Daily Liturgy
Saturday April 17
in our day, we need men and women
filled with the Spirit of love and service
who are attentive to the needs of people.
Let them listen, even to the unspoken cries
of people too timid to voice out
their poverty and distress
and help without condescension
their brothers and sisters of Christ,
for he is our Lord for ever.
Reading 1: ACTS 6:1-7
As the number of disciples continued to grow,
the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews
because their widows
were being neglected in the daily distribution.
So the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said,
“It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table.
Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men,
filled with the Spirit and wisdom,
whom we shall appoint to this task,
whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer
and to the ministry of the word.”
The proposal was acceptable to the whole community,
so they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit,
also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas,
and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to Judaism.
They presented these men to the Apostles
who prayed and laid hands on them.
The word of God continued to spread,
and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly;
even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19
R. (22) Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ is risen, who made all things;
he has shown mercy on all people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: JN 6:16-21
When it was evening, the disciples of Jesus went down to the sea,
embarked in a boat, and went across the sea to Capernaum.
It had already grown dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.
The sea was stirred up because a strong wind was blowing.
When they had rowed about three or four miles,
they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat,
and they began to be afraid.
But he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.”
They wanted to take him into the boat,
but the boat immediately arrived at the shore
to which they were heading.
Intercessions
– That the Church may preach the Good News of the Lord in and out of season, even when the world does not like the message, we pray:
– That our communities may always attend the whole person, of its actual and prospective members, in their material and spiritual needs, we pray:
– That we may have the fullest trust in the presence of the Lord when we are tried, and not forget to be present to the people in distress, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord God,
here are our simple gifts of bread and wine.
Let your Holy Spirit change them
into Christ, your Son among us,
and let him change us, your people,
into servants ready to help
those in need,
especially those deprived of love
and those who have hardly experienced
what true justice is.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Our saving God,
when we are tossed about
on the rough waves of life,
calm our fears and tell us:
“Do not be afraid, I am here with you.”
Make us aware of the presence
of you and of your Son, Jesus,
in the difficulties of life.
Make us people of hope and faith
who keep trusting in you at all times.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
Blessing
Communities are worthy of that name care for the needy among them. But there are also spiritual needs, of people who are tired, confused, mourning. As the Lord is with us, let us stand by their side, with the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Commentary
Today’s gospel begins from where we stopped yesterday. It was the scene of Jesus feeding 5000 in the desert. John the evangelists uses the miracle scene to present Jesus as the new Moses, who leads his people to the new promised land of the Kingdom of God. John’s use of imageries continues today.
After the miracle of the multiplication of the bread, the disciples are left alone. They take the boat to go across the sea. Jesus is not with them. John is perhaps recreating here the scene of the early Church, after the ascension of Jesus. Jesus is no more with the disciples. The disciples are together in a boat. The boat represents the Church and the sea represents the world. John is trying to present the state of the early Church – the Church when tossed in the tempests of the turbulent sea around, often felt that Jesus was away from them. They could not feel his presence and felt that they were left alone.
But then, in the midst of the turbulent sea, they see Jesus walking on the waters. Sea, in Semitic culture, was considered as the abode of the devil. Jesus’ walking over the sea meant, he has defeated the powers of the devil and is accompanying the boat of the disciples – the Church. And his reassuring message is “It is I, do not be afraid.” This could be the experience of all those who belong to the Church. When frightened and losing all hope of overcoming the tempests and turbulence of life in the world, the comforting message of the Lord is always there, accompanying us: “Do not be afraid. I am with you.”