Sunday, May 11, 2014
Monday Fourth Week of Easter
May 12, 2014
Monday Fourth Week of Easter
[St. Nereus and Achilleus; St. Pancras]
Acts 11: 1-18 / Ps 42: 2-3; 43: 3-4 / Jn 10: 11-18
Reading: Acts 11: 1-18
News came to the apostles and the brothers and sisters in Judea that even foreigners had received the Word of God. So, when Peter went up to Jerusalem, these Jewish believers began to argue with him, "You went to the home of uncircumcised people and ate with them!" So Peter began to give them the facts as they had happened, "I was at prayer in the city of Joppa when, in a trance, I saw a vision. Something like a large sheet came down from the sky and drew near to me, landing on the ground by its four corners. As I stared at it, I saw four-legged creatures of the earth, wild beasts and reptiles, and birds of the sky. Then I heard a voice saying to me: 'Get up, Peter, kill and eat!' I replied, 'Certainly not, Lord! No common or unclean creature has ever entered my mouth.' A second time the voice from the heavens spoke, "What God has made clean, you must not call unclean." This happened three times, and then it was all drawn up into the sky. At that moment three men, who had been sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were staying. The Spirit instructed me to go with them without hesitation; so these six brothers came along with me and we entered into the man's house. He told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house and telling him: Send someone to Joppa and fetch Simon, also known as Peter. He will bring you a message by which you and all your household will be saved." I had begun to address them when suddenly the Holy Spirit came upon them, just as it had come upon us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: 'John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' If, then, God had given them the same gift that he had given us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to resist God?" When they heard this they set their minds at rest and praised God saying, "Then God has granted life-giving repentance to the pagan nations as well."
Gospel: John 10: 11-18
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. Not so the hired hand or any other person who is not the shepherd and to whom the sheep do not belong. They abandon the sheep as soon as they see the wolf coming; then the wolf snatches and scatters the sheep. This is because the hired hand works for pay and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father. Because of this I give my life for my sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this fold. These I have to lead as well, and they shall listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock since there is one Shepherd. The Father loves me because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down freely. It is mine to lay down and to take up again: this mission I received from my Father."
Reflection:
For us in the Philippines who are not familiar with sheep, we do not know the characteristics of a flock of sheep, but we do know that between a pet and its owner, close relationship exists. Many pet owners spend not only money, but also time for their pets - to care for them, train them and play with them, even talk to them. In Palestine where Jesus lived, the sheep and the shepherd are in close relationship. The shepherd stays in the pasture day in and day out to keep watch over the sheep to see to it that they are in green pasture and that they are protected from danger Comparatively speaking, Jesus is the Good Shepherd and we believers are the sheep. The Good Shepherd gives his own life for his sheep as the mission he receives from the Father. The Good Shepherd does not only save his own flock but also other sheep outside his flock. Thus Jesus' mission is to save everyone, to unite everyone into one sheepfold. This unification is not yet complete. We as followers and believers of Jesus are invited to participate in his mission to spread the Good News to be known to everyone so that there be one sheepfold under one Shepherd.
St Nereus and St Achilleus were Roman soldiers who were converted to the Christian faith during the time of the Christian persecution. They were true followers of Jesus even at the cost of their own lives for they were made to suffer and later beheaded. St. Pancras was a 14-year old orphan who was brought up by his uncle in Rome. Like Sts Nereus and Achilleus, he became a follower of Jesus and was baptized. Even if he was only a boy, he was arrested and was beheaded.
Let us pray to these three saints that we may understand what it means to be a true follower of Jesus, the Good Shepherd.
Prayer Requests:
We pray ...
... for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn
... for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary
... for families who are in need of healing
... for world peace and reconciliation
Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.
Have a good day!
**************************************************
These reflections are distributed free and are for personal use only. Feel free to send the Daily Prayer reflections to your friends, colleagues and relatives; however, if you do, please include the following:
+================================================+
| The Daily Prayer, a service and an apostolate of the
| priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish
| http://www.marythequeen.org
| Distributed free and for personal use only.
+================================================+
-- Monday Fourth Week of Easter
[St. Nereus and Achilleus; St. Pancras]
Acts 11: 1-18 / Ps 42: 2-3; 43: 3-4 / Jn 10: 11-18
Reading: Acts 11: 1-18
News came to the apostles and the brothers and sisters in Judea that even foreigners had received the Word of God. So, when Peter went up to Jerusalem, these Jewish believers began to argue with him, "You went to the home of uncircumcised people and ate with them!" So Peter began to give them the facts as they had happened, "I was at prayer in the city of Joppa when, in a trance, I saw a vision. Something like a large sheet came down from the sky and drew near to me, landing on the ground by its four corners. As I stared at it, I saw four-legged creatures of the earth, wild beasts and reptiles, and birds of the sky. Then I heard a voice saying to me: 'Get up, Peter, kill and eat!' I replied, 'Certainly not, Lord! No common or unclean creature has ever entered my mouth.' A second time the voice from the heavens spoke, "What God has made clean, you must not call unclean." This happened three times, and then it was all drawn up into the sky. At that moment three men, who had been sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were staying. The Spirit instructed me to go with them without hesitation; so these six brothers came along with me and we entered into the man's house. He told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house and telling him: Send someone to Joppa and fetch Simon, also known as Peter. He will bring you a message by which you and all your household will be saved." I had begun to address them when suddenly the Holy Spirit came upon them, just as it had come upon us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: 'John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' If, then, God had given them the same gift that he had given us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to resist God?" When they heard this they set their minds at rest and praised God saying, "Then God has granted life-giving repentance to the pagan nations as well."
Gospel: John 10: 11-18
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. Not so the hired hand or any other person who is not the shepherd and to whom the sheep do not belong. They abandon the sheep as soon as they see the wolf coming; then the wolf snatches and scatters the sheep. This is because the hired hand works for pay and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father. Because of this I give my life for my sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this fold. These I have to lead as well, and they shall listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock since there is one Shepherd. The Father loves me because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down freely. It is mine to lay down and to take up again: this mission I received from my Father."
Reflection:
For us in the Philippines who are not familiar with sheep, we do not know the characteristics of a flock of sheep, but we do know that between a pet and its owner, close relationship exists. Many pet owners spend not only money, but also time for their pets - to care for them, train them and play with them, even talk to them. In Palestine where Jesus lived, the sheep and the shepherd are in close relationship. The shepherd stays in the pasture day in and day out to keep watch over the sheep to see to it that they are in green pasture and that they are protected from danger Comparatively speaking, Jesus is the Good Shepherd and we believers are the sheep. The Good Shepherd gives his own life for his sheep as the mission he receives from the Father. The Good Shepherd does not only save his own flock but also other sheep outside his flock. Thus Jesus' mission is to save everyone, to unite everyone into one sheepfold. This unification is not yet complete. We as followers and believers of Jesus are invited to participate in his mission to spread the Good News to be known to everyone so that there be one sheepfold under one Shepherd.
St Nereus and St Achilleus were Roman soldiers who were converted to the Christian faith during the time of the Christian persecution. They were true followers of Jesus even at the cost of their own lives for they were made to suffer and later beheaded. St. Pancras was a 14-year old orphan who was brought up by his uncle in Rome. Like Sts Nereus and Achilleus, he became a follower of Jesus and was baptized. Even if he was only a boy, he was arrested and was beheaded.
Let us pray to these three saints that we may understand what it means to be a true follower of Jesus, the Good Shepherd.
Prayer Requests:
We pray ...
... for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn
... for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary
... for families who are in need of healing
... for world peace and reconciliation
Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.
Have a good day!
**************************************************
These reflections are distributed free and are for personal use only. Feel free to send the Daily Prayer reflections to your friends, colleagues and relatives; however, if you do, please include the following:
+================================================+
| The Daily Prayer, a service and an apostolate of the
| priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish
| http://www.marythequeen.org
| Distributed free and for personal use only.
+================================================+
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GoogleGroup Address: http://groups.google.com/group/daily_homily
Archive: http://biblereflection.blogspot.com/
To subscribe from this free mailing service, send email to: dailyhomily@earthlink.net
To unsubscribe: daily_homily-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
© 2014 Daily-Homily
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "DAILY-HOMILY" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to daily_homily+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Fourth Sunday of Easter
May 11, 2014
Fourth Sunday of Easter
Acts 2: 14a, 36-41 / Ps 23: 1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6 (1) / 1 Pt 2: 20b-25 / Jn 10: 1-10
First Reading: Acts 2: 14a, 36-41
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven and, with a loud voice, addressed them: "Let Israel then know for sure that God has made Lord and Christ this Jesus whom you crucified." When they heard this, they were deeply troubled. And they asked Peter and the other apostles, "What shall we do, brothers?" Peter answered: "Each of you must repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins may be forgiven. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise of God was made to you and your children, and to all those from afar whom our God may call." With many other words Peter gave the message and appealed to them saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation." So those who accepted his word were baptized; some three thousand persons were added to their number that day.
Second Reading: 1 Pt 2: 20b-25
Endure punishment when you have done well, that is a grace before God. This is your calling: remember Christ who suffered for you, leaving you an example so that you may follow in his way. He did no wrong and there was no deceit in his mouth. He did not return insult for insult and, when suffering, he did not curse but put himself in the hands of God who judges justly. He went to the cross bearing our sins on his own body on the cross so that we might die to sin and live an upright life. For by his wounds you have been healed. You were like stray sheep, but you have come back to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
Gospel: Jn 10: 1-10
Truly, I say to you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. But the shepherd of the sheep enters by the gate. The keeper opens the gate to him and the sheep hear his voice; he calls each of his sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them and the sheep follow him for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, rather they will run away from him because they don't recognize a stranger's voice." Jesus used this comparison, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, I am the gate of the sheep. All who came were thieves and robbers, and the sheep did not hear them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved; he will go in and out freely and find food. The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy, but I have come that they may have life, life in all its fullness.
Reflection:
The fourth Sunday of Easter is always considered as Good Shepherd Sunday. Today's passage speaks of voices. From experience, when we hear someone saying that he/she hears voices, we tend to suspect that there might be something strange with this person. There might be some who would comment that this person must be going crazy or nuts. Of course, we try to clarify as to what they hear and if ever, any significant message/s.
In my early years in religious life, I was brought to someone who mimicked the sound of a baby and claimed that it is the Sto.Niño speaking through him which did not turn out to be authentic. Yet, we cannot readily dismiss such experiences for we know that even Sacred Scriptures have events where listening to voices is highlighted. We can readily cite the Transfiguration experience of Jesus in the presence of his three closest apostles Peter, James, and John as well as that of Moses representing the Law, and Elijah standing in for the Prophets thereby showing continuity from the Old Testament to the New Testament. Jesus is then the fulfillment of the prophecies of the past. This truth is then affirmed in this religious experience where a voice attributed to the Father was heard: "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him."
In a similar manner, the theme of voices is highlighted in this chapter of the gospel of John regarding the Good Shepherd. There is familiarity between the Shepherd and the sheep as the voice of the Shepherd is readily recognized. Of course, the problem lies in that there are many competing voices that lead us astray. What becomes important then is to discern well to be able to recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd and more importantly, to accept what is being told and asked from us as the Shepherd does not have any agenda except the welfare of his sheep. It ends with the promise of the Good Shepherd that he offers life in abundance, that is, one with meaning and purpose.
In this regard, there is this story that captures it all. There is the story of a farmer walking down the lane carrying a half-grown sheep who greeted his neighbor "Have to look after the stray." His neighbor, then, asked him "How do they get lost with a fence around them?" "They just nibble themselves lost," he answered. "They just keep their heads down and just wander from one green patch to another. Sometimes, they come to a hole in the fence, but they never find the hole to get back again."
The parable repeats itself in our lives. We eat ourselves lost; we work ourselves lost. We do not look up. We wander from one wish to another. We get our heads in the pits. We cannot see the way back again. Thank God for the Good Shepherd who always comes to seek and save the lost.
We then pray to be alert to the voice of the Shepherd and be courageous and faithful to heed him for we are bound for something good for us and for all.
Prayer Requests:
We pray ...
... for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn
... for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary
... for families who are in need of healing
... for world peace and reconciliation
Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.
Have a good day!
**************************************************
These reflections are distributed free and are for personal use only. Feel free to send the Daily Prayer reflections to your friends, colleagues and relatives; however, if you do, please include the following:
+================================================+
| The Daily Prayer, a service and an apostolate of the
| priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish
| http://www.marythequeen.org
| Distributed free and for personal use only.
+================================================+
-- Fourth Sunday of Easter
Acts 2: 14a, 36-41 / Ps 23: 1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6 (1) / 1 Pt 2: 20b-25 / Jn 10: 1-10
First Reading: Acts 2: 14a, 36-41
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven and, with a loud voice, addressed them: "Let Israel then know for sure that God has made Lord and Christ this Jesus whom you crucified." When they heard this, they were deeply troubled. And they asked Peter and the other apostles, "What shall we do, brothers?" Peter answered: "Each of you must repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins may be forgiven. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise of God was made to you and your children, and to all those from afar whom our God may call." With many other words Peter gave the message and appealed to them saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation." So those who accepted his word were baptized; some three thousand persons were added to their number that day.
Second Reading: 1 Pt 2: 20b-25
Endure punishment when you have done well, that is a grace before God. This is your calling: remember Christ who suffered for you, leaving you an example so that you may follow in his way. He did no wrong and there was no deceit in his mouth. He did not return insult for insult and, when suffering, he did not curse but put himself in the hands of God who judges justly. He went to the cross bearing our sins on his own body on the cross so that we might die to sin and live an upright life. For by his wounds you have been healed. You were like stray sheep, but you have come back to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
Gospel: Jn 10: 1-10
Truly, I say to you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. But the shepherd of the sheep enters by the gate. The keeper opens the gate to him and the sheep hear his voice; he calls each of his sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them and the sheep follow him for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, rather they will run away from him because they don't recognize a stranger's voice." Jesus used this comparison, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, I am the gate of the sheep. All who came were thieves and robbers, and the sheep did not hear them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved; he will go in and out freely and find food. The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy, but I have come that they may have life, life in all its fullness.
Reflection:
The fourth Sunday of Easter is always considered as Good Shepherd Sunday. Today's passage speaks of voices. From experience, when we hear someone saying that he/she hears voices, we tend to suspect that there might be something strange with this person. There might be some who would comment that this person must be going crazy or nuts. Of course, we try to clarify as to what they hear and if ever, any significant message/s.
In my early years in religious life, I was brought to someone who mimicked the sound of a baby and claimed that it is the Sto.Niño speaking through him which did not turn out to be authentic. Yet, we cannot readily dismiss such experiences for we know that even Sacred Scriptures have events where listening to voices is highlighted. We can readily cite the Transfiguration experience of Jesus in the presence of his three closest apostles Peter, James, and John as well as that of Moses representing the Law, and Elijah standing in for the Prophets thereby showing continuity from the Old Testament to the New Testament. Jesus is then the fulfillment of the prophecies of the past. This truth is then affirmed in this religious experience where a voice attributed to the Father was heard: "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him."
In a similar manner, the theme of voices is highlighted in this chapter of the gospel of John regarding the Good Shepherd. There is familiarity between the Shepherd and the sheep as the voice of the Shepherd is readily recognized. Of course, the problem lies in that there are many competing voices that lead us astray. What becomes important then is to discern well to be able to recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd and more importantly, to accept what is being told and asked from us as the Shepherd does not have any agenda except the welfare of his sheep. It ends with the promise of the Good Shepherd that he offers life in abundance, that is, one with meaning and purpose.
In this regard, there is this story that captures it all. There is the story of a farmer walking down the lane carrying a half-grown sheep who greeted his neighbor "Have to look after the stray." His neighbor, then, asked him "How do they get lost with a fence around them?" "They just nibble themselves lost," he answered. "They just keep their heads down and just wander from one green patch to another. Sometimes, they come to a hole in the fence, but they never find the hole to get back again."
The parable repeats itself in our lives. We eat ourselves lost; we work ourselves lost. We do not look up. We wander from one wish to another. We get our heads in the pits. We cannot see the way back again. Thank God for the Good Shepherd who always comes to seek and save the lost.
We then pray to be alert to the voice of the Shepherd and be courageous and faithful to heed him for we are bound for something good for us and for all.
Prayer Requests:
We pray ...
... for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn
... for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary
... for families who are in need of healing
... for world peace and reconciliation
Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.
Have a good day!
**************************************************
These reflections are distributed free and are for personal use only. Feel free to send the Daily Prayer reflections to your friends, colleagues and relatives; however, if you do, please include the following:
+================================================+
| The Daily Prayer, a service and an apostolate of the
| priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish
| http://www.marythequeen.org
| Distributed free and for personal use only.
+================================================+
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GoogleGroup Address: http://groups.google.com/group/daily_homily
Archive: http://biblereflection.blogspot.com/
To subscribe from this free mailing service, send email to: dailyhomily@earthlink.net
To unsubscribe: daily_homily-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
© 2014 Daily-Homily
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "DAILY-HOMILY" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to daily_homily+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
