2022-May-15: Fifth Sunday of Easter

 

Opening prayer

Lord our God,

we bless you.

As we come together to ponder the Scriptures,

we ask you in your kindness

to fill us with the knowledge of your will

so that, pleasing you in all things,

we may grow in every good work.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

R/. Amen

At this moment I would like to remember lift up our brother Norm Rousseau to our Lord with this little prayer:

Go forth, Christian soul, from this world
in the name of God the almighty Father,
who created you,
in the name of Jesus Christ, Son of the living God,
who suffered for you,
in the name of the Holy Spirit,
who was poured out upon you,
go forth, faithful Christian.
May you live in peace this day,
may your home be with God in Zion,
with Mary, the Virgin Mother of God,
with Joseph, and all the Angels and Saints.

Acts 14:21-27

St Luke's book of The Acts of the Apostles describes St Paul’s apostolic mission in simple yet comprehensive terms: he was to be sent “far away to the gentiles.” The word “gentile,” derived from the Latin gentilis, means belonging to a people or nation (from gens, which can be translated as clan, tribe, people, or family). The same term gentile in Scripture, usually means “someone who is not a Jew.” That is to say, St Paul was sent by God to non-Israelites throughout the Roman Empire. That’s a very vast demographic and Paul spent about 30 years traveling around the Mediterranean basin mostly by boat from port to port then walking inland, visiting what were considered to be the major cities at that time before finally ending up in Rome where he was martyred.

What’s considered Paul’s “first journey started in the year 45 AD and ended in 49 AD. Together with Barnabas, a Cypriot Jew converted to Christianity, Paul traveled across the island of Cyprus, Barnabas’s homeland, preaching the Gospel in several synagogues. 

Then as we read last week they set sail from Paphos, on the southwest coast of Cyprus, and reached the port of Perga, in Anatolia, modern-day Turkey.

From Perga they finally reached Antioch of Pisidia, where Paul began to spread the word to the local Jewish community. Initially, his message was very well received, leading to an invitation to speak during Sabbath (the holy day), but part of the community soon turned envious about the strong popularity enjoyed by a foreign preacher and eventually managed to push Paul out of the city.

Paul and Barnabas then left for Konya, a city just south of Ankara, in present-day Turkey, but were forced to leave again, this time for the nearby town of Lystra. Here Paul healed a sick man and the local pagan community began to believe he was sent by God. But soon enough, the same people who contested him in Konya reached Lystra and instigated a group of locals to stone Paul, forcing him to flee. He then reached the city of Derbe, also in modern-day Turkey, and from there back to Lystra, Konya and finally Antioch of Syria on the Orontes, a city of ancient Syria now in modern-day Turkey, where his journey originated. Here Paul reports that, through his message, many pagans got to know the word of God.

Psalm 145:8-13

Psalm 145 is the last psalm attributed to David in the collection of psalms, and it is the last of the nine psalms using some kind of acrostic pattern (Psalm 9, 10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 119, and 145). 

Psalm 145 is titled A Praise of David. A monumental psalm of praise coming at the end of all David had learned about God during a long lifetime of obeying and disobeying his word

In Jewish practice this psalm was recited twice in the morning and once in the evening service. The Talmud commends all who repeat it three times a day as having a share in the world to come.

Today's verses can be called Declaring and praising the greatness of God.

Revelations 21:1-5a

Number	Symbolic Meaning
4	The earth, universality, physical completeness.	Four horsemen (Revelation 6:1–8): Symbolize judgment on the whole earth. Four angels at the four corners of the earth (Revelation 7:1): Implies coverage of all directions (north, south, east, west).
6	Incompleteness, sin, humanity. Falls short of seven, the number of divine completeness; often represents incompleteness, sin, or man. 666 — the number of the Beast (Revelation 13:18): Often interpreted as triple imperfection or ultimate rebellion against God.
7	Divine perfection, spiritual completeness. A highly sacred number in biblical literature, symbolizing fullness, spiritual perfection, and completion. Seven churches, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls, seven spirits of God, seven lampstands.
12	God’s people, divine order/governance. Signifies wholeness of God’s covenant people, both Old and New Testament believers. Associated with Israel (12 tribes) and the Church (12 apostles).
1,000	Immensity, fullness over time, divine completeness. A large, symbolic number representing vastness, completeness, or a long time. The 1,000-year reign (millennium) (Revelation 20:1–6): Symbolizes Christ’s reign representing ultimate completeness, often of divine timing or cosmic scale.

Revelation 21 is a visionary new world at the Parousia on the Last Day of Judgement. This is the empire of God that is seen replacing the empire of Rome. John of Patmos uses images and stories that Hebrew people knew (for example Isaiah 43:18-19; 66:22 preaching against the power of Babylon), and were most likely embedded in their hearts and prayers. John connects their traditions to the live changing teachings and work of Jesus that will replace the all powerful Roman empire in their time and place, helping them see that the weight of the prophetic tradition is with them in their worldly struggle.

Two thousand years later, his vision remains just as powerful because it is a vision of a liberated world, a new reality marked by all things being made new. 

Here in our times it is a call to dismantle abuse of power and wealth by exposing the lies and wickedness that underlie while also seeking to build a more authentic community and society that reflects who we are called to be by Jesus when he asks us to be his followers.

Gospel John 13:31-35 

Jesus knows that his time on Earth is coming to an end. Soon he will face the betrayal, passion and death on the cross. Yet his parting words to his disciples focus not on blame for their past, present and future failures, but rather on preparing them for what is to come, promising that although he will no longer be physically present with them, they will not be abandoned.

Jesus' command of loving one another” encompasses two extremes: First the mundane: meaning to serve one another, even in the most menial tasks. On the other extreme it also encompasses heroic acts of great risk: it extends even to the point of giving one’s life for another. We are called to do both and every act of self-giving in between the two.

Jesus tells his disciples that it is by this kind of love that everyone will know that they are his disciples (John 13:35).

Closing prayer

May God, the source of all patience and encouragement,

enable us to live in perfect harmony with one another

in the spirit of Christ Jesus.

With one heart and one voice

may we glorify God,

now and forever.

R/. Amen

Our Father ... Hail Mary .. Holy Mary ... Glory Be ... Sign of the Cross