May 5, 2024
Sixth Sunday of Easter
Acts of the Apostles 10: 25-26, 34-35, 44-48
Psalm 98
1 John 4:7-10
John 15: 9-17
God Choses Each of Us as a Friend
Friends choose friends freely. A true bond is made when each person chooses the other without coercion. One might choose a person to have a friendship with. However, the other person might not choose to accept the invitation to friendship. Thus, there is no friendship. Today’s scriptures show us God extends His friendship to everyone.
God wants to be friends with each of us. As St. Peter makes clear in the first reading (Acts), “God shows no partiality.” He goes on to say, “… in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.” This statement implies we must accept God’s offer of a loving friendship and respond to it. That is, we have a responsibility herein. If we do not respond to the invitation there is no friendship. The apostle continues on.
Peter says, “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit even as we have?” Peter’s statement was motivated by what he saw happening. Others around him were also impressed. People, even non-Jews, were coming to believe in Jesus as the Messiah.
Jewish people were not the only people responding to what Jesus preached. Gentiles also received the gift of the Holy Spirit. All the other Jews who were present were amazed at this too. So, any person who showed faith and trust in the Word was baptized.
God loves all he has created. He loves all people. God is love. He is the source and summit of love. The capacity to love comes from God. God exhorts us to remain in His love as He remains in His father’s love. In today’s Gospel passage Jesus explains we remain in God’s love by keeping His commandments. This is not merely the ten commandments. It is His greatest commandment. That is, to love God with all of one’s being and to love others as one loves oneself. God’s commandments map the way that is love.
Joy comes to the person who keeps God’s commandments. God’s commands stand as His loving authority playing out in us. The knowledge of His presence brings a sense of wholeness and completeness to life while we are still here on earth.
So we are not slaves to God. We do not react to God out of trepidation. We respond to God because we sense the wholeness that comes with a relationship with God. We are not kept ignorant and isolated as a despot may divide and conquer his people to gain undo control over them. God, wishing to be a friend welcomes each person into His life. God chooses each person as a friend.
God wants to be friends with each of us. As St. Peter makes clear in the first reading (Acts), “God shows no partiality.” He goes on to say, “… in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.” This statement implies we must accept God’s offer of a loving friendship and respond to it. That is, we have a responsibility herein. If we do not respond to the invitation there is no friendship. The apostle continues on.
Peter says, “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit even as we have?” Peter’s statement was motivated by what he saw happening. Others around him were also impressed. People, even non-Jews, were coming to believe in Jesus as the Messiah.
Jewish people were not the only people responding to what Jesus preached. Gentiles also received the gift of the Holy Spirit. All the other Jews who were present were amazed at this too. So, any person who showed faith and trust in the Word was baptized.
God loves all he has created. He loves all people. God is love. He is the source and summit of love. The capacity to love comes from God. God exhorts us to remain in His love as He remains in His father’s love. In today’s Gospel passage Jesus explains we remain in God’s love by keeping His commandments. This is not merely the ten commandments. It is His greatest commandment. That is, to love God with all of one’s being and to love others as one loves oneself. God’s commandments map the way that is love.
Joy comes to the person who keeps God’s commandments. God’s commands stand as His loving authority playing out in us. The knowledge of His presence brings a sense of wholeness and completeness to life while we are still here on earth.
So we are not slaves to God. We do not react to God out of trepidation. We respond to God because we sense the wholeness that comes with a relationship with God. We are not kept ignorant and isolated as a despot may divide and conquer his people to gain undo control over them. God, wishing to be a friend welcomes each person into His life. God chooses each person as a friend.
Peace and blessings,
Father Bob
Father Bob
Father Bob's
Video Reflections
Each week Father Bob posts a Video Reflection on the Spiritual readings for the weekend Mass. These Videos are not intended to replace your prescence at mass each week! Much like Scripture Sharing on Thursday evening from 7 pm - 8 pm, these videos act as a point of reference to enhance your knowledge and better prepare you to participate in each weeks celebration.
Each week the videos are archive and can be streamed by clicking on the Bulletin/Videos button above.
Each week the videos are archive and can be streamed by clicking on the Bulletin/Videos button above.
Sacraments of Christian Initiation
Sacraments of Healing
Sacraments of Service
Prayer for Peace
Mary, Queen of Peace, save us all, who have so much trust in you, from wars, hatred, and oppression. Make us all learn to live in peace, and educate ourselves for peace, do what is demanded by justice and respect the rights of every person, so that peace may be firmly established. Amen.
The Jesus Prayer...
Lord Jesus Christ
have Mercy on me a Poor Sinner.
have Mercy on me a Poor Sinner.
Click on the links below for more information
This Weeks Scripture Readings
May 12, 2024
The Ascension of the Lord
Reading I
Acts 1:1-11
In the first book, Theophilus,
I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught
until the day he was taken up,
after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit
to the apostles whom he had chosen.
He presented himself alive to them
by many proofs after he had suffered,
appearing to them during forty days
and speaking about the kingdom of God.
While meeting with them,
he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem,
but to wait for “the promise of the Father
about which you have heard me speak;
for John baptized with water,
but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
When they had gathered together they asked him,
“Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons
that the Father has established by his own authority.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,
throughout Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.”
When he had said this, as they were looking on,
he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.
While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going,
suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them.
They said, “Men of Galilee,
why are you standing there looking at the sky?
This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven
will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”
I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught
until the day he was taken up,
after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit
to the apostles whom he had chosen.
He presented himself alive to them
by many proofs after he had suffered,
appearing to them during forty days
and speaking about the kingdom of God.
While meeting with them,
he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem,
but to wait for “the promise of the Father
about which you have heard me speak;
for John baptized with water,
but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
When they had gathered together they asked him,
“Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons
that the Father has established by his own authority.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,
throughout Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.”
When he had said this, as they were looking on,
he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.
While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going,
suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them.
They said, “Men of Galilee,
why are you standing there looking at the sky?
This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven
will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 47
R. (cf. 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
Reading II
Eph 4:1-13
Brothers and sisters,
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the spirit
through the bond of peace:
one body and one Spirit,
as you were also called to the one hope of your call;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.
But grace was given to each of us
according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
Therefore, it says:
He ascended on high and took prisoners captive;
he gave gifts to men.
What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended
into the lower regions of the earth?
The one who descended is also the one who ascended
far above all the heavens,
that he might fill all things.
And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets,
others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,
to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry,
for building up the body of Christ,
until we all attain to the unity of faith
and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature to manhood,
to the extent of the full stature of Christ.
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the spirit
through the bond of peace:
one body and one Spirit,
as you were also called to the one hope of your call;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.
But grace was given to each of us
according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
Therefore, it says:
He ascended on high and took prisoners captive;
he gave gifts to men.
What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended
into the lower regions of the earth?
The one who descended is also the one who ascended
far above all the heavens,
that he might fill all things.
And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets,
others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,
to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry,
for building up the body of Christ,
until we all attain to the unity of faith
and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature to manhood,
to the extent of the full stature of Christ.
Alleluia
Mt 28:19a, 20b
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Go and teach all nations, says the Lord;
I am with you always, until the end of the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Go and teach all nations, says the Lord;
I am with you always, until the end of the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Gospel
Mk 16:15-20
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Go into the whole world
and proclaim the gospel to every creature.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved;
whoever does not believe will be condemned.
These signs will accompany those who believe:
in my name they will drive out demons,
they will speak new languages.
They will pick up serpents with their hands,
and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.
They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them,
was taken up into heaven
and took his seat at the right hand of God.
But they went forth and preached everywhere,
while the Lord worked with them
and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.
“Go into the whole world
and proclaim the gospel to every creature.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved;
whoever does not believe will be condemned.
These signs will accompany those who believe:
in my name they will drive out demons,
they will speak new languages.
They will pick up serpents with their hands,
and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.
They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them,
was taken up into heaven
and took his seat at the right hand of God.
But they went forth and preached everywhere,
while the Lord worked with them
and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.