Today is Sunday, the 19th of May 2019. It is the 3rd Sunday of the month and the 5th Sunday of Easter.
This day’s Psalm is, “I will praise your name forever, my king and my God.”
The 1stReading is from Acts 14:21-27. It says:
After proclaiming the gospel in that town and making many disciples, they returned to Lystra and Iconium, and to Antioch. They were strengthening the disciples, and encouraging them to remain firm in their faith; for they said, “We must go through many trials to enter the kingdom of God.” In each church they appointed elders and, after praying and fasting, they commended them to the Lord, in whom they had placed their faith.
Then they traveled through Pisidia, and came to Pamphylia. They preached the word in Perga and went down to Attalia. From there they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been first commended to God’s grace, for the task they had now completed.
On their arrival, they gathered the Church together, and told them all that God had done through them, and how he had opened the door of faith to the non-Jews.
This Sunday’s 2nd Reading is from Revelation 21:1-5a. It says:
Then, I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and no longer was there any sea. I saw the new Jerusalem, the holy city, coming down from God, out of heaven, adorned as a bride prepared for her husband. A loud voice came from the throne, “Here is the dwelling of God among mortals: He will pitch his tent among them, and they will be his people; he willbe God-with-them.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There shall be no more death or mourning, crying out or pain, for the world that was, has passed away.” The One seated on the throne said, “See, I make all things new.”
Today’s Gospel, meanwhile, is from John 13:31-33a, 34-35. It says:
When Judas had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. God will glorify him, and he will glorify him very soon.
My children, I am with you for only a little while; you will look for me, but as I already told the Jews, now I tell you: where I am going you cannot come.
I give you a new commandment: Love one another! Just as I have loved you, you also must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
READ: Jesus has a different reading of his betrayal. Jesus positively views this as the beginning of his glorification. For him to be glorified, he must undergo sufferings and death. Death spells out his departure from this earthly life and his physical presence to his disciples. At this point, it is not yet clear to them what he means. At any rate, Jesus challenges them to love one another.
REFLECT: What do I make out of the betrayals of my friends? What is my attitude towards people who are very negative to me? Many times I react. I do not see the value of enduring insults and deprivations.
NB: Our heartfelt thanks to the Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc., publisher of the book Bible Diaries 2019. It is from the same book that we gather the word of God that we are sharing with our fellow faithful.
We are hoping that in our own small way we can help spread much faster the Word of Godespecially at this modern time when people are very likely affected by the influx of other belief and faith.
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