Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter

“Martyrdom of the Apostles”
altarpiece (interior left wing)
by Stefan Lochner, 1435-40

Readings for Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Acts 16:1-10
 
Paul reached also Derbe and Lystra
where there was a disciple named Timothy,
the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer,
but his father was a Greek.
The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him,
and Paul wanted him to come along with him.
On account of the Jews of that region, Paul had him circumcised,
for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
As they traveled from city to city,
they handed on to the people for observance the decisions
reached by the Apostles and presbyters in Jerusalem.
Day after day the churches grew stronger in faith
and increased in number.
 
They traveled through the Phrygian and Galatian territory
because they had been prevented by the Holy Spirit
from preaching the message in the province of Asia.
When they came to Mysia, they tried to go on into Bithynia,
but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them,
so they crossed through Mysia and came down to Troas.
During the night Paul had a vision.
A Macedonian stood before him and implored him with these words,
"Come over to Macedonia and help us."
When he had seen the vision,
we sought passage to Macedonia at once,
concluding that God had called us to proclaim the Good News to them.
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Commentary on Acts 16:1-10
 
In this passage from Acts, Paul finds Timothy to whom he later writes his great descriptions on the infrastructure of the Church.  Together, they travel throughout the region and, as the reading says: “Day after day the churches grew stronger in faith and increased in number.”  Paul had Timothy circumcised so he could minister to the Jews as well as the Greeks in their travels.  Paul personally held fast to Jewish law.  God calls them onward through visions of the work to be done in God’s service.
 
“While at Troas, in the night Paul sees a vision of a Macedonian man who begs him, ‘come over the Macedonia and help us.’ Accordingly, Luke says, we sought passage to Macedonia at once. Paul and his companions discern in this vision a call to evangelize in Macedonia.  For the first time in history, a Christian missionary enters Europe, an inconspicuous event that will have incalculable influence on the history of the continent and the world.” [4]
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 100:1b-2, 3, 5
 
R. (2a) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
The LORD is good:
his kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 100:1b-2, 3, 5
 
Psalm 100 is a song of praise and thanksgiving. In this selection we praise God because he created us. We praise God because he continues to guide us. The psalm affirms God’s saving grace, given to his sons and daughters through all generations.
 
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Gospel: John 15:18-21
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
"If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first.
If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own;
but because you do not belong to the world,
and I have chosen you out of the world,
the world hates you.
Remember the word I spoke to you,
'No slave is greater than his master.'
If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.
If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
And they will do all these things to you on account of my name,
because they do not know the one who sent me."
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Commentary on John 15:18-21
 
Jesus gives the disciples a paradox in telling them that, while they are part of the world, they do not belong to the world.  John gives us three different meanings of "the world."  In this instance it probably refers to fallen Israel - the spear of the devil that opposes God and hates the truth.  In other instances it refers to the universe created by God (John 1:10) and the fallen family of mankind in need of redemption (John 3:17). [5]  The disciples are separated from that society through their association with Christ. He then reminds them that because they are his, they too will suffer persecution by those he came to save.
 
CCC: Jn 15:19-20 675; Jn 15:20 530, 765
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Reflection:
 
During this Easter Season we do well to remember the legacy of the likes of St. Paul. The reading from Acts of the Apostles describes the great work he has undertaken because, as Christ says in the Gospel, “I have chosen you out of the world.” Many of the saints demonstrate this to us. We will soon venerate Saint Bernadine  (May 20) on his feast day. He spoke to this very issue in one of his homilies, and we cannot do better than this saint. Here is an excerpt from his legacy:
 
When a fire is lit to clear a field, it burns off all the dry and useless weeds and thorns. When the sun rises and darkness is dispelled, robbers, night-prowlers and burglars hide away. So, when Paul's voice was raised to preach the Gospel to the nations, like a great clap of thunder in the sky, his preaching was a blazing fire carrying all before it. It was the sun rising in full glory. Infidelity was consumed by it, false beliefs fled away, and the truth appeared like a great candle lighting the whole world with its brilliant flame.
 
By word of mouth, by letters, by miracles, and by the example of his own life, Saint Paul bore the name of Jesus wherever he went. He praised the name of Jesus "at all times," but never more than when "bearing witness to his faith."
 
Moreover, the apostle did indeed carry this name "before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel" as a light to enlighten all nations. And this was his cry wherever he journeyed: "The night is passing away, the day is at hand. Let us then cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves honorably as in the day." Paul himself showed forth the burning and shining light set upon a candlestick, everywhere proclaiming "Jesus, and him crucified."
 
And so, the Church, the bride of Christ strengthened by his testimony, rejoices with the psalmist, singing: "O God from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds." The psalmist exhorts her to do this, as he says: "Sing to the Lord, and bless his name, proclaim his salvation day after day." And this salvation is Jesus, her savior.
 
-from a sermon by Saint Bernadine of Siena [6]
 
Pax
 
 

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[1] The picture used is “Martyrdom of the Apostles” altarpiece (interior left wing) by Stefan Lochner, 1435-40.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] William S. Kurz, SJ, Acts of the Apostles  (Baker Academic, Grand Rapids MI © 2013), 251.
[5] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA © 2010),161.
[6] Liturgy of the Hours, Vol. II (Catholic Book Publishing Corp., New York, © 1970, 1973, 1975), 1829.