Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc.
4TH WEEK OF EASTER
Psalter: Week 4 / (White/Red)
St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen, priest & martyr
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 67: 2-3, 5, 6, 8: O God, let all the nations praise you!
1st Reading: Acts 12: 24 – 13: 5a
Meanwhile the word of God was increasing and spreading. Barnabas and Saul carried out their mission and then came back to Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.
There were at Antioch—in the Church which was there— prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Symeon known as Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod, and Saul. On one occasion, while they were celebra-ting the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said to them, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul to do the work for which I have called them.” So, after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
These then, sent by the Holy Spirit, went down to the port of Seleucia and from there sailed to Cyprus. Upon their arrival in Salamis they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogue.
Gospel: John 12: 44-50
Yet Jesus had said, and even cried out, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me, but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me, sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.
If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I am not the one to condemn him; for I have come, not to condemn the world, but to save the world. The one who rejects me, and does not receive my words, already has a judge: the very words I have spoken will condemn him on the last day.
For I have not spoken on my own authority; the Father, who sent me, has instructed me what to say and how to speak. I know that his commandment is eternal life, and that is why the message I give, I give as the Father instructed me.”
REFLECTION:
“Light of the world.”
Jesus is the light of the world. The Father sent him into the world as light so that those who believe in him may no longer remain in darkness. The light comes into the world but there are those who would prefer the darkness to light because they were afraid that their wicked deeds may be exposed (cf. Jn. 3:19).
The coming of the light into the world reveals the reality of darkness as well.
The coming of Jesus as the light of the world now enables our capacity to make right judgement in choosing what is good over what is wicked.
As we head toward higher climate related risks, there is also a growing consciousness among people to care for our common home. However, many still find it difficult to change their ways that are detrimental to the natural environment.
We find it difficult to live up to the challenge of entering into ecological conversion because it is not easy to leave behind the things that give us comfort even if we know that they are environmentally destructive.
Our environmentally destructive lifestyle has already been exposed. It is now high time to make radical decisions for the care of our common home.
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