Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Lectionary: 295
Reading 1
Acts 18:9-18
One night while Paul was in Corinth, the Lord said to him in a vision,
"Do not be afraid.
Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you.
No one will attack and harm you,
for I have many people in this city."
He settled there for a year and a half
and taught the word of God among them.
But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia,
the Jews rose up together against Paul
and brought him to the tribunal, saying,
"This man is inducing people to worship God contrary to the law."
When Paul was about to reply, Gallio spoke to the Jews,
"If it were a matter of some crime or malicious fraud,
I should with reason hear the complaint of you Jews;
but since it is a question of arguments over doctrine and titles
and your own law, see to it yourselves.
I do not wish to be a judge of such matters."
And he drove them away from the tribunal.
They all seized Sosthenes, the synagogue official,
and beat him in full view of the tribunal.
But none of this was of concern to Gallio.
Paul remained for quite some time,
and after saying farewell to the brothers he sailed for Syria,
together with Priscilla and Aquila.
At Cenchreae he had shaved his head because he had taken a vow.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 47:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
R. (8a) God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
All you peoples, clap your hands,
shout to God with cries of gladness,
For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,
is the great king over all the earth.
R. God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He brings people under us;
nations under our feet.
He chooses for us our inheritance,
the glory of Jacob, whom he loves.
R. God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy;
the LORD, amid trumpet blasts.
Sing praise to God, sing praise;
sing praise to our king, sing praise.
R. God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia
See Luke 24:46, 26
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead,
and so enter into his glory.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
John 16:20-23
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn,
while the world rejoices;
you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.
When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived;
but when she has given birth to a child,
she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy
that a child has been born into the world.
So you also are now in anguish.
But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice,
and no one will take your joy away from you.
On that day you will not question me about anything.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you."
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
The “Labour Pains” of God’s Will
“When a woman is in labour, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world.” John 16:21
This truth can certainly be extended to any form of anguish we experience for a good reason. Note that the pain experienced in childbirth is pain for a good and holy reason. Therefore, the pain is forgotten, in a sense, when the mother sees and holds her newborn child. That suffering is forgotten in the sense that it is transformed into joy by the birth of a child.
There is much in life that can cause anguish. In today’s Gospel, Jesus goes on to say to His disciples: “So you also are now in anguish.” He says this because He had just finished speaking to them about His coming departure to the Father and about the suffering that they would all experience in the form of persecution. But then He says to them that after He departs and they no longer see Him, they will then see Him again and will rejoice. And He says, “On that day you will not question me about anything.” This is an important line to understand.
Anguish, or any form of suffering, can tempt us to question our lives and even to question God. It is clear that after Jesus was killed, the disciples questioned everything. They were confused and frightened. All appeared to be lost. Then, to a lesser degree, after Jesus ascended into Heaven and prior to Him sending the Holy Spirit, the disciples would have also experienced confusion. Why did Jesus leave them? Why didn’t He stay longer? Who was going to lead them now? These and many other similar questions would have arisen in their minds.
So also with us, when things do not go as planned, or when things take a painful turn in our lives, we can immediately question and even doubt the perfect plan of God. If things fall apart because of our sin, then repentance is the remedy. But if things fall apart, in the sense that life becomes difficult, then we should especially listen to the words of Jesus today.
When anguish in life happens because we are fulfilling God’s will, we must see that anguish as a means to a much greater good. Just as the pains of childbirth lead to the gift of a child, so the pains of bringing forth God’s will in our lives will lead to the presence of God Himself. Patient endurance is a virtue that is especially important in this case. For example, the anguish of overcoming an addiction, or of praying when we don’t feel like praying, or of forgiving someone who hurt us are all examples of anguish turning into blessings. Very often, combatting our own selfish will is difficult. But the fruit of engaging in such a battle within us is joy. There is joy found in victory over sin. Joy is found in persevering in prayer. Joy is found in every difficulty we endure for the Kingdom of God. But the joy is not always our first experience. It is only experienced when we patiently endure the situation.
Reflect, today, upon any form of anguish you are currently enduring for the glory of God, or anything you are currently avoiding because it seems difficult to do. Do not shy away from these difficulties. See them as a means to a glorious end. Endure the “labor pains” of the purification and mission God is calling you to by looking beyond the difficulties you initially experience so that you will see the end result that awaits you.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
ASK FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT
“I give you My assurance, whatever you ask the Father, He will give you in My name.” —John 16:23
Today begins nine days of prayer, the Pentecost Novena, to ask God to prepare our hearts to receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. God pours out the Holy Spirit beyond measure and without ration (Jn 3:34; Eph 3:20). Nevertheless, we need to prepare our hearts. We don’t pray the Pentecost Novena because God needs persuading, but rather because we need docility to receive the Spirit.
Jesus revealed that our heavenly Father won’t give us “a poisonous snake when [we ask] for a fish” (Mt 7:10), and that He is predisposed to give good things to those who ask Him (Mt 7:11). In Luke’s parallel version of this passage, Jesus replaces the phrase “good things” with “the Holy Spirit” (Lk 11:13).
At the first Pentecost Novena, the apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary gathered to pray communally and intensely for the promise of the Father, that is, the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:14). Let us likewise gather with other Christians to pray earnestly to receive the Holy Spirit, Whom God is already lavishing on us (Ti 3:6).
God wants to send the Holy Spirit to open our “minds to the understanding of the Scriptures” (Lk 24:45). Therefore, let’s give God opportunities to bestow the Spirit on us by reading the Scriptures frequently during the Pentecost Novena.
Prayer: Father, pour out Your love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Rm 5:5). Come, Holy Spirit!
Promise: “Do not be afraid. Go on speaking and do not be silenced, for I am with you.” —Acts 18:9-10
Praise: St. Damien’s love was greater than fear of disease and death as he kept his eyes fixed on Jesus and thereby gave Hope to the hopeless.
Reflection 3
The Servants of the Word
Your Sorrow Will Turn into Joy
Why did the Lord Jesus tell his disciples that they would weep and be sorrowful? Jesus was neither a pessimist nor a masochist, and he was certainly more than a realist! The way to happiness and joy in the kingdom of God is through the cross. Sin must be brought to the cross of Jesus Christ and evil can only be completely mastered by the power of God's redeeming love. Jesus told his disciples that it was more blessed to mourn for sin because it would yield the fruit of peace, joy, and righteousness. Jesus knew that the cross would be a stumbling block for those who refused to believe in him.
We, too, have a share in the victory and joy of Christ's resurrection
The cross for Jesus was not defeat but victory - victory over sin, over the forces of evil in the world, and over the devil - the arch-enemy of God and the human race. Through his atoning sacrifice on the cross Jesus won for us new abundant life and freedom over the power of sin, despair, and death. He was raised in power from the tomb on the third day and his glorified body will never taste death again. The Easter victory of the Lord Jesus gives us courage, strength, and confident hope in the face of suffering and death. In the resurrection of Jesus Christ our fears are laid to rest. His resurrection is total and final triumph over death, and for us peace and joy in the confident hope that we, too, will be raised to everlasting life with Christ.
We will have trials in this present age - .but, through the eyes of faith, we know the final outcome - complete victory over sin, suffering, and death in Jesus Christ. That is why we can pray confidently now, knowing that the Father in heaven will give us everything we need to live as his children and as disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ. Do you know the Easter joy of Christ's victory over sin and death?
Prayers
My glorious Lord, You endured Your passion with perfect virtue. You never wavered from fulfilling the will of the Father, and the fruit of Your perseverance was the glory of the Resurrection. Please help me to patiently endure the crosses in my life and give me hope to see that from them You will bring forth the good fruit of eternal joy. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, we are Easter people, and alleluia is our song. Fill us with your Holy Spirit that we may radiate the joy of your Resurrection and live in the reality of your great victory over sin and death.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 130: Correcting Others in Love
There is little doubt that each one of us will encounter, from time to time, the sin of another. It could be in their words, actions or the omission of what they ought to do. Sin hurts and requires correction. Very often, when we are sinned against, we tend to get angry. But the anger we have is not always “holy anger” and is not, therefore, always from God. We can easily allow our wounded pride to be the source of a harsh, or even subtle, correction of another. This, then, becomes our sin. But sin must be confronted and God will, at times, call us to correct others. Our correction may even be severe. But when it comes from the holiness of God, inspiring and guiding us, our correction of the other will not wound them, it will be an act of Mercy. They may need severity, and God may inspire us to be severe, but we must always be careful that what we offer ultimately flows from the Mercy of God (See Diary #633).
Reflect upon any moments of contention that you have encountered lately. Were words spoken, or actions done that were based more on unhealthy emotion than on love? Examine how you react when hurt by another. Do you look at them with Mercy and seek to offer the Mercy of God, even if it must come, in that moment, in the form of a holy rebuke? Do not be afraid to let God use you to offer this form of Mercy. It may be hard to distinguish from the sin of anger, but we must strive to offer this Mercy for the good of those we are called to love.
Lord, I offer myself to You so that You can use me as an instrument of Your Divine Mercy. When I am sinned against, help me to forgive immediately. But help me, also, to know how best to address the sins of others. Help me to know how to offer corrections in love for their good. Give me courage and wisdom, dear Lord, and use me as You will. Jesus, I trust in You.
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