Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Lectionary: 294
Reading 1
Acts 18:1-8
Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus,
who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla
because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome.
He went to visit them and, because he practiced the same trade,
stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.
Every sabbath, he entered into discussions in the synagogue,
attempting to convince both Jews and Greeks.
When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia,
Paul began to occupy himself totally with preaching the word,
testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus.
When they opposed him and reviled him,
he shook out his garments and said to them,
"Your blood be on your heads!
I am clear of responsibility.
From now on I will go to the Gentiles."
So he left there and went to a house
belonging to a man named Titus Justus, a worshiper of God;
his house was next to a synagogue.
Crispus, the synagogue official, came to believe in the Lord
along with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians
who heard believed and were baptized.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4
R. (see 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia
See John 14:18
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I will not leave you orphans, says the Lord;
I will come back to you, and your hearts will rejoice.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
John 16:16-20
Jesus said to his disciples:
"A little while and you will no longer see me,
and again a little while later and you will see me."
So some of his disciples said to one another,
"What does this mean that he is saying to us,
'A little while and you will not see me,
and again a little while and you will see me,'
and 'Because I am going to the Father'?"
So they said, "What is this 'little while' of which he speaks?
We do not know what he means."
Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them,
"Are you discussing with one another what I said,
'A little while and you will not see me,
and again a little while and you will see me'?
Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices;
you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Deepening Your Understanding
So some of his disciples said to one another, “What does this mean that he is saying to us, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” So they said, “What is this ‘little while’ of which he speaks? We do not know what he means.” John 16:17–18
How about you? Do you know what Jesus means? Or do you find that you are confused by what He said just like these disciples were? Though pride may tempt you to claim that you fully understand all that Jesus taught, the humble and honest truth is that you are probably very much like these disciples in their confusion. And that is not necessarily a bad place to be.
First, the confusion of these disciples shows they took Jesus seriously. They were not indifferent. They cared, were interested, wanted to understand, and must have had some level of faith in Jesus. Otherwise, they would have ignored Him. But they didn’t. They listened, tried to understand, discussed His teaching, thought about His words and humbly concluded that they didn’t understand.
Jesus is not critical of their confusion. He sees that they are trying and that they have some level of faith. And even though these disciples are confused, Jesus continues to speak to them in figures of speech rather than directly and clearly. One of the reasons that Jesus speaks in figurative language is because the message that He is teaching is profound and deep. It’s not something that can be quickly and easily understood and mastered. The mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven are so deep, vast, profound and mystical that the only way to begin to understand them is to first have faith. Faith does not mean you fully understand everything. Faith is a supernatural gift by which you come to believe without fully seeing and understanding. The certainty comes for God, not from your own reasoning ability. But faith always leads to deeper understanding. Therefore, as these disciples professed their faith, they also came to understand. And even though Jesus speaks in this figurative way, these disciples ultimately made the choice to believe. Later in this chapter they conclude, “Now we realize that you know everything and that you do not need to have anyone question you. Because of this we believe that you came from God” (John 16:30).
If you find yourself confused about various matters of faith, God, morality, and the like, or if you find yourself confused about the various mysteries of life itself, or your life in particular, do not be afraid to admit to this confusion. Admitting confusion is the humble admittance of the truth, and this humility will be a helpful step toward the gift of faith.
Reflect, today, upon whether you struggle at all with indifference toward the mysteries of life. If so, commit yourself to be more like these disciples who intentionally grappled with all that Jesus spoke. Do not be afraid to admit your confusion and to place that confusion before our Lord. Strive to have the gift of faith and allow that spark of faith to become the pathway for your deeper understanding of the many mysteries of life.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
NOT MUCH LONGER
“Within a short time…” —John 16:16, 17, 19
A simple word count shows that the phrase “a short time” occurs four times in the five verses of today’s Gospel passage. This phrase must have great importance to have been repeated so frequently. “The time is short” (1 Cor 7:29). “The world as we know it is passing away” (1 Cor 7:31). We have only “a short time” to bear fruit on this earth. Jesus expects us to bear abundant, lasting fruit for His Kingdom during our lives (see Jn 15:16). As followers of King Jesus, we don’t want Him to be displeased with the fruit from our service; may we not hear Him tell us: “I find that the sum of your deeds is less than complete in the sight of My God” (Rv 3:2). We only have “a short time” to spread the Good News to people who desperately need to be saved from the world’s dangers to their body and soul.
“Within a short time,” ten days to be exact, the Church celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday. We don’t have much time, but the Spirit empowers us to get a lot done and go a long way in a short time (see Acts 8:39-40).
Tomorrow begins the Pentecost Novena, the first novena in the history of the Church. When Jesus ascended to the Father, the love which flowed between them, that is, the Holy Spirit, overflowed from the heavens. The Father and the Son poured out the Spirit upon the people of the earth (Rm 5:5). Thus there is hope for the world, because the Spirit’s power is explosive (Acts 1:8; Lk 24:49). “Receive the Holy Spirit” (Jn 20:22).
Prayer: Father, prune me of anything in my life which stops me from bearing fruit for You (Jn 15:2).
Promise: “His whole household…put [their] faith in the Lord.” —Acts 18:8
Praise: The day after Pete was prayed over at a Life in the Spirit seminar, the Holy Spirit opened his mind to understand the Scriptures in a bright, new way (Lk 24:45). He has since been teaching the Bible in the power of the Spirit for over forty years.
Reflection 3
Shared from God's Word
Jesus in his discourse cautioned his disciples that his absence would be a time of bitter agony for them. But he promised that their sorrow would turn into joy, obviously referring to his resurrection and his presence with them. They would soon experience the love of the Father and the abiding presence of Jesus in their life and would be filled with the Holy Spirit. What makes the life of Christians joyful is the centrality of Jesus in their lives. Sorrows and troubles are not absent from the life of a Christian. However, they exist only for “a little while”, a phrase used seven times in today’s Gospel text. The presence of Christ gives new meaning even to the most painful of sorrows. Pope Francis exhorts us thus: “Let us break open our sealed tombs to the Lord so that he may enter and grant us life.
Prayers
My mysterious Lord, You and all the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven are so deep and profound that no one will ever fully comprehend their depth, breadth and beauty. Please open my mind, dear Lord, to a deeper understanding of You so that I may profess my faith in You and in all that You have chosen to reveal. I do believe, my God. Help my unbelief. Jesus, I trust in You.
To you, O Jesus, do I turn my true and last end. You are the river of life which alone can satisfy my thirst. Without you all else is barren and void. Without all else you alone are enough for me. You are the Redeemer of those who are lost; the sweet Consoler of the sorrowful; the crown of glory for the victors; the recompense of the blessed. One day I hope to receive of your fullness, and to sing the song of praise in my true home. Give me only on earth some few drops of consolation, and I will patiently wait your coming that I may enter into the joy of my Lord. (Bonaventure, 1221-74 AD)
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 129: Do Not Be Afraid
“Do not be afraid; just have faith” (Mark 5:36). These four words, “Do not be afraid,” are spoken countless times throughout the Scripture. We should pay attention to them. Fear can paralyze us and lead us into many forms of foolish thinking and acting. The person who acts out of fear truly acts like a fool. That may seem harsh at first, but it’s not if you understand what it means. It simply means that a person acting out of fear cannot act rationally. Fear does great damage to a person’s ability to stay calm, remain focused and think clearly. That’s why the Scriptures speak so directly regarding this important spiritual point. Fear must give way to faith and trust in God (See Diary #626-627).
What is it that causes you the most anxiety, worry and fear? It’s a struggle we all deal with. There is no shame in admitting it. So what is it? Identify that which overwhelms you the most and you will identify that which God wants you to surrender in trust the most. Go to the heart of the struggle. Sincerely place that worry and fear into the Hands of God and trust. Trust that God is All-Powerful and capable of handling every situation. He may not change things the way you think they should be changed, but He will lift your burden and enable you to move forward without the fear that can easily paralyze and confuse you. Do not let fear dominate your life. Trust in God and let that trust transform you.
Jesus, I do want to trust You and to entrust all my many burdens to You. I especially turn to You with (pause and state that which causes the most fear and anxiety). Please enter into this burden and lift it by Your gentle hand, replacing it with peace and great inner calm. Jesus, I trust in You.
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