Tag: lectio divina

Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

Jesus said to his disciples: “So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. On that day you will not question me about anything. Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.”

Jesus tells his disciples that they will experience sorrow and grief, but their sorrow will turn to joy. He compares this to the pain a woman experiences in childbirth that is forgotten once she sees her newborn child. Jesus says that he will see his disciples again, referring to his resurrection, and that their grief will turn to joy that no one will take away from them. The joy Jesus speaks of cannot be taken away because it comes from God, and no one on earth has the power to take God-given joy away. It is in this Easter joy that Jesus says, “Whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.” What is it I need today that I can ask of the Father?

God, as Jesus your Son speaks to the disciples, he reads their hearts and knows their anguish. Why does the world rejoice at Jesus’ death while his followers mourn? Those in the world who do not see Jesus rejoice at his departure because his presence calls them to him and they reject him. But the disciples know your Son and mourn his death. “But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice,” Jesus tells them. In the glory of the resurrection, Jesus calls them to him, which is a joy no one can take from them. In the anguish of this day, Lord, grant me the grace of seeing my grief turn to joy in the realization of your presence.

“Whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you,” says the Lord. Lord, help me know you and welcome you today.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2W-KSOPWWBY

Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

Jesus said to his disciples: “Are you discussing with one another what I said, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.”

By telling the disciples “you will not see me” and then “you will see me,” Jesus meets their concern directly. John tells us that “Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him” what this might mean. Its meaning is tied to the transient mourning he mentions to them, which stands in contrast to the world’s rejoicing at his death. That the world believes it has no God, that there is no ultimate truth to convict it, is not part of long ago in Jesus’ time but is just as much a reality in the world today. How do I adjust my sight to see that Jesus is present in this world?

Seeming to have gone out of sight with his death, Jesus gives God glory in his resurrection and ascension; the disciples see and understand that Jesus is the Messiah. Through the Gospel, the Eucharist, and in the Mystical Body of Christ, Jesus is alive in the world today and is always present. Christ is not subject to death. Dying and rising with him through Baptism, I am brought into sonship with him in the eternal love of the Father. As Saint John Paul II said, “In him, the divine sonship has become our inheritance. By God’s will, as adoptive sons we are coheirs of the eternal Son, called to participate in the life of God, in eternal happiness in him.”

“His right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm,” the psalmist sings. Let me remain with you today, Lord, to see and understand that you are the victor.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

Jesus said to his disciples: “But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth.”

Jesus tells his disciples that he has much more to say to them, but they cannot bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide them to all truth. The Spirit will not speak on his own but what he hears from the Father, what is yet to come. The Spirit will glorify Jesus by taking what is Jesus’ and making it known to the disciples. Jesus says to them: “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.” Doing perfectly the will of the Father, Jesus is able to proclaim his unity with him through the Holy Spirit. Through the same Holy Spirit, how can I be attentive to the will of the Father?

God, help me understand the truth of your word. Grant me the grace to see that the Holy Spirit is truth itself, showing me how to live in accordance with your will. Thank you, Father, for the Spirit of truth that constantly teaches me to know and do your will and learn of your unending love for me.

From the responsorial psalm: “I will ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

Jesus said to his disciples: “But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples that he is going away to the Father but that it is to their advantage. He explains that the Holy Spirit will come to them and convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Holy Spirit will show the world that they are sinners, that he is the only way to righteousness, and that judgment has come upon the world because of sin. The Holy Spirit will also guide the disciples into all truth and teach them everything they need to know. Jesus’ departure is not a cause for grief but instead a cause for joy because it means that the Holy Spirit will come and be with them.

God, when the Holy Spirit comes, help me remember that as Jesus says, “he will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation.” Because he has gone to you, I no longer can see Jesus but can now receive the Holy Spirit that he sent. Help me understand, Lord, that in the Holy Spirit nothing of Jesus is diminished. Instead, as the Son went to you, the fulfillment of his work on earth was accomplished. Grant me the grace to welcome the Holy Spirit as the one sent by your Son.

“I will send to you the Spirit of truth, says the Lord; he will guide you to all truth.” Help me today be guided by the Spirit of truth.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

Jesus said to his disciples: “I have told you this so that you may not fall away. They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God.”

Jesus tells his disciples that he will send the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, to them. The Holy Spirit will testify about Jesus and help the disciples to be witnesses of Jesus’ life and teachings. Jesus also tells his disciples that they will be persecuted for their faith, but he tells them this to take courage in the help of the Advocate “so that,” as he says, “you may not fall away.” The Holy Spirit will be with them so that when their hour comes they may remember that he told them. As Jesus’ followers, we can expect to face persecution, but the Advocate is always with us to guide us and strengthen us through every challenge.

God, help me accept the full meaning of Jesus’ words “the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God.” The words leave little room for interpretation, and I don’t think he spoke these words only for them to be softened or taken euphemistically. Because of faith in Christ your Son, faithful witnesses of the Church have been and will be persecuted and killed. Keep me in your care, God, and through the Holy Spirit help me have the courage to profess my faith in love at whatever cost.

From the responsorial psalm: “The Spirit of truth will testify to me, says the Lord, and you also will testify.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Sixth Sunday of Easter

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

Jesus said to his disciples: “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the disciples about the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, who will come to remain with them. The action of the Holy Spirit, who will remain with them always, allows Jesus to say to them: “you will see me, because I live and you will live.” Through his invitation to love him, Jesus invites the disciples into the same relationship he has with the Father who loves the Son.

God, as your Son prepared the disciples for his departure from them and ultimately his ascension into heaven, he gave them the hope of the Advocate. It seems odd at first glance that Jesus would send an invisible force to replace his physical presence. Yet, the Holy Spirit, he reveals to the disciples, is the love between you and your Son. As Jesus says, “On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you.” Through baptism, I participate in the death and resurrection of your Son. For that reason, I have in me through the Holy Spirit the same hope and joy of the resurrection. What Saint Paul says of Christ, I can also share in as I keep your word: “Put to death in the flesh, he was brought to life in the Spirit.”

Stay with me today, Lord! As the responsorial psalm says: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord, and my Father will love him and we will come to him.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

Jesus said to his disciples: “If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you.”

In speaking to the disciples in this way, Jesus prepares them for persecution, as he was persecuted. “If they persecuted me,” he tells them, “they will also persecute you.” But he also recognizes that there will be those who will follow him and the teachings of the Church: “If they kept my word,” Jesus says, “they will also keep yours. And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me.” Through the sacraments of the Church and my faith in its teachings, Jesus has chosen me out of the world. If the world hates me, it hates me on account of the name of Jesus. Is that a reality I am prepared to accept?

God, work with me so that I understand today’s Gospel reading. What does it mean to be hated by the world on account of the name of Jesus your Son? It means to be chosen out of this world, as the disciples were, to keep his word. In keeping his word and proclaiming my faith in the name of Christ, persecution may come. But if Jesus sends out those who keep his word, he also gives them the means to withstand hatred and accomplish your work. In yesterday’s reading, Jesus tells the disciples that they are his friends. if they do what he commands. “This I command you,” he says to them, “love one another.” Help me, God, be a witness to the love between you and your Son.

Lord, in the hours left of this day, give me the grace to remember that even as I face the passing tribulations of this world, you have chosen me out of it to one day enjoy your love forever in the world to come.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

Jesus said to the disciples: “I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. 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. This I command you: love one another.”

Jesus tells the disciples in today’s Gospel that he calls them friends. In doing that, at the same time he expresses his oneness with the Father in doing his will: “because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.” As the Son of God, Jesus takes initiative of loving others to extremes, even to the point of laying down his life for them. As the beloved Son, Jesus tells the disciples, “It was not you who chose me, but I chose you.” To receive that love, Jesus appoints the disciples to go and bear fruit that remains. Rather than leave them wondering how they are to do this with their human limitations, Jesus commands them to love one another. In return, whatever they ask of the Father in Jesus’ name, he will give them.

God, help me understand the words Jesus spoke to his disciples: “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” Such a command might seem contradictory to free will, yet to live in the love of God and to do his will is to live in truth. And what is the command that Jesus gives? It is the same by which he lived, died, and rose from the dead: loving your own to reconcile them to you. Help me, God, know and do your will as your Son does, in perfect obedience to his friendship and to his command to love one another.

Lord, thank you for the gift of your friendship. Grant me the grace to remain in you today by doing your will and asking you for what I need.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

Jesus said to his disciples: “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. 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. I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete.”

The words of Jesus in today’s Gospel call to mind the Lord’s Prayer, which he prayed with his disciples: “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Just as Jesus remains in his Father’s love by doing his will, Jesus invites the disciples to remain in his love, as he says, “so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete.” How will I have in today’s works, joys, and sufferings the opportunity to remain in the Lord’s love?

As he does in praying the Our Father with the disciples, Jesus invites me to be the Father’s adopted son. Father in heaven, your only-begotten Son loves me in the same way you love him—as one of your own. As the Gospel acclamation says, “My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.” Lord, you take the initiative in your love for me, and you yourself are the source of the grace I need to remain in you and follow where you lead. As Saint Teresa of Calcutta said, “Anything may come: impatience, failures, joy, but say to yourself, ‘The Father loves me.’ God has created the whole world, but He is our Father.”

Jesus, you say to me: “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.” Help me today with the initiative of your love so that I can remain in you.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

Jesus said to his disciples: “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. 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.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the disciples to remain in him. In this short passage, John uses the word remain eight times. In telling the disciples to remain in him and that they can do nothing without him, Jesus is boldly declaring his divinity. Who but God has the authority to say to a person “without me you can do nothing”? The result of remaining in him is this: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.” What is it I can ask God with complete confidence to be done today?

God, show me what it means to remain in you as a branch remains on a vine. It makes me uncomfortable to hear that whatever does not bear fruit in me will be taken away, yet Jesus says that you prune that branch that does bear fruit only so that it bears more. To measure as the human mind conceives is to use numbers and percentages and units, which leads to incompleteness, but your measurements, God, are not my own faulty ones. Please, Lord, let me have less confidence in my way of measuring and more and more confidence in your superabundant grace and its effects in me.

Remain in me, Lord; take away whatever branch that does not remain on the vine. Let your words remain in me.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.