God knows and controls all. We are each to trustingly, intently, focus on what He assigns us (readings for June 8, 2019 annotated)

Key

What these scriptures tell us about God

What these scriptures tell us to do

Commentary

Hyperlinks to other resources

Reading 1 Acts 28:16-20, 30-31

When he entered Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him.

Three days later he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had gathered he said to them, "My brothers, although I had done nothing against our people or our ancestral customs, I was handed over to the Romans as a prisoner from Jerusalem. After trying my case the Romans wanted to release me, because they found nothing against me deserving the death penalty. But when the Jews objected, I was obliged to appeal to Caesar, even though I had no accusation to make against my own nation. This is the reason, then, I have requested to see you and to speak with you, for it is on account of the hope of Israel that I wear these chains."Jesus is the Hope of Israel.

He remained for two full years in his lodgings. He received all who came to him, and with complete assurance and without hindrance he proclaimed the Kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ. God empowers us to do His will for us in spite of/in the midst of human opposition

Responsorial Psalm  Psalm 114:4, 5, and 7

R. (see 7b) The just will gaze on your face, O Lord.
The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD's throne is in heaven.
His eyes behold, his searching glance is on mankind. Two things from this: (1) this ties into the comprehensive & incomprehensible nature of God, as partially described in the last paragraph of today’s gospel; (2) given God’s comprehensive vantage point, we are wise to follow His direction; He sees far more than we do.
R. The just will gaze on your face, O Lord.
The LORD searches the just and the wicked; the lover of violence he hates.
For the LORD is just, he loves just deeds; the upright shall see his face.
R. The just will gaze on your face, O Lord.

Alleluia John 16:7, 13

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I will send to you the Spirit of truth, says the Lord; he will guide you to all truth. 
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel John 21:20-25

Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved, the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper and had said, "Master, who is the one who will betray you? When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about him?"

Jesus said to him, "What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours?  You follow me." We are to focus on what God wants of us, and not worry about His plans/will for others. This seems similar to the principle underlying Matthew 7:3-5. 

So the word spread among the brothers that that disciple would not die. But Jesus had not told him that he would not die, just "What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours?"

It is this disciple who testifies to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true. There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written. Jesus’ nature/actions are too many to describe. Maybe that’s why He admonishes each of us to focus on what He asks of/assigns to each of us

What these scriptures tell us about God

it is on account of the hope of Israel that I wear these chains

with complete assurance and without hindrance he proclaimed the Kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ

His eyes behold, his searching glance is on mankind. 

The LORD searches the just and the wicked

the lover of violence he hates.
the LORD is just

he loves just deeds

I will send to you the Spirit of truth

he will guide you to all truth. 

What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours?  

There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written. 

What these scriptures tell us to do

What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours?   

You follow me

God is all powerful & takes care of His servants. We should selflessly, diligently, serve Him (Readings for June 7, 2019 annotated)

Key

What these scriptures tell us about God

What these scriptures tell us to do

What these scriptures tell us not to do

Commentary

Hyperlinks to other translations 

Reading 1  Acts 25:13-21

King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea on a visit to Festus. Since they spent several days there, Festus referred Paul's case to the king, saying,"There is a man here left in custody by Felix. When I was in Jerusalem the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him and demanded his condemnation. I answered them that it was not Roman practice to hand over an accused person before he has faced his accusers and had the opportunity to defend himself against their charge. So when they came together here, I made no delay; the next day I took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought in. His accusers stood around him, but did not charge him with any of the crimes I suspected.
Instead they had some issues with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus who had died but who Paul claimed was alive. Since I was at a loss how to investigate this controversy, I asked if he were willing to go to Jerusalem and there stand trial on these charges. And when Paul appealed that he be held in custody for the Emperor's decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar."

Responsorial Psalm   Psalm 103:1-2, 11-12, 19-20

R.(19a) The Lord has established his throne in heaven.
Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord has established his throne in heaven.
For as the heavens are high above the earth, so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west, so far has he put our transgressions from us.
R. The Lord has established his throne in heaven.
The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.
Bless the LORD, all you his angels, you mighty in strength, who do his bidding.
R. The Lord has established his throne in heaven.

Alleluia John 14:26

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Holy Spirit will teach you everythingand remind you of all I told you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel  John 21:15-19

After Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples and eaten breakfast with them, he said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?"

Simon Peter answered him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."

Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs." He then said to Simon Peter a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?"

Simon Peter answered him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."

He said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time,
"Simon, son of John, do you love me?"

Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time,

"Do you love me?" and he said to him," Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you."

Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, "Follow me."

What these scriptures tell us about God

The Lord has established his throne in heaven.
all his benefits

The Lord has established his throne in heaven.
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.The Lord has established his throne in heaven.
he put our transgressions from us.
The LORD has established his throne in heaven

his kingdom rules over all.
The Lord has established his throne in heaven.

The Holy Spirit will teach you everything

remind you of all I told you.

Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples

eaten breakfast with them, 

Lord, you know that I love you."

Lord, you know that I love you."
Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you."

God is all powerful—He is in charge

God knows all

God is exceedingly kind to those who love/fear/serve Him

God forgives

God comes to us

God gives us helps to know His will

What these scriptures tell us to do

I made no delay  

all my being, bless his holy name. 

forget not all his benefits. 

do his bidding. 

love you 

"Feed my lambs." 

love you 

"Tend my sheep." 

love you 

"Feed my sheep. 

when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." 

"Follow me."

Be fair, look at both sides of the issue

Be diligent

Be all in in doing God’s work
Serve out of gratitude& with confidence in His provision/faithfulness
Actively serve

Serve by serving those God gives you responsibility for

Follow Jesus by subordinating your will to God’s

What these scriptures tell us not to do

hand over an accused person before he has faced his accusers and had the opportunity to defend himself against their charge.  

Liquid Prayers

Jesus analogized the Holy Spirit to water.  John 7:37-39 ,  John 4:10-14, Acts 1:5.  Scripture contains many similar analogies. See  Psalm 1:1-3,  Psalm 36:8-9,  Psalm 42:1-2,  Psalm 46:4,  Psalm 63:1,  Psalm 65:9-10,  Psalm 143:6,  Sirach 24:23-34,  Isaiah 32:15,  Isaiah 33:21,  Isaiah 35:6-7,  Isaiah 41:17-18,  Isaiah 43:19-20,  Isaiah 44:1-5,  Isaiah 48:21, Isaiah 55:1, Isaiah 58:11,  Jeremiah  2:13,  Jeremiah 17:7-8,  Jeremiah 31:12,  Ezekiel 19:10, Ezekiel 36:25,  Ezekiel 47:1-12,  Joel 2:28, Joel 3:18,  Zechariah 13:1,  Zechariah 14:8, Matthew 3:11,  Mark 1:8,  Luke 3:16,  John 1:33,  Acts 2:17-18,  Revelation 7:17,  Revelation 21:6,  Revelation 22:1-2,  Revelation 22:17. Cf  Psalm 107:33-34, Jeremiah 17:5-6,  Jeremiah 17:13.   Other, far less impressive, writers have explored those analogies. See  Responding to God's Grace: What We Can Learn From Water,  God's Grace as Water: Jumping, and Staying, In,  and God's Grace as Water: It's Everywhere.   

 

 So what do we do with those analogies, how do we respond to them?

 

One way is to let them guide our prayers. Think of water’s attributes and let them flow through your prayers:

 

1.    Water irrigates and hydrates us.

 

Holy Spirit, please irrigate us, supply us with yourself where and when we need you.

 

Holy Spirit, please help us take you in, absorb you into, every aspect of our lives, every cell of our beings.

 

2.   Water refreshes, revives, awakens us.

 

Holy Spirit, please wake us from spiritual slumber/torpor.

 

Holy Spirit, please revive us like a cool beverage revives us when we are hot and parched.

 

3.   Water cleanses us.

 

Holy Spirit, please remove, cleanse us of, sin and dysfunction.

 

Holy Spirit, please wash away all things that obscure the Jesus you have grown/planted in us.

 

Holy Spirit, please wash/wipe away sin/dysfunction while it is still fresh, like mud on a gardener’s hand.

 

Holy Spirit, please remove the stains, lingering effects of sin/dysfunction

 

4.   Water stays in, coats, and preserves life in the soil at a microbial level, allowing/supporting life at higher levels.

 

Holy Spirit please stay in us and coat us, especially in otherwise dry circumstances.

 

Holy Spirit, help us to enable those around us to live, thrive, and produce what they were created for.

 

5.    Water makes fruit possible.

 

Holy Spirit, please connect us to you, help us to take you in and produce your fruit. See  John 15:4-8 and  Galatians 5:22-23.

 

6.   Water flows downhill.  

 

Holy Spirit, please help me to humble myself so I can be down to where you flow.

 

Holy Spirit, please help me to recognize when my arrogance, perceptions of self sufficiency or superiority, place me in a position outside of your flow.

 

Holy Spirit, please flow to, flood, the lowest, most base, parts of my life and raise them through divine accretion.  

 

Holy Spirit, please direct me to apply the things I’ve been given to those who, by the world’s standards, are “beneath me.”

 

7.    We drink water in.

 

Holy Spirit, help us drink you in.

 

8.  Water flows 

 

Holy Spirit, please help me to get into, swim with, your current.

 

9.  Water overflows

 

Holy Spirit, fill us to overflowing, so that your goodness spills from us.

 

The most high, perfect, God wants intimate union with us, we should come to Him (readings for June 2, 2019 annotated)

Key:

What these scriptures tell us about God

What these scriptures tell us to do

Hyperlinks to other translations

Reading 1  Acts 7:55-60

Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and Stephen said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

But they cried out in a loud voice, covered their ears, and rushed upon him together. They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him. The witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul.

As they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them;”and when he said this, he fell asleep.

Responsorial Psalm   Psalm 97:1-2, 6-7, 9

R. The Lord is king, the most high over all the earth.
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice; let the many islands be glad.
Justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
R. The Lord is king, the most high over all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice, and all peoples see his glory.
All gods are prostrate before him.
R. The Lord is king, the most high over all the earth.
You, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth, exalted far above all gods.
R. The Lord is king, the most high over all the earth.

Reading 2  Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20

I, John, heard a voice saying to me:
"Behold, I am coming soon. I bring with me the recompense I will give to each according to his deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."

Blessed are they who wash their robes so as to have the right to the tree of life and enter the city through its gates.

"I, Jesus, sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches.
I am the root and offspring of David, the bright morning star."The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." Let the hearer say, "Come." Let the one who thirsts come forward, and the one who wants it receive the gift of life-giving water.

The one who gives this testimony says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen!  Come, Lord Jesus!

Alleluia  CF, John 14:18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I will not leave you orphans, says the Lord.
I will come back to you, and your hearts will rejoice.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel John 17:20-26

Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying:
"Holy Father, I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me.

Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world.


Righteous Father, the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me. I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them."

What these scriptures tell us about God

the glory of God
Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

The Lord is king, the most high over all the earth.
The LORD is king;
Justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
The Lord is king, the most high over all the earth.
his justice,
his glory.

The Lord is king, the most high over all the earth.
the Most High over all the earth,
exalted far above all gods.
The Lord is king, the most high over all the earth.

I am coming soon.
I bring with me the recompense I will give to each
according to his deeds.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last,
the beginning and the end."
I am the root and offspring of David,
the bright morning star."
Yes, I am coming soon."

I will not leave you orphans

I will come back to you, and your hearts will rejoice.

they may all be one,
as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
that they also may be in us,
I have given them the glory you gave me,
they may be one, as we are one,
I in them and you in me,
they may be brought to perfection as one,
you loved them even as you loved me.
I wish that where I am they also may be with me,
my glory that you gave me

you loved me before the foundation of the world.

Righteous Father

I know you, 

you sent me.
I made known to them your name

the love with which you loved me
may be in them and I in them."

What these scriptures tell us to do

Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice,
“Lord, do not hold this sin against them;”

let the earth rejoice
be glad

wash their robes
The Spirit and the bride say, "Come."
"Come."
Let the one who thirsts come forward,
receive the gift of life-giving water.