The commentary for this Solemnity of the Body
and Blood of Jesus Christ is offered by
M.J. Heggeness,
former Director for Adult Faith Formation
at St. Michael’s Parish in Poway, Ca.
We thank her for her contribution.
Prayer
Let us praise God together on our knees;
Let us praise God together on our knees;
When I fall on my knees,
with my face to the rising Sun,
O Lord, have mercy on my me.
1st Reading: Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16
“Honestly. It was like manna from heaven.”
Haven’t we said that when describing a huge
surprise that came upon us unexpectedly?
God bless that Moses! He may have been exasperated at the
importance of the Israelite journeyers, and may have been a
little himself! Imagine the whining of a child who is hungry
or thirsty on a long car trip! Or, better yet, seeing a gas station
sign on the way to Las Vegas when the needle is on empty.
Ahhhh, manna from heaven! Although it’s just a temporary
fix for the time being.
Moses was trying to make a point to the many. It was God
who took care of them in their suffering. He reminded them
that it was God who fed them with the bread-like substance
called “manna.” He reminded them of God’s bringing forth
water from the flinty rock.
God was working hard revealing himself to these faithful
(and unfaithful) people on their journey. Moses just had to
convince them that God was with them. They listened and
they were thankful.
Question
When have you had to be reminded of God’s ever-present
love for you?
What was your most recent “manna from heaven” experience?
2nd Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:16-17
This interesting reading and inclusion of the Lauda Sion is
specific for the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. It
was written by Saint Thomas Aquinas around
1264 at the request of Pope Urban IV for this
very special feast.
The hymn, sung like a Gregorian Chant, tells
of the institution of the Eucharist and clearly
expresses our belief the bread and wine
presented at Mass become the Body and Blood,
Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ during the
celebration of the Eucharist.
After the Second
Vatican Council in the 1960s, it became an
optional addition to the Solemnity.
Let’s see if we hear it this weekend!
Questions
What does the word TRANSUBSTANTIATION mean to you?
Try looking it up in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Prayer
Let us break bread together on our knees;
Let us break bread together on our knees;
When I fall on my knees,
with my face to the rising Sun,
O Lord have mercy on me.
Gospel: John 6: 51-58
Right before this Gospel reading, verse 40-50 says, “Your
ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died. This is
the bread that comes down from heaven
so that one may eat of it and not die.”
From this, we might conclude that the
manna was a temporary fix, while the
Body and Blood of Christ (Eucharist) is
the eternal gift from our living God.
Many of those who followed Jesus
thought this teaching was scandalous.
Eating his Body and drinking his blood?
It was hard for the followers to accept.
It may be hard for you to accept.
We truly teach and believe that the
Eucharist is the Source and Summit of
our Catholic faith. When we stray from
attending the Eucharistic banquet and
from receiving His Body and Blood on
a regular basis, we lose the spiritual
nourishment that we so desperately
need.
Questions
What does your spiritual odometer look like?
On a scale of
1-10, where do you land?
Do you feel the need for Eucharist?
This Week's Task
Spend some time before the Blessed Sacrament and reflect on
the true bread that comes down from heaven. As you do so,
pray for those who have refrained from coming to Mass and
ask the Lord to bless them.
Prayer
Let us drink the cup together on our knees;
Let us drink the cup together on our knees;
When I fall on my knees,
with my face to the rising Sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.
The prayer continues with the responsorial:
Responsorial
Psalm 147
Response: : Alleluia.
Glorify the Lord,
O Jerusalem;
Praise your God, O Zion,
For he has strengthened the bars of your
gates;
he has blessed your children within you.
R: Alleluia.
He has granted peace in your borders;
with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sens forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
R: Alleluia.
Her has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them.
R: Alleluia.
Conclude with an OUR FATHER
Next week begins a six-part series on what it
means to be beautifully baptized. We hope you
enjoy
Friday, May 29, 2020
Monday, May 25, 2020
Pentecost Sunday
The commentaries for the Readings for Pentecost are from Sunday proper. Readings for the Vigil of Pentecost (Saturday evening) are not found in this Christ in Our Neighborhood series.
Pentecost Sunday (Español)
Prayer
Lord, send us your Spirit and renew the face of the earth. May we always be moved by our Advocate given to us through your Son.You are Lord forever and ever. Amen.
1st Reading: Acts 2: 1-11
We all recall the story of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11: 1-9 where, after the destruction of the tower, the Lord confused the language of the whole earth.
The Acts of the Apostles’ reading shows us that what was once destroyed is now restored.The confused “babble” of many languages is now comprehended by all who share in the same Spirit.
Even though all are speaking in their own tongue, they witnessed a miracle of unity and communion.
The universal nature of the Church was celebrated on that great day of Pentecost. It is still celebrated today.
We are reminded that the word “Catholic” means “Universal.” In every age and in every place, we proclaim the same language. Our Catholic faith goes to great lengths to protect the universality of our faith; especially through our weekday and Sunday liturgies and through the celebration of our Sacraments.
The source of all our unity is the One Spirit who gathers all nations together.
We are one in the Spirit. We are one in the Lord.
Question
In what way does the Spirit call you to unity and communion?
2nd Reading: 1 Cor. 12: 3-7, 12-13
We all know that to call God, “Father,” is a gift from Jesus, the only begotten Son of God. It is through Jesus that we can claim to be adopted sons and daughters of our Father in heaven. Only through Christ do we know the Father.
Our faith, through Scripture, also reminds us that there is only one way to know the Only begotten Son.
St. Paul tells us: “No one can say: ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except through the Holy Spirit.”
Knowing Jesus is more than just an intellectual act. For example, we would be hard pressed to find a person on earth who does not know that Jesus existed or that Christians follow the Christ.
Knowing the Lord, for St. Paul, is the intimate knowledge of Christ through faith which is given to us by the breath of the Holy Spirit.
Born again through water and the Holy Spirit, we know Christ as co-heirs, blood relatives, and royal members of the household of God.
Question
How do you know Christ?
Gospel: John 20: 19-23
Normally, a priest will begin the Mass with, “The Lord be with you.” However, if a bishop comes to your parish (perhaps at Confirmation), you will here him say, “Peace be with you.” As a successor of the Apostles, his greeting at Mass is a response to the greeting offered by Jesus to the apostles gathered in the upper room.
After Jesus uttered these words of Peace, he breathed on the Apostles the gift of the Holy Spirit.
With this gift came the commission to “be sent” as Christ was sent by the Father and to forgive sins. As Christ was sent and as Christ forgave, we understand that the sharing of the Spirit was the sharing of Christ’s nature. As Christ humbled himself to share in our human nature, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we have a share in his Divinity.
By this gift of the Holy Spirit, the Church is truly the Body of Christ.
As Jesus showed his hands and side to the Apostles, the Church shows the hands of Christ to the world. Indeed, Christ has no hands but ours.
Question
In what way are you Christ to those around you?
This Week’s Task
As we celebrate Pentecost, we are reminded of the children, adults, and teenagers who have celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation within the Easter Season. The Feast of Pentecost is a challenge to all of us who have the Spirit, to invite others to the Sacrament of Confirmation. Do you know that nearly half of those who celebrate their First Communion go on to celebrate Confirmation? Make it a point to ask someone if they would like to participate in Confirmation. Perhaps, you could be their sponsor.
Prayer
The group prays the following sequence for Pentecost together:
Come, Holy Spirit, come!
And from thy celestial home Shed a ray of light divine!
Come, Father of the poor!
Come, source of all our store!
Come, within our bosoms shine!
You, of comforters the best;
You, the souls most welcome guest;
Sweet refreshment here below;
In our labor, rest most sweet;
Grateful coolness in the heat;
Solace in the midst of woe.
O most blessed Light divine,
Shine within these hearts of thine,
And our inmost being fill!
Where you are not, man has naught,
Nothing good in deed or thought,
Nothing free from taint of ill.
Heal our wounds, our strength renew;
On our dryness pour thy dew;
Wash the stains of guilt away.
Bend the stubborn heart and will;
Melt the frozen, warm the chill;
Guide the steps that go astray.
On the faithful who adore
And confess thee evermore
In your sev’nfold gift descend;
Give them virtue’s sure reward;
Give them your salvation, Lord;
Give them joys that never end. Amen. Alleluia!
Conclude with an OUR FATHER
Monday, May 18, 2020
Ascension Sunday- "Go and make disciples!"
Ascension Sunday (Español)
The commentary for this week is provided by Deacon Mark Silvia of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in the Diocese of San Diego. For an online view, visit: christ-ion.com
Prayer
Gladden us with holy joys, almighty God, and make us
rejoice with devout thanksgiving, for
the Ascension of Christ your Son is our
exaltation, and, where the Head has
gone before in glory, the Body is called
to follow in hope. Amen
Commentary
1st Reading: Acts 1:1-11
The sight of the Lord Jesus ascending into the cloud could
only have been described as awesome to behold. If we had
been there, I suppose we would have stood in silent awe as
well. The disciples may have remained awestruck and
staring into the sky for hours if the two angelic figures had
not interrupted this moment.
They said, “Men of Galilee,
why are you standing there looking at the sky?”
There is a
mission to begin and an urgency to begin it at once.
It may seem strange that the Mass ends so abruptly.
The Eucharistic celebration is awesome to behold for
those who believe that the consecrated bread and wine are
the Body and Blood of Jesus. After receiving Him, we
may want to remain together in awesome wonder. But, almost as soon as we receive the Eucharist, we are dismissed
from Mass and we are sent into the world on a mission.
The dismissal that best demonstrates this is “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.”
Question
Have you felt the awesome wonder?
2nd Reading: Ephesians 1:17-23
St. Paul writes to the Church in
Ephesus; May the Spirit of our
Lord Jesus Christ, enlighten the
eyes of our heart, that we may see
how great is the hope to which we
are called.
St. Paul explains that the Great
Hope to which we are called is the
one who sits at the right of the Father. The one who is far
above every principality, authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named. The Father has placed
all things beneath His feet. Christ sits as the head of
Church, which is his body.
Those who believe know the Great Hope that awaits us.
He is the one who created us, who loves and nurtures us,
who forgives and heals us, and who prepares a place for
us in His Father’s house. There is no greater love than
this or greater cause for our joy.
Questions
What does it mean to you that we have such a Great
Hope?
How were the eyes of your heart were enlightened to
see the Great Hope to which we are called?
Gospel: Matthew 28:16-20
When the eleven disciples saw Him, they worshiped, but
they doubted. We may wonder why they would doubt
after all they had seen and heard in
Jesus’ presence. And yet, regardless
of any doubt they may have had,
Jesus commissioned this small
group to, “go and make disciples of
all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit, teaching
them to observe all that I have
commanded you.”
Just as at the moment of creation,
God again sent out his Word and it
quickly runs his command. The
Word spreads from a small group of
disciples to all the world. “Their
voice has gone out to the limits of
the earth, their words to the ends of
the world.”
If the canon of the bible had
continued to grow, it would contain all the stories of the
Church including all the popes and saints from the time
of this great commissioning to today. It would contain
the names of each and every person baptized in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
How could such a great Church have sprung from a
small group of doubters? Because, as He promised,
Jesus is with us, and will be with us, always, until the
end of the ages.
Question
Recalling the richness of the Church’s history, what
does it mean to you that Jesus will be with us, always,
until the end of the ages?
This Week's Task
Take time to read something about our Church history. A good on-line source is New Advent.
Prayer
The leader invites the group to pray the following words
together.
God our Father, the heavens proclaim
your glory. Day unto day takes up the
story, and night unto night makes known
the message. Your Word extends through
all the earth, to the utmost bounds of the
world.
We praise and thank you for the gift of
your Son who promises to be with us
always until the end of the ages. In your
great love and mercy, guide us always
and protect our ways. Keep us free from
sin and error. Make us messengers of the
Great Hope to which we are called. Amen.
Psalm
Response: God mounts his
throne to shouts of joy: a blare of
trumpets for the Lord.
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth, sing praise to the
glory of his name; proclaim his glorious praise.
R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of
trumpets for the Lord.
God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy; the LORD,
amid trumpet blasts. Sing praise to God, sing praise; sing
praise to our king, sing praise.
R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of
trumpets for the Lord.
For king of all the earth is God; sing hymns of praise.
God reigns over the nations, God sits upon his holy
throne.
R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of
trumpets for the Lord.
Conclude with an Our Father
For a PDF of this commentary, visit Christ in Our Neighborhood website.
Monday, May 11, 2020
6th Sunday of Easter; A Reason for Your Hope!
Our theme this week, focuses on Hope. From, 1 Peter 3:15-19, “always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope," Bishop John Dolan has a discussion with Vino Pajanor of Catholic Charities San Diego and Deacon Jim Vargas of Father Joe's Villages.
6th Sunday of Easter (Español)
The commentary for this week is provided by Deacon Mark Silvia of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in the Diocese of San Diego. For an online view, visit: christ-ion.com
Opening prayer
Grant, almighty God, that we may celebrate with heartfelt devotion these days of joy, which we keep in honor of the risen Lord, and that what we relive in remembrance we may always hold to in what we do. Amen.
1st Reading: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17
After the martyrdom of St. Stephen, a severe persecution of the church in Jerusalem broke out and all the disciples of Jesus were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
Phillip, one of the Church’s first deacons, traveled to Samaria where he preached and baptized many people. When the Apostles heard that Samaria had accepted the Word, they sent Peter and John that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for they had only been baptized.
The Word was accepted with great joy in Samaria and Judea by those who heard it preached to them, and the Church responded quickly to welcome them with the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist.
Questions
In the early Church, there was a great zeal and urgency to share the Word with the world. Is there a need for the same zeal and urgency today? Do you feel the same zeal and urgency to share the Word with others?
2nd Reading: 1 Peter 3:15-18
St. Peter tells us to, “always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope.” At the very heart of evangelization is the sharing of the great hope we have in Christ Jesus.
There are so many people who live without hope, and sadly do not know where to find the hope they long for. We are called to be the light that guides them to Christ. We are called to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with everyone who deeply longs for Him, though they may not recognize the reason for their longing.
Sometimes, we may not feel equipped or worthy to share our hope in Christ, but just like the Samaritan Woman at the well, once we have drunk deeply of the Living Waters of Jesus, we are compelled by the joy of the Holy Spirit to run and tell others.
Every person, if they recognize it or not, is longing for God. Jesus told the Apostles, and through them each of us, to “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.
Questions
How would you explain the reason for your hope in Christ Jesus?
What does it take to be an evangelist for Christ?
Gospel: John 14:15-21
Jesus told his disciples that he was returning to the Father, and if we love Him and keep His commandments, He will ask his Father to send an Advocate, the Spirit of Truth, who will be with us always.
In the Father and in the Spirit, Jesus promises to be with us always. Though the world may not see Him, we will know that He is present.
Jesus said, “Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”
Jesus promises not to leave us orphans, but to be with us always. He is our Lord and our beloved companion on the journey.
If you have lived long enough, chances are that you have had difficult times in your life. It may have been times of the loss of a loved one, anxious times due to financial or employment issues, painful times of injury, illness, or depression, or it may have been the despair of an addiction. Yet, no matter how difficult it may have been, Jesus promises to be with you always.
Questions
How did you recognize Jesus’ presence during your most difficult time?
How did it help to know that Jesus was with you?
This Week's Task
Take time to pray to the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, and reflect upon how He has guided and helped you throughout your life. Reflect upon the presence of Jesus with you through your most difficult times and share that experience with another person.
Prayer
The leader invites the group to pray the following words together.
Come, Holy Spirit,
fill the hearts of your faithful.
And kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.
And you will renew the face of the earth.
Lord, by the light of the Holy Spirit
you have taught the hearts of your faithful.
In the same Spirit
help us to relish what is right
and always rejoice in your consolation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Psalm
The leader will guide the group in praying Psalm 33 (from the 6th Sunday of Easter)
Psalm Response: Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth,
sing praise to the glory of his name;
proclaim his glorious praise.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
“Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you,
sing praise to your name!”
Come and see the works of God,
his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
He has changed the sea into dry land;
through the river they passed on foot;
therefore, let us rejoice in him.
He rules by his might forever.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Hear now, all you who fear God,
while I declare what he has done for me.
Blessed be God who refused me not
my prayer or his kindness!
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Conclude with an Our Father
Sunday, May 3, 2020
5th Sunday of Easter: Happy Mothers Day!
As we prepare for Mothers Day on the 5th Week of Easter, we are blessed to have a number of women religious (in the Diocese of San Diego) who will be hosting a six week Christ in Our Neighborhood group sharing of Sunday Scriptures. To sign up, visit christ-ion.com and register today. We are grateful to the religious sisters among us who are our spiritual mothers. We extend to them a Happy Mothers Day!
5th Sunday of Easter (Español)
Prayer
Almighty ever-living God, constantly accomplish the Paschal Mystery within us, that those you were pleased to make new in Holy Baptism may, under your protective care, bear much fruit and come to the joys of life eternal. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Commentary
The commentary for this week is provided by Deacon Mark Silvia of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in the Diocese of San Diego. For PDF view, visit Christ in our Neighborhood
1st Reading: Acts 6:1-7
There was much work to be done as the early Church began to grow and there was a need for more helpers.
The community selected seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, for the Apostles to appoint to this task. The Apostles prayed and laid hands on them, thus ordaining them as the first Deacons of the Church. Among them were Stephen who was the first martyr of the Church (Acts 7:54-60) and Phillip who later baptized the people of Samaria and elsewhere (Acts 8: 4-17).
The title of “Deacon” simply means “servant.” Although not everyone is ordained as a Deacon, by our baptism each of us are each called to the “diakonia,” which means to the “service of others.”
Questions
How are you called to the service of others?
What do you do for the service of others?
What do you do for the good of the Church?
2nd Reading: 1 Peter 2:4-9
St. Peter tells us that Jesus is the Cornerstone of the Church.
As “Living Stones” we are called to be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, and to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Christ Jesus.
To build a spiritual house the Church needs Living Stones. Living Stones are alive and full of the Holy Spirit. You are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises” of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
To those with faith, Jesus is the Cornerstone and the firm foundation of His Church. For those who do not believe, Jesus is a stumbling block and foolishness. We are the Living Stones of Christ’s Church!
Questions
How do you see yourself as a Living Stone for the building up of Christ’s Church?
Have there been times when your faith in Christ has been a stumbling block or viewed as foolishness to others?
Gospel: John 12:1-12
During the Last Supper Jesus told his disciples “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.” He said he is going on before them to prepare a place for them in His Father’s house. He says, “if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going, you know the way.”
Feeling uncertain, Thomas asked, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?”
Before the Church was called Catholic and disciples were called Christians, the early Church was referred to as “The Way” based upon Jesus’s response to Thomas’ question, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
The Way to the Father is Jesus. In Him, with Him, and through Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, we the Church journey together on our earthly pilgrimage to the Father’s house.
Then Jesus adds, “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.”
Questions
Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” What causes your heart to be troubled?
Jesus is expecting great things of us. What are the challenges and opportunities of today’s disciple?
This Week's Task
Talk to a friend or family member about your personal experience of following the Way of Christ.
Group Prayer
Psalm Response: Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Exult, you just, in the LORD; praise from the upright is fitting. Give thanks to the LORD on the harp; with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Upright is the word of the LORD, and all his works are trustworthy. He loves justice and right; of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness, to deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Conclude with an Our Father
For a PDF of this commentary, visit Christ in Our Neighborhood website.
5th Sunday of Easter (Español)
Prayer
Almighty ever-living God, constantly accomplish the Paschal Mystery within us, that those you were pleased to make new in Holy Baptism may, under your protective care, bear much fruit and come to the joys of life eternal. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Commentary
The commentary for this week is provided by Deacon Mark Silvia of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in the Diocese of San Diego. For PDF view, visit Christ in our Neighborhood
1st Reading: Acts 6:1-7
There was much work to be done as the early Church began to grow and there was a need for more helpers.
The community selected seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, for the Apostles to appoint to this task. The Apostles prayed and laid hands on them, thus ordaining them as the first Deacons of the Church. Among them were Stephen who was the first martyr of the Church (Acts 7:54-60) and Phillip who later baptized the people of Samaria and elsewhere (Acts 8: 4-17).
The title of “Deacon” simply means “servant.” Although not everyone is ordained as a Deacon, by our baptism each of us are each called to the “diakonia,” which means to the “service of others.”
Questions
How are you called to the service of others?
What do you do for the service of others?
What do you do for the good of the Church?
2nd Reading: 1 Peter 2:4-9
St. Peter tells us that Jesus is the Cornerstone of the Church.
As “Living Stones” we are called to be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, and to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Christ Jesus.
To build a spiritual house the Church needs Living Stones. Living Stones are alive and full of the Holy Spirit. You are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises” of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
To those with faith, Jesus is the Cornerstone and the firm foundation of His Church. For those who do not believe, Jesus is a stumbling block and foolishness. We are the Living Stones of Christ’s Church!
Questions
How do you see yourself as a Living Stone for the building up of Christ’s Church?
Have there been times when your faith in Christ has been a stumbling block or viewed as foolishness to others?
Gospel: John 12:1-12
During the Last Supper Jesus told his disciples “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.” He said he is going on before them to prepare a place for them in His Father’s house. He says, “if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going, you know the way.”
Feeling uncertain, Thomas asked, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?”
Before the Church was called Catholic and disciples were called Christians, the early Church was referred to as “The Way” based upon Jesus’s response to Thomas’ question, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
The Way to the Father is Jesus. In Him, with Him, and through Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, we the Church journey together on our earthly pilgrimage to the Father’s house.
Then Jesus adds, “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.”
Questions
Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” What causes your heart to be troubled?
Jesus is expecting great things of us. What are the challenges and opportunities of today’s disciple?
This Week's Task
Talk to a friend or family member about your personal experience of following the Way of Christ.
Group Prayer
Psalm
The leader will guide the group in praying
Psalm 33 (from the 5th Sunday of Easter) Psalm Response: Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Exult, you just, in the LORD; praise from the upright is fitting. Give thanks to the LORD on the harp; with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Upright is the word of the LORD, and all his works are trustworthy. He loves justice and right; of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness, to deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Conclude with an Our Father
For a PDF of this commentary, visit Christ in Our Neighborhood website.
Monday, April 27, 2020
Good Shepherd Sunday
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| Pope Francis with His Pectoral Cross of the Good Shepherd |
The commentaries for weeks 2 through 4 of Easter are provided by Deacon John Charron of St. Michael’s Parish in Poway, CA in the Diocese of San Diego. For a PDF of this commentary, visit Christ in Our Neighborhood website.
4th Sunday of Easter (Español)
Prayer
Lord Jesus, by your cross and resurrection, you have set us free! May we celebrate your rising from the dead with joy,
knowing that we shall follow you through death into life!
We ask this in your Holy name. Amen.
Commentary
1st Reading: Acts 2:14, 36-41
Today we continue Peter’s great speech. Last week we left off at the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Amazingly, Peter gets the response he had only hoped for --they want to know what they can do! Peter gladly exhorts the answer--repent and be baptized! --3000 followed his invitation.
Peter explains not how this Messiah was to reign on earth, but through His death and resurrection and ascension, Jesus reveals Himself as sharing divine power and intimacy with the Father. If we call on Him, we too can share in the saving power of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!
We might question at times, what part do I have to play in others conversion? Peter, likewise, may have had the same concern; after all he was just a simple fisherman. Witness and invitation were the keys. He invited them to a deeper understanding of how Jesus worked in his own life, and how He could work in theirs. Counting on the Holy Spirit, as Peter did, to do the rest.
Question
When is the last time I simply invited someone to share my faith?
2nd Reading: 1 Peter 2:20-25
Have you ever had the question: How can I be patient if I suffer for doing good?
It is possible with Gods grace. That same grace that helps us when we don’t do so good or sin. That same grace that leads us back to a life of righteousness. It is always there, if we but ask for His grace and mercy.
Just as Jesus accepted suffering and put Himself totally in the hands of His loving Father to overcome sin and death, we too can share in His conquest.
Even if we stray in sin, like lost sheep, the shepherd will bring us back into the fold.
Question
How do I deal with suffering?
Gospel: John 10:1-10
Unless we live or have lived on a farm, most of us don’t know a whole lot about sheep. Typically sheep graze in herds with other sheep and go wherever food is present. It wouldn’t be uncommon to have many shepherds all working at the same time with a larger flock of sheep. When its time to go home the shepherds call out to their sheep and they follow their own shepherd. Think of all the people in the world as if they were sheep. It seems there are many shepherds calling us in too many directions, often to our determent. However, Jesus is calling us by name so that we may have life and have it more abundantly.
Question
What shepherd are we listening to?
This Week's Task
Spend five minutes each day this week and listen to the Good Shepherd.
This is also Good Shepherd Sunday. It is a time for us to remember in prayer the priests of our parish who - in the person of Christ - shepherd us. Take some time to write a note of thanks to the priest of your parish. Let him know your gratitude for giving his life to God and the Church in this unique vocation. “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”
Group Prayer
The group is invited to pray the following:
"Faithful Shepherd, You are not a hireling
who runs away at the sight of danger,
but Your fidelity was tested and proven
on the wood of the Cross.
Accept the gift of our gratitude
for Your marvelous care.
Help us to hear and follow Your voice.
Watchful Shepherd, who protects the flock
and searches tirelessly for those who wander from the fold,
retrieve the lost and bring them home.
Tend and heal their wounds.
Psalm
Response: Alleluia.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. In verdant pastures he gives me repose; beside restful waters he leads me; he refreshes my soul.
Alleluia.
He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side. With your rod and your staff that give me courage.
Alleluia.
You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Alleluia.
Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.
Alleluia.
Conclude with an Our Father
For a PDF of this commentary, visit Christ in Our Neighborhood website.
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
They Recognized Him in the Breaking of the Bread
3rd Sunday of Easter (Español)
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| Supper at Emmaus, Carravagio |
Prayer
Lord Jesus, by your cross and resurrection, you have set us free! May we celebrate your rising from the dead with joy, knowing that we shall follow you through death into life! We ask this in your Holy name. Amen.
1st Reading: Acts 2:14, 22-33
A common fact is that the number one fear people have, even more than death, is public speaking. The fear would likely be greater if it was before a large crowd, let’s say 3000 – 5000 people who were already hostile. Adding to the fact that most of these people know that you and your friends were hiding in fear just a few weeks prior. You didn’t have time to prepare, and you don’t have notes.
Peter appeals to his audience twice to listen carefully to his words. Even Jesus, the most gifted speaker in history, pressed His audiences to take care how they listened. It is likely Peter remembered well the lesson taught to him by Jesus, “do not worry about what you are to say, the Holy Spirit will speak through you”. Likewise, the Holy Spirit is with us when we need to speak, if we are open to Him.
Peter expounded through the prophet Joel and the Psalms that our God of mercy provides recourse if we call upon His name, and His name is Jesus.
Question
Recall a time when the Holy Spirit spoke through you. Is Jesus revealed by what you say and do?
2nd Reading: 1 Peter 1:17-21
Last week we read from 1 Peter and understood the joy received in Baptism. Now what? The same question continues to beckon us.
The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adult refers to this calling as mystagogia-- a word which means “to go deeper into the mystery.”
Peter reminds us of our continuing journey through life and the importance of delving deeper into the mystery and the positive affect it will have on our actions and response in this world.
We will be held accountable for our actions. We should center our faith and worship and praise in God and live according to the way shown from the teachings of scripture.
Question
In what way has the recent experience of Lent and this new experience of Easter allowed me to go deeper into the mystery of Christ in my life?
Gospel: Luke 24:13-35
Although we all think we know Jesus, sometimes we don’t recognize Him. Even Cleopas and the other unnamed disciple--unnamed perhaps to represent us as fellow travelers--thought they knew Jesus from spending time with Him. But did they really listen to His Word? They had given up hope from the events that had transpired because of what they presumed about Jesus. They actually lived with Jesus but didn’t understand who or what he was.
Jesus takes the time to explain scripture to them and their hearts were on fire. When we understand something its easy to get excited about it, but first we need to understand. The two disciples had open minds and the ability to transform discouragement to hearts on fire.
He stayed with them because they asked. Then Jesus reveled Himself in the breaking of the bread. Each time we celebrate the Eucharist, we too can grow and understand more about Jesus, if only we ask. When we truly recognize Him, not only in the Eucharist but how He works in our lives, we can’t help but be on fire and want to share this news with everyone.
Questions
Do we recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread or is it just some ritual we repeat?
When is the last time our heart was on fire?
This Week's Task
Take someone (friend, neighbor, even a family member) to Mass who hasn’t been in a long time. Allow them to enjoy the Real presence of Christ in the breaking of the bread.
Group Prayer
The group is invited to sing the following
Open my eyes, Lord
Help me to see your face
Open my eyes, Lord
Help me to see
Open my ears, Lord
Help me to hear your voice
Open my ears, Lord
Help me to hear
Open my heart, Lord
Help me to love like you
Open my heart, Lord
Help me to love
Psalm
Response: Alleluia.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.”
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
Alleluia.
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand
I shall not be disturbed.
Alleluia.
Therefore my heart is glad
and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
because you will not abandon
my soul to the netherworld,
nor will you suffer your faithful one
to undergo corruption.
Alleluia.
You will show me the path to life,
abounding joy in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever
Alleluia.
Conclude with an Our Father
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