DAILY GOSPEL

«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68

Monday, 21 April 2008

Monday of the Fifth week of Easter

Today the Church celebrates : St. Anselm

See commentary below or click here
Saint Nicholas Cabasilas : "Whoever loves me... my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him"

Acts of the Apostles 14,5-18.

When there was an attempt by both the Gentiles and the Jews, together with their leaders, to attack and stone them, they realized it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding countryside, where they continued to proclaim the good news. At Lystra there was a crippled man, lame from birth, who had never walked. He listened to Paul speaking, who looked intently at him, saw that he had the faith to be healed, and called out in a loud voice, "Stand up straight on your feet." He jumped up and began to walk about. When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they cried out in Lycaonian, "The gods have come down to us in human form." They called Barnabas "Zeus" and Paul "Hermes," because he was the chief speaker. And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, for he together with the people intended to offer sacrifice. The apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their garments when they heard this and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, "Men, why are you doing this? We are of the same nature as you, human beings. We proclaim to you good news that you should turn from these idols to the living God, 'who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them.' In past generations he allowed all Gentiles to go their own ways; yet, in bestowing his goodness, he did not leave himself without witness, for he gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filled you with nourishment and gladness for your hearts." Even with these words, they scarcely restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 14,21-26.

Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him." Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him, "Master, (then) what happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me. I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name--he will teach you everything and remind you of all that (I) told you.

Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB

Commentary of the day :

Saint Nicholas Cabasilas (c.1320-1363), Greek lay theologian
Life in Christ, IV, 6-8 (SC 355, p.267)

"Whoever loves me... my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him"

The promise attached to the eucharistic table makes us live in Christ and Christ in us, for it is written: «He remains in me and I in him» (Jn 6,56). If Christ remains in us, of what else could we have need? What could we lack? If Christ remains in us what more can we want? He is both our host and our dwelling. How happy we are to be the place where he lives! What joy that we ourselves are the abode of such a host! What could lack those whom he thus treats? What do those who shine with such a light have in common with wickedness? What evil could stand up to such good? There is nothing else capable of remaining in us or coming against us when Christ unites himself to us in this way. He surrounds us and penetrates our deepest selves; he is our protection and refuge; he hems us in on every side. He is both our dwelling and the host who wholly fills his dwelling place.

For we receive, not a part of himself but himself, not just one sunbeam but the sun..., until we become one single spirit with him (1Cor 6,17)... Our soul is united to his soul, our body to his body, our blood to his blood... As Saint Paul says: «What is mortal is swallowed up by life» (2Cor 5,4) and: «I live, yet no longer I, but Christ lives in me» (Gal 2,20).

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