Today, 16th of July, we celebrate
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
First Reading: Acts 14:5-18
We proclaim to you Good News that you should
turn from these idols to the living God.
There was an attempt in Iconium
by both the Gentiles and the Jews,
together with their leaders,
to attack and stone Paul and Barnabas.
They realized it,
and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe
and to the surrounding countryside,
where they continued to proclaim the Good News.
At Lystra there was a crippled man, lame from birth,
who had never walked.
He listened to Paul speaking, who looked intently at him,
saw that he had the faith to be healed,
and called out in a loud voice, "Stand up straight on your feet."
He jumped up and began to walk about.
When the crowds saw what Paul had done,
they cried out in Lycaonian,
"The gods have come down to us in human form."
They called Barnabas "Zeus" and Paul "Hermes,"
because he was the chief speaker.
And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city,
brought oxen and garlands to the gates,
for he together with the people intended to offer sacrifice.
The Apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their garments
when they heard this and rushed out into the crowd, shouting,
"Men, why are you doing this?
We are of the same nature as you, human beings.
We proclaim to you good news
that you should turn from these idols to the living God,
who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them.
In past generations he allowed all Gentiles to go their own ways;
yet, in bestowing his goodness,
he did not leave himself without witness,
for he gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons,
and filled you with nourishment and gladness for your hearts."
Even with these words, they scarcely restrained the crowds
from offering sacrifice to them.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 115:1-2, 3-4, 15-16
R./ Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory. or: Alleluia.
Not to us, O LORD, not to us
but to your name give glory
because of your mercy, because of your truth.
Why should the pagans say,
"Where is their God?"
R./ Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory. or: Alleluia.
Our God is in heaven;
whatever he wills, he does.
Their idols are silver and gold,
the handiwork of men.
R./ Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory. or: Alleluia.
May you be blessed by the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
Heaven is the heaven of the LORD,
but the earth he has given to the children of men.
R./ Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory. or: Alleluia.
Gospel Reading: John 14:21-26
The Advocate whom the Father will send will teach you everything.
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Whoever has my commandments and observes them
is the one who loves me.
Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him and reveal myself to him."
Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him,
"Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us
and not to the world?"
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words;
yet the word you hear is not mine
but that of the Father who sent me.
"I have told you this while I am with you.
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit
whom the Father will send in my name
he will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you."
Love is repaid with love
Dear friends,
During these weeks, we’ve reflected on the different ways the Risen Lord is present: in the community, the Eucharist, and the shepherds of the Church. All of these come together in one central command: the commandment of love. The Church is a Eucharistic community guided by the Good Shepherd—but this only makes sense if it is also a community centered on love.
Without love, the Church becomes just a sect, the Eucharist an empty ritual, and the leadership of the shepherds nothing more than a power structure. But when love is the foundation, the Risen Christ is truly present. Then the community becomes the real Body of Christ, the Eucharist becomes the banquet of love in which we truly share in the mystery of Easter, and the pastors reflect the only true Shepherd—Christ Himself, guiding His Church through the Holy Spirit.
This week, we’re invited to go deeper into the meaning of love, to examine ourselves. Today, Jesus already gives us some important clues. Love is not just a feeling, something emotional or spontaneous like sympathy. True love comes from the heart, from the center of our freedom and will. It means choosing to follow God’s will, as shown to us in Christ—His commandments and His words.
When we respond to God’s love in this way, we become deeply united with Christ—and through Him, with the Father. And when this love turns into a way of life, when we put Jesus’ Word into practice, He reveals Himself to us more and more clearly. We become a dwelling place for God, a temple of the Holy Spirit.
This revelation is given only to those who love God and keep His commandments—but that doesn’t mean we should become proud or closed off. On the contrary, this encounter with Jesus helps us to recognize His face in others—even in those who are not yet part of the Church, especially in those who suffer.
The Spirit of Jesus, the Spirit of love, leads us out of ourselves, sends us on mission, and inspires us to do good for everyone—just like Paul and Barnabas in Lystra. When we love with the love of Christ, it’s not our own strength that is working, but the creative power of God, the same power that made heaven and earth, and that raised Jesus from the dead.
Warm regards,
José M. Vegas, CMF Date: Monday, 23 May, 2011
Year: I
Cycle: A
Season: Easter
Vestment: White
Psalter: Week I
Liturgical Calendar
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THEME
GOD LIVING IN US
LITURGY OF THE WORD
Acts 14:5–18; Jn 14:21–26
COMMENTARY
Introduction
In the first reading, Luke shows Paul working the same signs among pagans as Peter among the Jews (here the cure of a crippled person), and preaching the same message.
In the Gospel, Christ speaks of God’s indwelling. In the Old Testament, God’s dwelling place was first the Tent and the Ark of the Covenant, then later, the Temple. The Temple was the sign that God lived among and with his people. This was taken often too materially and almost magically. God’s presence was more interior, i.e., through his wisdom found in the hearts of the just, said the wisdom books. Christ says that God’s presence is much more intimate: he lives by love in the hearts of those who love him and keep his word, a presence that can be known only by one who loves.
Christ will manifest his presence among us now in the Eucharist.
Opening Prayer
Lord God, loving Father,
we look for your presence
in the temple of nature
and in churches built by our hands,
and you are there with your people.
But above all, you have made your temple
right here in our hearts.
God, give us eyes of faith and love
to recognize that you live in us,
with your Son and the Holy Spirit,
if we keep the Word of Jesus Christ,
your Son and our Lord for ever.
General Intercessions
– That we may bear witness that we are disciples of Jesus by loving one another deeply and sincerely, we pray:
– Now that Christ is no longer physically among us, we may discover his presence in every human face, we pray:
– That the Holy Spirit may teach us to live by the Word we have heard from Christ speaking to us in the Gospel, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord, our God, loving Father,
your Son Jesus Christ is here with us
as we are gathered in his name
in this eucharistic assembly.
Give him to us now
as our bread and wine, our food and drink,
that where we are, you may be present,
because your Son is alive in us,
he who lives with you and in us forever.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God, loving Father,
we thank you for giving us your Son
and for letting him live in us.
Help us to live the kind of life
he lived and wants us to live,
a life of obedience to your will
and of dedication to people and to our task in life.
Through us, you may be present
in this cold, calculating world
and bring to it the warmth of love,
of friendship and compassion,
through Christ who lives in us now,
we hope and pray, forever.
Blessing
Jesus assures us that we are certain that our Father in heaven loves us and lives in us if we live according to his words. We hear his words and we know them. Let us live accordingly, with the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
