April 26
Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter
Give a Mass Offering
Mass Intentions
7:45 AM – Parishioners of Holy Cross
Prayer for Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there, and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
Readings
First Reading
Acts 4:32-37
The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. With great power the Apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all. There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the Apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need.
Thus Joseph, also named by the Apostles Barnabas (which is translated Ason of encouragement”), a Levite, a Cypriot by birth, sold a piece of property that he owned, then brought the money and put it at the feet of the Apostles.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalms 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5
R. (1a) The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
The LORD is king, in splendor robed;
robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
And he has made the world firm,
not to be moved.
Your throne stands firm from of old;
from everlasting you are, O LORD.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed:
holiness befits your house,
O LORD, for length of days.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
Gospel Acclamation
John 3:14-15
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Son of Man must be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him
may have eternal life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
John 3:7b-15
Jesus said to Nicodemus: “‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus answered and said to him, ‘How can this happen?” Jesus answered and said to him, “You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this? Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony. If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”
“The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.”
Reflection
“You must be born from above,” Jesus says to Nicodemus. “Born of the Spirit.”
It’s good for us to have this reading that takes us way back near the beginning of John’s Gospel to help us see our first reading in another light. This encounter between Jesus and Nicodemus is not a post-Resurrection event, but rather we returned to a particularly enlightening moment of Jesus’ teaching: Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. Jesus said this. Jesus offers us new, better, transformed, liberated life. Belief in Jesus leads to a particular freedom here and now that orients our hearts and lives toward that which is good, true, and beautiful; to what is of ultimate, enduring value, versus that which fades or fails to sustain.
When we try to envision the earliest Christian community described in our reading today from Acts, it is hard for us to imagine. We can think, “Oh isn’t that nice,” or “Of course it would’ve been easy for them to live like that after Jesus’ resurrection.” But when we truly understand life “born from above,” life reflecting the life of heaven, life that reflects the level of Love or communion between the Father and Son—we can begin to imagine how detachment from material goods, how providing for the needs of all so that no one is left wanting of anything, etc. is possible, because this is what disinterested, sacrificial love looks like. This orientation of our lives to have Jesus and his invitation to Resurrected/Eternal Life as our primary lens for life leads us to have our hearts and lives properly oriented to live here and now in anticipation for the life to come. Any progress made along this journey is exclusively the grace of the Spirit at work. In other words, for this community to live that level of freedom and harmony to provide for the needs of all, to wholeheartedly trust the authority of the Apostles to lead, etc. this is grace, this is what the power of the Resurrection looks like when it is rooted in hearts and in a community.
Luke emphasizes the great power by which the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus…and with this expression, great favor was accorded them all. “Favor” the Greek word here, “charis” which is also the word for grace.
When the power of the Resurrection fuels our lives and our every day ‘testimony,’ grace is continually bestowed upon us that allows us to live in a way that frees us in this life, and prepares us for life in eternity.Life in the Spirit is where we find the fullness of freedom.
Peace,
Fr. Foley
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