May Procession

First Reading

Acts of the Apostles 14,5-18.

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.

Psalm

Psalms 115(113B),1-2.3-4.15-16.

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?"

Our God is in heaven;
whatever he wills, he does.
Their idols are silver and gold,
the handiwork of men.

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.

Gospel

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 14,21-26.

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 that the Father will send in my name--he will teach you everything and remind you of all that (I) told you."

Commentary

"The holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name -- he will teach you everything"

Whoever has the Spirit as their teacher has no need of human knowledge but, enlightened by this Spirit's light, beholds the Son, sees the Father, and worships the Trinity of Persons, the one God, who is inexpressibly one by nature. Stand still, O man ! Tremble, you who are mortal by nature, and consider how you have been taken from nothing and how, in coming from your mother's womb, you saw the world that was made before you were. And if you could have understood the height of heaven or shown the nature of the sun, the moon and the stars, where they are fixed and how they move (...), or even the nature of the earth from which you were taken, its limits and bounds, its size and greatness (...), if you had uncovered the end of all things and counted the sand of the sea, and if, too, you could have known your own nature (...), then would you be able to consider your creator, how, in the Trinity, Unity dwells without confusion, and how, in the Unity, there is Trinity without division. Seek the Spirit ! (...) Perhaps God will comfort you and grant you, as he has already granted you to see the world, the sun and the light of day, yes, he will deign to enlighten you now in the same way (...), to enlighten you with the light of the Threefold Sun (...), Then you will learn the Spirit's grace: that, even when absent, he is present by his power and, when present, he is unseen because of his divine nature, and is everywhere and nowhere. If you try to see him with the senses where will you find him? You will simply say: Nowhere. But if you have the strength to contemplate him spiritually it is he, rather, who will enlighten your soul and open the eyes of your heart.

Monday, May 16

First Reading

Psalm

Gospel

Commentary