May 18 Monday (St.
John I, Pope, Martyr):
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-john-i/ : John 15: 26–16:4 : 26 But
when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the
Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to me; 27
and you also are witnesses, because you have been with me from the beginning.
(John 16) 1 “I have said all this to you to keep you from falling away. 2 They
will put you out of the synagogues; indeed, the hour is coming when whoever
kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 And they will do this
because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But I have said these things
to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you of
them. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I
was with you. http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/
Context: In
his final discourse with the apostles at the Last Supper, Jesus assured them
that he would not desert them. Instead, a powerful Divine Helper in the form of
the Holy Spirit would come to them from Jesus and the Father in order to guide
them and to strengthen them.
The role of the Holy Spirit as outlined in today’s
Gospel: 1) As the Counselor or Paraclete or Advocate, the Holy Spirit
would coach, defend and strengthen the apostles in their sufferings and
persecution and would guide them during their trials before the civil authorities.
2) As the Spirit of Truth, He would bear witness to Jesus and enable the
apostles to bear witness to Christ heroically before the pagans. The Holy
Spirit would give them an experiential knowledge of Jesus and an in-depth
knowledge of Jesus’ teachings. “The mission of the Church is carried out by
means of that activity through which, in obedience to Christ’s command and
moved by the grace and love of the Holy Spirit, the Church makes itself fully
present to all men and peoples in order to lead them to the Faith, freedom and
peace of Christ by the example of its life and preaching, by the Sacraments and
other means of grace” (Vatican II, Ad Gentes 5). Then Jesus
foretells the nature of the persecution: 1) Excommunicating Jesus’ followers
from synagogues; 2) Establishing the murder of Jesus’ followers (“heretics”),
as a religious duty in defense of Judaism and, so, pleasing to Yahweh.
Life messages: 1)
As the Divine Advocate, the Holy Spirit living within us continues to help us
bear witness to Christ by assisting us to live transparent
Christian lives.
2) He also gives us courage and perseverance when we meet
adversities and challenges.
3) As the Divine Teacher, the Holy Spirit, through our daily
study of the Bible, helps us to know Jesus thoroughly, to love him personally
and to experience him intimately, so that we may live the ideals of Christ and
convey them to others through our genuine Christian lives.
(Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
May 19 Tuesday: John
16 :5-11: 5 But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none
of you asks me, `Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things
to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it
is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor
will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes,
he will convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9
concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness,
because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more; 11 concerning
judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/
The context: In today’s Gospel, Jesus
tries to console his sad and disheartened disciples at the Last Supper, for
they are at a loss, hearing the news of their master’s imminent departure. So,
he assures them that they will not be left alone. He will send the Holy Spirit
upon them as a friend, guide, consoler and teacher. Then Jesus explains the
three different roles of the Holy Spirit in their lives. First, He will
convince the world about the seriousness of sin. Thus, the Holy Spirit will
lead us to repent of our sins and seek forgiveness from Jesus. The Divine
Advocate will demonstrate that not believing in Jesus is the real sin. It is
the Holy Spirit Who will prick the hearts of the Jews on the day of Pentecost,
convicting them of their sin of crucifying their Messiah. In the same way, He
convicts us of wrongdoing and convinces us of God’s truth. Second, the Spirit
convinces us of the righteousness of Christ, which means that that Jesus was
right in his teachings and promises, as proved by God His Father Who granted
him Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven. Although Jesus was condemned to
death, it was actually Satan, the ruler of this world, who was condemned
through Jesus’ death. Third, the Holy Spirit gives us the inner and unshakable
conviction that we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God. When we
heed God’s judgments, we find true peace, joy and reconciliation with God.
Life message: We
need to allow the Holy Spirit to do what He wishes in and through our lives so
that He may release us from the grip of sin and set us ablaze with the fire of
God’s love. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
May 20 Wednesday (St.
Bernadine of Sienna, Priest);
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-bernardine-of-siena/ (Cath
online video: https://youtu.be/DG_-KCeJTrg?)list=PL58g24NgWPIzvBk2IQVES_xC4WTm6-CDI : Jn 16:12-15: 12 “I have yet
many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.13 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. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is
mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore, I
said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/
The context: Today’s
Gospel passage is taken from the Last Supper discourse in which Jesus
instructed his disciples on the role of the Holy Spirit and His relationship
with Jesus and God the Father.
1) First, as the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit is the
Gift of God Who is the Possessor and the Giver of all truth. It is the
Spirit’s role to make the disciples fully understand the truths revealed by
Christ. Vatican II teaches that Our Lord “completed and perfected Revelation
and confirmed it…finally by sending the Spirit of Truth” (Vatican II, Dei
Verbum 4).
2) By bringing to their minds and clarifying everything
Jesus has taught them, the Holy Spirit will also enable them to render glory to
God by glorifying His Son Jesus.
Relationship of the Holy Spirit with the Father and the
Son: Jesus also reveals the mystery of the Blessed Trinity in today’s
Gospel passage, saying that the Three Divine Persons have the same nature: “everything
that the Father has belongs to the Son, and everything the Son has belongs to
the Father” (cf. John 17:10), and that the Spirit also shares the same
Divine Essence with the Father and the Son.
Life message: 1)
We need the daily guidance and strengthening of the Holy Spirit in our mission
of bearing witness. We should remember that Faith is a gift.
Hence, we do not gain converts by argument or eloquence, but by praying for
them and by radiating, through our living, the Good News that Jesus has died
for our sins, has risen for our justification, and offers us a share in his
glory. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
[Note: If
the Feast of the Ascension is transferred from Thursday May 21, 2020 to the
Seventh Sunday of Easter, May 24, 2020, on Thursday, May 21, 2020, the readings
will be Acts 18:1-8; Responsorial Psalm (98; Gospel Jn 16:16-20; see Ordo]
May 21 Thursday (The Ascension of the Lord): Matthew
28: 16-20:
Introduction: Today’s readings describe the Ascension of the
Lord Jesus into his Heavenly glory after promising the Apostles that He would
ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit upon them as their source of Heavenly
power, and commanding them to bear witness to him by their lives and by
preaching the Good News throughout the world. But the ascended Jesus is still
with us through the indwelling Holy Spirit as he has promised, “I am
with you always; yes, to the end of time.” Today’s feast is a
celebration of Jesus’ glory after his suffering and death – a glory in which we
also hope to share. http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/
The scripture
lessons: The first reading, taken from the Acts of the Apostles,
describes the scene of Jesus’ Ascension, promise of the Holy Spirit, and
instruction to the apostles to wait in Jerusalem for the Power from above. In
the second reading, St. Paul prays that the Spirit of the ascended Christ may
enliven the hope of Christ’s disciples in their future heavenly glory, saying,
“May God enlighten the eyes of our heart so that we may know the great hope
to which we have been called.” Paul also teaches us that God
revealed His might in the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ and in exalting
Jesus over all angelic forces. Today’s Gospel tells us that, with his return to
the Father, Jesus completed his mission on earth. But just before his
Ascension, he entrusted to his disciples the mission of preaching and teaching
the Good News and evangelizing the whole world by bearing witness to him
through their lives. In the descriptions of Christ after his Resurrection, we
are given a hint of what life will be like in Heaven. But it is in his
Ascension that we see him entering fully into the life and glory of
God. The prospect of sharing in that glory should be the driving
force of our lives.
Life messages: 1) We
need to be proclaimers and evangelizers: To be a Christian is to be an
evangelizer — both preaching with words and proclaim with our lives the Good
News of Jesus Christ. Let us ask the guidance of the Holy Spirit to bear
witness to Jesus by our transparent Christian lives. 2) We have a teaching mission: Jesus taught us lessons
of Faith, Hope, Love, forgiveness, mercy and salvation by his life and
preaching and gave us the mission to teach these to others. Hence, let us learn
about Jesus and his teachings by our daily study of the Bible and the teachings
of the Church, experience Jesus in personal prayer, reception of the Sacraments
and works of charity, and, with the help of his Holy Spirit, convey to others
Jesus whom we have experienced. 3)
The ascended Jesus is our source of strength and encouragement: We will be able
to overcome doubts about our Faith and baseless fears, anxieties and worries by
meditating on Jesus’ Ascension and learning the lesson it teaches that we, too,
are called to share Jesus’ glory in Heaven.
(Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
May 21 Thursday☹
If the Feast of the Ascension is transferred from Thursday May 21, 2020 ) Jn 16:16-20: 16 “A little
while, and you will see me no more; again a little while, and you will see me.”
17 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 go to the Father’?” 18 They said, “What does
he mean by `a little while’? We do not know what he means.” 19 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’? 20 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.
The context: In
the Last Supper discourse, Jesus tells the Apostles about leaving them in
order to return to his Father and about coming again at the end of
time to usher in the new age of God’s kingdom. When they start asking each
other the meaning of these statements, Jesus explains to them the hardships
they will have to face after his departure and the glorious reward waiting for
them in his Second Coming. But as he had consoled them earlier, promising to
send a Paraclete, now Jesus assures them that his absence is only temporary.
A little while: Jesus is speaking about a three-level
disappearance and reappearance. The first level is Jesus’ death and
Resurrection. The apostles will no longer see Jesus when he
dies. But they will see Jesus again in three days as their risen
Lord. The second level is the mystical level: They will lose sight of Jesus
physically when he ascends to the glory of the Father. But they will
see Jesus again in many ways by Faith, when the Holy Spirit comes. There
is also a third level. Jesus is not now visible physically to the
world but will manifest his glory to the whole world when he comes again in
glory. In the light of eternity, a few thousand years are but an instant,
a very short while.
Life messages: 1)
Let us try to recognize the presence of the living Lord in our midst here and
now. 2) Let us ask Him to help us adjust our daily lives accordingly, so that
we, too, may inherit the eternal joy prepared for us. (frtonyshomilies.com)
L/2019.
May 22 Friday (St.
Rita of Cascia):
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-rita-of-cascia/ (Cath online video https://youtu.be/sXdnVjyoxZ4?list=PL58g24NgWPIzvBk2IQVES_xC4WTm6-CDI) : Jn 16:20-23:: 20 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. 21 When a woman is in
travail she has sorrow, because her hour has come; but when she is delivered of
the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a child is
born into the world. 22 So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and
your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. 23 In
that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask
anything of the Father, he will give it to you in my name. http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/
The context: After
foretelling his imminent departure following the Last Supper, Jesus tried to boost
the morale of his sad and dispirited disciples. First, he consoled them,
promising them to send his Holy Spirit as their Paraclete — Consoler, Guide and
Advocate (Attorney). Then, Jesus assured them that his absence would only be
temporary.
Contrast between present sorrows and future glory: Jesus
compares the temporary pain, sufferings and persecutions of his disciples to
the passing, though intense, labor-pains of a woman giving birth to her child.
The moment she hears the cry of her child and sees his or her face she forgets
all her pain. In the same way, the “other-worldly” joy waiting for his
disciples will transcend all types of earthly joys.
Life message: 1)
Let us see our pains and suffering as God’s means to strengthen our will and
form our character. The conviction of the temporary nature of our suffering and
of the glory waiting for us if we accept pain and suffering graciously,
converting them into willing acts of reparation for sins, will help us to face
heroically whatever God permits.
(Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
May 23 Saturday: Jn
16: 23-28 23 In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly,
I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father, he will give it to you in my
name. 24 Hitherto you have asked nothing in my name; ask, and you will receive,
that your joy may be full. 25 “I have said this to you in figures; the hour is
coming when I shall no longer speak to you in figures but tell you plainly of
the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name; and I do not say to you
that I shall pray the Father for you; 27 for the Father himself loves you,
because you have loved me and have believed that I came from the Father. 28 I
came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the
world and going to the Father.”
The context: Jesus
used parables and metaphors, both in teaching the general public and in
explaining teachings to the apostles. Today’s Gospel passage is taken from
Jesus’ last discourse with his disciples at their Last Passover Supper
together. Here, too, Jesus uses metaphors of a vine and its branches and the
simile of a woman giving birth. Now Jesus tells them that he is going to tell
them about God, his Father, in plain language. Jesus explains the mystery of
his Incarnation in plain language saying, “I came from the Father and
have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and going to the
Father.” Then Jesus corrects the Jewish misconception of God, his
Father, as a judging and punishing God, telling the apostles that God the
Father is a loving and forgiving Father, to Whom they can pray directly
(“Abba!”) in Jesus’ name, and that their prayers will be granted because the
Father knows that they love His Son, Jesus, and believe in his Divinity. This
is the pattern of prayer in the Liturgy. The Eucharistic prayer is
invariably addressed to the Father, “through him (Jesus), with him and
in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit” All our prayer has the
pattern of the Trinity stamped on it. This does not mean that we should
never pray to anyone but the Father. We are free to pray to Jesus, Mary and the
saints, but always in the full knowledge that the Father is the ultimate
Recipient of all prayer – just as the sea receives every stream.
Life message: 1)
God our Father is a loving, merciful and providing God who wants His children
to approach Him directly and through His Son and our only mediator, Jesus.
Hence, let us make our prayers of adoration, praise, thanksgiving and petitions
more effective and fruitful by offering them to God our Father through His Son
Jesus Christ, in union with the Holy Spirit. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20