide the reality of life or the substance of Christian life: to fight.
A fight for all concerned, for we can never win by ourselves. The Holy Spirit is our battle partner who fights by our side. The Holy Spirit gives us the necessary strength. The Holy Spirit is the Protector, who delivers us from all danger. With The Holy Spirit by our side we should not be afraid of anything.
John fully trusted Jesus; He offered him his life. Thus, it was not difficult for him to trust He Who was sent by Him: the Holy Spirit.
«I will send you (…) the Spirit of truth»
Pbro. D. Luis A. GALA Rodríguez
(Campeche, Mexico)
Today, the Gospel’s text contains Jesus’ advice on the hardship that is bound to face every one of his disciples «Still more, the hour is coming when anyone who kills you will claim to be serving God» (Jn 16:2). In plain human terms it is normal that fear may overtake us - however, just as it is certain that great comfort comes from knowing we are not alone, as we rely on the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of truth, to always pay testimonial (Jn 15:26).
It is of vital importance to be aware that the Holy Spirit lives within every one of us who is baptized: after all we are, by adoption, "children of God", and "living temple of the Spirit" — how true! And how often we forget or disbelieve such truth, because we haven’t known either the Father or the Son (Jn 16:3). We live in a crisis of values and faith, thinking that change will come from the outside and from the sole work of God, something magical. But the Gospel reminds us that change operates within and upon ourselves through the labor of the Holy Spirit. The "Spirit" will not come to solve our problems; rather it will teach us to comprehend them, thus leading us to understanding what it is that we really have to change within ourselves, so as to sustain and enliven the testimony of our lives in Christ.
Benedict XVI reminds us, on the opening Mass for the Year of Faith, that "today, more than ever, to evangelize implies to pay testimony of a new life, transformed by God", for which the essential lies in the Gospel and a steady faith in the Church.
one needs to be open to the touch of the Spirit of God, in order not to fear in face of so much pain, suffering, and helplessness in a world so materialistic — even though it might seem like God is absent or out of reach — but rather learning to ask for the help of the Spirit: "Come Holy Spirit and renew your Church according to your will”.
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
The phrase, "a straight run from Troas to Samothrace, then on to the port of Neapolis and Philippi,” sounds like a modern description of an Aegean cruise. St. Paul’s trip was certainly not for pleasure. He and his companions were called by the Holy Spirit to travel from Asia Minor to Macedonia, which then was a Roman colony. Paul believed that he would make converts there. Since the city was Roman, and pagan, Jews, and others, who did not worship the Roman gods, were allowed to worship outside of the walls, near a river. It was there that he met Lydia and members of her household. Since her trade was in very expensive purple cloth (or, perhaps, dye), we associate her with the wealthy, aristocrats, and royalty; only they could afford Lydia’s product. Despite her need to be in favor with her customers, Lydia “believed in God”, and followed her faith. Paul and his companions were able to preach to Lydia and her household members; Paul later baptized them in the river. They were the first to be baptized in Europe. Lydia persuaded Paul and his companions to stay at her home. This seed of an early Christian community in Europe, was planted just outside of the walls of a city; it was not welcome in the mainstream of society. Even though not much was written about Lydia, we know that her wealth, influence, faith, and strong personality helped to create an opportunity for Christianity to thrive.
So often, in Christian history, women have provided leadership, support, and a myriad of examples of faith in action. When we later read, in Acts:16, of Paul’s difficulties with the authorities in Philippi, it becomes clear that Lydia continued to stand by Paul and the Christian faith. She, like Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and Mary Magdalen, provided an early template for women whose deep faith and strength contributed so much to the growth of the early church. Let us pray that we will have the wisdom to follow the examples of the holy women of the church; be open to the good news that Jesus gave us, and to act on it.
Jesus tells us in the Gospel about the “Spirit of Truth” who will come from the Father to support and to testify to the truth. Jesus assures us that we will not be alone when we too testify to the truth of his teaching. We will be comforted and supported by the Holy Spirit who is our advocate and our paraclete. He is with us always, as are the Father and the Son.
It is easy to despair, especially in these difficult times. It is important to believe that our God will never leave us. His love is always evident if we open our hearts to it. We must have faith, cling to the truth, and let God give us the strength to persevere. We, too, will find the power to “testify”, to bear witness, to the Lord.
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
home improvement
"After she and her household had been baptized, she extended us an invitation: 'If you are convinced that I believe in the Lord, come and stay at my house.' " —Acts 16:15
After her conversion, the first words of Lydia, the first convert of the Western world, involved making her home a base for evangelization. Jesus stayed at home for about thirty years before His three years of public ministry. The Church met primarily in homes for its first three hundred years. The Church fathers taught that the Christian home is a "domestic church" (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1656, 1666). The Lord has clearly and repeatedly made the statement that the home is foundational and central to Christianity.
Consequently, Satan tries to destroy our homes through abortion, contraception, promiscuity, unfaithfulness, and divorce. He attacks the home through TV, the Internet, and other forms of media. Satan makes it seem economically necessary to work away from home for most of our waking hours. He has been largely successful in getting meals, education, recreation, medical care, and business taken out of the home. The home is then relegated to a boarding house where residents merely sleep and entertain themselves.
By the power of the risen Christ and with wisdom from the Holy Spirit, let us restore our homes to their crucial place in God's plan of salvation. Risen Lord Jesus, in these last days of Easter, raise our homes from the ruins of our culture of death.
Prayer: Father, protect me from being brainwashed.
Promise: "When the Paraclete comes, the Spirit of truth Who comes from the Father — and Whom I Myself will send from the Father — He will bear witness on My behalf. You must bear witness as well." —Jn 15:26-27
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
"When the Counselor comes, the Spirit of truth"
Where do you find help and support when you most need it? True friendship is strengthened in adversity. Jesus offers his disciples the best and truest of friends. Who is this promised friend? Jesus calls the Holy Spirit our Counselor and Advocate (also translated Paraclete or Helper). How does the Holy Spirit help us as the counselor? Counselor is a legal term for the person who defends someone against an adversary and who guides that person during the ordeal of trial. The Holy Spirit is our Advocate and Helper who guides and strengthens us and brings us safely through the challenges and adversities we must face in this life.
Person and role of the Holy Spirit
As Jesus approaches the hour he was to be glorified - through his death on the cross and his resurrection - he revealed more fully to his disciples the person and role of the Holy Spirit. What does Jesus tell us about the Holy Spirit? First, the Holy Spirit is inseparably one with the Father and the Son. It is the Holy Spirit who gives life - the very life of God - and who makes faith come alive in hearts and minds of people who are receptive to God's word.
The Holy Spirit makes it possible for us to know God personally. He gives us experiential knowledge of God as our Father. The Spirit witnesses to our spirit that the Father has indeed sent his only begotten Son into the world to redeem it and has raised his Son, Jesus Christ, from the dead and has seated him at his right hand in glory and power.
The Holy Spirit reveals to us the knowledge, wisdom and plan of God for the ages and the Spirit enables us to see with the "eyes of faith" what the Father and the Son are doing. Through the gift and working of the Holy Spirit we become witnesses to the great work of God in Christ Jesus.
Spirit strengthens us in faith and courage
Jesus warned his disciples that they could expect persecution just as Jesus was opposed and treated with hostility. We have been given the Holy Spirit to help us live as disciples of Jesus Christ. The Spirit gives us courage and perseverance when we meet adversities and challenges. Do you pray for the Holy Spirit to strengthen you in faith, hope and love and to give you courage and perseverance when you meet adversities and challenges?
"O merciful God, fill our hearts, we pray, with the graces of your Holy Spirit; with love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self-control. Teach us to love those who hate us; to pray for those who despitefully use us; that we may be the children of your love, our Father, who makes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. In adversity grant us grace to be patient; in prosperity keep us humble; may we guard the door of our lips; may we lightly esteem the pleasures of this world, and thirst after heavenly things; through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Prayer of Anselm, 1033-1109)
Psalm 149:1-6a,9b
1 Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the faithful!
2 Let Israel be glad in his Maker, let the sons of Zion rejoice in their King!
3 Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with timbrel and lyre!
4 For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with victory.
5 Let the faithful exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their couches.
6a Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
9b This is glory for all his faithful ones. Praise the LORD!
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: The Comforter is with us in our troubles, by Cyril of Jerusalem, 430-543 A.D.
"He is called the Comforter because he comforts and encourages us and helps our infirmities. We do not know what we should pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself makes intercession for us, with groanings that cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26), that is, he makes intercession to God. Very often, someone has been outraged and dishonored unjustly for the sake of Christ. Martyrdom is at hand; tortures on every side, and fire, and sword, and savage beasts and the pit. But the Holy Spirit softly whispers to him, 'Wait on the Lord' (Psalm 27:14). What is now happening to you is a small matter; the reward will be great. Suffer a little while, and you will be with angels forever. 'The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that shall be revealed in us' (Romans 8:18). He portrays to the person the kingdom of heaven. He gives him a glimpse of the paradise of delight." (excerpt from CATECHETICAL LECTURES 16.20)
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