Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter
Lectionary: 300
Reading 1
Acts 22:30; 23:6-11
Wishing to determine the truth
about why Paul was being accused by the Jews,
the commander freed him
and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to convene.
Then he brought Paul down and made him stand before them.
Paul was aware that some were Sadducees and some Pharisees,
so he called out before the Sanhedrin,
"My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees;
I am on trial for hope in the resurrection of the dead."
When he said this,
a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees,
and the group became divided.
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection
or angels or spirits,
while the Pharisees acknowledge all three.
A great uproar occurred,
and some scribes belonging to the Pharisee party
stood up and sharply argued,
"We find nothing wrong with this man.
Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?"
The dispute was so serious that the commander,
afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them,
ordered his troops to go down and rescue Paul from their midst
and take him into the compound.
The following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Take courage.
For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem,
so you must also bear witness in Rome."
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11
R. (1) Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, "My Lord are you."
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia
John 17:21
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
May they all be one as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
that the world may believe that you sent me, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
John 17:20-26
Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying:
"I pray not only for these,
but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
so that they may all be one,
as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
that they also may be in us,
that the world may believe that you sent me.
And I have given them the glory you gave me,
so that they may be one, as we are one,
I in them and you in me,
that they may be brought to perfection as one,
that the world may know that you sent me,
and that you loved them even as you loved me.
Father, they are your gift to me.
I wish that where I am they also may be with me,
that they may see my glory that you gave me,
because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
Righteous Father, the world also does not know you,
but I know you, and they know that you sent me.
I made known to them your name and I will make it known,
that the love with which you loved me
may be in them and I in them."
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Gestures of Love
Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying: “I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.” John 17:20–21
Over the past couple of weeks, we have been continually reading from Chapter 14–17 of John’s Gospel. These chapters contain Jesus’ Last Supper Discourses and provide us with Jesus’ last sermon, so to speak. Chapter 17, which we have been reading this past week, presents us with Jesus’ final prayer for His disciples and for all of us “who will believe” in Him through the preaching of the disciples. Each time we read from Chapter 17, the Lectionary begins the reading with the phrase “Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying…” That line is an adaptation of Chapter 17:1 but is used to introduce the various parts of the prayer of Jesus each time it is read at Mass.
It’s interesting that Jesus would look up to Heaven when He prayed. Of course, Heaven is not physically in the sky, because Heaven is a spiritual reality. The Father is not located in some place in the sky but is omnipresent, meaning, present all places and all times. And yet, Jesus raises His eyes upward when He prays to the Father. There is a great lesson in this.
Our physical disposition is important, at times. For example, when someone we owe respect to enters a room, we usually rise and greet them. It would be disrespectful to remain lounging on a bed or sofa in that case. And at Mass, we do not sit back with legs crossed during the Consecration; rather, we kneel in adoration. And when we greet someone for the first time, we do not look at the floor; rather, we look them in the eyes.
Jesus’ act of “Lifting his eyes to heaven” was not done because He thought He might see the Father in the sky; rather, it was done out of respect and love and as a way of acknowledging the dignity of the Father. This should teach us about our own bodily disposition and the message we communicate to others, especially to God in prayer.
When you pray, what do you do? Though you can pray at any time and while in any disposition, it is an excellent practice to speak to God not only by your words but also by the disposition you take. Kneeling, raising hands in prayer, falling prostrate before your Lord, sitting upright with attentiveness, etc., are all ways in which you communicate to God your love.
Reflect, today, upon this image of Jesus praying. Gaze at how attentive He would have been as He lifted His sacred eyes upward as a physical gesture honoring the glorious, all-powerful Father in Heaven. Try to imagine Jesus’ devotion, intensity, respect and burning love. Imitate this holy gesture of prayer and attentiveness to the Father and remind yourself of the importance of expressing your love in bodily form.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
FROM BAD TIMES COME THE BEST TIMES
“Just as you have given testimony to Me here in Jerusalem, so must you do in Rome.” —Acts 23:11
Do you think you’re having a bad week? Compare your worst week to St. Paul’s bad week. Paul was quietly praying in the Temple. Some antagonistic Jews who knew Paul from Asia recognized him and “began to stir up the whole crowd there. They seized him” (Acts 21:27). The whole city came after Paul (Acts 21:30). “Attempts were being made on his life” (Acts 21:31). Soldiers “arrested Paul and had him bound with double irons” (Acts 21:33). A crowd followed Paul, “shouting, ‘Kill him! Kill him!’ ” (Acts 21:36) A little later, the crowd again “began to shout, ‘Kill him! Rid the earth of the likes of him! He isn’t worthy to live!’ ” (Acts 22:22) Subsequently, in a trial before the Sanhedrin, Paul was nearly torn to pieces (Acts 23:10).
At this low point, Jesus appeared to Paul that night and encouraged him. Jesus then commissioned Paul to testify to Him in Rome (Acts 23:11), which represented “the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The Lord used these traumatic disasters to orchestrate Paul’s mission to Rome, the center of power at the time.
When the sky is falling around you, “keep up your courage!” (Acts 23:11) Though you may not be able to see it, your own Rome might be just around the corner. God can transform the present disasters into far-reaching, earth-shaking triumphs.
Prayer: Holy Spirit, light Your fire on the earth (Lk 12:49), even if that means I have to be tried in that fire (1 Pt 1:6-7).
Promise: “Father, all those You gave me I would have in My company where I am, to see this glory of Mine.” —Jn 17:24
Praise: Dan lived for pleasure alone until he found Jesus. His daily Mass and prayer time now give him more happiness than he ever had before (see Ps 4:8).
Reflection 3
Fr. Habel JADERA
(Bogor, Indonesia)
"Do you love me more than these?"
Today, Gospel tells us another story of Jesus’ appearance to His disciples. Intensely, the dialogue between Jesus and Peter illustrates God's mercy as a great love for the disciples and the world. This is not a common dialog between Jesus and His disciple, Peter. Both Jesus and Peter talk about love according to their perspectives. Jesus’ three questions: «Do you love me more than these?» could be seen as His act of reaffirming Peter's twofold status: as a disciple who loves Him more than others do, and as a disciple who loves Him more than he loves his fellow disciples. Indeed, Jesus’ great act of love requires a depth response from Peter.
By answering «Yes, Lord, you know that I love you», Simon seems to understand his three times failures in denying Jesus, Son of God who stands in front of him, who says to the disciples «don’t be afraid», «peace be unto you» (cf. Jn 14:27; 20:19).
Jesus concludes this important dialog with the affirmation of Peter's task and the authorities which have been given before (cf. Mt 16:18-20). Especially, when Jesus said, «Look after my sheep». Regarding this fulfillment of Jesus' commissions, it requires an extraordinary love, the love that is missionary in spirit. This missionary love must be going forth, as Pope Francis says «love creates bonds and expands existence, for it draws people out of themselves and towards others».
Jesus ensures this basic characteristic of love that is missionary to be His shepherds: To love Him more than anything. Finally, as Jesus' disciples, we are all called to guarantee that the «law of ecstasy» is operated. As Pope Francis notes «the lover goes outside the self to find a fuller existence in another». Missionary love encourages us of moving beyond ourselves!
Prayers
My most holy Father in Heaven, I do join Your Son, Jesus, in lifting my eyes, my heart and my whole life to You in honor, love and respect. May I always be attentive to You and always show You the devotion due Your greatness. My dear Jesus, thank You for Your love of the Father in Heaven. Give me the grace I need to imitate You and Your perfect love in my life. Jesus, I trust in You.
Heavenly Father, have mercy on all your people who have been redeemed by the precious blood of your Son who offered up his life for us on the cross. Pardon our sins and heal our divisions that we may grow in love, unity, and holiness together as your sons and daughters. May all Christian people throughout the world attain the unity for which Jesus prayed on the eve of his sacrifice. Renew in us the power of the Holy Spirit that we may be a sign of that unity and a means of its growth. Increase in us a fervent love, respect, and care for all of our brothers and sisters who believe in Jesus Christ.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 136: The Power of a Grateful Heart
If you were to examine the content of your prayer life over the past month, what would you see? Hopefully there would be many moments of surrender, intercession, praise and adoration. And hopefully there were also many moments in which your prayer consisted of deep thanksgiving to God. Being grateful, truly grateful, and expressing that gratitude in prayer is powerful. We have so much to be grateful for and yet, so often, we become more focused in on our problems than on the countless blessings God has bestowed upon us. Even in the midst of life’s darkest hour, there is much that a holy soul can find to be grateful for. Offering prayers of gratitude to God, with much sincerity, has the potential to lift our spirits to the heights of authentic spiritual joy (See Diary #675).
What are you grateful for? Better put, in what ways has God blessed you in abundance? If you are not immediately aware of your blessings from God, that is a good sign that you may need to spend more time “counting your blessings.” It’s good to keep our eyes on the innumerable blessings God has bestowed upon us, to see them, name them and be joyful in them. The more we see them, the more we grow in gratitude, and the more we grow in gratitude, the more we are blessed.
Lord, I thank You with profound gratitude for the countless blessings in my life. Help me to daily become more aware of those blessings and to be grateful for them. Help me to see that life itself is a gift and that You are active in my life day and night. Help me to especially see these blessings when life is hard, or when some burden weighs me down. May I be filled with a grateful heart and always rejoice in Your goodness. Jesus, I trust in You.
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