June 7 will be Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Cristi): Ex 24:3-8. Heb 9:11-15. Mk 14:12-16, 22-26. The Gospel this weekend is this: Mk 14:12-16, 22-26. On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, "Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?" 13 He sent two of his disciples and said to them, "Go into the city and a man will meet you, carrying a jar of water. Follow him. 14 Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says, "Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"' 15 Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there." 16 The disciples then went off, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover… 22 * While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, "Take it; this is my body." 23 Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 He said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many. 25 Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God." 26 Then, after singing a hymn, * they went out to the Mount of Olives. The first reading is this: Ex 24:3-8. When Moses came to the people and related all the words and ordinances of the LORD, they all answered with one voice, "We will do everything that the LORD has told us." 4 Moses then wrote down all the words of the LORD and, rising early the next day, he erected at the foot of the mountain an altar and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 Then, having sent certain young men of the Israelites to offer holocausts and sacrifice young bulls as peace offerings to the LORD, 6 Moses took half of the blood and put it in large bowls; the other half he splashed on the altar. 7 Taking the book of the covenant, he read it aloud to the people, who answered, "All that the LORD has said, we will heed and do." 8 Then he took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, saying, "This is the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words of his." The second reading is this: Heb 9:11-15. When Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come to be, * passing through the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made by hands, that is, not belonging to this creation, 12 he entered once for all into the sanctuary, not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of a heifer's ashes can sanctify those who are defiled so that their flesh is cleansed, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit * offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living God. 15 For this reason he is mediator of a new covenant: since a death has taken place for deliverance from transgressions under the first covenant, those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance. MEDITATION: This weekend we celebrate the way in which Christ communicates to us how much he loves us: giving his body and blood on the cross. This is the best of kisses. A kiss between humans may be superficial (a rubbing of the labial epithelium!), or it may be communicating a deep love of heart. The body and blood of Christ are certainly deep and he can heat-up our cold hearts. Human kisses may be superficial or even false. Indeed, it was with a kiss that Judas identified Jesus for his arrest in Gethsemane (Mt 26:49). Jesus was crucified and when they flung in a spear to ensure he was dead, what came out was blood and water (Jn 19:34). The priest puts water in the wine after the Offertory of mass says a little prayer thanking God for mixing our simple humanity with his wonderful divinity (water with wine). It is the mixture that gets consecrated. The symbolism comes from much earlier. The last supper was the traditional Passover dinner. It is in memory of the 'exodus' (escape) when the Jews fled from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 12 +). They went from slavery to freedom. They had to get out fast and therefore their bread was Unleavened (the hosts at mass are made of Unleavened Bread). It symbolizes the fact that we’re all ‘on a journey’ and are not going to be a long time in this physical world. The second reading of the letter to the Hebrews describes the sacrifice of Jesus in terms known to the Jews. Talk about the blood of animals may sound ugly to us, but it was a well-known symbol of the first Covenant made by God with Moses (Ex 24). The transition from slavery to freedom was marked with the sacrifice of a lamb without blemish and that is why we speak of the ‘Paschal Lamb’. At the last supper with friends, Jesus passed the bread and wine saying "This is my body and my blood". It all symbolizes God's immense love. Jesus got sacrificed and "This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world". So let’s return the kiss - let's repeat a genuine 'Thanksgiving' today's from the heart (Eucharist). Jesus asks the lads in the Gospel today to prepare a room (Mc 14:14). Is Christ perhaps asking that our personal lives today be lives through which God can communicate his love for the world? Note that Moses was asked to write the words of God and read them out loud, so it’s also relevant that the readings are an important part of our celebration of the body and blood of Christ. If we take his body and blood at mass not only in our mouths, but also ‘in our hearts’, then maybe we will make it into the party. I reckon that Christ’s eternal party will be good! ………….Dara. En ESPAÑOL: Junio 7º será Solemnidad del Cuerpo y Sangre de Cristo (Fiesta de Corpus Cristi): Ex 24:3-8. Heb 9:11-15. Mc 14:12-16, 22-26. Este domingo celebramos la forma en que Cristo nos comunica cuánto nos ama: dando su Cuerpo y Sangre en la cruz. Es el mejor de los besos. Un beso entre humanos puede ser superficial (un roce del epitelio labial), o puede estar comunicando un amor profundo de corazón. El Cuerpo y la Sangre de Cristo son ciertamente profundos. Y puede calentar nuestros corazones fríos. Los besos humanos pueden ser superficiales o aún falsos. De hecho, fue con un beso que Judas identificó a Jesús para su entrega en Getsemani (Mt 26:49). Jesús se dejó crucificar y cuando se le clavó una lanza para asegurar que estaba muerto, salió sangre y agua (Jn 19:34). El sacerdote pone agua en el vino después del ofertorio de la misa y dice una pequeña oración dando gracias a Dios por mezclar nuestra humanidad sencilla con su divinidad maravillosa (agua con vino). Es la mezcla que acaba consagrada. El simbolismo viene de mucho antes. La Última Cena era la cena tradicional de la Pascua Judía. Es en memoria del ‘éxodo’ cuando escaparon los judíos de su esclavitud en Egipto (Éxodo 12+). Pasaron de la esclavitud a la libertad. Tuvieron que salir rápidos y por eso su pan estaba sin levadura (las ostias de la Eucaristía están hechos de pan ácimo). Simboliza cómo estamos todos de viaje y no vamos a estar mucho tiempo en este mundo físico. La segunda lectura es de la carta a los Hebreos y describe el sacrificio de Jesús en términos conocidos por los Judíos. Hablar de la sangre de toro etc. nos puede sonar feo a nosotros, pero era símbolo bien conocido de la primera Alianza que hizo Dios con Moisés (Ex 24). El paso de la esclavitud a la libertad era marcado con el sacrificio de un cordero sin mancha y es por eso que hablamos de ‘El Cordero Pascual’. En la última cena con sus amigos, Jesús les pasó el pan y el vino diciendo “Este es mi cuerpo y mi sangre”. Todo simboliza el amor inmenso de Dios. Jesús no sacrificó a un cordero, sino a si mismo. “Este es el Cordero de Dios que quita el pecado del mundo”. Entonces devolvamos el beso – hagamos de la misa de hoy una genuina ‘acción de gracias’ (Eucaristía) desde el corazón. Jesús pide en el Evangelio hoy que se prepare una sala (Mc 14:14). ¿Está Cristo quizá pidiendo que nuestras vidas personales hoy sean vidas a través de las cuales Dios puede comunicar su amor por el mundo? Nota también que se pidió a Moisés escribir las palabras de Dios y leerlas para el pueblo, entonces es relevante que las lecturas forman una parte muy importante de nuestra celebración de Cuerpo y Sangre de Cristo. Si tomamos su cuerpo y sangre en la misa no solamente en nuestras bocas, sino en nuestros corazones, entonces puede ser que formaremos una parte de la fiesta. ¡La fiesta eterna de Cristo será buena! .......Dara. Trinity Sunday May 31: Deut 4:32-34, 39-40. Rom 8:14-17. Mt 28:16-20.
- The Gospel this weekend is this: Mt 28:16-20. The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. 18 Then Jesus approached and said to them, "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." - The first reading is this: Deut 4:32-34, 39-40 "Ask now of the days of old, before your time, ever since God created man upon the earth; ask from one end of the sky to the other: Did anything so great ever happen before? Was it ever heard of? 33 Did a people ever hear the voice of God speaking from the midst of fire, as you did, and live? 34 Or did any god venture to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, with his strong hand and outstretched arm, and by great terrors, all of which the LORD, your God, did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?... 39 This is why you must now know, and fix in your heart, that the LORD is God in the heavens above and on earth below, and that there is no other. 40 You must keep his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you today, that you and your children after you may prosper, and that you may have long life on the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you forever." - The second reading is this: Rom 8:14-17 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, "Abba, Father!" 16 The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. - MEDITATION: This Sunday we celebrate the fact that our God is not an individual, but three. God is family! And they are calling us to get together with them. We have learnt from our youth to bless ourselves 'in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit', but today we reflect on the wonder that it is to have a God who is not an individual, but a family. That is beautiful because Love, by nature, is communitarian. They are calling us to get together with them. Jesus spoke of his father, but he taught us to pray the ‘our father’. We are just little brothers and sisters, but our three divine leaders strive to make us decent mature members of the family also. It is significant that the Gospel this Sunday begins: ‘when Jesus appeared to the eleven Apostles, they adored him but they also hesitated’. We can all identify with that! Overcoming doubts is a normal part of the challenging path to Eternal Life. Our faith does not come from any obvious miraculous apparitions. We should be permanent seekers. The best Saints were looking for and found something, and that made them want to find more and more. Jesus clarifies today that he will always be with us until the end. Therefore the Good News is not a Gospel that is all finished, but a journey that God wants to continue. Will you let the Trinity transform you into a living Gospel? The best way to praise them is to imitate them. That’s calling us all to become a loving family. Then we’ll help one another. Christians of the 3rd and 4th centuries included some 'hermits', but the Church did not fully approve of that, and soon recommended that everyone have some involvement in community. Then began the time of Christian monks living in community. One of the big differences between the Bible and ancient fables and myths is that the Bible unites people. From Adam and Eve on, God is uniting people. It does not say "I am going to create man in my image", but "Let us create man in our image". Note that that’s plural (as is the Trinity). We are called to participate in Christ — in his mystical body, and that means participating in the entire divine family. It may seem strange to some that my community has three branches (males, females and married couples). Remember the prayer of Jesus to the father in John 17: "May they all be one - as you and I are one". It’s talking of the whole human family and the entire Church and we are all called to help make it come true. When Jesus was calling Peter (Simon-Peter) who was fishing to earn a living and overcome the difficulty of taxes, he also called Matthew 'the tax collector'! They became teammates following Christ. That teaches us that the call to Christian community does not exclude anyone and begets a surprising friendship. If we are Christian but not doing what we can to build up community, then we aren't really following Christ. Remember the symbolism of what happened at Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon the community, the people from different countries began to understand one another in spite of different languages! But that needs the support of us all. According to the writings about for the people of Greece and Rome in centuries 1 to 5, what really caught the attention of people about this strange bunch called ‘Christians’ was this: "Look at how they love one another!". The letter of the 3rd century called Epistle of Diognetius says this: ' ‘The Christians live in their own countries, but live as visitors... And every foreign land is a homeland for them… They have a common table, although it is not common '. One year on Trinity Sunday, as an Irishman in Spain, I was at our community mass sitting beside an Englishman, a Jamaican and an ex-soldier from Singapore, and the homily was preached by a Pole with a translator from Spain! We can all go together! The Christian community is formed of different individuals, and it respects the individuality of each one knowing that it is the same Lord who acts in each member of his body. I know that there are many things that I don't know and many that I can't do, and that's a good realization that we need as a community and as a church. St. Paul wrote this: 'my joy is to see you united in heart and mind, not motivated by self-interest or boasts but humbly considering the other as more important than yourself, not working for one’s own interests, but for those of others.' (Phil 2: 2b-4). Since God is our origin, our origin is a family. Many artists have imagined God as an individual 'in the sky' but that's just art. God is 'the Trinity'. God is community. And we’re called to be with Mary forming 'the family'. The man who decides that he will not participate in 'Community' is denying his own identity as a son of God. The modern world teaches all to ‘be themselves’ but what a pity if we do not understand what being ourselves means... that we are all part of one family! When one refuses the call to build up the community, he is denying his own self. "I have the right to be me" - but do we know who we are? As Psalm 16 says: 'God has put into my heart a wonderful love for all the faithful who dwell in his land'. The love of the Trinity inspires us to love all people - even to the most unfaithful! The first letter of John in the Bible puts it clearly: 'If one is not in communion with his brothers, one can’t be in communion with God'. Of course, that doesn't mean that we don’t ‘correct’ one another. Correction isn’t the same as 'criticism' and far from dividing us, it increases our communion. This Sunday we praise the most Holy Trinity and give thanks because they want to give a role also to our poor humanity in their family. We also give thanks to our leader in this: Mary! ............ Dara. - - En ESPAÑOL: - Domingo de la Trinidad (Solmnedad Mayo 31º): Deut 4:32-34, 39-40 Rom 8:14-17 Mt 28:16-20 Este domingo celebramos el hecho de que nuestro Dios no es un individuo, sino tres. ¡Dios es familia! Y nos están llamando a juntarnos con ellos. Hemos aprendido desde nuestra juventud a bendecirnos 'en el nombre del Padre, del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo', pero reflexionemos hoy en la maravilla que es tener un Dios que no es un individuo, sino una familia. Aquello es bello porque el Amor, por naturaleza, es comunitario. Nos están llamando a juntarnos con ellos. Jesús habló de su Padre, pero nos enseñó a rezar el Padre nuestro. No somos más que hermanitos y hermanitas, pero nuestros tres líderes divinos se esfuerzan mucho para hacer de nosotros buenos miembros maduros de la familia. Es significativo como empieza el Evangelio este domingo: ‘Cuando Jesús se apareció a los once apóstoles, le adoraban pero también vacilaban.’ ¡Podemos todos identificarnos con aquello! Superar dudas es una parte normal del camino desafiante hacia la Vida Eterna. Nuestra fe no viene de alguna aparición milagrosa acabada. Deberíamos ser buscadores permanentes. Los mejores santos buscaban y hallaban algo, y aquello les hacía querer buscar más y más. Jesús clarifica hoy que él estará siempre con nosotros hasta el fin. Significa que la Buena Nueva no es un Evangelio ya terminado, sino un viaje que Dios quiere continuar. ¿Le dejarás transformarte a ti en un Evangelio vivo? La mejor forma de alabarles es en imitarles. Aquello significa vivir todos como familia amorosa, entonces nos ayudaremos uno al otro. Los cristianos de los siglos 3 y 4 incluían algunos 'ermitaños', pero la Iglesia no oprobió esto plenamente, y dentro de poco recomendó que todos tengan alguna participación en comunidad. Entonces empezaron las comunidades de monjes cristianos que vivían en comunidad. Una de las diferencias grandes entre la Biblia y fábulas ancianas y mitos, es como la Biblia se une a las personas. Desde Adán y Eva, Dios está uniendo a la gente. No dice que "Voy a crear al hombre en mi imagen", sino “Creemos al hombre en nuestra imagen”. Nota que es plural (como es la Trinidad). Estamos llamados a participar en Cristo - en su Cuerpo Místico, y eso significa participar en la familia divina entera. Puede parecer extraño a algunos que mi comunidad tiene tres ramas (los varones misioneros, misioneras y matrimonios) formando una comunidad religiosa, pero piensa en la oración de Jesús a su Padre en Juan 17: “Que sean uno - como tú y yo somos uno”. Está hablando de la familia humana entera y la Iglesia entera pero somos todos llamaron a ayudarle a hacerlo realidad. Cuando Jesús estaba llamando a Pedro (Simón-Pedro) quién pescaba para ganarse la vida y superar la dificultad de impuestos, ¡también llamó a Mateo 'el cobrador de impuestos'! Ellos llegaron a ser compañeros siguiendo a Cristo. Eso nos enseña que la llamada a ser comunidad Cristiana no excluye a nadie y engendra un compañerismo sorprendente. Si somos cristianos pero no haciendo lo que podemos para formar la comunidad, entonces realmente no estamos siguiendole a Cristo. ¡Recuerde el simbolismo de lo a que pasó en Pentecostés, cuando el Espíritu santo se apoderó de la comunidad, las personas de países diferentes empezaron a comprenderse uno al otro a pesar de las distintas idiomas. Pero eso necesita la ayuda de nosotros todos. Según las escrituras de las personas de Grecia y Roma en los siglos 1 al 5, lo que realmente llamó la atención de la gente acerca de ese manojo extraño llamados Cristianos era “Mira como se aman uno al otro”. La carta del siglo 3 llamado Epístola a Diognetio dice esto: 'Los Cristianos viven en sus propios países, pero viven como visitantes… Para ellos cada tierra extranjera es una patria, y cada patria es extranjera… Tienen una mesa común, aunque no es común'. ¡En el domingo de la Trinidad un año, como irlandés en España, estaba yo a la misa sentado al lado de un inglés, un jamaicano y un ex-soldado de Singapur, y la homilía fue dada por una polaca con un traductor de España! ¡Podemos todos ir juntos! La comunidad cristiana se forma de individuos distintos, y se respeta la individualidad de cada uno sabiendo que es el mismo Señor que actúa en cada miembro de su cuerpo. Sé que hay muchas cosas yo no sé y mucho que no puedo hacer, y eso es una realización buena que nos hace necesitarnos como una comunidad y como una Iglesia. San Pablo escribió esto: 'Mi alegría es veros unidos de corazón y mente, no movidos por egoísmo o vanagloria sino humildemente considerando a otros más importantes que vosotros mismos, cada uno no trabajando para sus propios intereses, sino para los de otros.' (Fil 2:2b-4). Dado que nuestro origen es Dios, entonces nuestro origen es una familia. Muchos artistas se han imaginado Dios como un individuo 'en el cielo' pero eso es arte. Dios es 'la Trinidad'. Es comunidad. Y estamos llamados todos a estar con María y dentro de 'la familia'. El hombre que decide que no va a participar en 'la comunidad' está negando a su propia identidad como hijo de Dios. ¡El mundo moderno enseña a todos a 'ser si mismo' pero qué lástima si no comprendemos qué somos nosotros mismos… que formamos todos parte de todos! Cuando uno se niega a la llamada a formar la comunidad, está negando a su propio ego. “Tengo el derecho a ser mi mismo” - pero ¿sabemos quienes somos? Como dice salmo 16: 'Dios ha puesto en mi corazón un amor maravilloso por todos los fieles que moran en su tierra'. El amor de la Trinidad nos inspira a amar a todas las personas - ¡incluso al más infiel!. La primera carta de Juan en la Biblia lo pone claramente: 'Si uno no está en comunión con sus hermanos, no puede estar en comunión con Dios'. Claro, eso no significa que nunca nos corregimos y aportamos. La corrección no es igual que 'la crítica' y lejos de dividirnos, aumenta nuestra comunión. Este domingo alabamos a la Trinidad Santísima y damos gracias porque han querido dar papel también a nuestra pobre humanidad en su familia. Entonces también demos gracias a nuestra líder en esto: ¡María! Pentecost Sunday: Acts 2:1-11 Gal 5:16-25 Jn15:26-27, 16:12-15 (Alternative readings (of Cycle A): Acts 2:1-11. Rom 8:8-17. Jn 20:19-23.) Jn 15:26-27, 16:12-15 "When the Advocate comes whom I will send * you from the Father, the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me. 27 And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning. 16:12 "I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. 13 But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. 15 Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Acts 2:1-11 When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. 2 And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. 3 Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, * as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. 5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. 6 At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, "Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how does each of us hear them in his own native language? 9 We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, 11 both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God." Gal 5:16-25 I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh. * 17 For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want. 18 But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, 21 occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ (Jesus) have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit. MEDITATION: This weekend we celebrate the birthday of our Church. It was born two thousand years ago, and has gone through many years to get to us, and this Pentecost is really our birthday also. I say 'our' and not just 'mine' or 'yours', because we’re all together… and, thanks be to God, the risen Christ is with us. The reading of Acts starts with that strange group of Jews (later called Christians) gathered for the traditional Pentecost (7 weeks after Easter is the traditional harvest festival of the Jews). They began to include many foreigners (Parthians, Medes, Elamites etc. Jews and people converted to Judaism). Nationalism and language barriers are overcome. It says that there were Cretans there, referring to people from the island of Crete, but in medicine, the poor with a form of mental disability are called 'cretins'! It’s important to know the meaning of the words we use when we talk about people. Thanks be to God, the word of God became flesh and dwelt among us! The Trinity are living among us! It reminds me of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11. It says there that humanity was so arrogant that it began to build a high tower to get to heaven without the need of God! God confused their languages and from there people began to speak in different languages! It is just a symbol, but it reflects what is happening in our 'Advanced' world of 'towers and technologies'. Many are still far from the Trinity and the call is to be united in them. The second reading (Gal 5) puts 'spirit' and 'flesh' on opposite sides of the scale, and that describes the fundamental truth of our physical lives: "from dust we come and to dust we will return". But the good news is that our lives are more than physical (he says, from his multiple sclerosis mess). Our spiritual lives are realities. You don't have to die. The Holy Spirit inside is not mortal! About the different languages of the people in Acts 2 today, I would add that 'Babel' in English means an incomprehensible talk, and the word comes from the biblical story of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11. It is not relevant, but the Bible draws the name from Bab-ili or Babylon which means 'the gate of the gods'. Thinking of the origin of 'swearing' is funny because chapter 10 of Genesis tells of 'the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites.' (Gen 10:15-18)… and calling someone a 'shite' in English is very ugly (shit)! There’s a call here to continue meditating the word of God (what I call 'prayer'). Jesus says about the spirit "he will glorify me, for he will take from what is mine and declare it to you." (John 15:14). One thing is to just read the words or recite the prayers but another is to really give time to meditation. We have become used to what Christ gave to us about 20 centuries ago, but to celebrate the birth of our Church, we are called to be born again… open to new ideas and willing to travel the roads that the Spirit inspires and lights up for us. I'm in a wheelchair, but I hope that I don’t become lazy or give-up. All meat does not last long anyway, and as Paul says to the Galatians today: ‘Those who are with Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions. If we live a life in the spirit, let's also keep the Spirit alive in us!' Thanks! Grazias! Grazie! Merci! Danka! Go raibh maith agat! Obrigado! As we go to mass this Sunday, remember that 'Eucharist' means 'Thanksgiving'! ............ Dara. En ESPAÑOL: Domingo de Pentecostés: Hechos 2:1-11 Gal 5:16-25 Jn 15:26-27, 16:12-15 (Lecturas alternativos (del Ciclo A): Hechos 2:1-11. Rom 8:8-17. Jn 20:19-23.) Este fin de semana celebramos el cumpleaños de la iglesia. Nació hace dos mil años, pero ha pasado por mucho para llegar hasta nosotros, y este Pentecostés, realmente es el cumpleaños nuestro también. Digo ‘nuestro’ y no simplemente ‘mío’ o ‘tuyo’, porque vamos todos juntos – y gracias a Dios, Cristo resucitado está con nosotros por todos partes. La lectura de Hechos empieza con aquel grupo extraño de Judíos (llamados Cristianos más tarde) reunidos para Pentecostés (7 semanas después de la Pascua es el festival tradicional de la cosecha), y empiezan a incluir muchos extranjeros (Partos, Medos, Elamitas etc. – Judíos y gente convertidas al Judaísmo) y las barreras del nacionalismo y de los idiomas son superadas. Dice que había Cretenses allí, hablando de gente de la isla de Creta, ¡pero en la medicina, los pobres con una forma de discapacidad mental son ‘cretinos’! Es importante saber el sentido de las palabras que usamos al hablar de personas. ¡Gracias a Dios, la Palabra de Dios se hizo carne y habitó entre nosotros! ¡Está viviendo entre nosotros! Me recuerda la Torre de Babel en Génesis 11. Dice allí que la humanidad se enorgulleció tanto que empezó a construir una torre alta para llegar al Cielo sin necesidad de Dios. Dios confundió sus lenguajes y desde allí ¡la gente empezó a hablar en idiomas distintos! Es un símbolo, pero refleja lo que sigue pasando en nuestro mundo ‘avanzado’ de ‘torres y tecnologías’: muchos siguen pasando de Dios y de la llamada a estar unidos a Él. La segunda lectura (Gal 5) pone ‘espíritu’ y ‘carne’ en lados opuestos de la balanza, y aquello delinea la verdad fundamental de nuestras vidas físicas: “De polvo y ceniza venimos y al polvo volveremos”. Pero la Buena Nueva es que nuestras vidas son más que físicas (dice él, desde su lío de esclerosis múltiple). Nuestras vidas espirituales son realidades. No hace falta morir. ¡El Espiritu Santo por dentro no se enferma! Acerca de los distintos idiomas de la gente en Hechos 2 hoy, añado que ‘Babel’ en Inglés significa un hablar incomprensible, y aquella palabra viene de la historia bíblica de la Torre de Babel en Génesis 11. No es relevante, pero la Biblia extrae el nombre de Bab-ili o Babilonia que significa ‘la puerta de los dioses’. Pensando en el origen de ‘palabrotas’, es gracioso como el capitulo 10 de Génesis habla en Inglés de ‘the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites.' (Gen 10:15-18) – porque ¡llamar a alguien un ‘shite’ en Englés es muy feo (mierda)! Hay también una llamada aquí para seguir meditando la Palabra de Dios de nuevo y de nuevo (qué es lo que yo llamo 'la oración'). Jesús dice sobre el Espíritu "Él me glorificará, porque él tomará de lo que es mío y os lo declara." (Jn 15:14). Una cosa es simplemente leer las palabras o recitar las oraciones pero otro es realmente dar tiempo a la meditación. Seguiremos lo que Cristo nos ha dado, pero al celebrar el nacimiento de nuestra Iglesia hace 20 siglos, estamos llamados a poder nacer de nuevo – abiertos a nuevas ideas y siempre dispuestos a viajar por los caminos que el Espíritu nos ilumina delante. Estoy en silla de ruedas pero espero que nunca ‘me quedaré tirado’. La carne de todos no dura mucho de cualquier manera, y como escribe Pablo a los Galatas hoy: ‘Los que están con Cristo han crucificado la carne con sus pasiones y deseos. Si vivimos una vida espiritual, ¡sigamos al Espíritu también!’. ¡Gracias! Grazie! Thanks! Merci! Danka! Go raibh maith agat! Obrigado! ¡Ya que vamos a la misa este Domingo, recuerda que ‘Eucaristía’ significa ‘Acción de gracias’! ............ Dara. Ascension of the Lord: Acts 1:1-11, Eph 1:17-23 or Eph 4:1-13, Mk 16:15-20. The Gospel this weekend is this: Mk 16:15-20. He said to them, "Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. 18 They will pick up serpents (with their hands), and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." 19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. 20 But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs. The first reading is this: Acts 1:1-11 In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught 2 until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through the holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days * and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for "the promise of the Father * about which you have heard me speak; 5 for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the holy Spirit." 6 When they had gathered together they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going * to restore the kingdom to Israel?+" 7 * He answered them, "It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has stablished by his own authority. 8 * But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." 9 When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. 10 While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. 11 They said, "Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven." 12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey away. 13 When they entered the city they went to the upper room where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. 15 During those days Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers (there was a group of about one hundred and twenty persons in the one place). He said, 16 "My brothers, the scripture had to be fulfilled which the holy Spirit spoke beforehand through the mouth of David, concerning Judas, who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus. 17 He was numbered among us and was allotted a share in this ministry. The second reading is either of these: Eph 1:17-23 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. 18 May the eyes of (your) hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe, in accord with the exercise of his great might, 20 which he worked in Christ, raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens, 21 far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things beneath his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way. or Eph 4:1-13. I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, 3 striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: 4 one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore, it says: "He ascended on high and took prisoners captive; he gave gifts to men." 9 What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended into the lower (regions) of the earth? 10 The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things. 11 * And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, * for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, * to the extent of the full stature of Christ, MEDITATION: This Sunday we recall the Ascension of Jesus, and the fact that he left us much to do. A leader who abandons his people does not seem a good leader, but the wonder of our faith is that when ascending, Jesus did not abandon us, but went more deeply within us. He went to the place for which he had always longed: to our minds and our hearts. This is the basis of our 'spiritual life'. The Gospel says 'They went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and accompanied the word through signs'. (Mk 16:20). The second reading, the letter to the Ephesians, says that Christ is still around us. We live in Him. This is what we call 'the mystical body of Christ'. But do we open the door for others? All people are called to be his dwelling. But He does not impose, and is not like an annoying visitor who is always giving out. He is put humbly in our hands. Do you invite him to dwell in you? If you do, he stays. From there on maybe those who meet you may feel like they have come across something of the love of God. Perhaps you will find 'dirty socks' also, but Christ has promised us to cleanse us over and over again, until love rises in us and we ascend to Eternal Life with him. The Gospel invites us to work on 'the mission' that God gives us and make this one of the main objectives of our lives. The first Christian community lived it as well. Fortunately they did! This Sunday Jesus is sending on the mission. It is not a universal instruction about how each individual should live, but it is inviting everyone to seek themselves. Prayer is for this. As in the Gospel about the true vine, Christ tells us that if we are well connected to Him, we will bear fruit. But what fruit? In the first reading the Apostles, as decent Jews, are asking Jesus if he is going to restore the Kingdom of Israel. He answers that it is not for them to know what the father has planned in his authority (Acts 1:7). I.e. we should not try to plan everything in life for ourselves but to listen carefully for what God wants. Listen to his incarnate Word and think of how he may want to 'incarnate' in us now. There is much work to be done. For this reason, the first reading has two Angels asking "men of Galilee, why are you there standing looking into the sky?" (Acts 1:11). It is a call for us to be active. This does not mean that 'contemplative' vocations are not active in the way that God wants for them, but I think that the vast majority of us Christians are called to go outside and 'stain our shoes' in the mud of the world (and in a wheelchairs also!). Of course, 'contemplation' forms part of this. Prayer is necessary to discover what God wants of us each day; and the image of the angels stunning those who are looking up to the sky, in the Gospel today, is a criticism of those who use prayer as a way of avoiding tasks or of 'hiding'. We will look at the sky, for from there on we’ll look at the world that surrounds us more deeply and hopefully then be able to love him as God wants! ……..Dara. En Español: Domingo de la Ascensión: Hech 1:1-11, Ef 1:17-23 o Ef 4:1-13, Mc 16:15-20. Este domingorecordamos la Ascensión de Jesús y el hecho de que nos dejó mucho para hacer. Un líder que abandona a su gente no parece buen líder, pero la maravilla de nuestra fe es que al ascender, Jesús no nos abandonó, sino que entró más profundamente en nosotros. Entró donde siempre había anhelado: en nuestras mentes y nuestros corazones. Esta es la base de nuestra 'vida espiritual'. El Evangelio dice 'Ellos fueron adelante y predicaron por todas partes, mientras el Señor trabajó con ellos y acompañó la palabra a través de señales.' (Mk 16:20). La segunda lectura, de la carta a los Efesios, dice que Cristo sigue rodeándonos. Vivimos en Él. Es lo que llamamos 'el Cuerpo Místico de Cristo'. Pero ¿le abrimos la puerta? Estamos llamados todos a ser su morada. Pero Él no impone, y no es como un visitante pesado que está siempre dando la lata. El se pone humildemente en nuestras manos. ¿Le invitas a morar en ti? Si lo haces, Él se queda. Desde ahí, puede que los que se encuentren contigo sientan que han encontrado algo del amor de Dios. Quizás encontrarán 'calcetines sucios' también, pero Cristo nos ha prometido limpiarnos una y otra vez, hasta que el Amor resucite en nosotros y ascendamos a la Vida Eterna con Él. . El evangelio nos invita a trabajar en 'la misión' que nos da Dios y hacer de esto uno de los objetivos principales de nuestra vida. La primera comunidad Cristiana lo vivió así, -¡menos mal que lo hicieron! El Evangelio de este Domingoempieza con Jesús llamando a la misión. No es una instrucción universal sobre cómo cada individuo debería vivir, sino que está invitando a cada uno a buscar por sí mismo. La oración es para esto. Como en el Evangelio de la semana pasada sobre la vid verdadera, Cristo nos dice que si estamos bien conectados a él, daremos fruto. Pero ¿qué fruto? En la primera lectura los apóstoles, como buenos judíos, están preguntando a Jesús si va a restaurar el reino de Israel. El responde que no les toca a ellos saber el tiempo que el Padre ha establecido en su autoridad (Hech 1:7). Es decir, no deberíamos intentar planear todo en la vida por nuestra cuenta sino escuchar con atención lo que Dios quiere. Escuchemos a su Palabra encarnada y pensemos en cómo quiere 'encarnarse' en nosotros ahora. Hay mucho trabajo por hacer. Por eso, la primera lectura tiene a los dos ángeles preguntando “hombres de Galilea, ¿qué hacéis ahí parados mirando al cielo?” (Hechos 1:11). Es una llamada para nosotros a estar activos. Esto no quiere decir que las vocaciones 'contemplativas' no sean activas en la forma que Dios quiere para ellas, pero creo que la gran mayoría de nosotros Cristianos está llamada a salir por fuera y 'mancharse los zapatos' en el barro del mundo (¡y las sillas de ruedas también!). Por supuesto, 'la contemplación' forma parte de esto. La oración es necesaria para descubrir lo que Dios quiere de nosotros cada día; y la imagen de los ángeles espabilando a aquellos pasmados que miraban al cielo, en el Evangelio de hoy, es un crítica a aquellos que usan la oración como una forma de evitar tareas o de 'esconderse'. ¡Miremos bien al cielo, para desde allí mirar bien al mundo que nos rodea, y así poder amarlo bien, como Dios quiere! ....... Dara. 6th Sunday of Easter (May 10): Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48. 1 Jn 4:7-10. Jn 15:9-17. The Gospel this weekend is this: Jn 15:9-17. As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love. 11 "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. 12 This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. 13 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, * because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. 16 It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. 17 This I command you: love one another. The first reading is this: Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48. When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and, falling at his feet, paid him homage. 26 Peter, however, raised him up, saying, "Get up. I myself am also a human being."… 34 Then Peter proceeded to speak and said, "In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. 35 Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him… 44 While Peter was still speaking these things, the holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the word. * 45 The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit should hve been poured out on the Gentiles also, 46 for they could hear them speaking in tongues and glorifying God. Then Peter responded, 47 "Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit even as we have?" 48 He ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. The second reading is this: 1 Jn 4:7-10. Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. 8 Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. 10 In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. MEDITATION: This Sunday has a simple outline of the principles of our faith: God our father, is Love, Christ is Love and we all could unite with them if we would just try to love faithfully also. In the first reading, the Holy Spirit enters Cornelius and company and this is a prologue for the feast of Pentecost (May 28). The Trinity do not want an obedience that is external, but they want to dwell within us. This refers to everyone - those who come to mind and those who are far away - good friends and those who sometimes perhaps don’t seem so good! We see this in the first reading in the way Peter breaks with Jewish tradition in order to meet Cornelius (Cornelius was a centurion in the Roman army). It’s an example of how we should open the door to others. St Paul himself had opposed the first Christians severely. But he became one of their leaders. The call to respect the potential presence of Christ in every human being makes me think of when one of our priests kneelt before a newly baptized child - as we bow the knee to a Tabernacle in the Church. Do we have respect for each human life? God wants to dwell in every human being, but once a person is mature, he or she is free to open or close, and God does not impose. He simply sends his Word. Remember the prayer of Jesus about his Apostles: "I ask you Father not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they all be united, like you Father in me and I in you, may they also may be in us..." (Jn 17:20). Do we have that respect for our own lives? We say the words in the mass before communion: "Lord, I am not worthy that you enter my house but one word from you would be enough to heal me". Perhaps the priest should answer "God has been asking for a long time to enter you!". As St Ambrose said: 'God loves when a temple is built and you are that temple'. Christ is coming to his temple, so let’s open our doors - the doors of your minds. He won’t impose. Christ calls to our hearts. We contemplate the nails in his hands and feet on the cross. I remember seeing a young man in London (Covent Garden) who was passing a bar and saw his girlfriend kissing a guy inside. He punched his fist through the window in the door and got a cut that bled. That seems ridiculous (and illegal, and it is), but at least it showed the girl that he felt a lot for her. It makes me think of the person with nails in his hands and feet on a cross for us. In fact, a book of the Bible speaks of a young man knocking a hole in the door of his beloved who wasn’t answering him (Song of Songs 5:4). It’s an expression of the Old Testament of how God feels about us. He longs to see us open up. We participate in the prayers of mass at the weekend, but we should also be answering God with our lives outside the mass! I like the way Peter asks Cornelius not to bother kneeling before himself. Kneeling is an expression of the respect that God deserves, but nobody else deserves it. If the Pope of Rome came to visit you in your House someday, you’d probably give him a big welcome, but if the Son of God came? He comes! He’s at the door of our hearts knocking... humbly. If we allow Christ to come, then we could become 'Living Christs'. We could have people who meet us at work or wherever feel as if they had found something of the love of Christ. It could be! God is ambitious. One clear sign that it is in our simple humanity that God longs to live is Mary. But we are called to be like her. St Augustine spent many years looking for happiness in many places, people and philosophies, but then said: "late have I loved you. I looked at so many places for you and then I realized that you are within me! "." As St. Paul says: 'You are temples of the Holy Spirit and you have been well bought.' (1 Cor 6:19). We start mass with the confetior and before the communion we remember what the centurion said to Jesus "Lord, I am not worthy that you come into my house" (Lk 7:6). But Christ comes. After leaving the Church, there’s no need to stop being with God. He is in you - as long as you do not have the door closed to him with your mind set on superficial things! You should be saying "Yes" like Mary... and planning how to be faithful to that 'Yes.' Jesus is calling us 'friends' and wants to inspire in us the Good News that the father had inspired in him (Jn 15:15), but from there he requests us to help convey ‘the Word’ to others. We’ll obey not as 'slaves' but as 'friends'. In the first reading it’s while Peter was preaching that the Holy Spirit comes upon the people (Acts10:44). So it may be that the call to 'love one another' in the second reading (1 Jn 4:7) includes a call for you to share the Word with others... even if sometimes this requires preaching... or the sending of E-mail! ........... Dara. En Español:
6º domingo de Pascua (Mayo 10º): Hchos 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48. 1ºJn 4:7-10. Jn 15:9-17. Este domingo trae un contorno simple de los principios de nuestra fe: Dios, nuestro Padre, es el Amor y Cristo es el Amor y todos pudiéramos unirnos con ellos si sólo amaríamos como ellos. En la primera lectura, el Espíritu Santo entra en Cornelio y compañía y eso es prologo para la fiesta de Pentecostés que es en dos semanas. La Trinidad no quiere una obediencia que es externa, sino morar dentro de nosotros. Esto refiere a cada uno - aquéllos que se acercan y los que están lejos - los amigos buenos ¡y aquéllos que quizá no parecen tan buenos a veces! Es como Pedro sale de lo normal para encontrarse con Cornelio en la primera lectura (Cornelio era un centurión en el ejército romano). Es un ejemplo de como deberíamos abrir la puerta a otros. El propio Pablo había merecido al principio el rechazo severo de los cristianos. ¡Pero él llegó a ser uno de sus líderes! La llamada a respetar la presencia potencial de Cristo en cada ser humano, me hace pensar en cuando uno de nuestros sacerdotes hizo la genuflexión ante un niño recién bautizado - como doblamos la rodilla ante un tabernáculo en la iglesia. ¿Tenemos ese respeto para cada vida humana? Dios desea morar en cada ser humano, pero una vez que una persona es madura, es libre para abrir o cerrar, y Dios no se impone. Él simplemente envía su Palabra. Recuerda la oración de Jesús acerca de sus apóstoles: "No oro solamente para ellos, sino también para aquéllos que creerán en mí a través de su palabra, para que estén todos unidos, como tú Padre en mí y yo en ti, que ellos también estén en nosotros... " (Jn 17:20). ¿Tenemos ese respeto para nuestras propias vidas? Decimos las palabras en la misa antes de la comunión: "Señor, no soy digno de que entres en mi casa, pero una palabra tuya bastará para sanarme”. Quizás el sacerdote debería contestar "¡Dios ha pedido entrar en ti desde hace mucho tiempo!". Como dijo San Ambrosio: 'Dios quiere un templo construido y tú eres ese templo.'. Cristo está viniendo a su templo, entonces abre tus puertas - las puertas de tu mente. Él no impondrá. Cristo llama a nuestros corazones aunque le suposó aguantar clavos en sus manos y pieds en la cruz. Me hace recordar ver un hombre joven en Londres (Covent Garden) quién estaba pasando una taberna y vio a su novia besando a otro tipo dentro. Él puso su puño a través de una de las ventanas de la puerta y consiguió cortes que sangraron. Eso parece ridículo (e ilegal), pero por lo menos mostró a la muchacha cómo él se sentía. Me hace pensar en el tipo con los clavos en sus manos y pies en una cruz para nosotros. De hecho, un libro de la Biblia habla de un joven golpeando un agujero en la puerta de su amada que no le estaba contestando (Cantares 5:4). Es una expresión del Antiguo Testamento de cómo Dios se siente sobre nosotros. Él anhela vernos abrir. Participamos en las oraciones de la misa el domingo, ¡pero también conviene estar contestándole a Dios con nuestras vidas fuera de la misa! Me gusta como Pedro pídele a Cornelio que no se moleste arrodillándose ante él. Arrodillarse es una expresión del respeto que Dios merece, pero nadie más lo merece. Si el Papa de Roma viniera a visitarte en tu casa algún día, probablemente le darías una gran bienvenida, pero ¿si el Hijo de Dios viniera? Pues Él está a la puerta de nuestros corazones... golpeando humildemente. Si le dejáramos entrar a Cristo, entonces pudiéramos ser 'Cristos vivos'. Haz que las personas que se encuentran con tigo al trabajo, o donde sea, se sienten como si se hubieran encontrado algo del amor de Cristo. ¡Podría ser! Dios es ambicioso en esto. Para citar a Jesús en Juan 1:16: “No me elegisteis vosotros sino soy yo quien os elegí… y os he destinado para dar mucho fruto”. Cristo apoya eso con su vida en la cruz y 'nadie ama más que el que da su vida por sus amigos' (Jn 1:13). La señal clara que es en nuestra humanidad simple que Dios anhela vivir es María. Pero estamos llamados a estar como ella. San Agustín pasó muchos años buscando felicidad en muchos lugares, filosofías y las personas, pero después dijo: “Tarde yo te he amado. Busqué en tantos lugares ¡y después me di cuenta que estas dentro de mi!”. Como dice San Pablo: 'Sois templos del Espíritu Santo y habéis sido bien comprados.' (1º Cor 6:19). Empezamos la misa con el confetior y antes de la cdomunión recordamos al centurión que dijo a Jesús "Señor, no soy digno de que entres en mi casa" (Lc 7:6). Pero Cristo entra. Despues de salir de la iglesia el domingo, no hace falta dejar de estar con Dios. ¡Él está EN ti - con tal de que no tienes la puerta cerrada a Él con su mente puesta en cosas superficiales! Conviene estar diciendo "sí" como María... y planeando como ser fiel a eso "sí." Las lecturas hablan mucho hoy también del ministerio de la palabra (la predicación). Jesús nos está llamando 'amigos' y quiere inspirar en nosotros la Buena Nueva que el Padre había inspirado en él (Jn 15:15), pero nos pide desde allí ayudarle transmitir aquella 'Palabra' a otros… no como 'esclavos' sino como 'amigos'. En la primera lectura es mientras estaba predicando Pedro que viene el Espíritu Santo sobre la gente (Hechos 10:44). Entonces puede ser que la llamada a 'amar unos a otros' en la segunda lectura (1ºJn 4:7) incluye una llamada a ti a compartir la Palabra con otros… aún si a veces esto requiere predicación… ¡o el envío de E-mail! ........... Dara. 5th Sunday of Easter: Acts 9:26-31, 1 Jn 3:18-24, Jn 15:1-8 The Gospel this weekend is this: Jn 15:1-8 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. 2 He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. 3 You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. 4 Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. 8 By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. The first reading is this: Acts 9:26-31 When Paul arrived in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. 27 Then Barnabas took charge of him and brought him to the apostles, and he reported to them how on the way he had seen the Lord and that he had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. 28 He moved about freely with them in Jerusalem, and spoke out boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He also spoke and debated with the Hellenists, * but they tried to kill him. 30 And when the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him on his way to Tarsus. 31 The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace. It was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord, and with the consolation of the holy Spirit it grew in numbers. The second reading is this: 1 Jn 3:18-24 Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth. 19 Now this is how we shall know that we * belong to the truth and reassure our hearts before him 20 in whatever our hearts condemn, for God is greater than our hearts and knows everything. 21 Beloved, if (our) hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence in God 22 and receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And his commandment is this: we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as he commanded us. 24 Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them, and the way we know that he remains in us is from the Spirit that he gave us. MEDITATION: This week Christ says that he is 'the true vine' hoping for us to be 'well connected' with him and thereby bearing 'good fruit'. Wine appears frequently in the Gospel (wedding at Cana Jn 2, this Sunday Jn 15, and the Last Supper Lk 22 etc). I mention how God gives us good things, but we choose whether we’re going to use them well or not. Anyone with a 'hangover’ will understand! Think of the family of an alcoholic or a person in a car accident, caused by a drunk driver, or someone who has suffered in a nightclub because of alcohol (fights, abuse, etc.). That all symbolizes our very lives. They can be good or bad. It depends on how we ourselves choose to live. It is also true that things which annoy at first may give much joy afterwards. The Christian road goes there. Jesus describes his following as a yoke or hard path, but adds "My yoke is easy and my burden light". I have tried to avoid wealth, honours, pleasures (and clubs with alcohol!) since the beginning of my vocation, but the wonderful thing is that I feel much richer and enjoy every day. Even multiple sclerosis can’t rob me of this! All can live freely. A gardener can graft a twig from one tree into the trunk of another, but our union with Christ can be even deeper: our life is rooted in Him. That’s true since our baptism, but the problem is that sometimes we disconnect and choose other paths. This Sunday calls us to renew our fundamental option (such as the renewal of baptismal promises every Easter). Using my keyboard here, I remember the nuisance one day when the electricity cut-of before I had saved what I had written. Like machines need electricity, we all need to be plugged into Christ! Life itself comes from Him. We listen to the readings at mass, but that may be tiny compared to the time we spend watching television or reading newspapers. And of course, the connection with Christ involves sitting down and spending some time meditating on what we have heard. Jesus says in the sermon on the mount that we should enter into our 'private room': "When you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray with your father in secret, and your father who sees in secret will reward you" (Mt 6:6). Prayer is not a question of receiving a list of instructions, but of illuminating the mind and heart about our lives. If we intend to share with others the thoughts that we recieve in our prayer, we will probably receive more light than if praying only for ourselves. Even the patron saint of the missions, St Teresa of Lisieux, a contemplative nun who used not leave never left her convent, wrote a little book which helped many people, including me! If the mind and the heart are well grafted in Christ, surprises may arise! Reflecting well on the word of God leads us to the challenge of transforming our lives. Jesus speaks today of ‘pruning the vine’. The first reading of Acts tells of the surprise of the early Christians in Jerusalem when they saw the change in Saul (later called Paul). The persecutor of Christians got well pruned! The reading tells of him struggling a lot with the Hellenists (Greeks). They represent a people quite advanced in philosophy, science and intellectual culture. But that does not mean that they were smarter. Paul, united in Christ, shows another kind of intelligence… the most intelligent is the one that most loves. The advances in science and human wisdom are good, but there’s always the danger of self-sufficiency and pride. Some start thinking that from there-on they can move forward on their own… without needing God. So the second reading of John insists that loving well is a matter of following Christ… ‘fulfill his commandments well’. And this is part of our nature, not something alien and forced. Each of us is its dwelling. Christ wants us to live fully and that’s a process, it is not something instantaneous... He puts us on the road! The Gospel also tells of the unconnected branches being 'thrown into the fire', and that may seem to contradict a God of mercy, but it’s describing how one’s connection with Christ is vital. By connecting us with Christ, we are connecting with the whole family - Father, Son and Spirit. Jesus says that he is the vine, but adds "and my father is the vinedresser". As at the wedding in Cana (John 2), our mother, Mary, makes the effort to stimulate her son, Jesus, to give a solution to the lack of wine and cheerfulness at the fiesta! Her joy is to realize that God loves us so much that he gives his body and blood on the cross. For this reason we consecrate wine at mass today. The second reading asks us to love not just in word or speech but by putting it into practice, however my vocation (call) is the 'Ministry of the Word' and I can't speak with many from a wheelchair, then I hope that my sending e-mails is a form of love 'in deed and truth' (1 Jn 3:18)! ...........Dara. En ESPAÑOL: 5° Domingo de Pascua: Hechos 9:26-31 1Jn 3:18-24 Jn 15:1-8 Este Domingo Cristo dice que es ‘la vid verdadera’ esperando que estemos ‘bien conectados’ a él y que nuestras vidas den ‘buen fruto’. El vino, de hecho, aparece frecuentemente en el Evangelio (Bodas de Cana –Jn 2–, este domingo –Jn 15–, y la Ultima Cena). Me hablan de cómo Dios nos da cosas buenas, pero escogemos nosotros usarlas bien o mal. ¡Cualquiera con ‘resaca’ entenderá! Piensa en la familia de un alcohólico o de una persona en un accidente de coche, causado por un conductor borracho, o en alguien que ha sufrido en una discoteca por el alcohol (peleas, abusos, etc.). Aquello simboliza nuestras vidas mismas – pueden ser buenas o malas. Depende de cómo nosotros mismos escojamos vivir. + También es verdad que cosas que fastidian al principio pueden dar mucho gozo después. El camino cristiano va por ahí. Jesús describe el camino de seguimiento como un yugo o una carga, pero añade “mi yugo es suave y mi carga ligera”. He procurado evitar riquezas, honores, placeres (¡y discotecas con alcohol!) desde el comienzo de mi vocación, pero lo maravilloso es que me siento mucho más rico y disfrutando cada día. ¡Ni siquiera la esclerosis múltiple puede robarme esto! Todos podemos vivir libres. Un jardinero pueden injertar un brote de un árbol en el tronco de otro, pero nuestra unión con Jesús puede ser aún más profunda: nuestra vida está enraizada en Cristo. Está así desde nuestro bautismo, pero el problema es que a veces nos desconectamos y escogemos otros caminos. Este domingonos llama a renovar nuestra elección fundamental (como la renovación de promesas bautismales cada Pascua). Al utilizar mi teclado aquí, me acuerdo del fastidio que supuso cierto día el que se cortase la electricidad antes de haber guardado lo que había escrito. Del mismo modo que las máquinas necesitan electricidad, todos nosotros necesitamos estar bien enchufados a Cristo. La vida misma viene de Él. Escuchamos las lecturas en la misa, pero puede que eso, comparado al tiempo que pasamos mirando la televisión o leyendo periódicos, sea minúsculo. Y claro, la conexión con Cristo es cuestión de sentarse y pasar algún tiempo meditando lo que hemos escuchado. Por esto Jesús dice en el sermón de la montaña que deberíamos entrar en nuestra ‘habitación privada’: “Pero cuando ores, entra en tu cuarto, cierra la puerta, y ora con tu Padre en secreto, y tu Padre que ve en lo secreto te recompensará” (Mt 6:6). La oración no es cuestión de recibir una lista de instrucciones, sino de dejar iluminar la mente y el corazón acerca de nuestras vidas. Si tenemos intención de compartir con otros lo que entendemos en nuestra oración, probablemente recibiremos más luz que si orásemos sólo para nosotros mismos. ¡Incluso la patrona de las misiones, Santa Teresa de Lisieux – una monja contemplativa que nunca salió de su convento – escribió un libro que ayudó a muchos, incluido a mí! ¡Si la mente y el corazón están bien injertados en Cristo, pueden surgir sorpresas! Reflexionar bien sobre la Palabra de Dios nos empuja al desafío de transformar nuestra vida. Jesús habla hoy de la poda de la vid. La primera lectura de los Hechos de los Apóstoles habla del asombro de los primeros cristianos en Jerusalén cuando vieron el cambio en Saulo (más tarde llamado Pablo): ¡qué transfor++mación, qué poda, de perseguidor a columna de la Iglesia! La lectura dice que debatía mucho con los Helenistas (los Griegos). Estos representaban una cultura muy intelectual y avanzada en filosofía y en ciencia. Pero eso no significa que fuesen más inteligentes. Pablo, unido a Cristo, nos muestra otro tipo de inteligencia: Él más inteligente es el que más ama. Los avances en la ciencia y en la sabiduría humana son buenos, pero siempre está el peligro de la autosuficiencia y el orgullo – de pensar ‘desde aquí podemos avanzar por nuestra cuenta; no necesitamos a Dios’. Por eso la segunda lectura de Juan insiste en que amar bien es cuestión de seguir bien a Cristo – de ‘cumplir sus mandamientos’. Y esto es parte de nuestra naturaleza, no algo ajeno y forzado. Cada uno de nosotros es su morada. Cristo quiere vivir en nosotros. Se trata de un proceso, no es algo instantáneo... ¡pongámonos en camino! El Evangelio también habla de las ramas desconectadas que son ‘echadas al fuego’, y puede parecer que contradice un Dios de misericordia, pero en realidad lo que nos dice es que nuestra conexión con Cristo es vital. Al conectarnos con Cristo, nos estamos conectando con la familia entera – Padre, Hijo y Espíritu. Jesús dice que él es la vid, pero añade “y mi Padre es el viñador”. ¡Igual que en las bodas de Cana (Jn 2), nuestra madre, María, está empeñada en que su hijo dé solución a la falta de vino y alegre la fiesta! La alegría suprema está en darnos cuenta de que Dios nos ama hasta entregar su cuerpo y sangre en l+a cruz. Por eso consagramos el vino en la misa hoy. La segunda lectura nos pide amar no solamente en palabra o charla sino en hecho y verdad, sin embargo mi vocación (llamada) es al ‘ministerio de la palabra’ y no puedo hablar con muchos desde una silla de ruedas, ¡entonces espero que +mi envío de correo electrónico sea una forma de amar ‘en hecho y verdad’! .....Dara. 4th Sunday of Easter (Good Shepherd Sunday): Acts 4:8-12. 1 Jn 3:1-2. Jn 10:11-18. The Gospel this weekend is this: Jn 10:11-18. I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them. 13 This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep * that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. * This command I have received from my Father." The first reading is this: Acts 4:8-12. Then Peter, filled with the holy Spirit, answered them, "Leaders of the people and elders: 9 If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a cripple, namely, by what means he was saved, 10 then all of you and all the people of Israel should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; in his name this man stands before you healed. 11 He is 'the stone rejected by you, * the builders, which has become the cornerstone.' 12 * There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved." The second reading is this: 1 Jn 3:1-2. See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God's children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed * we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. MEDITATION: This Sunday we celebrate the fact that Christ is a good shepherd who gives his life for his sheep. The sheep represent us! We may lose ourselves, but God is leading our return. The first reading is of Peter trying to shepherd the shepherds of the Jews who had themselves diverted much and condemned Jesus. The second is a small praise of how God calls us. As a prologue to the parable of ‘the prodigal son’, Jesus says that when the shepherd finds the lost sheep, "he lays it on his shoulders with much joy, and takes it back home, and then brings together his friends and neighbors saying, "Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep."" (Lk 15:1-6). It does not say that he complains with frustration, but that he celebrates with much joy! Walking through the countryside in Ireland once, I saw a lamb trapped on a small island in the middle of a stream. I was surprised to see it there. Others were eating grass in the field of to the side. It seems that lamb had crossed by a ford not too deep, but the level went up. I got messy and wet feet in order to take it back, but I loved seeing it running in the grass towards its mother sheep. It made me think of how Jesus likes when mankind has the humility to let him return us to the home of God. But do we listen well to his voice? A missionary priest friend once was in Palestine and saw how pastors come to large herds and the sheep are called, but only some of them come running. It seems that the sheep of different shepherds mingle and form large flocks, but each one manages to distinguish between its own pastor and strangers. I presume that we all hear calls of riches, honours and pleasures in the world, but our good Shepherd continues to call! The problem is that many think proudly that they don't need to be guided. Jesus continues: "I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents that over ninety-nine righteous who do not need to repent" (Luke 15:7). Jesus describes them as 'those who do not need to repent', but I think that it is telling that when a person seems very Holy, he may have arrogance inside, and that attitude really needs repentance. I also need it! Pride really spoils the road to the sky - like a sheep away from their pastor because he wants to make his own way independently. That is the tragedy that brought the Jews against Jesus. Jesus was in favour of the majority of his ways (as the Old Testament was of God), but was against their way of putting an end there. He proposed to move forward. The Trinity are ambitious about their children. Even calls us all to help in their grazing. Some reject the role of our Church in clarifying scripture, but think about how dogs help the shepherds. They simply play a role in guiding. The central Shepherd is Christ himself. As vocations Sunday, I would add, that our good Shepherd is always calling decent Christians to help you. Some do not want to love generously in life unless there is clear rewards, but the Trinity are offering us a Supreme reward: Eternal Life in heaven. But that's different to be a salaried employee of today's Gospel. Is more as a loving son who wants to reunite the family. Our good Shepherd is not 'paid' and wants to see us 'lambs' back with their mother 'sheep'. Traditionally, we sing that it ‘May is 'the month of Mary’ and indeed the Popes propose the Rosary. Let our good Shepherd lead us home - where MUM is! .....Dara. en ESPAÑÓL: 4° Domingo de Pascua (Domingo del Buen Pastor): Hchos 4:8-12. 1°Jn 3:1-2. Jn 10:11-18. Este domingocelebramos el hecho de que Cristo es un Buen Pastor que entrega su vida por sus ovejas. ¡Las ovejas son una imagen de nosotros! Podemos extraviarnos, pero Dios sigue guiando nuestra vuelta. La primera lectura es de Pedro intentando pastorear los pastores de los Judíos que habían ellos mismos desviado mucho en condenarle a Jesús. La segunda es una pequeña alabanza del hecho de que Dios nos llama. Como prólogo para la parábola del hijo pródigo, Jesús dice que cuando encuentra la oveja perdida, “La pone sobre sus hombros con mucho gozo, y al llevarla de vuelta al hogar, reúne a sus amigos y vecinos diciendo, “Regocijaos conmigo porque he encontrado mi oveja perdida.” (Lc 15:1-6). ¡No dice que se queja con frustración, sino que celebra con mucho gozo! Al caminar por el campo en Irlanda una vez, vi un cordero atrapado en una islita en medio de un pequeño riachuelo. Me sorprendió verlo allí. Los demás estaban comiendo la hierba en el campo de al lado. Parece que el cordero había cruzado por un vado no muy hondo, pero después el nivel subió. Me ensucié y mojé los pies al llevarlo de vuelta, pero me encantó verla saltando por la hierba hacia su madre oveja. Me hizo pensar en cómo se debe sentir Jesús cuando el hombre tiene la humildad para dejarle devolvernos al hogar de Dios. Pero ¿escuchamos bien su voz? Un amigo sacerdote misionero estaba en Palestina una vez, y vio cómo los pastores se acercan a rebaños grandes y llaman a las ovejas, pero solo algunas de las ovejas vienen corriendo. Parece que ovejas de pastores distintos se mezclan y forman rebaños gran+des, pero los individuos distinguen entre su pastor y otros extraños. ¡Supongo que todos oímos las llamadas de riquezas, placeres y honores en el mundo, pero nuestro Buen Pastor no deja de llamar! El problema es que muchos piensan orgullosamente que no necesitan ser guiados. Jesús continua: “Os digo, de la misma manera, habrá más gozo en el cielo por un pecador que se arrepiente que por noventa y nueve justos que no necesitan arrepentirse” (Lucas 15:7). Jesús les describe como ‘los que no necesitan arrepentirse’, pero creo que está diciéndonos que cuando una persona parece muy santa, puede ser que por dentro haya orgullo, y ¡aquella actitud realmente necesita arrepentimiento... ¡y lo necesito yo! El orgullo realmente estropea el camino hacia el cielo – como una oveja alejándose de su pastor porque quiere hacer lo suyo independientemente. Aquello es la tragedia que puso a los judíos en contra de Jesús. Jesús estaba en favor de la mayoría de sus caminos (como el Viejo Testamento era de Dios), pero estaba en contra de su forma de poner punto final allí. Él les propuso seguir adelante. Dios es ambicioso para sus hijos. Aún nos llama a todos a ayudar en su pastoreo. Algunos rechazan el papel de nuestra iglesia en clarificar guiones, pero piensa en cómo los perros ayudan a los pastores. Simplemente toman el papel en guiar, pero el pastor es Cristo mismo. Siendo domingo de vocaciones, añado, que nuestro Buen Pastor está siempre llamando a cristianos decentes para ayudarle. Algunos no quieren amar generosamente en la vida a no ser que haya recompensas claras, pero Dios está ofreciéndonos una recompensa suprema: la Vida Eterna en el Cielo. Pero aquello es distinto a ser un empleado asalariado del evangelio de hoy. Es más como un hijo amoroso que quiere reunir a toda la familia. Nuestro Buen Pastor no es ‘asalariado’ y quiere vernos a nosotros, ‘corderitos’, de vuelta con su madre ‘oveja’. Tradicionalmente, cantamos que Mayo es ‘el mes de María’ y de hecho los Papas han escrito documentos proponiendo el rosario. ¡Dejemos a nuestro Buen Pastor guiarnos a casa – donde está Mamá! .....Dara. Third Sunday of Easter: Acts 3:13-15, 17-19. 1 Jn 2:1-5. Lk 24:35-48. - The Gospel this weekend is this: Lk 24:35-48 Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread. 36 While they were still speaking about this, he stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." 37 But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. 38 Then he said to them, "Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? 39 Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have." 40 And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them, "Have you anything here to eat?" 42 They gave him a piece of baked fish; 43 he took it and ate it in front of them. 44 He said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled." 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. 46 And he said to them, "Thus it is written that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day 47 and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. - The first reading is this: Acts 3:13-15, 17-19. The God of Abraham, (the God) of Isaac, and (the God) of Jacob, the God of our ancestors, has glorified his servant Jesus whom you handed over and denied in Pilate's presence, when he had decided to release him. 14 You denied the Holy and Righteous One * and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 The author of life you put to death, but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses… 17 Now I know, brothers, that you acted out of ignorance, * just as your leaders did; 18 but God has thus brought to fulfilment what he had announced beforehand through the mouth of all the prophets, * that his Messiah would suffer. 19 Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away, - The second reading is this: 1 Jn 2:1-5. My children, I am writing this to you so that you may not commit sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one. 2 He is expiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world. 3 The way we may be sure * that we know him is to keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says, "I know him," but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him. This is the way we may know that we are in union with him: - MEDITATION: The gospel this Sunday continues to tell of the appearance of the risen Jesus. I like the way that he doesn't dig in to some deep theological teaching, but rather asks the gang: "Have you anything to eat?"!! That may seem unimportant, but it makes me think of the fact that God became completely human… like us all. Even the resurrected Christ was keen to nibble a bit! That speaks of how the resurrection isn't just for divine beings, it's for us too. It speaks to us of how the door has been opened for this bunch of flesh and bones to reach beyond death. And this didn't come 'out of the blue'. It's the climax of a history that goes back a long, long way. It says 'Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures' (Lk 24:45). And the first reading, from Acts, has Peter describing to the Jews how the life of Jesus Christ had all been predicted, going back to their ancient patriarchs. I must say, I give thanks for the way that scriptures were explained to me, but of course I've still got a lot to learn. We all have. But will we let Christ explain them to us and stimulate thoughts in us as we pray? Jesus adds 'that the forgiveness of sins would be preached in his name to all the nations'. The three readings this week are actually about the mercy of God. It's described with reference to the people who handed Jesus over to crucifixion (and that certainly requires tremendous mercy), but we're all part of that. We've all sinned at some stage, and our joy isn't to point to the good works done by our Christian community, but to the fact that God forgives us despite our many bad works... and our frequent failure to do good ones. I've done wrong... and you've done wrong, but the great thing is that God forgives. Phew! It seems that the name 'Divine Mercy Sunday' applies to this Sunday as much as to last week (and to every week!). How could we possibly repay God? By beginning anew. God gives us a tremendous chance: the chance to forgive anyone who may have done us any harm or failed to do good. We're all in the same boat. Only one of us hasn't ever done wrong – just one: Mary. But she's our mother… and the fantastic Good News ('gospel') is that the kids do have the potential to become like their Mum! There's a missionary call here also. Jesus asks that repentance for the forgiveness of sins be preached in his name to all the nations.' (Lk 24:47). That's a call to us all who can speak (or press a keyboard)! And Jesus tells us that it will be a good trip. Maybe there will be some wind and waves (and even sclerosis) along the way, but the followers of Peter and his fishermen (the Church) will end up with a decent catch! ........ Dara. - - en ESPAÑÓL: - 3° Domingo de Pascua: Hech 3:13-15, 17-19. 1°Jn 2:1-5. Lucas 24:35-48. El Evangelio este domingo sigue con las apariciones de Jesús resucitado. Me gusta como no profundiza en alguna enseñanza teológica, sino pregunta a ‘la bola’ de apóstoles: “¿Tenéis algo para comer?”!! Puede parecer sin importancia, pero me hace pensar en el hecho de que Dios realmente se hizo humano – como todos nosotros. ¡Incluso Jesús resucitado quería zampar un poco! Aquello me habla de cómo la resurrección no es solamente para criaturas divinas. Es para nosotros también. La puerta ha sido abierta para que este trozo de carne y hueso supere la muerte. Y esto no surgió ‘de repente’. Es el clímax de una historia que viene de muy atrás. Dice que ‘Entonces les abrió la mente para entender las escrituras’ (Lucas 24:45). Y la primera lectura, de Hechos, tiene a Pedro describiendo a los judíos cómo la vida de Cristo había sido toda profetizada, volviendo a los primeros patriarcas. Realmente, doy gracias por la forma en que las escrituras me han sido explicadas, pero es cierto que me queda mucho por aprender. Nos queda a todos. Pero ¿Dejaremos a Cristo explicarnos lo mientras oramos? Jesús añade que el perdón de los pecados sería predicado en su nombre a todas las naciones. De hecho, las tres lecturas esta semana hablan de la misericordia de Dios. Es descrito con referencia a la gente que entregaron a Jesús en la crucifixión (y aquello requiere muchísima misericordia), pero tenemos todos parte en aquello. Hemos pecado todos en algunas ocasiones, y nuestro gozo no está en mirar a las maravillas buenas hechas por nuestra comunidad Cristiana, sino en el hecho de que Dios nos ama a pesar de haber hecho muchos males... y de haber dejado de hacer muchos bienes. He hecho males... y tu también, pero lo tremendo es que Dios perdona. ¡Menos mal! Parece que este es el Domingo de la Misericordia Divina como la semana pasada. ¿Como podríamos agradecerle a Dios? Empezando de nuevo. Nos da Dios una oportunidad tremenda: la oportunidad de perdonar a cualquiera que nos ha hecho mal o que ha dejado de hacer bien. Estamos todos en la misma barca. Solo uno de nosotros no ha pecado – solo uno: María. Pero es nuestra madre – y la buena nueva (‘evangelio’) es que los niños tienen la potencia para llegar a ser como su Madre. Hay una llamada misionera aquí también. Jesús pide que el perdón se predique a todas las naciones en su nombre. (Lucas 24:47). ¡Aquello es una llamada a todos los que pueden hablar (o apretar el teclado)! Y Jesús nos dice que será un viaje bueno. Quizá habrá algo de viento y algunas olas (y aún esclerosis) en el camino, pero los que siguen a Pedro y a sus pescadores (la Iglesia) acabarán con una pesca bastante decente! ........ Dara. 2nd Sunday of Easter: Acts 4:32-35, 1 Jn 5:1-6, Jn 20:19-31. (Divine Mercy Sunday) - The Gospel this weekend is this: Jn 20:19-31 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. * The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 (Jesus) said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit. 23 Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." 24 Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." 26 Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." 27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe." 28 Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!" 29 Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." 30 * Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of (his) disciples that are not written in this book. 31 But these are written that you may (come to) believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name. - The first reading is this: Acts 4:32-35 The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. 33 With great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all. 34 There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, 35 and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need. - The second reading is this: 1 Jn 5:1-6 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God, and everyone who loves the father loves (also) the one begotten by him. 2 In this way we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, 4 for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith. 5 Who (indeed) is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and blood. The Spirit is the one that testifies, and the Spirit is truth. - MEDITATION: This Sunday God underlines the fact that the Good News is good! …and that it would be good to give testimony of our faith and to share the news around. The Apostles have closed the doors out of fear and Jesus appears with a very complex theological instruction: “Peace be with you”! Very complex, isn’t it?! Many live through doubts and fears, but God is stronger… stronger than death itself! Passing through problems, and even through death is no longer a major problem. It may lead to eternal Life with God! Jesus, through doubting Thomas, is asking us to have faith. Thomas comes to the tremendous conclusion that Jesus is God. When my multiple sclerosis began, I knew that it was going to bring problems to my life, but having faith, I didn't get depressed. Many fall into depression. I don't know exactly why it started, but I know that the Trinity have allowed it, and they surely have their reasons. Jesus had tremendous confidence on his way to Calvary! MS is just another pebble on the road of life, unless one has put their hope in the physical things of the world. If one had, then yes, MS would be a serious obstacle for them. But it’s just another twist on our short road, and what will matter in the end is whether or not we’ve done at least something good. That’s why Jesus adds: "As the father sent me, so I send you". We are not Jesus, but the marvel is that he invites us to participate in his mission. It only requires our "Yes". Following Christ is challenging for one with a comfortable and easy lifestyle, but if we are faithful, it will bear much fruit. Thereafter you'll know that Christ is really alive… resurrected in your own self. What most amazed St Paul is what happened to his own self inside. A proud opposer of that 'Jesus cult' soon became one of its main columns. The love of Christ simply seduces the heart... and transforms it. The first reading, of Acts of the Apostles, describes how the good testimony of the first Christian community 'spoke clearly' to people of that time. We give thanks for this today and at the same time we appreciate that God is asking us to 'communicate' to future generations. Many leave the faith today on seeing superficiality in Christians. If we live out our faith, the message will reach many, and in future centuries the world will appreciate us. The challenge now is to really believe in our risen Lord. And of course, faith isn’t just a matter of simply appearing at mass at the weekend and participating in the parish. It should be a 'living' faith that guides our steps and transforms us into 'Living Christs'. The mother of St. Augustine (St. Monica) could not speak to her son in his complicated philosophical language, but she gave good example at home, and look at the result! We welcome the good news that has come to us through many centuries and testimonies, but God wants all to have personal experience of it. How do you give that? It doesn’t require strange miracles or visions (like Thomas touching the wounds of Jesus); What is needed is to give personal time to meditation and contemplation of the word that has come to us. Thoughts and ideas arise in our minds and in that way our risen Lord speaks to us and gives us his life. About Thomas and the call to faith, there is much to say, but here I put just a few ideas. Humanity can advance much in wisdom, science, and art, etc., but something sure is that this piece of flesh and bones is going to die someday. On the one hand this seems tragic, but it also has a positive aspect. It inspires us to search for a meaning. The prospect of death humbles us and gets us to seek. It is then that the person of Christ, along with the Scriptures and his followers, bears fruit. Quoting Francis Bacon: 'If a man will start only with certainties, he ends up with doubts, but if he will begin with his doubts, he may well end up with certainties'. I believe that human intelligence is based on humbly realizing that there is much in life that I do not know! Isaac Newton (1642-1727) helped humanity with his suggestions and intuitions rather than demonstrations and scientific proofs. There was a time when it seemed that science would unlock the secrets of the universe, but there are always things that science can’t explain. Only God can explain all. The challenge for us is to pay attention to the word of God. In fact, Newton himself ended up very religious. When I was young and first learnt about discoveries and inventions, I once asked my father where I had come from. He responded "From God". I kept asking "But who he is? and how is it that I showed up?". I was looking for some kind of erudite explanation of my pharmacist father. He knew some scientific truths but eventually said that he didn't know… and that no human being could fully explain it. That humble "I don't know" was the best way to 'open doors' and prepare the way so that I myself would seek and thereafter welcome the tremendous Good News of our faith. Thus began my search for answers. I would love if all people would seek a bit – and would at least open the door! The truth is that God is humbly calling at our door. That was the motivation for the incarnation of Christ and He keeps calling: "I stand at the door and knock; If someone opens to me, I will enter and you we’ll have dinner together." (Apoc3:20). The Apostles were hiding. We all hide sometimes, and avoid showing clearly that we are followers of Christ. Being a Christian isn’t always easy, because we have to give good witness at work, at home and all-over. The temptations of wealth, pleasures and honors create barriers that Jesus has to penetrate. He can penetrate, but does not want to impose. He’s at the door humbly calling! .......... Dara. - - en ESPAÑÓL: - 2° Domingo de Pascua: Hech 4:32-35 1Jn 5:1-6 Jn 20:19-3 (Domingo de la Misericordia Divina) ¡Este Domingo Dios subraya que la Buena Nueva es buena! …y que sería bueno dar buen testimonio Cristiano y compartirla. Los apóstoles han cerrado las puertas por temor y Jesús aparece con una instrucción teológica muy compleja: “Que la paz esté con vosotros”. ¡Complejísima, ¿verdad?! Muchos viven con dudas y temores, pero Dios es más fuerte – ¡más que la muerte misma! Pasar por problemas, aún por la muerte, es muy poquito, casi nada, comparado con la Vida eterna y feliz con Dios. Jesús sigue, a través de Tomás, pidiéndonos tener fe, y Tomás llega a la conclusión tremendísima que Jesús es Dios. Cuando empezó mi esclerosis múltiple, yo sabía que iba a traer problemas a mi vida; pero al tener fe, no pasé ni un minuto deprimido. Muchos caen en ello. No sé exactamente por qué empezó, pero sé que Dios lo ha permitido, y tiene sus razones – lo mismo que Jesús en su camino al Calvario. La esclerosis es una piedrecilla en el camino de la vida – a no ser que uno haya puesto sus esperanzas en las cosas físicas del mundo, entonces sí que sería un obstáculo serio para realizarte. Pero es un camino breve, de paso, y lo que importará a fin de cuentas, será haber hecho al menos algo bueno. Por eso Jesús añade: “Como el Padre me envió, así os envío”. No somos Jesús, pero la maravilla es que nos invita a participar en su misión. Solo requiere nuestro “Sí”. Seguir a Cristo es desafiante para nuestra vida cómoda y fácil, pero si somos fieles, dará mucho fruto: entonces sabrás que Cristo está realmente vivo – resucitado en ti mismo. Lo que más maravillaba a San Pablo era lo que le pasó a él mismo por dentro. Un orgulloso perseguidor de aquella ‘Secta de Jesús’ llegó a convertirse en una de sus columnas principales. El amor de Cristo simplemente seduce el corazón... y lo transforma. La primera lectura, de los Hechos de los Apóstoles, describe cómo el buen testimonio de la primera comunidad Cristiana ‘habló claramente’ a la gente de aquel tiempo. Damos gracias por ello hoy y a la vez escuchamos a Dios pidiéndonos ‘comunicar claramente’ a generaciones futuras. Muchos dejan la fe hoy al ver tantos cristianos superficiales. Si vivimos a fondo nuestra fe, el mensaje llegará a muchos, y nos lo agradecerán en siglos futuros. El desafío ahora es el de realmente creer en nuestro Señor resucitado. Y claro, la fe no es cuestión de simplemente aparecer en misa cada domingo y participar en la parroquia. Debería ser una fe ‘viva’ que orienta cada paso y nos transforma en ‘Cristos vivos’. La madre de San Agustín (Sta. Mónica) no podía hablar a su hijo en su lenguaje complicado filosófico, pero dio ejemplo claro en casa, y ¡mira el fruto! Conviene acoger la Buena Nueva que nos ha llegado a través de muchos siglos y testimonios, pero Dios quiere que tengamos experiencia personal de ella. ¿Como puede darse esto? No requiere ningún tipo de milagro raro o visión extraña (como Tomás tocando las heridas en las palmas y el costado de Jesús); lo que hace falta es dar tiempo personal a la meditación y contemplación de la Palabra que nos ha llegado. Pensamientos e ideas nos surgen en la mente y es así como nuestro Señor resucitado nos habla y nos da su Vida. Acerca de Tomás y la llamada a la fe, hay mucho que decir, pero aquí pongo sólo algunas ideas. La humanidad puede avanzar mucho en sabiduría, ciencia, y arte, etc., pero algo seguro es que este trozo de carne con huesos va a morir. Por un lado esto parece una tragedia, pero también tiene un aspecto positivo: nos hace buscar un sentido. La perspectiva de la muerte nos hace humildes y nos hace buscar. Es entonces cuando la persona de Cristo, junto con las escrituras y sus seguidores, da fruto. Citando a Francis Bacon: ‘Si un hombre parte de certezas, acaba con dudas, pero si parte de las dudas, puede que acabe con certezas’. Creo que la inteligencia humana está basada en darse cuenta humildemente que ¡hay mucho en la vida que yo no sé! Isaac Newton (1642-1727) ayudó a la humanidad con sus sugerencias e intuiciones más que con demostraciones y pruebas científicas. Había llegado el tiempo en que parecía que la ciencia iba a liberar los secretos del universo; y de ocurrir así, ya no harían más falta las cabezas eclesiásticas. Pero siempre quedan cosas que la ciencia no puede explicar. Solo Dios puede. El desafío para nosotros es prestar atención a la Palabra de Dios. De hecho, Newton mismo acabó muy religioso. Cuando yo era pequeño y aprendía sobre descubrimientos e invenciones, pregunté una vez a mi papá de dónde yo había venido. Él respondió “de Dios”. Yo seguí preguntando “Pero ¿quien es Él? y ¿como es que aparecí yo?”. Estaba buscando algún tipo de explicación sabia de mi padre farmacéutico. Él sabía bien las verdades científicas pero respondió que en el fondo él no lo sabía – que ninguna persona humana podía explicarlo. Aquel “yo no lo sé” humilde fue la mejor forma de ‘abrir puertas’, de preparar el camino para que yo mismo buscase al Dios Padre, y para acoger la Buena Nueva tremenda de nuestra fe. Así empezó mi búsqueda de respuestas. Me encantaría que todos buscáramos un poco – ¡y que al menos abriésemos la puerta! La verdad es que Dios está llamando humildemente a nuestra puerta. Aquello fue la motivación de su encarnación y hoy lo sigue intentando: “Estoy a la puerta y llamo; si alguien me abre, entraré y cenaremos juntos”. (Apoc 3:20). Los apóstoles estaban escondidos; todos nos escondemos a veces, y evitamos mostrarnos claramente como seguidores de Cristo. Ser cristiano no es fácil, pues hay que dar testimonio bueno en el trabajo, en casa y en el juego. Las tentaciones de riquezas, de placeres y de honores crean barreras que Jesús tiene que atravesar. Él puede penetrar, pero no quiere imponerse. ¡Está a la puerta llamando humildemente! .......... Dara. It's Christmas Time Once AgainIt's Christmas time once again! Most of us received gifts already from our office mates, friends and our families. I believe many of us attended Christmas get-togethers more than once. We also prepared for the costumes that we wore for the Christmas Party. It’s in this time of the year that many people are happy.
|
Reflections of faithRead and be inspired by the reflections and experiences of faith, based on the Word of God. Archives
August 2016
Categories
All
|