May 12

May 12, 2014:  Monday, 4th week of Easter

Readings

• Acts 11:1-18  Jews / Peter:  ‘You ate with the uncircumcised.” / “Three times I had a vision of a sheet from the sky with animals on it, heard ‘Slaughter and eat,’ said, ‘No; nothing unclean has entered my mouth,’ and heard ‘Don't call profane what God has made clean’; then everything returned to the sky.  Three men appeared; the Spirit told me to accompany them.  One said an angel directed, ‘Summon Peter; he'll speak saving words to you.’  As I spoke, the Spirit fell on them.  If God gave them the gift he gave us, who was I to get in the way?” / “God has granted life to the Gentiles too.”

• Ps 42:2-3; 43:3-4  "Athirst is my soul for the living God."  Send your light and fidelity to lead me, and I'll go to God's altar and thank you!

• Jn 10:11-18  “When a hired man sees a wolf, he leaves the sheep and the wolf scatters them, but I am the good shepherd; I know mine and mine know me.  I'll lay down my life for the sheep; I have power to lay it down and to take it up again.  There will be one flock, one shepherd....”

Pope Francis

• Homily:  The Spirit blows where it wills, but a common temptations, one Peter experienced, is to bar faith's path.  A community of pagans welcomes the Gospel.  When Peter sees the Spirit descend on them, he first hesitates to make contact with the "unclean," then Jerusalem Christians criticize him for doing the unthinkable, as if today a Martian came asking for baptism.  He understands his error after his vision and later explains to his critics, "If God gave them the same gift he gave us when we came to believe, who was I to hinder God?"  When the Lord shows us the way, who are we to say no?  God left the guidance of the Church in the Spirit's hands.  The Spirit will teach us everything.  The Spirit, God's presence in the Church, with his gifts guides the Church, "updates" it (St. John XXIII), keeps it going forward, beyond the limits, making unthinkable choices.  The Spirit speaks in our heart, in circumstances, in Church life, in communities, always; ask the Lord for docility to the Spirit. 

Music

• Good Shepherd Sunday playlist, thanks to Fr. Austin Fleming

• The King of Love my Shepherd is/ Baker (gospel)
• Shepherd of Souls, refresh and bless/ Anon. + Montgomery (gospel)

Reflections

• Creighton:  When we remember the dispute about the uncircumcised, think about times we judge others as not fitting in.  Our good shepherd wants to include us all in the one flock with one shepherd; do I set limits?

• One Bread One Body:  At the Spirit's direction, Peter entered the house of Gentile Cornelius (Acts 10:25), and when the Spirit fell on the Gentiles, he had them baptized (10:48).  Follow the Spirit's lead like he did.

• DailyScripture.net:  "Christ is the Good Shepherd; he gave his life for his sheep.  We fell into sin and departed from God's love, but Christ laid down his life for us, bearing the Cross and destroying death, condemned in order to deliver us from sin's tyranny.  As the father of sin had shut up the sheep in hell, Jesus died for us as Good, and our Shepherd, so with death driven away he may join us to the blessed, and in exchange for abodes of the dead grant us mansions in the Father’s house.  Fear not, little flock; it has pleased your Father to give you a kingdom." (St. Cyril of Alexandria)

• Passionist:  We can choose to surrender our will and be present to God's, or not and refuse the Spirit's gifts.  Peter says, "...who was I to hinder God?" to exclude the Gentiles, though they must have made him squirm; he's a good shepherd, laying down his will despite preconceptions, fears, and concerns, so the Gentiles might know Christ.  We live among many "others," in the world and in our hearts.  It takes faith to let go of preconceived notions, but who are we to hinder God?  My power is in my willingness to surrender and try to hear God's voice.

• Universalis:  SS. Nereus and Achilleus, martyrs; St. Pancras, martyr; Carthusians SS. John Houghton, Robert Lawrence, Augustine Webster and 15 Blessed companions, martyrs.

• Sacred Space

Apparel

• "Eyeball" tie pin:  Peter's vision:... (1st reading)
• Tie with meat:  ..."Slaughter and eat" (1st reading)
• Green in suspenders:  Spirit gave the green light (1st reading)
• "Dove" pin:  The Holy Spirit directed Peter; Spirit fell on the Gentiles (1st reading)

• "Deer" tie pin:  I long for God as the deer longs for water (psalm)

• "Sheep" tie bar:  Good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (gospel)

• White shirt:  Easter season

If you missed it, check out Good Shepherd Sunday's post!

Dress your life!