Monday - May 25, 2019
I therefore
command all my Brothers, those living now and those to come in the future, to
venerate the Holy Mother of God, whom we always implore to be our Protectress,
to praise her at all times, in all circumstances of life, with all the means in
their power and with the greatest devotion and submission.
-St. Francis of Assisi
I therefore
command all my Brothers, those living now and those to come in the future, to
venerate the Holy Mother of God, whom we always implore to be our Protectress,
to praise her at all times, in all circumstances of life, with all the means in
their power and with the greatest devotion and submission.
-St. Francis of Assisi
May 25 2020
Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter
Lectionary: 297
Reading 1ACTS 19:1-8
While Apollos was in Corinth,
Paul traveled through the interior of the country
and down to Ephesus where he found some disciples.
He said to them,
“Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?”
They answered him,
“We have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
He said, “How were you baptized?”
They replied, “With the baptism of John.”
Paul then said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance,
telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him,
that is, in Jesus.”
When they heard this,
they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
And when Paul laid his hands on them,
the Holy Spirit came upon them,
and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
Altogether there were about twelve men.
Paul traveled through the interior of the country
and down to Ephesus where he found some disciples.
He said to them,
“Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?”
They answered him,
“We have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
He said, “How were you baptized?”
They replied, “With the baptism of John.”
Paul then said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance,
telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him,
that is, in Jesus.”
When they heard this,
they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
And when Paul laid his hands on them,
the Holy Spirit came upon them,
and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
Altogether there were about twelve men.
He entered the synagogue, and for three months debated boldly
with persuasive arguments about the Kingdom of God.
with persuasive arguments about the Kingdom of God.
Responsorial Psalm68:2-3AB, 4-5ACD, 6-7AB
R. (33a) Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
God arises; his enemies are scattered,
and those who hate him flee before him.
As smoke is driven away, so are they driven;
as wax melts before the fire.
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
But the just rejoice and exult before God;
they are glad and rejoice.
Sing to God, chant praise to his name;
whose name is the LORD.
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The father of orphans and the defender of widows
is God in his holy dwelling.
God gives a home to the forsaken;
he leads forth prisoners to prosperity.
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
God arises; his enemies are scattered,
and those who hate him flee before him.
As smoke is driven away, so are they driven;
as wax melts before the fire.
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
But the just rejoice and exult before God;
they are glad and rejoice.
Sing to God, chant praise to his name;
whose name is the LORD.
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The father of orphans and the defender of widows
is God in his holy dwelling.
God gives a home to the forsaken;
he leads forth prisoners to prosperity.
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
AlleluiaCOL 3:1
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If then you were raised with Christ,
seek what is above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If then you were raised with Christ,
seek what is above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelJN 16:29-33
The disciples said to Jesus,
“Now you are talking plainly, and not in any figure of speech.
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.”
Jesus answered them, “Do you believe now?
Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived
when each of you will be scattered to his own home
and you will leave me alone.
But I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
I have told you this so that you might have peace in me.
In the world you will have trouble,
“Now you are talking plainly, and not in any figure of speech.
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.”
Jesus answered them, “Do you believe now?
Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived
when each of you will be scattered to his own home
and you will leave me alone.
But I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
I have told you this so that you might have peace in me.
In the world you will have trouble,
but take courage, I have conquered the world.”
******************************
Trusting in the Father's Nearness
Jesus asks us in today's Gospel reading: "Do you really believe?" We say we do, but our actions reveal the truth. Sometimes we act as if God has abandoned us. We take matters into our own hands as if God doesn't care or doesn't have the power or desire to help.
Jesus knew that his closest friends would abandon him at the worst time of his life, when he'd feel most vulnerable. Yet, he gained strength from knowing that his Father would be there. Even when he cried out from the cross, "Father! Why have you abandoned me!" he knew in his wounded heart that the Father only felt distant because he was far from the sins that Jesus now bore, but the Father was still united to the Son in divine love.
Surely the Father could have helped Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane by speaking to the disciples in their prayer time, telling them to support Jesus in his time of need. Maybe he did and their fears and shock or tiredness drowned out the message.
We all have friends and family who should have helped us during a difficult situation but didn't. How does that make us feel? That's the way Jesus felt, too, except -- Jesus trusted in his Father's nearness.
We need to develop the same trust in God's nearness. Even though we're not as holy as Jesus the Divine Son, our Divine Father remains with us always; our baptisms guarantee it. We can learn this from today's first reading, where Paul meets a group of people who have received the baptism of John. He completes their initiation into the Church by giving them the sacramental baptism.
Notice the difference between the two baptisms: The first one had been an act of repentance, which is something we do every time we overcome sin. In the second one, because it's a sacrament, it's something that God does. God comes to us in the fullness of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Thus, we can never be abandoned. Even when we lose people through death or desertion or some other form of scattering, we never lose God. If we seek God, we will discover that he is already right here with us. However, when we insist upon handling life our own way, we look past him and miss him. We abandon him.
How much we accept God's presence is entirely up to us.
To feel the Father's nearness, we need to spend time in a heart-level prayer life, repent of our sins, surrender to him our will and desires so we can make room for his will and desires, and refuse to settle for any substitute that the world offers.
Today's Prayer
Thank You, Lord, because the battles I'm fighting today You have already won for me. Blessed and praised be You, Lord! Amen.
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God Bless You.....
Rosary Family
The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”
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