Home Bible Acts of the Apostles CATHOLIC MASS: Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter 4.15.15 – Video, Scripture, Links

CATHOLIC MASS: Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter 4.15.15 – Video, Scripture, Links

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Bible-200“… God so loved the world that He gave His Only-Begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have Eternal Life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be Saved through Him.”

Mass Readings 4.15.15 – FIRST READING: Acts 5:17-26 – PSALM 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 – GOSPEL: John 3:16-21 – FIND A MASS: MassTimes.org – TheCatholicDirectory.com

 

 

GOSPEL

GOSPEL: John 3:16-21

Jesus explains that it is out of Love that God gave His only Son, to Save those who believe in Him.

… God so loved the world that He gave His Only-Begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish
but might have Eternal Life.
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be Saved through Him.

Even on this earth, there already is a chasm between those who truly follow God and those who reject Him.  Those who choose evil hate God’s Light, in part because of shame over being exposed in their evil.

Whoever believes in Him will not be condemned,
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because He has not believed in the Name of the only-begotten Son of God.
… the Light came into the world,
but people preferred darkness to Light,
because their works were evil.
… everyone who does wicked things hates the light
and does not come toward the light,
so that his works might not be exposed.

At the same time, we are reminded that God wishes to Save all.  The shame felt by evildoers, ironically, indicates an awareness that right and wrong do exist, perhaps because God’s Law is engraved on the hearts of all.  Those still on earth, even while sinful or evil, can still repent and undergo conversion with the Help of God’s Grace, if they answer “yes” to God’s Invitation to Eternal Life.

At times, however, we also see pernicious evil that is shameless, that will promote evil or tolerance of evil as if it is good.  And we also see a brazen effort to attack the good precisely for being good.

In the Gospel, however, Jesus goes on to say how those who live the Truth also want to come to the Light.

But whoever lives the Truth comes to the light,
so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God

How many ways can we think about Divine Light?

For example, perhaps we see God as Light in terms of God representing Life and Goodness for us, as the Ultimate Source of Life, Love and what is Good.

Perhaps we also see God’s Divine Light in connection with Truth.  Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and perhaps we can see Gods Divine Light in terms of God as a Source of Truth.

Additionally, we see Light as showing what is True, just as light exposes to our eyes the details of something more accurately.

Jesus tells us that if we Live in Truth, we are attracted to God.  And He tells us that, if we Live in Truth we want our deeds and works to be seen clearly, as being done in God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

PSALM 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

The Lord Hears the cry of the poor.

FIRST READING

FIRST READING: Acts 5:17-26

When Jewish religious authorities imprison the Apostles out of jealous, God sends Holy Angel to release them from jail with instructions to continue Proclaiming the Gospel in the temple area.  The Apostles do so, persevering in their Mission.

The high priest rose up and all his companions …
* * *
laid hands upon the Apostles and put them in the public jail.
… during the night, the Angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison,
led them out, and said,
‘Go and take your place in the temple area,
and tell the people everything about this life.’
When they heard this,
they went to the temple early in the morning and taught.

The oblivious high priest shows up to his tribunal prepared to carry out some kind of action against the Apostles, only to be told that they have disappeared from inside the locked jail.  When someone reports that the Apostles are back teaching in the temple again, the Jewish authorities have them arrested yet again.  Although they are fearful of the crowd’s reaction and so make the arrest without violence.

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