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2012년 4월 16일 부활 제2주간 월요일
제1독서
사도행전. 4,23-31
그 무렵 23 풀려난 베드로와 요한은 동료들에게 가서, 수석 사제들과 원로들이 자기들에게 한 말을 그대로 전하였다. 24 동료들은 그 말을 듣고 한마음으로 목소리를 높여 하느님께 아뢰었다.
“주님, 주님은 하늘과 땅과 바다와 그 안에 있는 모든 것을 만드신 분이십니다. 25 주님께서는 성령으로, 주님의 종인 저희 조상 다윗의 입을 통하여 말씀하셨습니다.
‘어찌하여 민족들이 술렁거리며, 겨레들이 헛일을 꾸미는가? 26 주님을 거슬러, 그분의 기름부음받은이를 거슬러 세상의 임금들이 들고일어나며, 군주들이 함께 모였구나.’
27 과연 헤로데와 본시오 빌라도는 주님께서 기름을 부으신 분, 곧 주님의 거룩한 종 예수님을 없애려고, 다른 민족들은 물론 이스라엘 백성과도 함께 이 도성에 모여, 28 그렇게 되도록 주님의 손과 주님의 뜻으로 예정하신 일들을 다 실행하였습니다.
29 이제, 주님! 저들의 위협을 보시고, 주님의 종들이 주님의 말씀을 아주 담대히 전할 수 있게 해 주십시오. 30 저희가 그렇게 할 때, 주님께서는 손을 뻗으시어 병자들을 고치시고, 주님의 거룩한 종 예수님의 이름으로 표징과 이적들이 일어나게 해 주십시오.”
31 이렇게 기도를 마치자, 그들이 모여 있는 곳이 흔들리면서 모두 성령으로 가득 차, 하느님의 말씀을 담대히 전하였다.
복음
요한. 3,1-8
1 바리사이 가운데 니코데모라는 사람이 있었다. 그는 유다인들의 최고 의회 의원이었다. 2 그 사람이 밤에 예수님께 와서 말하였다. “스승님, 저희는 스승님이 하느님에게서 오신 스승이심을 알고 있습니다. 하느님께서 함께 계시지 않으면, 당신께서 일으키시는 그러한 표징들을 아무도 일으킬 수 없기 때문입니다.”
3 그러자 예수님께서 그에게 이르셨다. “내가 진실로 진실로 너에게 말한다. 누구든지 위로부터 태어나지 않으면 하느님의 나라를 볼 수 없다.”
4 니코데모가 예수님께 말하였다. “이미 늙은 사람이 어떻게 또 태어날 수 있겠습니까? 어머니 배 속에 다시 들어갔다가 태어날 수야 없지 않습니까?”
5 예수님께서 대답하셨다. “내가 진실로 진실로 너에게 말한다. 누구든지 물과 성령으로 태어나지 않으면, 하느님 나라에 들어갈 수 없다. 6 육에서 태어난 것은 육이고, 영에서 태어난 것은 영이다. 7 ‘너희는 위로부터 태어나야 한다.’고 내가 말하였다고 놀라지 마라. 8 바람은 불고 싶은 데로 분다. 너는 그 소리를 들어도 어디에서 와 어디로 가는지 모른다. 영에서 태어난 이도 다 이와 같다.”
http://www.usccb.org/calendar/index.cfm?showLit=1&action=month
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings-audio.cfm
April 16, 2012
Monday of the Second Week of Easter
Reading 1
After their release Peter and John went back to their own people
and reported what the chief priests and elders had told them.
And when they heard it,
they raised their voices to God with one accord
and said, “Sovereign Lord, maker of heaven and earth
and the sea and all that is in them,
you said by the Holy Spirit
through the mouth of our father David, your servant:
Why did the Gentiles rage
and the peoples entertain folly?
The kings of the earth took their stand
and the princes gathered together
against the Lord and against his anointed.
Indeed they gathered in this city
against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed,
Herod and Pontius Pilate,
together with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel ,
to do what your hand and your will
had long ago planned to take place.
And now, Lord, take note of their threats,
and enable your servants to speak your word
with all boldness, as you stretch forth your hand to heal,
and signs and wonders are done
through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
As they prayed, the place where they were gathered shook,
and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (see 11d) Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Why do the nations rage
and the peoples utter folly?
The kings of the earth rise up,
and the princes conspire together
against the LORD and against his anointed:
“Let us break their fetters
and cast their bonds from us!”
R. Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He who is throned in heaven laughs;
the LORD derides them.
Then in anger he speaks to them;
he terrifies them in his wrath:
“I myself have set up my king
on Zion , my holy mountain.”
I will proclaim the decree of the LORD.
R. Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD said to me, “You are my Son;
this day I have begotten you.
Ask of me and I will give you
the nations for an inheritance
and the ends of the earth for your possession.
You shall rule them with an iron rod;
you shall shatter them like an earthen dish.”
R. Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel
There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
He came to Jesus at night and said to him,
“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God,
for no one can do these signs that you are doing
unless God is with him.”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God .”
Nicodemus said to him,
“How can a man once grown old be born again?
Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?”
Jesus answered,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born of water and Spirit
he cannot enter the Kingdom of God .
What is born of flesh is flesh
and what is born of spirit is spirit.
Do not be amazed that I told you,
‘You must be born from above.’
The wind blows where it wills,
and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
REFLECTION
“Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you,
no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.’”
In order to come to know Jesus
we must spend the time and energy it takes
to come to understand the heart and soul of Jesus.
We need to immerse ourselves in Jesus.
We must ourselves take on the mind of Christ.
Reborn
"No one can enter the <st1:placetype w:st="on">Kingdom</st1:placetype>
of God unless he is born of
water and the Spirit. John 3:5
Thor Heyerdahl once had a deep
fear of the water. Yet he floated
a tiny raft across the Pacific to
prove South Americans could
have migrated to Polynesia. How
was that deep fear erased. One
day on military maneuvers, his
canoe capsized near a waterfall.
His body sank into the watery
depths of the river. As the water
closed over him, he prayed. A
burst of energy surged through
him, and he successfully battled
the waters as they swept him
toward a waterfall. That episode
transformed him. Somewhere in
the depths of the river, the old,
fearful Thor died and a new Thor
was born. Something like that
happens in the waters of bap-
tism. We are transformed spirit-
ually by the power of the Holy
Spirit into a totally new person.
How is Baptism like a seed?
Who is joined to Christ is a new
being.1 Corinthians 5:17
http://www.franciscanretreats.net/
I believe that it was St. Thomas Aquinas who wrote that there are seven Sacraments because seven corresponds to the seven necessities or needs of physical life. And he writes that there is a balance between the physical and the spiritual. We all have to be born in order to be, we grow, to grow we must eat, we all do dumb things, we all get sick and we all have some sort of calling or vocation in life. I feel quite sure that if Jesus had given us 10 Sacraments, Thomas would have found 10 corresponding physical necessities to balance them off.
Anyhow, just as we must be born physically from our mothers, we must also be born spiritually through our Baptism. This ties in with what we were talking about yesterday: It is through our spiritual birth that we become new creatures. Baptism welcomes us into God’s family; we become the daughters and sons of the Divine Family. Quite a difference from the person born in physical birth. And just as we have a loyalty, I hope, to the family into which we were born physically, we are also to have a loyalty to our Divine Family. The virtues of obedience, listening, cooperation, respect and awe that are necessary in our physical families are also necessary in the Divine Family. The one indicates how it is going to be in the other. If I disobey my physical parents and disrespect them, I will also disobey and disrespect God. Actions speak louder than words.
How am I doing as a daughter or son of my family with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?
http://www.evangeli.net/gospel/gospel.html
No one can see the <st1:placetype w:st="on">kingdom</st1:placetype> of God unless he is born again from above
Today, «a ruler of the Jews» (Jn 3:1) comes to Jesus. The Gospel says he does it by night: what would his comrades say should they find out? In Jesus' teachings we find a baptismal catechesis that, most surely, circulated in the Evangelist community.
A few days ago we were still celebrating the Paschal Vigil. An integral part of it was the Baptism celebration, which is the Passover, a step from death to life. The solemn benediction of water and the renewal of baptismal promises were key points of that holy night.
In the baptism ritual there is an immersion in water (death symbol) and an emergence from water (a new life image). We are submerged in sin and we come out of it renewed. This is what Jesus calls «to be born from above» or «to be born again» (cf. Jn 3:3). This is “to be born of water”, “to be born of the Spirit” or “of the blowing wind...”.
Water and Spirit are the two symbols used by Jesus. Both express the action of the Holy Spirit that purifies and grants life, cleans and encourages, calms the thirst and breathes, smoothes and speaks. Water and Spirit make a single thing.
But Jesus also says the flesh is in opposition to the Spirit: «What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit» (Jn 3:6). Carnal man is humanly born when he appears down here. But the carnal man is defeated by the spiritual man, who is spiritually born in the Baptism. Which means to be born anew and of above. A beautiful formula by <st1:city w:st="on">Saint Paul</st1:city> could be our reflection and action motto, mostly in this Paschal time: «Or are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life» (Rm 6:3-4).
http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
Today’s readings are from Acts 4:23-31, Psalms 2:1-3, 4-7a, 7b-9, and John 3:1-8. In Acts, we are encouraged to “speak the word of God with boldness.” In the responsorial psalm, we are reminded that “blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.” And, John’s gospel emphasizes that “unless one is born of water and Spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of God .”
The word “boldness” jumps out at me in two places in the reading from Acts. Boldness is synonymous with fearless, courageous, and brave. Thus, most probably, it is Luke the Evangelist who asks the Lord to “enable your servants to speak your word with all boldness.”
Each year as I listen to the readings for Palm Sunday, I am struck by Peter’s denial of knowing Jesus. This is far from speaking boldly, but Peter’s very life was threatened. Peter did come around, but in the end, his boldness cost him his life.
Boldness of expression is a powerful practice, but in today’s world, boldness is also a bit scary. Our nation and world are so polarized that we may place ourselves in danger by being too bold. How many of us fear being bold, because there may be retaliation toward us for our speaking boldly about our faith or our political beliefs? How many of us fear speaking boldly toward a stranger when that stranger is doing something that we find offensive? Do you think of “road rage” when you read this?
How can we be true to our faith and also be bold in our expression? If Jesus knew of Peter’s betrayal and still loved him, it would seem to follow that Jesus knows that we may not speak with boldness as often as we should. He knows that the circumstances of our lives and the world in which we live may challenge our courage, because we are afraid for ourselves or our loved ones.
But, what can we do that is bold and faith-filled? I believe that we can be bold of expression by our example. We can live our lives in a manner that demonstrates our faith and lets those around us know by our actions what is important to us. We do not have to continually speak out against those whose behaviors are contrary to the tenants of our faith traditions, but we can speak and act boldly to show others the faith-filled way. We can be the example of faithfulness and faith-filled actions that set a positive tone and which provide others with behaviors and attitudes to imitate.
In Peter’s example, we see a faithful and faith-filled man who has to make terrible choices three times. Jesus does not condemn Peter, but he does recognize Peter’s human nature and concerns. There is a way to act boldly and to give glory to God without endangering ourselves. We can be bold in our faithful and faith-filled actions!!
http://www.rc.net/wcc/readings/
"Unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God "
Do you nourish your faith with regular reading and prayerful reflection of the word of God? Nicodemus was hungry for God's word and became a closet disciple of Jesus. He sought Jesus out, though surreptitiously in the dead of the night. Why? Nicodemus was a "leader of the Jews", "a teacher of Israel " (John 3:10), and a member of the religious party most opposed to the teaching of Jesus. In fact, John’s gospel account states that it was Nicodemus' own group, the Pharisees, which intimidated the authorities against confessing Jesus (John 12:42).Instead he engaged him in a seemingly unrelated topic of conversation. Jesus said that rebirth was necessary to enter the kingdom of God . Of course, Nicodemus the Pharisee had already found religion, so he thought that Jesus must have referred to physical rebirth. No, Jesus responded, someone who is reborn spiritually knows the experience as surely as one who has been refreshed by an invisible breeze. How can a respected rabbi among the Jews not know this? And that is precisely the point. Nicodemus is the first of what we might loosely call the official clergy with whom Jesus has personal engagement. The Gospel portrays Nicodemus as a defender of Jesus' right to a fair trial (John 7:-51). Nicodemus also helped to bury Jesus with honor. Nicodemus did not understand the new birth which Jesus spoke of until after the resurrection.
What does it mean to be reborn? The new birth Jesus speaks of is a spiritual birth to new life and relationship with God as his sons and daughters. This new birth is made possible when one is baptized into Christ and receives the gift of the Holy Spirit. God wants to renew all his people in the gift of new life in his Holy Spirit. This new life brings us into God's kingdom or heavenly rule. What is God's kingdom? God's kingdom is that society in which God's will is done on earth as it is in heaven. To be reborn is to enter that society in which God is honored and obeyed, to live as his son or daughter, and to enter into possession of that life which comes from God himself, a never-ending life of love, peace, joy, and freedom from sin and the fear of death. Do you know the joy and freedom of new life in Jesus Christ?
"Lord Jesus Christ, you offer us a new birth in the Holy Spirit. Renew in me the gift of faith and new life in your Holy Spirit. Help me to draw near to you and to believe in your life-giving word. May your kingdom come and may your will be done in my life today and always."
Psalm 2:1-9
1 Why do the nations conspire, and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and his anointed, saying,
3 "Let us burst their bonds asunder, and cast their cords from us."
4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the LORD has them in derision.
5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying,
6 "I have set my king on Zion , my holy hill."
7 I will tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my son, today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."
http://www.daily-meditations.org/index2.html
Alleluia! Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
Probably, we've heard that expression: First impressions are lasting impressions.
Many people, portrayed in scripture, came to see Jesus and were challenged by Him. Usually they came during the day, for their acts in the light were open. But in this instance, Nicodemus came at night. Maybe he didn't want to be seen as he was, a loathsome Pharisee, a ruler of the Jews, and even a member of the Sanhedrin. We only get to hear part of his conversation with Jesus:
"Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God,
for no one can do these signs that you are doing
unless God is with him." (John 3:2)
Could the Spirit be working in Nicodemus?
Jesus replied that one must be born from above to see the <st1:placetype w:st="on">kingdom</st1:placetype> of God. The stage is set: Jesus laid out exactly what one must do and Nicodemus – misunderstands!
Nicodemus is drawn to Jesus and suspects (secretly hopes) that God is working through Him but cannot seem to make the leap of faith to recognize Jesus as God. Jesus gives him the way, as we are given, to be born of water and spirit. We are baptized and are thus given an opportunity to enter the kingdom because Jesus suffered, died and rose for us.
Let us not question where the Spirit comes from, but let us be open to where the Holy Spirit moves us. We know the end of this story, the incredible joy of the Easter message. So with wide-open hearts let us "take refuge in the Lord" and we will be truly blessed!
~ Deacon James W. Chaufty
http://www.contemplative.com/weekday_readings.htm
http://goodnews.ie/calendar.php
John’s gospel favours a particular idiom. We hear him say in today’s reading, “What is born of flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit,” (despite the fact that he had said in the first chapter “The Word was made flesh”). It has been characterised as a Neo-Platonist colouring: that is, a way of seeing and thinking that owes much to Greek philosophy and culture. His dualism ? if that is what it is ? is part of this picture.
Hans Urs von Balthasar wrote that the mediaeval mystics never entirely freed themselves from the neo-Platonic legacy. Two questions occur: 1. What is the problem about the neo-Platonic legacy? It had a clear influence on Meister Eckhart, for example. It is just as valid as the Aristotelian legacy. 2. Julian of Norwich was a mediaeval mystic who was as far removed from the neo-Platonic legacy as anyone could be. She wrote: “I understood that our physical nature is grounded in God's nature, mercy, and grace ? a grounding which enables us to receive gifts that lead us on to eternal life. I saw with absolute certainty that our being is in God. What is more, I saw that God is in our physical nature, too. From the beginning of time God ordained that the moment we became physical beings, at that same moment we would become the city of God .”
Dualism is regarded as a bad word today. John could not be described simply as a dualist. For one thing, he was writing about God’s Spirit, not about the human psyche as pictured in Greek philosophy. Nobody feels split in two by being distinguished from the Holy Spirit. Secondly, if John had been consistent in dividing his world into clear opposites, he would have made no reference to Nicodemus, a figure who spans the gap between opponents and supporters. This shows that he acknowledged that life is not black and white, but many shades of grey. But grey reality has never prevented anyone from talking about black and white ? darkness and light, in John’s idiom. Dualism is not a problem when it is just a literary device. It is a problem only when we impose it on people. In 1 John we read, “what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life? this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it.” It reads like Julian of Norwich.
http://www.presentationministries.com/
EASTER PRAYER |
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"Grant to Your servants, even as they speak Your words, complete assurance by stretching forth Your hand in cures and signs and wonders to be worked in the name of Jesus, Your holy Servant." 뾃cts 4:29-30 |
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Alleluia! Jesus has risen! He's alive, and we shall live with Him forever! Alleluia! Happy Easter season! I hope this Easter season is getting better and better for you each day. If, however, the Easter Spirit is stifled in your life, pray the prayer of Acts 4:29-30. The effects of this prayer will shake you up (Acts 4:31). The Lord will confirm your proclamation of His resurrection with signs and wonders (Mk 16:17). You will be filled again with the Holy Spirit and will continue "to speak God's word with confidence" (Acts 4:31). Don't just pray Acts 4:29-30 once and then forget about it. It may take time to open up and receive the answer to your prayer. As at the first Pentecost, keep praying for nine days or longer, until you have no doubt the Lord has given you complete assurance in proclaiming His resurrection by stretching forth His hand "in cures and signs and wonders." Then pray Acts 4:29-30 for someone else. When you see your prayer being answered, tell the other person that you're praying Acts 4:29-30 on their behalf. Ask him or her to pray with you, and to choose another person for whom to pray this prayer. Pray with "complete assurance" (Acts 4:29). |
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Prayer: Father, may I persevere in prayer for the greatest Easter season ever. |
Promise: "I solemnly assure you, no one can enter into God's kingdom without being begotten of water and Spirit." 뾌n 3:5 |
Praise: Pastor Thomas brought half of his congregation into the Church when he realized the fullness of the Catholic faith. |
http://www.judeop.org/daily_bread.htm
Enable your servants to speak your word with all boldness. Peter and John, filled with the Holy Spirit, raise their voices together in praise of God. The Lord affirms their prayer through the sign of the shaking of the earth. While we may not immediately recognize that the Lord hears our prayers, we can take this sign as our own. When we sincerely join with one another in praise and thanks, we can be assured of the divine presence within our midst. It?s a force more powerful than any natural phenomenon that we can ever experience. Lord, may your words of truth and life flow freely from our mouths, we pray. PR
http://www.judeop.org/dailyhomilette.htm
“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” the saying goes. Likewise we excuse the elderly for not learning how to use the computer. No doubt, old peoples’ minds react more slowly so that they are often challenged to do things they have never done before. But to say that it is impossible is to deny the force of the Spirit which constantly moves us set ways of being.
For people aware of the Civil Rights movement during the latter half of the twentieth century the prime example of the force of the Holy Spirit is the about face that Governor George Wallace of Alabama took before his death. During the 1960s Governor Wallace was the Sam Adams of resistance to integration. He defied Presidential orders and federal marshals at every turn. It was a losing battle, but the victory was diminished by the acclaim given to Wallace as a folk hero. He maintained his segregationist views until the late 1970s when he claimed to have been “born again.” Wallace’s acceptance of African-Americans certainly changed as he publicly apologized for his segregationist views and appointed many African-Americans to public positions during his last term as <st1:state w:st="on">Alabama</st1:state> governor.
As we age, we too can improve. Hopefully, we haven’t taken egregious stands like that of George Wallace, but perhaps we judged people harshly or defended our shortcomings doggedly over the years. Easter time with its renewed awareness of the Holy Spirit seems apt for us to change and learn more loving ways of being.
http://www.judeop.org/dailyreflections.htm
This past Saturday, I was privileged to baptize an infant grandnephew in the historic former (proto-) cathedral of the diocese of <st1:city w:st="on">Natchitoches</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">LA</st1:state>! His father, my nephew, was the first infant I ever baptized and it was in the same place. I was still a deacon at the time (Winter 1971). The combination of continuity and re-birth was a powerful moment. My father was baptized in that same church, as was my younger brother, the grandfather of the child. The new life of grace begins in the midst of a continuity of life.
Baptism was adopted early-on in the Christian community as the ordinary way of initiating new members into the community. It was not a new practice since John the Baptist was known to have "baptized" and ritual washings were very much a part of Jewish life. The Christian practice took on a different meaning, however, as <st1:city w:st="on">St. Paul</st1:city> reminds us in Romans 6 when he speaks of being baptized into Christ's death and resurrection, and of dying to sin and living in Christ. This loses some of its impact when we speak of "washing away original sin and becoming a member of the Church" (even if the statement is correct).
There is much that can be said about the incident with Nicodemus (coming at night and leaving "enlightened") or about the necessity of baptism, but today I simply wanted to speak to the new life of my grandnephew in the continuity of an old community and how each of those gives meaning to the other. AMEN
http://biblereflection.blogspot.com/
The gospel speaks about baptism. Do we understand what our baptism is?
We received baptism when we were infants and since then have matured
but still we are unaware of its depth and richness. Jesus told
Nicodemus that there is a need to be born again because flesh cannot
inherit the <st1:placetype w:st="on">kingdom</st1:placetype> of God, only the man of the spirit can. Flesh
means human frailty.
On our own we cannot know divine realities, because we live according
to our reason and inclination. Through Christ's merit we have access
to a new life. Because he took upon himself our flesh and in it passed
judgment against sin. In our flesh he became victorious. Baptism
realizes this in us. Scripture already foretold of baptism like the
passage of Israel through the Red Sea that delivered them from
servitude, likewise Noah's crossing over the flood. The flesh an
instrument of sin is killed in the waters of baptism and at the same
time we become people of the spirit, sharer of the life of God.
Baptism strips the man of flesh and it clothes us with the Spirit.
Making it possible for us to live the life of Christ, we become the
temple of the Spirit, an adopted child of the Father, co-heir and
sibling of Christ. Our actions should reflect this reality living in
us.
If God is our Father then we should act and think like Him. There is
an image mentioned by Christ in the gospel that is the Wind. It comes
and goes totally abandoned to the will of the Father. Are we like this
wind?
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