Wednesday May 11, 2022

Wednesday of 4th Week in Easter

Christ Our Light Eternal Life

 

Introduction

“I came not to judge the world but to save the world,” says Jesus to us today. What he came to bring us is life, life without end, eternal life. He comes as light in our world. If we believe in him, we come to see in his light where we lack love that moves the world, where our sense of justice is only half-hearted. In his light we learn to see how we can serve one another and become rich and mature as human beings. Then we too become small lights that bring a bit of light and warmth in our cold world.

 

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
through your Son Jesus Christ
you assure us that he came
not to condemn us but to bring us life,
a life worth living,
a life that is rich and refreshing us and our world
with love and a spirit of service.
Let Jesus stay with us
as the light in which we see
all that is good and worth living for
and let us share in his life that has no end.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

 

Reading 1 Acts 12:24—13:5A

The word of God continued to spread and grow.
After Barnabas and Saul completed their relief mission,
they returned to Jerusalem,
taking with them John, who is called Mark.

Now there were in the Church at Antioch prophets and teachers:
Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene,
Manaen who was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,
“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul
for the work to which I have called them.”
Then, completing their fasting and prayer,
they laid hands on them and sent them off.

So they, sent forth by the Holy Spirit,
went down to Seleucia
and from there sailed to Cyprus.
When they arrived in Salamis,
they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues.

 

Responsorial Psalm: 67:2-3, 5, 6 AND 8

O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia.
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia.
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia.
May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
R.O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia.

 

Alleluia JN 8:12

Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel: Jn 12:44-50

Jesus cried out and said,
“Whoever believes in me believes not only in me
but also in the one who sent me,
and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me.
I came into the world as light,
so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness.
And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them,
I do not condemn him,
for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world.
Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words
has something to judge him: the word that I spoke,
it will condemn him on the last day,
because I did not speak on my own,
but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak.
And I know that his commandment is eternal life.
So what I say, I say as the Father told me.

 

Intercessions

–   That also young churches may be willing to send missionaries to people who do not yet enjoy the light of Christ, we pray:

–   That people who live with uncertainty and in the darkness of fear and suffering may see the light of Christ bring them relief and strength, we pray:

–   That all of us in this community may be at least pale reflections of the light of Christ, we pray:

 

Prayer over the Gifts

Eternal Father,
we have not to wait for the end
of our pilgrimage on earth
to enjoy the happiness of eternal life.
As we will eat the body of Jesus
and drink his blood of strength,
make the life of Jesus grow in us
and blossom forth into eternal life.
Fulfil in us this promise
given us by Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Prayer after Communion

God, Father of all,
the zeal of your missionaries
won many people for the young Church.
May the word proclaimed to us
never leave us indifferent
but help us to grow in the knowledge
and even more in the love of your Son,
and of you, our living God
and Father for ever and ever.

 

Blessing

Blessed are we that we do not live in the dark. We may still have questions, we do not understand everything about our faith, but we know the person of Christ and we believe in him. May his light shine brightly on us, and may almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

 

Commentary

Save, Not to Condemn

Psychiatrist Ana-Maria Rizzuto explored the origins of an individual’s private representations of God through a clinical research, the findings of which she published in her (now classic) book,  “The Birth of the Living God.” What it reveals is how we build up our ideas of God from our lived experiences, and how significant they are in facilitating or retarding our growth as human persons. One of such God-images we suffer from is that of a judge out to scrutinize our every thought, word, and action and to reward us with heaven or hell. In this context, we shouldn’t miss out what Christ tells us unequivocally: “I have come, not to condemn the world, but to save the world.” When will we let this truth sink and let Christ save us? Or, do we still secretly desire to be condemned, for we cannot forgive ourselves in our secret internal chambers of justice?

Reflection is taken from Bible Diary 2022;

written by Fr.Paulson Velyannoor, CMF