Thursday, 7th Week of Easter
A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles
Wishing to determine the truth
about why Paul was being accused by the Jews,
the commander freed him
and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to convene.
Then he brought Paul down and made him stand before them.
Paul was aware that some were Sadducees and some Pharisees,
so he called out before the Sanhedrin,
“My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees;
I am on trial for hope in the resurrection of the dead.”
When he said this,
a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees,
and the group became divided.
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection
or angels or spirits,
while the Pharisees acknowledge all three.
A great uproar occurred,
and some scribes belonging to the Pharisee party
stood up and sharply argued,
“We find nothing wrong with this man.
Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”
The dispute was so serious that the commander,
afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them,
ordered his troops to go down and rescue Paul from their midst
and take him into the compound.
The following night the Lord stood by him and said,
“Take courage.
For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem,
so you must also bear witness in Rome.”
Responsorial Psalm
R. (1) Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.”
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
Alleluia, alleluia.
May they all be one as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
that the world may believe that you sent me, says the Lord.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel (Jn 17:20-26)
Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying:
“I pray not only for these,
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.”
The Gospel of the Lord
Meditation 1
The Lord intercedes for us right now – Chúa cầu bầu cho chúng ta ngay trong giây phút này
Đức Giêsu Kitô đã bao gồm cả chúng ta trong lời kinh “thượng phẩm” trong bữa tiệc ly với các môn đệ đêm trước ngày Ngài hy sinh trên thập giá.
The Lord Jesus Christ included each one of us in his “high priestly” prayer at the last supper meal with his disciples on the eve of his sacrifice on the cross.
Và hôm nay Chúa Giêsu tiếp tục chức vụ thượng tế của Ngài trong vai trò Đấng bầu cử cho chúng ta trước ngai tòa Thiên Chúa trên trời.
And today the Lord Jesus continues his high priestly office as our intercessor before the throne of God in heaven.
Thánh Tông đồ Phaolô viết cho chúng ta rằng “chính là Đức Kitô Giêsu, đã chết, đã sống lại từ kẻ chết, đang ngự bên hữu Thiên Chúa, là Đấng bầu cử cho chúng ta”
Paul the Apostle tells us that it is "Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us"
Bạn có hiệp thông cùng lời kinh thượng phẩm của Chúa Giêsu (cầu nguyện) rằng tất cả những ai tuyên xưng Giêsu là Chúa đều lớn mạnh lên trong tình yêu và hiệp nhất với nhau trong tình huynh đệ (vì) đã được cứu chuộc bằng máu châu báu đổ ra trên thánh giá vì chúng ta?
Do you join in Jesus' high priestly prayer that all who profess Jesus as Lord may grow in love and unity together as brothers and sisters who have been redeemed through the precious blood that was shed for us on the cross?
Heavenly Father, have mercy on all your people who have been redeemed by the precious blood of your Son who offered up his life for us on the cross. Pardon our sins and heal our divisions that we may grow in love, unity, and holiness together as your sons and daughters. May all Christian people throughout the world attain the unity for which Jesus prayed on the eve of his sacrifice. Renew in us the power of the Holy Spirit that we may be a sign of that unity and a means of its growth. Increase in us a fervent love, respect, and care for all of our brothers and sisters who believe in Jesus Christ.
Meditation 2
Each time we read from Chapter 17, the Lectionary begins the reading with the phrase “Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying…”
Thật lý thú với cử chỉ của Chúa Giêsu ngước mắt lên trời khi cầu nguyện. Dĩ nhiên, trời không phải ở trên bầu trời thể lý, vì trời là một thực thể thiêng liêng. Chúa Cha không ở trong một nơi nào đó trên bầu trời nhưng ở khắp mọi nơi, nghĩa là, hiện diện khắp chốn và khắp mọi thời. Tuy vậy, Chúa Giêsu vẫn ngước mắt lên khi cầu nguyện cùng Chúa Cha.
It’s interesting that Jesus would look up to Heaven when He prayed. Of course, Heaven is not physically in the sky, because Heaven is a spiritual reality. The Father is not located in some place in the sky but is omnipresent, meaning, present all places and all times. And yet, Jesus raises His eyes upward when He prays to the Father.
Chi tiết này cho ta một bài học có giá trị. There is a great lesson in this.
Tư thế thể lý mang tính cách quan trọng bất cứ lúc nào. Chẳng hạn như khi một người mà chúng ta kính trọng bước vào phòng, chúng ta thường đứng lên và chào đón. Thật là bất kính nếu trong trường hợp này vẫn cứ nằm lỳ trên giường hay ghế trường kỷ (sofa). Và trong thánh lễ, chúng ta không ngồi vắt chân dựa ngữa ra sau trong lúc truyền phép; nhưng chúng ta quỳ gối xuống thờ lạy. Và khi chào ai trong lần đầu tiên, chúng ta không nhìn xuống sàn nhàn, mà nhìn thẳng vào mắt của người ấy.
Our physical disposition is important, at times. For example, when someone we owe respect to enters a room, we usually rise and greet them. It would be disrespectful to remain lounging on a bed or sofa in that case. And at Mass, we do not sit back with legs crossed during the Consecration; rather, we kneel in adoration. And when we greet someone for the first time, we do not look at the floor; rather, we look them in the eyes.
Hành động “ngước mắt lên trời” của Chúa Giêsu không phải là Ngài nghĩ rằng sẽ nhìn thấy Chúa Cha trên bầu trời; nhưng là do lòng kính trọng và yêu mến và cũng là một cách nhìn nhận giá trị cao sang của Chúa Cha. Điều này dạy cho ta biết về cách biểu lộ thân xác của ta cũng như điều mà ta muốn thông tri đến người khác, đặc biệt với Chúa trong khi cầu nguyện.
Jesus’ act of “Lifting his eyes to heaven” was not done because He thought He might see the Father in the sky; rather, it was done out of respect and love and as a way of acknowledging the dignity of the Father. This should teach us about our own bodily disposition and the message we communicate to others, especially to God in prayer.
Khi cầu nguyện, bạn làm gì? Mặc dầu bạn có thể cầu nguyện bất cứ lúc nào và trong trong bất cứ tư thế nào, nhưng thực hành tốt nhất khi thưa chuyện cùng Chúa không chỉ bằng lời nhưng còn bằng tư thế của mình. Quỳ gối, đưa tay lên, quỳ sụp lạy trước mặt Thiên Chúa, ngồi thẳng lên với sự chăm chú, vv… là những phương thế thông truyền tình yêu của bạn đến với Chúa.
When you pray, what do you do? Though you can pray at any time and while in any disposition, it is an excellent practice to speak to God not only by your words but also by the disposition you take. Kneeling, raising hands in prayer, falling prostrate before your Lord, sitting upright with attentiveness, etc., are all ways in which you communicate to God your love.
Reflect, today, upon this image of Jesus praying. Gaze at how attentive He would have been as He lifted His sacred eyes upward as a physical gesture honoring the glorious, all-powerful Father in Heaven. Try to imagine Jesus’ devotion, intensity, respect and burning love. Imitate this holy gesture of prayer and attentiveness to the Father and remind yourself of the importance of expressing your love in bodily form.
My most holy Father in Heaven, I do join Your Son, Jesus, in lifting my eyes, my heart and my whole life to You in honor, love and respect. May I always be attentive to You and always show You the devotion due Your greatness. My dear Jesus, thank You for Your love of the Father in Heaven. Give me the grace I need to imitate You and Your perfect love in my life. Jesus, I trust in You.
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