Not my will, but yours be done

CATHOLIC DAILY SCRIPTURE READING

Welcome to my blog. The Catholic Church under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit gives us each day at least two readings from the Bible, plus several verses from a psalm which is an inspired response to one of the readings, normally the first.

There is a cycle (a two-year cycle for weekdays and a three-year cycle for Sundays) which covers the major parts of the Old Testament, the Gospels and the New Testament writings.

Through these readings we get our spiritual nourishment. In my blog I give the readings and the inspirations I have received in prayer. I want to share them with others. If they help some to get in touch with God and his image in this world, Jesus the Christ, then my purpose will be fulfilled. May God bless you through his Spirit.

If we wish to grow spiritually, then we must set aside time each day to prayerfully read the WORD OF GOD. In silence we allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us through the reading. We can respond with the PSALM.

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Let this cup pass me by, but your will be done not mine

Saturday 23 May 2020

1 Pt 2: 9

O chosen people, proclaim the mighty works of him

who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light, alleluia.

Prayer

Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit living in us may we be always fruitful in good works and so have the mind of Jesus. May we always strive to do better, and be committed to witnessing to our Risen Lord. We make our prayer through your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.

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First reading

Acts 18:23-28 ·

Apollos demonstrated from the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ

Paul came down to Antioch, where he spent a short time before continuing his journey through the Galatian country and then through Phrygia, encouraging all the followers.

An Alexandrian Jew named Apollos now arrived in Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, with a sound knowledge of the scriptures, and yet, though he had been given instruction in the Way of the Lord and preached with great spiritual earnestness and was accurate in all the details he taught about Jesus, he had only experienced the baptism of John. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him speak boldly in the synagogue, they took an interest in him and gave him further instruction about the Way.

When Apollos thought of crossing over to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote asking the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived there he was able by God’s grace to help the believers considerably by the energetic way he refuted the Jews in public and demonstrated from the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. THE WORD OF THE LORD

Prayerful reflection

Apollos is a believer from Alexandria. This was an important city in north Africa and part of the Roman Empire. It was famous for learning. Apollos is an example for Christians called to evangelise the world.

Firstly, He was a man full of enthusiasm to bring people to know Jesus as the One sent by God to save humanity. He is a man on fire. Without this essential characteristic, Christians will not stir from where they sit. They will show no practical zeal to bring the world to Christ.

Secondly, he used the gifts God had given him to make Jesus known. We all have God-given givens. We should use them to spread the faith in Jesus, in cooperation with other believers, who have complementary gifts. Apollo was not a lone ranger type of person.

Thirdly, Though, he was highly educated and gifted, he had the humility to learn from others.

Because of this, he was able “to help the believers considerably”.

What is your attitude towards spreading knowledge and love for Jesus? Have you recognized your gifts in the Christian community? We all have a role. What is yours?

Psalm (Make the psalm your prayer of gratitude for God’s Word).       Psalm 47:2-3,8-10

God is king of all the earth.

All peoples, clap your hands,

cry to God with shouts of joy!

For the Lord, the Most High, we must fear,

great king over all the earth.

God is king of all the earth.

God is king of all the earth,

sing praise with all your skill.

God is king over the nations;

God reigns on his holy throne.

God is king of all the earth.

The princes of the people are assembled

with the people of Abraham’s God.

The rulers of the earth belong to God,

to God who reigns over all.

God is king of all the earth.

Gospel

John 16:23-28

The Father loves you for loving me and believing that I came from God

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘I tell you most solemnly,

anything you ask for from the Father he will grant in my name.

Until now you have not asked for anything in my name.

Ask and you will receive, and so your joy will be complete.

I have been telling you all this in metaphors,

the hour is coming when I shall no longer speak to you in metaphors;

but tell you about the Father in plain words.

When that day comes you will ask in my name;

and I do not say that I shall pray to the Father for you,

because the Father himself loves you for loving me

and believing that I came from God.

I came from the Father and have come into the world

and now I leave the world to go to the Father.’ THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD

Prayerful reflection

Jesus is on the point of leaving his disciples. First it will be through death. Then after his Resurrection at the time of his Ascension. Both times cause his disciples great pain. It will be mitigated by the coming of the Holy Spirit but it will never really go away. Until Jesus comes again, the prayer of the psalmist is the prayer of everyone who loves Jesus. “O God, you are my God, for you I long. My soul thirsts for you like a dry weary land without water.” (Ps 63). ‘Lord, when will I see your face?’

Furthermore, the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel apparently belie our experience in prayer. So many times our prayers are seemingly not answered, even if we pray long and with tears.

This was the same for Jesus in his human journey. The letter to the Hebrews tells us in the face of death he prayed to be spared. “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.” (5:7). When we pray, we are to pray as small children to their Father who loves them dearly and will do anything for them. He will certainly hear our prayers. Let us pray with confidence in his infinite love for each of us and never lose faith in him. Jesus, at the right hand of the Father, must now know how the Father heard his prayer. At the time, he sweat blood in agony “not my will but yours be done”. Life is hard and we cannot understand. But as the prophet warns us, the just man will live by faith, - in the love and fidelity of our Father.

Like Jesus, in the garden, can we submit to the will of God, trusting that ‘all will be well’?

Jn 17: 24

Father, I wish that, where I am,

those you gave me may also be with me,

that they may see the glory that you gave me, alleluia.

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Prayer

Father, your Son is the Bread of Life. He nourishes us through his Word. May we who eat the Bread of his Word, grow in our union with and likeness of him, and so, like him, give our lives for the salvation of the world.