2nd Sunday of Easter: Acts 2:42-47; Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31 ~ inexpressible joy

SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER

In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening sentence and prayer:

Jesus says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”

God of everlasting mercy, rekindle the faith of the people you have made your own, increase the grace you have bestowed, that all may grasp and rightly understand in what font they have been washed, by whose Spirit they have been reborn, by whose Blood they have been redeemed. 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.

A Reading from the Book of Acts: Acts 2:42-47 (NLT)

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity — all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

House to House Christians on Campus University of Houston

A Reading from the Psalms: Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24 (NLT)

Let all Israel repeat: “His faithful love endures forever.”
Let Aaron’s descendants, the priests, repeat: “His faithful love endures forever.”
Let all who fear the Lord repeat: “His faithful love endures forever.”
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My enemies did their best to kill me, but the Lord rescued me. The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly. The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things!
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The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see. This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
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A Reading from the Letters: 1 Peter 1:3-9 (NLT)

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance — an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold — though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

A Reading from the Gospels: John 20:19-31 (NLT)

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Jesus Appears to Thomas

One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”

Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”

“My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.

Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

"The Doubting Thomas" Carl Heinrich Bloch, (1834 - 1890) — “The Doubting Thomas”
Carl Heinrich Bloch, (1834 – 1890)

Purpose of the Book

The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.

Intercessions:

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love has no end! He answered the prayers of his Beloved Son: I trust he will help us in our time of need as well –

+ That those who have been baptised around the world during this Easter Season may always walk in the light of Christ….
Lord, hear my prayer.

+ That all Christians who celebrate Christ’s resurrection at Easter may live lives full of faith, hope and love all year round….
Lord, hear my prayer.

+ That Christian leaders around the world may continue to inspire their faith communities and lift the hearts of Your people….
Lord, hear my prayer.

+ That those for whom faith is irrelvant may believe the Good News of the life, death and resurrection of our Saviour….
Lord, hear my prayer.

+ That people in need of support and love may experience God’s care through the Christians around them….
Lord, hear my prayer.

+ That those who have died may share the glory of the resurrection – especially those who died recently, those whose anniversaries occur and all those who passed away since last Easter….
Lord, hear my prayer.

O God our saviour and redeemer, You lead Your people from defeat to triumph: Hear and grant my prayers, through Christ our risen Lord. Amen.

Spiritual Song: Let It Be Known

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Palm Sunday: Matthew 21:1-11; Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24; Philippians 2:6-11; Matthew 27:11-54 ~ the King is coming

Palm Sunday

In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

The Entrance: Matthew 21:1-11

Christian pilgrims participate in the traditional Palm Sunday procession on Jerusalem's Mount of Olives. (photo credit: Miriam Alster/Flash90) — Christian pilgrims participate in the traditional Palm Sunday procession on Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives. (photo credit: Miriam Alster/Flash90)

As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. “Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.”

This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said, “Tell the people of Jerusalem, ‘Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey — riding on a donkey’s colt.’”

The two disciples did as Jesus commanded. They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it.

Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting,

“Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise God in highest heaven!” The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked.

And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Opening sentence and prayer:

Almighty and eternal God, when you sent our Saviour into the world, you gave us all an example to follow: in humble obedience he took upon himself a body like ours and gave himself up to death on the cross. In your mercy, grant me the grace to learn from the example of his passion and to share in the glory of his resurrection. I ask this through my Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.

A Reading from the Old Testament: Isaiah 50:4-7 (NLT)

The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom, so that I know how to comfort the weary. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will. The Sovereign Lord has spoken to me, and I have listened. I have not rebelled or turned away. I offered my back to those who beat me and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard. I did not hide my face from mockery and spitting. Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will. And I know that I will not be put to shame.

A Reading from the Psalms: Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24 (NLT)

“Is this the one who relies on the Lord? Then let the Lord save him! If the Lord loves him so much, let the Lord rescue him!”

Yet you brought me safely from my mother’s womb and led me to trust you at my mother’s breast.
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I can count all my bones. My enemies stare at me and gloat. They divide my garments among themselves and throw dice for my clothing.
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O Lord, do not stay far away! You are my strength; come quickly to my aid! Save me from the sword; spare my precious life from these dogs.
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Praise the Lord, all you who fear him! Honor him, all you descendants of Jacob! Show him reverence, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy. He has not turned his back on them, but has listened to their cries for help.

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A Reading from the Letters: Philippians 2:6-11 (NLT)

Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.

When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

A Reading from the Gospels: Matthew 27:11-54 (NLT)

Now Jesus was standing before Pilate, the Roman governor. “Are you the king of the Jews?” the governor asked him.

Jesus replied, “You have said it.”

But when the leading priests and the elders made their accusations against him, Jesus remained silent. “Don’t you hear all these charges they are bringing against you?” Pilate demanded. But Jesus made no response to any of the charges, much to the governor’s surprise.

Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner to the crowd — anyone they wanted. This year there was a notorious prisoner, a man named Barabbas. As the crowds gathered before Pilate’s house that morning, he asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you — Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” (He knew very well that the religious leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy.)

Just then, as Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Leave that innocent man alone. I suffered through a terrible nightmare about him last night.”

Meanwhile, the leading priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be put to death. So the governor asked again, “Which of these two do you want me to release to you?”

The crowd shouted back, “Barabbas!”

Pilate responded, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”

They shouted back, “Crucify him!”

“Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?”

But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!”

Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. The responsibility is yours!”

And all the people yelled back, “We will take responsibility for his death — we and our children!”

So Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

Some of the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into their headquarters and called out the entire regiment. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!” And they spit on him and grabbed the stick and struck him on the head with it. When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified.

The Crucifixion

"Crucifixion" Mathias Grünewald,c.1512/15 Isenheim Altarpiece, Musée d’Unterlinden, Colmar — “Crucifixion”
Mathias Grünewald,c.1512/15
Isenheim Altarpiece,
Musée d’Unterlinden, Colmar

Along the way, they came across a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. And they went out to a place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull”). The soldiers gave him wine mixed with bitter gall, but when he had tasted it, he refused to drink it.

After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. Then they sat around and kept guard as he hung there. A sign was fastened above Jesus’ head, announcing the charge against him. It read: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.

The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. “Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, if you are the Son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross!”

The leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders also mocked Jesus. “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! So he is the King of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him! He trusted God, so let God rescue him now if he wants him! For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” Even the revolutionaries who were crucified with him ridiculed him in the same way.

The Death of Jesus

At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. But the rest said, “Wait! Let’s see whether Elijah comes to save him.”

Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.

The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!”

Intercessions:

God, our strength, hear our prayers and make haste to help us.

+ For the Church of God throughout the world – that all Christians may celebrate these holy days with deep faith…. Lord, hear my prayer.

+ For the Jewish people, our brothers and sisters – that they may continue to grow in faithfulness to the covenant…. Lord, hear my prayer.

+ For the city of Jerusalem, where pilgrims gather and many faiths meet – that it may be a place of forgiveness and reconciliation…. Lord, hear my prayer.

+ For those who suffer torture and humiliation – that the sufferings of Christ, and his glory, may bring them hope…. Lord, hear my prayer.

+ For all those who have gone before us in faith, and those who mourn their loss – that they may journey through the valley of death to resurrection and reunion…. Lord, hear my prayer.

God of compassion, in the death and resurrection of Jesus you show your love for us: hear our petitions, and grant them, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Spiritual Song: “Jesus Remember Me” – Taize

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

5th Sunday of Lent: Ezekiel 37:12-14; Psalm 130:1-8; Romans 8:8-11; John 11:3-7, 20-27, 33-45 ~ raised from the depths

5th Sunday of Lent

In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening sentence and prayer:

Easter with its celebration of baptism is soon approaching. Gracious God – help all who are preparing for baptism, and all who will renew their baptismal vows, to welcome with joy and anticipation Your promised new life and infilling of Your Spirit.

Merciful God, You showed Your glory to our fallen race by sending Your Son to confound the powers of death. Call us forth from sin’s dark tomb. Break the bonds which hold us, that we may believe and proclaim Christ, the cause of our freedom and the source of life, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, holy and mighty God for ever and ever. Amen.

A Reading from the Old Testament: Ezekiel 37:12-14 (NLT)

“Therefore, prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the Lord. I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the Lord has spoken!’”

A Reading from the Psalms: Psalm 130:1-8 (NLT)

From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help. Hear my cry, O Lord. Pay attention to my prayer.

Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you.

I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word. I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn, yes, more than sentries long for the dawn.

O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is unfailing love. His redemption overflows. He himself will redeem Israel from every kind of sin.

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A Reading from the Letters: Romans 8:8-11 (NLT)

That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

A Reading from the Gospels: John 11:3-7, 20-27, 33-45 (NLT)

So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.”

But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’ sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days. Finally, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.”
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When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”

Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.”

“Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.”

Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”

“Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.”
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Raising of Lazarus Simon Bisley — Raising of Lazarus
Simon Bisley

When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. “Where have you put him?” he asked them.

They told him, “Lord, come and see.” Then Jesus wept. The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!” But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?”

Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them.

But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.”

Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”

Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen.

Intercessions:

Heavenly Father, hear my prayers on behalf of Your children –

+ That all believers may have a present hope of life beyond the grave…. Lord, hear my prayer.

+ That people plagued by doubts and fears may be inspired by the Word of God…. Lord, hear my prayer.

+ That those preparing to celebrate baptism this Easter may begin a full, new life in Christ… Lord, hear my prayer.

+ That all who reaffirm their baptismal vows may receive strength to grow daily in their Christian life…. Lord, hear my prayer.

+ That those who suffer because one they love has died may know the compassion of Christ, who wept at the death of Lazarus…. Lord, hear my prayer.

+ That all the faithful departed may meet Christ the resurrection and the life…. Lord, hear my prayer.

Heavenly Father, receive my prayers, and fill our hearts with your mercy, so that safeguarding the gifts received through your goodness, we may walk in newness of life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hymn: “You Alone Can Rescue”

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Morning Prayer, 2 Apr – John 16:5-15 ~ eucatastrophe

Morning Prayer

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening sentences – Invocation of the Holy Spirit

Most powerful Holy Spirit, come down upon us and subdue us.

From heaven, where the ordinary is made glorious, and glory seems but ordinary, bathe us with the brilliance of Your light like dew.

Morning reading

John 16:5-15 ESV:

“A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.”

Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.”

Reflections:

confusion

His focus on his going to the Father, combined with his statement that in a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me, confuses them, especially the phrase a little while. This phrase is repeated seven times in these four verses, giving it great emphasis – adding to the disciples’ anxiety because they do not know what he is talking about, but it is clear that whatever he is speaking of is imminent. All they know is that something very big is about to happen that involves Jesus’ departure from them.

impending grief

Jesus is referring to the grief they suffer at his death. The world thinks it has conquered its enemy and rejoices. The disciples’ grief will only last a little while and then will be turned to joy. The world and the disciples are utterly opposed, which means one will be grieved and the other filled with joy. These responses clarify which “coming” Jesus is referring to. Both the joy of the world and the grief-turned-joy of the disciples are in response to Jesus’ death and resurrection.

ultimate joy

The pain a woman experiences at childbirth is predictable, brief (though it may not feel that way at the time) and followed by joy. It is predictable because it is following an established order. Jesus refers to the time of birth and its pains as her “hour” coming upon her. Jesus has spoken throughout this Gospel of his own hour, meaning his death and the resurrection and new life that follows. So the theme of birth pangs and of new life entering the world speaks powerfully of the significance of what is now taking place in him and his disciples.

new paradigm

Jesus’ imagery and language speak of God’s climactic act of salvation. He is providing an interpretive framework in which the disciples can make sense out of what he and they are about to experience. They are in the midst of the event for which so many within Judaism were longing. The pain will be intense but limited. It will be what J. R. R. Tolkien labeled a “eucatastrophe,” “the sudden joyous `turn'” in the midst of catastrophe, which is at the heart of the Gospel story.

The IVP New Testament Commentary Series

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Canticle:

Christ, as a light… illumine and guide me. Christ, as a shield… overshadow me. Christ under me; Christ over me; Christ beside me on my left and my right.

This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful. Be in the heart of each to whom I speak; in the mouth of each who speaks unto me. This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.

Christ as a light; Christ as a shield; Christ beside me on my left and my right.

Blessing

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

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Peanut Gallery: A brief word of explanation – the general format for Morning Prayer is adapted from the Northumbrian Community‘s Daily Office, as found in Celtic Daily Prayer (see online resources here.) The Scripture readings are primarily from the Gospel of John, with the intent to complete the reading by Easter. Other Scriptures which illuminate the Gospel of John will be included along the way.

Reflections from various saints will be included as their memorial days occur during the calendar year.

On Sundays, I’ll return to the USCCB readings (see online resources here) and various liturgical resources in order to reflect the Church’s worship and concerns throughout the world.

Photo illustrations and music videos, available online, are included as they illustrate or illuminate the readings. I will try to give credit and link to sources as best I can.

Morning Prayer, 1 Apr – John 16:5-15 ~ Spirit of truth

Morning Prayer

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening sentences – Invocation of the Holy Spirit

Most powerful Holy Spirit, come down upon us and subdue us.

From heaven, where the ordinary is made glorious, and glory seems but ordinary, bathe us with the brilliance of Your light like dew.

Morning reading

John 16:5-15 ESV:

“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.

“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

Reflections:

When the Paraclete does come he will continue the work of revelation begun in Jesus, both his judgment of the world and the revelation of God to the disciples.

judgement of the world

+ Sin: the world is wrong about sin because it does not believe in Jesus. The opponents had condemned Jesus as a sinner, which is both explicitly stated and implicit in all their accusations. But they are really the ones who are guilty before God, because the work of God is to believe in the one whom he sent and rejecting Jesus is the most basic sin.

+ Righteousness: the world is wrong about righteousness because Jesus is going to the Father. The word righteousness probably includes its sense of “justice.” His opponents did not judge with right judgment, and this is seen especially in their condemnation of Jesus for his claim to be God’s Son. Jesus’ return to the Father will expose their justice as unjust.

+ Judgement: the world is wrong about judgment because the prince of this world now stands condemned. The opponents had condemned Jesus, but the Paraclete will reveal that it was the evil one who was judged and condemned at Jesus’ glorification. This judgment in turn condemns the world itself, since they have the devil for a father.

“Sin is rejecting Jesus; justice is what God has done for Jesus; judgment is what Jesus has accomplished already by his death” (Michaels).

new witness

The Paraclete exposes these realities to the disciples and to the world itself through the disciples. This witness will be through oral and written proclamation, of which this Gospel is itself a supreme example. But the primary witness will be in the quality of life that the Paraclete produces within the community as the new birth brings them into union with God.

+ Sin: faith in Jesus brings a new freedom from sin, though not sinlessness apart from the cleansing of Jesus’ blood.

+ Righteousness: they are able to live the pattern of righteousness and justice that was present in Jesus because they have his Spirit, which he sent to them after his return to the Father. The world may not see Jesus, but the disciples continue to be close to him.

+ Victory: the defeat of the evil one by Jesus is now evident in the lives of his disciples, who also overcome the evil one.

+ Love and Unity: More generally speaking, it is primarily the community’s life together that witnesses to Jesus and, by the same token, exposes and condemns the world, in particular by their love and unity. Such love and unity reveal that they are sharing in God’s own life, and, consequently, their rejection and persecution show that the opponents are acting against God. The very judgment that Jesus brought into the world continues through his disciples and elicits the same hatred.

all the truth

When the revelation is complete (namely the crucifixion and resurrection and ascension of Jesus) and when they do receive the Paraclete, he will guide them into all the truth that is in Jesus, which means all the truth of the Father. The Spirit will focus on the Son, who is focusing on the Father. Jesus’ staggering claim to have complete knowledge of God is the foundation for the Christian claim that Jesus is the unique and only way to the Father. But how are we mere mortals to appropriate such knowledge of God? Jesus provides the way by sending the Spirit of God. The “all” of Jesus’ revelation is matched by the “all” of the Paraclete’s instruction, an instruction that is not merely cerebral, but that involves a sharing of the very life of God.

Jesus’ promise is not of new revelation but of insight into the one revelation found in him. Any such new teaching must, however, be true to the revelation received in Jesus. The flower will continue to unfold, but it must be the same flower — the genetic code must be the same. The Scriptures, including the apostolic witness of the New Testament, has been the touchstone for this continuity throughout the life of the church. Indeed, the present passage speaks primarily of that apostolic witness, since Jesus is promising this work of the Paraclete to those who have been with him from the beginning, whom the Paraclete can remind of what Jesus has done and said.

The IVP New Testament Commentary Series

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Canticle:

Christ, as a light… illumine and guide me. Christ, as a shield… overshadow me. Christ under me; Christ over me; Christ beside me on my left and my right.

Christ as a light; Christ as a shield; Christ beside me on my left and my right.

Blessing

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

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Reflections from various saints will be included as their memorial days occur during the calendar year.

On Sundays, I’ll return to the USCCB readings (see online resources here) and various liturgical resources in order to reflect the Church’s worship and concerns throughout the world.

Photo illustrations and music videos, available online, are included as they illustrate or illuminate the readings. I will try to give credit and link to sources as best I can.

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