Reflection for Saturday, Seventh Week of Easter

TODAY'S WORD

By


Fr. Aloysius Santiago sdb
Rector and Parish Priest
Don Bosco Shrine
Lingarajapuram, Bangalore

Acts:28:30-31 "Paul lived there in Rome two whole years at his own expense and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the Kingdom of God;"


TODAY'S REFLECTION

This is the final weekday of the Easter season. The season of Easter concludes with tomorrow’s feast of Pentecost. We are back to Ordinary Time on Monday. As we conclude the Easter Season the two readings of today’s Mass are also conclusions.


1st READING REFLECTION

The first reading is the conclusion of the Acts of the Apostles from which we have been reading since Easter Sunday.

It speaks of the arrival of Paul in Rome as a prisoner of the Roman authorities. Yet, even while under house arrest, Luke describes him as continuing to do what he had been doing since his meeting with the risen Lord on the road to Damascus, ‘proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ’.


GOSPEL REFLECTION

The gospel reading is the conclusion of John’s gospel, from which we have also been reading since Easter Sunday.

Two other key figures in the early church feature in that conclusion, Peter and the beloved disciple. Peter has just been given his work by the risen Lord of shepherding the Lord’s flock.

It just remains for the work of the beloved disciple to be clarified. His work was causing the gospel to be written that we have come to know as the gospel of John.

This gospel is his legacy to the church. These three very different figures were key people in the Lord’s work in the world.

They each made a very distinctive contribution to that work.

We all have a part to play in that work of the Lord, in accordance with our gifts and our abilities.

To each of us, Jesus says what he said to Peter in today’s gospel reading, ‘You are to follow me’.


RESOLUTION

On the eve of the Great Feast of the Pentecost, let us prepare our hearts to receive the fire of the Holy Spirit.

We seek the special intercession of our Blessed Mother – the Queen of the Apostles – on her Feast Day…that She Who interceded with the Apostles, may intercede for us also, for the Mighty Gift of the Holy Spirit!

May we be animated and constantly live in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, so that we too may be Christ’s faithful and dynamic witnesses…and like St Peter and St John – and St Paul – become “beloved children” of our Great father, Jesus.

Happy Feast of Mary, Queen of the Apostles!

God Bless you & your families.

Have a Spirit filled weekend