Third Week of Easter
20th April 2024 (Saturday)
Psalter: Week 3
Reading of the Day
First Reading: Acts 9. 31-42
In those days: the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied. Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, bedridden for eight years, who was paralyzed. And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed.” And immediately he rose. And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord. Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity. In those days she became ill and died, and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, “Please come to us without delay.” So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them. But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then, calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.
Psalm 116: 12-13, 14-15, 16-17
R/. How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me
Gospel Acclamation
V/. Alleluia
R/. Alleluia
V/. Your words, Lord are Spirit and life, you have the words of eternal life.
R/. Alleluia.
Gospel : John 6:60-69
At that time: When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
Daily Gospel Reflection
Saturday – Third Week of Easter
Guidelines: The way of the Lord is always challenging. It is beset with trials and afflictions. There is all the possibility of being frightened and discouraged. But those who are committed to the Lord will never give up
1. The words of Jesus are unmincing and his demands are uncompromising. The truth that he is and that he calls for will be so distasteful to many. This was exactly the same situation in Jesus’ time. Jesus affirmed, “I am the bread of life; those who do not eat of my flesh and do not drink my blood will not live”.
2. Many resented those words, saying, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” Many began to grumble against him and desert him. They fail to understand the depth of Jesus’ words. They were not ready to enter into a deep personal relationship with him. They remain very peripheral and superficial. They fail to realise and experience “the words of Jesus are spirit and life”.
3. But in contrast, we find the Twelve totally clinging to Jesus. They declare, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed”. The whole world may forsake Jesus and go away. Many may turn disloyal to him. But the true disciples of Jesus like the Twelve will ever be steadfast in their fidelity to the Lord.
4. The mission of the apostles in the Acts of the Apostles is a vivid testimony of this unflinching zeal and loyalty to the Lord. Their sole and whole focus was “walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit”. They were committed to “building the believing communities”.
5. Their mission was accompanied by miracles. Peter healed the paralysed Aeneas and brought to life the dead Tabitha. This is the real beauty of the mission of the apostles: a perfect integration of preaching and healing. The miracles were not substitutes for their preaching or dominants over their proclamation. Rather, their whole mission was a witnessing blend of word and deed.
Practice: The Lord asked his Twelve, “Do you also want to leave me go away?” Can we respond like them, “To whom shall we go, Lord? You have the words of eternal life”?
