Study and Meditations on this Sunday's Scripture Readings: May 1, 2011

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To help us prepare for this coming Sunday, here are the readings, studies and reflections for this coming Sunday’s Scripture readings. **This Sunday is the 2nd Sunday of Easter **(Divine Mercy Sunday) and in this Sundays Gospel Reading we will hear about the Resurrection appearance of Our Lord to the Apostles–including St. Thomas. He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Here are the Scripture readings from the U.S. Catholic bishops website.

My own weekly study can be found here under “Current Study.”

Here are three audio reflections on the readings by Sister Ann Shields, Dr. Scott Hahn and Fr. Robert Barron.

Here is a Catholic Bible study podcast on the Scripture Reading, about an hour long, from St. Martha’s Adult Faith Formation

The Navarre Bible Commentary for each reading can be viewed here.

Further study resources for the Readings: St. Charles Borromeo Bible Study can be found here, and Catholic Matters can be found here.

Please consider supporting those who provide these free resources. Discussion, questions and charitable comments are always welcome. Have a blessed week!

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1st Reading - Acts 2:42-47

The Acts (Deeds) of the Apostles were written by Saint Luke toward the end of the first captivity of Saint Paul in Rome, about 62 A.D. The earliest tradition of the Church concurs in attributing this inspired book to Saint Luke, author of the third gospel. This book, like the gospel, is dedicated to Theophilus, of whom we know nothing.

The Book of the Acts of the Apostles, sometimes lovingly referred to as the fifth gospel, relates: (1) the history of the early Church in Jerusalem and Antioch, and the history of Saint Peter until the year A.D. 42, when he left Jerusalem; and (2) the history of Saint Paul until his captivity in Rome in the Year A.D. 61.

Our reading today takes place immediately after Peter’s stirring address on the day of Pentecost when 3,000 were baptized. On Pentecost Sunday the Holy Spirit, as promised by Christ, descended on the Apostles with external signs which brought the people of Jerusalem in their hundreds to the Upper Room where the Apostles lived. St. Peter addressed them and explained what had happened, with the result that “about three thousand souls were baptized and added that day” (Acts 2:41) to the Apostles and disciples, who formed the nucleus of the Christian Church.

This is the first of three summary passages (Acts 4:32-37; 5:12-16) which outline the chief characteristics of the Christian community in Jerusalem: adherence to the teachings of the Twelve and the centering of religious life in the Eucharistic liturgy; a system of distribution of goods that led the wealthier Christians to sell their possessions when the needs of the poor of the community required it; and continual attendance at the Temple.

Here is the First Reading as we will hear it this Sunday:

They devoted themselves
to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life,
to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.
Awe came upon everyone,
and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
All who believed were together and had all things in common;
they would sell their property and possessions
and divide them among all according to each one’s need.
Every day they devoted themselves
to meeting together in the temple area
and to breaking bread in their homes.
They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart,
praising God and enjoying favor with all the people.
And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

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From the Navarre Bible commentary with Revised Standard Version text:

42-47. This is the first of the three summaries contained in the early chapters of Acts (cf. 4:32-35 and 5:12-16)… In simple words it describes the key elements in the ascetical and liturgical-sacramental life of the first Christians. It gives a vivid spiritual profile of the community which now–after Pentecost–extends beyond the Cenacle, a contemplative community, more and more involved in the world around it.

The Baptisms (Continuation)
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*[42] And they (the brethren) devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. *

**42. **“The sacred writer”, St. John Chrysostom observes, “draws attention to two virtues in particular–perseverance and fellowship and tells us that the Apostles spent a long period instructing the disciples” (“Hom. on Acts”, 7).

“The Apostles’ teaching”: the instruction normally given new converts. This is not the proclamation of the Gospel to non-Christians but a type of “catechesis” (which became more structured and systematic as time went on) aimed at explaining to the disciples the Christian meaning of Sacred Scripture and the basic truths of faith (out of this grew the Credal statements of the Church) which they had to believe and practise in order to attain salvation.

Catechesis–an ongoing preaching and explanation of the Gospel within the Church–is a phenomenon to be found even in the very early days of Christianity. “An evangelizer, the Church begins by evangelizing itself. A community of believers, a community of hope practised and transmitted, a community of fraternal love, it has a need to listen unceasingly to what it must believe, to the reasons for its hope, to the new commandment of love” ([Pope] Paul VI, “Evangelii Nuntiandi”, 15).

If catechesis is something which converts and in general all Christians need, obviously pastors have a grave duty to provide it. “The whole of the book of the Acts of the Apostles is a witness that they were faithful to their vocation and to the mission they had received. The members of the first Christian community are seen in it as ‘devoted to the Apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayers’. Without any doubt we find in that a lasting image of the Church being born of and continually nourished by the word of the Lord, thanks to the teaching of the Apostles, celebrating that word in the Eucharistic Sacrifice and bearing witness to it before the world in the sign of charity” (John Paul II, “Catechesi Tradendae”, 10).

The “fellowship” referred to in this verse is that union of hearts brought about by the Holy Spirit. This profound solidarity among the disciples resulted from their practice of the faith and their appreciation of it as a peerless treasure which they all shared, a gift to them from God the Father through Jesus Christ. Their mutual affection enabled them to be detached from material things and to give up their possessions to help those in need.

Continued on the next post…

 

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The “breaking of bread” refers to the Blessed Eucharist and not just to an ordinary meal. This was a special way the early Christians had of referring to the making and distribution of the Sacrament containing the Lord’s Body. This expression, connected with the idea of banquet, was soon replaced by that of the “Eucharist”, which emphasizes the idea of thanksgiving (cf. “Didache”, IX, 1). From Pentecost onwards the Mass and Eucharistic communion form the center of Christian worship. 'From that time onwards the Church has never failed to come together to celebrate the Paschal Mystery, reading those things ‘which were in all the Scriptures concerning Him’ (Luke 24:27), celebrating the Eucharist in which ‘the victory and triumph of His death are again made present’ (Council of Trent, “De SS. Eucharista”, Chapter 5), and at the same time giving thanks to God" (Vatican II, “Sacrosanctum Concilium”, 6).

By receiving the Eucharist with a pure heart and clear conscience the disciples obtain the nourishment needed to follow the new life of the Gospel and to be in the world without being worldly. This connection between the Eucharist and Christian living was something Pope John Paul II vigorously reminded Catholics about when he said in Dublin, "It is from the Eucharist that all of us receive the grace and strength for daily living–to live real Christian lives, in the joy of knowing that God loves us, that Christ died for us, and that the Holy Spirit lives in us.

"Our full participation in the Eucharist is the real source of the Christian spirit that we wish to see in our personal lives and in all aspects of society. Whether we serve in politics, in the economic, cultural, social or scientific fields–no matter what our occupation is–the Eucharist is a challenge to our daily lives…

“Our union with Christ in the Eucharist must be expressed in the truth of our lives today–in our actions, in our behavior, in our lifestyle, and in our relationships with others. For each one of us the Eucharist is a call to ever greater effort, so that we may live as true followers of Jesus: truthful in our speech, generous in our deeds, concerned, respectful of the dignity and rights of all persons, whatever their rank or income, self-sacrificing, fair and just, kind, considerate, compassionate and self-controlled. …] The truth of our union with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist is tested by whether or not we really love our fellow men and women; it is tested by how we treat others, especially our families. …] It is tested by whether or not we try to be reconciled with our enemies, on whether or not we forgive those who hurt us or offend us” (“Homily in Phoenix Park”, 29 September 1979).

The Early Christians
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*[43] And fear came upon every soul; and many wonders and signs were done through the Apostles. *

**43. **The fear referred to here is the religious awe the disciples felt when they saw the miracles and other supernatural signs which the Lord worked through His Apostles. A healthy type of fear, denoting respect and reverence for holy things, it can cause a great change of attitude and behavior in those who experience it.

An outstanding example of this sense of awe is St. Peter’s reaction at the miraculous catch of fish: “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord”: as St. Luke explains, “he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of the fish they had taken” (Luke 5:9).

Concluded on the next post…

 

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**[44] And all who believed were together and had all things in common; **

44. Charity and union of hearts lead the disciples to sacrifice their own interest to meet the material needs of their poorer brothers and sisters. The sharing of possessions referred to here was not a permanent, “communistic” kind of system. The more well-to-do Christians freely provided for those in need. Each of the disciples retained ownership of such property as he or she had: by handing it over to the community they showed their charity.

“This voluntary poverty and detachment”, Chrysostom comments, "cut at the selfish root of many evils, and the new disciples showed that they had understood the Gospel teaching.

“This was not recklessness of the kind shown by certain philosophers, of whom some gave up their inheritance and others cast their gold into the sea: that was no contempt of riches, but folly and madness. For the devil has always made it his endeavor to disparage the things God has created, as if it were impossible to make good use of riches” (“Hom. on Acts”, 7).

A spendthrift who wastes his resources does not have the virtue of detachment; nor can someone be called selfish because he retains his property, provided that he uses it generously when the need arises. "Rather than in not having, true poverty consists in being detached, in voluntarily renouncing one’s dominion over things.

“That is why there are poor who are really rich. And vice-versa” ([St] J. Escriva, “The Way”, 632).
*
[45] and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need. [46] And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad and generous hearts, *

1. In the early days of the Church the temple was a center of Christian prayer and liturgy. The first Christians regarded it as God’s house, the House of the Father of Jesus Christ. Although Christianity involved obvious differences from Judaism, they also realized that Christ’s message was an extension of Judaism; for a while, it was quite natural for them to maintain certain external aspects of the religion of their forefathers.

In addition to this legitimate religious instinct to venerate the one, true, loving God, whom Jews and Christians adore, St. Jerome suggests that prudence may have dictated this practice: “Because the early Church was made up of Jews,” he says, “the Apostles were very careful not to introduce any innovations, in order to avoid any possible scandal to believers” (“Epistle”, 26, 2).

However, the temple was not the only place in the holy city where Christians met for prayer and worship. The reference to “breaking bread in their homes” reminds us that the Christian community in Jerusalem, as also the communities later founded by St. Paul, did not yet have a building specially reserved for liturgical functions. They met in private houses–presumably in suitable rooms specially prepared. For financial as well as policy reasons (persecutions, etc.) it was not until the third century that buildings designed solely for liturgical purposes began to be erected.

[47] praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

 

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From the 1859 Haydock Commentary with Douay-Rheims text:

The piety of the first converts.
*
42 And they were persevering in the doctrine of the apostles, and in the communication of the breaking of bread, and in prayers.*

Ver. 42.* In the communication of the breaking of bread*, by which some understand their ordinary meals, and eating together; others, of the celestial bread of the holy Sacrament, tou artou, panis illius, scilicet Eucharistiæ. The Eucharist is called both by St. Luke and St. Paul, the breaking of bread. (Menochius, in ver. 42. and 46.) — In the Syriac, for artou, is a term that means Eucharist, both here and in Acts xx. as the learned Joannes Harlemius remarks in Indice Bibliorum. — St. Luke also gives here some account of the manner of living of these first Christians. 1. They were together, united in perfect charity. 2. They were frequently in the temple, and praying together. 3. They had all possessions in common. 4. They went from house to house to convert souls, taking the food they found with joy, and simplicity of heart, their number daily increasing. 5. St. Luke says they were in favour, and esteemed by all the people. 6. The apostles did many prodigies and miracles, to confirm their doctrine, which struck others with great terror and horror for their past lives. (Witham)
*
43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles in Jerusalem, and there was great fear in all.

44 And all they that believed were together, and had all things common.*

**Ver. 44. **This living in common is not a precept for all Christians, but a life of perfection and counsel, for such as are called to it by heaven. See St. Augustine in Psalm cxii. and ep. cix. the practice of which is a striking proof of the one true Church, which has come down from the apostles.

Concluded on the next post…

 

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*45 They sold their possessions and goods, and divided them to all, according as every one had need.

46 And continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they took their meat with gladness and simplicity of heart:
*
Ver. 46. *In the temple. *Although by the death of our Saviour, the ceremonies and sacrifices were abrogated, and the new alliance had succeeded to the old, still it was not in the design of God, that the faithful should separated themselves from the rest of the Jews, or entirely give up the observances of the law. They continued to observe them, as long as the utility of the Church required it, but they observed them not as Jews. Thus they avoided giving scandal to the weak, and driving them from submitting to the doctrines of the Church. They disposed them insensibly to a more pure and spiritual worship. (St. Chrysostom, in Act. hom. vii.) — This was burying the synagogue with honour.

47 Praising God together, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added daily to their society such as should be saved.

**Ver. 47. **More and more he added daily to the Church, as it is clearly expressed in the Greek, prosetithei te ekklesia, that we may see the visible propagation and increase of the same. We may here, and throughout the whole book, observe a visible society of men joined in Christ, which visible society may be traced through ecclesiastical history, down to our days, and which will continue, in virtue of Christ’s promise, to the end of time, as the point of union, by which the true disciples of Jesus Christ are to be connected together in one body, and one spirit; “one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” (Ephesians iv. 5.) This book can shew the true Church ever visible, and ever speaking with authority to all that do not willingly shut their eyes, as plainly as the gospel doth shew the true Christ. “Every where the Church proclaims the truth; she is the candlestick, with the seven lamps (Exodus xxv.); bearing the light of Christ, eptamukos,” says St. Irenæus; which light nothing can obscure. Hence St. Chrysostom says, “sooner shall the sun be extinguished, than the Church be obscured;” eukolioteron ton elion sbesthenai, e ten ekklesian aphanisthenai.

 

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Other thoughts and commentary on the 1st Reading:

**42 They: ** Literally, “the brethren (see RSV). Jesus himself had already given the title of “Brothers” to all those who do the will of his Father (Mk. 3:23). The Jews were accustomed, from early times, to call their fellow-Israelites “brothers.” So, from the very beginning the Christians looked on one another as brothers in Christ, fellow sons of God.

**devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles: The instruction normally given new converts. This is not the proclamation of the gospel to non-Christians but a type of catechesis (which became more structured and systematic as time went on) aimed at explaining to the disciples the Christian meaning of sacred Scripture and the basic truths of faith which they had to believe and practice in order to attain salvation. Out of this grew the creedal statements of the Church.
**
and to the communal life: Other translations have “fellowship”. The Greek word kiononia is used only here in Luke but is used 13 times in Saint Paul’s writings. The profound solidarity among the disciples resulted from their practice of faith and their appreciation of it as a treasure they all shared; a gift to them from the Father through Jesus the Christ. Their mutual affection enabled them to be detached from material things and to give up their possessions to help those in need.
**
to the breaking of the bread: ** This refers to the Eucharist and not just an ordinary meal. This was a special way the early Christians had of referring to the making and distribution of the sacrament of the Lord’s Body and Blood. From Pentecost onward the Mass and Eucharistic communion form the center of Christian worship.

and to the prayers: What we have just seen, in this description of the very early Christian Church are the four elements of catechesis: The teaching of the apostles (the creed, the Profession of Faith); the communal life (the commandments, Life in Christ); the breaking of the bread (the sacraments, the Christian Mystery); and the prayers (Prayer). These four classical divisions of catechesis are reflected in the four major parts of the Catechism of the Catholic Church today.

**43 Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles: **This is the religious awe the disciples felt when they saw the miracles and other supernatural signs which the Lord worked through His apostles. A healthy type of fear, denoting respect and reverence for holy things, it can cause a great change of attitude and behavior in those who experience it.

**44 All who believed were together and had all things in common;

45 they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one’s need:** The sharing referred to here was not a permanent communistic or socialistic kind of system. The more well-to-do Christians freely provided for those in need. Each of the disciples retained ownership of what property he had; by handing it over to the community they showed their charity.
**
46 Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area:** In the early days of the Church the Temple was the center of Christian prayer and liturgy. The early Christians regarded it as God’s house, the house of the Father of Jesus the Christ. Although Christianity involved obvious differences from Judaism, for a while it was quite natural for them to maintain certain external aspects of the religion of their forefathers.
**
and to breaking bread in their homes:** Partaking of a community meal and the Eucharist.

**They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart,

47 praising God and enjoying favor with all the people: **The Temple was not the only place in Jerusalem where Christians met for prayer and worship. The reference to “their homes” reminds us that they did not have a building specially reserved for liturgical functions-- they met in private homes. For financial as well as policy reasons (persecutions, etc.), it was not until the third century that buildings designed for liturgical purposes began to be erected.

**And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved: **The result was that the number of converts went on increasing daily. This was the work of the Lord; he alone could, call men to salvation, to brotherhood with Christ.

 

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Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs referencing Acts 2:42-47

**Prologue

3** Those who with God’s help have welcomed Christ’s call and freely responded to it are urged on by love of Christ to proclaim the Good News everywhere in the world. This treasure, received from the apostles, has been faithfully guarded by their successors. All Christ’s faithful are called to hand it on from generation to generation, by professing the faith, by living it in fraternal sharing, and by celebrating it in liturgy and prayer.6

6. Cf. Acts 2:42.

**THE INTERPRETATION OF THE HERITAGE OF FAITH

The heritage of faith entrusted to the whole of the Church

84** The apostles entrusted the “Sacred deposit” of the faith (the depositum fidei),45 contained in Sacred Scripture and Tradition, to the whole of the Church. "By adhering to [this heritage] the entire holy people, united to its pastors, remains always faithful to the teaching of the apostles, to the brotherhood, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. So, in maintaining, practicing and professing the faith that has been handed on, there should be a remarkable harmony between the bishops and the faithful."46

45. DV 10 § 1; cf. 1 Tim 6:20; 2 Tim 1:12-14 (Vulg.).

46. DV 10 § 1; cf. Acts 2:42 (Greek); Pius XII, apostolic constitution, Munificentissimus Deus, 1 November 1950:AAS 42 (1950), 756, taken along with the words of St. Cyprian, Epist. 66, 8:CSEL 3/2,733: "The Church is the people united to its Priests, the flock adhering to its Shepherd."

584 Jesus went up to the Temple as the privileged place of encounter with God. For him, the Temple was the dwelling of his Father, a house of prayer, and he was angered that its outer court had become a place of commerce.353 He drove merchants out of it because of jealous love for his Father: "You shall not make my Father’s house a house of trade. His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’"354 After his Resurrection his apostles retained their reverence for the Temple.355

353. Cf. Mt 21:13.

354. Jn 2:16-17; cf. Ps 69:10.

355. Cf. Acts 2:46; 3:1; 5:20, 21; etc.

**THE CHURCH IS APOSTOLIC

857** The Church is apostolic because she is founded on the apostles, in three ways:

- she was and remains built on "the foundation of the Apostles,"362 the witnesses chosen and sent on mission by Christ himself;363

- with the help of the Spirit dwelling in her, the Church keeps and hands on the teaching,364 the "good deposit," the salutary words she has heard from the apostles;365

- she continues to be taught, sanctified, and guided by the apostles until Christ's return, through their successors in pastoral office: the college of bishops, "assisted by priests, in union with the successor of Peter, the Church's supreme pastor":366

    You are the eternal Shepherd
    who never leaves his flock untended.
    Through the apostles
    you watch over us and protect us always.
    You made them shepherds of the flock
    to share in the work of your Son. . . .367

362. Eph 2:20; Rev 21:14.

363. Cf. Mt 28:16-20; Acts 1:8; 1 Cor 9:1; 15:7-8; Gal 1:1; etc.

364. Cf. Acts 2:42.

365. Cf. 2 Tim 1:13-14.

366. AG 5.

367. Roman Missal, Preface of the Apostles I.

Continued on the next post…

 

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**COMMUNION IN SPIRITUAL GOODS

949** In the primitive community of Jerusalem, the disciples "devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and the prayers."482

Communion in the faith. The faith of the faithful is the faith of the Church, received from the apostles. Faith is a treasure of life which is enriched by being shared.

482. Acts 2:42.

**
1329** The Lord’s Supper, because of its connection with the supper which the Lord took with his disciples on the eve of his Passion and because it anticipates the wedding feast of the Lamb in the heavenly Jerusalem.143

*The Breaking of Bread,* because Jesus used this rite, part of a Jewish meal, when as master of the table he blessed and distributed the bread,144 above all at the Last Supper.145 It is by this action that his disciples will recognize him after his Resurrection,146 and it is this expression that the first Christians will use to designate their Eucharistic assemblies;147 by doing so they signified that all who eat the one broken bread, Christ, enter into communion with him and form but one body in him.148

*The Eucharistic assembly* (*synaxis*), because the Eucharist is celebrated amid the assembly of the faithful, the visible expression of the Church.149

143. Cf. 1 Cor 11:20; Rev 19:9.

144. Cf. Mt 14:19; 15:36; Mk 8:6, 19.

145. Cf. Mt 26:26; 1 Cor 11:24.

146. Cf. Lk 24:13-35.

147. Cf. Acts 2:42, 46; 20:7,11.

148. Cf. 1 Cor 10:16-17.

149. Cf. 1 Cor 11:17-34.

1342 From the beginning the Church has been faithful to the Lord’s command. Of the Church of Jerusalem it is written:

    They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. . . . Day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad and generous hearts.168

168. Acts 2:42,46.

2178 This practice of the Christian assembly dates from the beginnings of the apostolic age.112 The Letter to the Hebrews reminds the faithful "not to neglect to meet together, as is the habit of some, but to encourage one another."113

    Tradition preserves the memory of an ever-timely exhortation: Come to Church early, approach the Lord, and confess your sins, repent in prayer. . . . Be present at the sacred and divine liturgy, conclude its prayer and do not leave before the dismissal. . . . We have often said: "This day is given to you for prayer and rest. This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it."114

112. Cf. Acts 2:42-46; 1 Cor 11:17.

113. Heb 10:25.

114. Sermo de die dominica 2 et 6:PG 86/1,416C and 421C.

2624 In the first community of Jerusalem, believers "devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and the prayers."95 This sequence is characteristic of the Church’s prayer: founded on the apostolic faith; authenticated by charity; nourished in the Eucharist.

95. Acts 2:42.

**2640 **St. Luke in his gospel often expresses wonder and praise at the marvels of Christ and in his Acts of the Apostles stresses them as actions of the Holy Spirit: the community of Jerusalem, the invalid healed by Peter and John, the crowd that gives glory to God for that, and the pagans of Pisidia who "were glad and glorified the word of God."123

123. Acts 2:47; 3:9; 4:21; 13:48.

 

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A meditation on the 1st Reading for practical application from Catholic Matters:

APPLICATION: In these six short verses of the second chapter of the Acts we are given a picture of the fervent religious life of the first Christian community. As would be expected, these Jerusalem Christians, having the Apostles still among them, and the memory of the resurrection and the descent of the Holy Spirit still fresh in their memories, were animated and moved by a deep religious fervor.

Apart from its noble ideal of true brotherhood, which moved those who possessed property to sell their possessions and divide the proceeds among the community—an ideal which could not continue, because of the selfishness in human nature, of which he was well aware—our Lord himself had recommended it only to a chosen few. We Christians today have in this first Christian Church of Jerusalem a model which we must strive to follow.

“They devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” While the Church has always and every where endeavored to instruct its members in the teaching of the Apostles, and encouraged them to take part in the celebration of the Eucharist and in community and private prayers, we present-day Catholics have, thanks to Pope John and his second Vatican Council, a better opportunity than ever before of imitating more closely the early Christians of Jerusalem.

The introduction of the vernacular language in place of Latin in the liturgy, gives even the humblest and least educated among us the chance not only of following what is taking place at the altar, but of taking an active part in it. While it is still the priest, through the power which comes to him from Christ through the Apostles in the sacrament of orders, who brings Christ present on the altar, it is the whole community present to whom he comes, and who offer him with the priest as the atonement for the sins of the world.

The congregation are no longer silent spectators at a rite performed on their behalf; they are co-offerers with the celebrant in this miraculous mystery of divine love. The prayers they say are not their own private petitions to God, but are the public expression of the Christian community’s acts of adoration, thanksgiving, atonement and petition. In this liturgical renewal, therefore, the present generation, if they play the part expected of them, resemble more closely the first Christian community in Jerusalem. Hitherto, through no fault of their own, our Christian congregations let the priest at the altar carry out the liturgical action for them; they were content with their personal private prayers, while the public, community, liturgical service was performed in their name. Now, however, let us hope that all true Christians who appreciate what the “breaking of bread” or the Eucharistic sacrifice means for them, will appreciate also they have an active part to perform in this community service.

Christ in his loving mercy comes on our altar under the form of bread, to be our spiritual nourishment and our strength on the hard road to heaven. We should prove ourselves ungrateful indeed, were we to refuse this divine gift, which only divine love could think of giving us and which only divine power could give. If we feel unworthy of this great honor, remember he has given us also the sacrament which will remove anything which is really displeasing in us, and if we have but the passing, human failings, remember how he loved the publicans and sinners in Palestine and daily mixed with them.

The new liturgy gives us a better opportunity also of imitating the first Jerusalem Christians in devoting ourselves to the Apostles’ teaching. In the three-year cycle of scripture readings which form the introduction to the Eucharistic sacrifice and communion, we have a wealth of instructive excerpts from the Bible, chosen especially to help us get a better knowledge of God and his love for us, and of the meaning of our Christian vocation. Every sincere Christian should not only listen care, fully to these readings but should study them privately in the quiet of the home, and try to let their message influence their daily lives.

If we devote ourselves in this way to the Apostles’ teaching, if we take an active, devout part in the weekly community celebration of the sacrament of God’s infinite love, and attend daily when possible, we will, like the first Jerusalem Christians, give true praise and glory to God and earn not only the favor but the following of our non-Christian neighbors.

 

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2nd Reading - 1 Peter 1:3-9

This first letter of Peter was written from Rome very probably around A.D. 63-64, given that it contains no references to the persecution unleashed by Nero after July 64. This first epistle of St. Peter has always been accepted as authentic, that is, it was written by St. Peter and most probably from Rome which he calls “Babylon.” It is in the form of an encyclical letter to the numerous churches of Asia Minor.

The letter is addressed to the Christians of Asia Minor-- Gentiles evangelized mainly by Saint Paul. Its purpose was to recall to the minds of these converts to the Church the basic doctrines of Christianity and to encourage them to endure any persecution that the faithful observance of their new religion might bring on them from their pagan or Jewish neighbors; this is quite in keeping with his role as head of the Church. This message (letter) which we will study as our second reading all through the Easter season, is a faithful reflection of the catechesis of apostolic times.

Here is the 2nd Reading as we will hear it this Sunday:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading,
kept in heaven for you
who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith,
to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time.
In this you rejoice, although now for a little while
you may have to suffer through various trials,
so that the genuineness of your faith,
more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire,
may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor
at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Although you have not seen him you love him;
even though you do not see him now yet believe in him,
you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,
as you attain the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

 

[Fidelis]

From the Navarre Bible commentary with Revised Standard Version text:

3-12. This passage, a hymn of praise and gratitude to God, developing what is proclaimed in v. 2, is more explicit about the action of each Person of the Blessed Trinity: by making his choice of Christians, God the Father has destined us to a marvelous heritage in heaven (vv. 3-5); to attain this we need to love and believe in Jesus Christ our Lord (vv. 6-9); the Holy Spirit, who earlier proclaimed salvation by the mouth of the Old Testament prophets, is now, through those who preach the Gospel, announcing that salvation has arrived (vv. 10-12).

**3-5. **When the fruits of the Redemption are applied to us, a kind of rebirth takes place. St Peter is the only New Testament writer to use the Greek term translated here “we have been born anew” (cf. also 1:23). However, the same idea occurs elsewhere: St John speaks of the action of the Holy Spirit at Baptism as causing one to be born again (cf. Jn 3:1ff; also, e.g., 1:12-13; 1 Jn 2:29; 3:9); St Paul refers to “a new creation” to describe the effects of Redemption (cf., e.g., Gal 6:15; 2 Cor 5:17); and St James calls Christians the “first fruits of his creatures”(Jas 1:16-18).

Through this being born again, God destines us “to a living hope”, which centers on the inheritance of heaven, here described as “imperishable” (it is eternal), “undefiled” (it contains no evil) and “unfading” (it will never grow o Id). The sacred writer uses these adjectives of negation to show that heavenly things are not subject to any of the imperfections and defects of earthly things.

For those Christians who stay true to their calling, their inheritance is “kept in heaven”. This key theme will be addressed in various parts of the letter (cf. 2:18-25; 3:13-17; 4:12-19; 5:5-11); the letter is very much aimed at encouraging the faithful to bear sufferings with joy, knowing that they are a means to and a guarantee of heaven.

Praise and Thanksgiving to God
------------------------------
*[3] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, *

**3. **God brought about the work of Redemption “by his great mercy”. For God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ" (Eph 2:4-5). And just as the work of Creation is a manifestation of God’s omnipotence, so his new Creation is an _expression of his mercy (cf. “Summa Theologiae”, II-II, q. 30, a. 4; cf. note on 2 Cor 5:17).

“Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”: the resurrection of our Lord marks the climax of his salvific work, for it assures men of their redemption and their own resurrection. In its Easter liturgy the Church joyfully reminds of this: “He is the true Lamb who took away the sins of the world. By dying he destroyed our death; by rising he restored our life” (“Easter Preface”, I).

Concluded on the next post…

 

[Fidelis]

[4] and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, [5] who by God’s power are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. *

6-9. Hope of obtaining the inheritance of heaven gives Christians joy in the midst of trials which test their faith. At the center of that faith is Jesus, whom they strive to love above all, thereby attaining “unutterable and exalted joy”, a foretaste of the joy of heaven itself.

Exhortations to be joyful in the midst of affliction occur often in the New Testament (cf., e.g., Mt 5:11-12; 2 Cor 1:3-7; Jas 1:2) and reflect a deep Christian conviction, which St. Bede refers to in his commentary: “St Peter says that it is good to suffer trials because eternal joys cannot be obtained except through the afflictions and sorrows of this passing world. ‘For a little while’, he says, however, because when one receives an eternal reward, the afflictions of this world–which appeared so heavy and bitter–seem then to have been very short-lived and slight” (“Super 1 Pet. Expositio, ad loc.”).

Christian joy is the fruit of faith, hope and love. “You should realize that God wants us to be happy and that, if you do all you can, you will be happy, very, very happy, although you will never be a moment without the Cross. But that Cross is no longer a gallows. It is the throne from which Christ reigns” ([St] J. Escriva, “Friends of God”, 141).

*[6] In this you rejoice, though now fora little while you may have to suffer various trials, [7] so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold which though perishable is tested by fire, may redound to praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. *

7. The refining of gold by fire is often referred to in Scripture (cf., e.g., Ps 66:10; Prov 17:3; 1 Cor 3:12-13; Rev 3:18) to explain that the sufferings of this life help to improve the quality of one’s faith. “If I experience pain,” St Augustine teaches, “relief will come in due course. If I am offered tribulation, it will serve for my purification. Does gold shine in the craftman’s furnace? It will shine later, when it forms part of the collar, when it is part of the jewelry. But, for the time being, it puts up with being in the fire because when it sheds its impurities it will acquire its brilliant shine” (“Enarrationes in Psalmos”, 61, 11).

The thought of Christ coming in glory (cf. 1:5-13; 4:13) should greatly encourage the Christian to bear trials cheerfully.
*
[8] Without having seen him you love him; though you do not now see him you believe in him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy. [9] As the outcome of your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls.*

 

[Fidelis]

From the 1859 Haydock Commentary with Douay-Rheims text:

He gives thanks to God for the benefit of our being called to the true faith, and to eternal life; into which we are to enter by many tribulations. He exhorts to holiness of life, considering the holiness of God, and our redemption by the blood of Christ.

*3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy hath regenerated us unto a lively hope, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

4 Unto an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not, reserved in heaven for you,*

Ver. 4. Reserved in heaven for you. Literally, in you; that is, it is also in you by reason of that lively faith and hope, which is in you, of enjoying Christ. (Witham)

*5 Who by the power of God are kept by faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.

6 In which you shall greatly rejoice, now if ye must be for a little time, afflicted by divers temptations:

7 That the trial of your faith, much more precious than gold, (which is tried by the fire) may be found unto praise, and glory, and honour, at the appearing of Jesus Christ:*

Ver. 7. At the appearing of Jesus Christ. Literally, in the revelation; i.e. when he shall be revealed, manifested, and appear at the day of judgment. (Witham)

*8 Whom having not seen you love: in whom also now, though you see him not, you believe: and believing, shall rejoice with an unspeakable and glorified joy:

9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.*

 

[Fidelis]

Other thoughts and commentary on the 2nd Reading:

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: The doctrine of the blessed Trinity and the divinity of Christ is taken as known by his readers, which of course it was.

who in his great mercy gave us a new birth: The spiritual rebirth of Christians to a new life is the main topic of this part. The form of this prayer is a blessing common in Jewish tradition (see Genesis 9:26). We are given this new birth by baptism (see John 3:5). It was the infinite mercy of God which from all eternity had planned for mankind a new life, beyond this earthly life.
**
to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead: **This refers not only to the “living hope” but also to “new birth”. God the Father, in raising the human nature of Christ from his earthly death, proved beyond doubt that Christ was the Incarnate Son of God who had taken human nature in order to raise us up to sonship with the Father.

**4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading: *Notice the family covenant imagery. The promises made to Israel are seen as fulfilled also in the Christian Church. In the Old Testament, the inheritance is primarily the land of Israel (Deuteronomy 15:4). As opposed to the land, the New Covenant inheritance is imperishable; it is eternal life in the heavenly kingdom. Our second life, our new life, will be eternal and unchangeable.
*
“An incorruptible inheritance must be an infinite one, since everything finite is corruptible. The inheritance of the first Adam was corrupted by sin, but the inheritance of the second Adam can never be touched by the stain of sin.” [Saint Hilary of Arles (ca. A.D. 428), *Commentary on 1 Peter

]

“Our inheritance is imperishable because it is a heavenly life which neither age nor illness nor death nor plague can touch. It is undefiled because no unclean person can enter into it. It is unfading, because the heavenly blessings are such that even after long enjoyment of them the blessed never grow tired, whereas those who live in earthly luxury eventually have their fill of it and turn away from it.” [Saint Bede the Venerable (ca. A.D. 416), *On 1 Peter]

kept in heaven for you: That the new life destined for mankind will be with God in his own eternal kingdom.
**
5 who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith:** “Faith” has a wide range of meanings in 1st Peter. Here, it means that trust in God is essential for salvation. For those who have this faith, the security of their inheritance is like a land with strong military protection—it is guarded by God’s power. It was God’s power which gave us not only the possibility and knowledge of this supra-natural life, but which keeps us living the Christian faith so that we will be prepared and worthy to receive it when this life ends.

**to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time: **Salvation, the goal of Christian faith, is presented as a future event. Not once saved, always saved, but a hope for eternal salvation.
**
6 In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials: **St. Peter reminds his readers of the joy and consolation this merciful act of God brings them. The thought of the happy ending which awaits them should make the trials and troubles of this passing life easy to bear.

**7 so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ: Once you have accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, the battle is just beginning. Your faith will be tested and refined (made pure) throughout your life so that when the end time comes, you will stand ready to accept your inheritance.
*
“Just as gold is tried by fire and becomes useful, so also you who live in the world are tried in it. So then, you who remain in it and pass through the flames will be purified. For just as gold casts off its dross, so also you will cast off all sorrow and tribulation, becoming pure and useful for the building of the tower.” [Hermas (ca. A.D. 140), The Shepherd, Visions 3,1]
**
8 Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy: Peter admires their love for Christ whom they had not seen. Christ himself says in today’s Gospel (Jn. 20:29): Blessed are “those who have not seen and yet believe.” Peter himself had been a disciple and friend of Christ and probably still regrets his own cowardly denials on that fatal Thursday night in Jerusalem, though he had made up for that weakness later.

9 as you attain the goal of (your) faith, the salvation of your souls: They are firmly convinced of the truth of the Christian faith, and rejoice in the hope of the eternal future (the eternal salvation) where death and pain and trials will no longer have any part in their new mode of existence. As the glory of Christ’s resurrection was preceded by His sufferings and death, the new life of faith that it bestows will be subjected to many trials while achieving its goal: the glory of the fullness of salvation at the coming of Christ.

 

[Fidelis]

Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs referencing 1 Peter 1:3-9

**654 **The Paschal mystery has two aspects: by his death, Christ liberates us from sin; by his Resurrection, he opens for us the way to a new life. This new life is above all justification that reinstates us in God’s grace, "so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."526 Justification consists in both victory over the death caused by sin and a new participation in grace.527 It brings about filial adoption so that men become Christ’s brethren, as Jesus himself called his disciples after his Resurrection: "Go and tell my brethren."528 We are brethren not by nature, but by the gift of grace, because that adoptive filiation gains us a real share in the life of the only Son, which was fully revealed in his Resurrection.

526. Rom 6:4; cf. 4:25.

527. Cf. Eph 2:4-5; 1 Pet 1:3.

528. Mt 28:10; Jn 20:17.

**1031 **The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.606 The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire:607

    As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come.608

606. Cf. Council of Florence (1439):ds 1304; Council of Trent (1563):ds 1820; (1547):1580; see also Benedict XII, Benedictus Deus (1336):ds 1000.

607. Cf. 1 Cor 3:15; 1 Pet 1:7.

608. St. Gregory the Great, Dial. 4,39:PL 77,396; cf. Mt 12:31.

2627 Two fundamental forms express this movement: our prayer ascends in the Holy Spirit through Christ to the Father - we bless him for having blessed us;97 it implores the grace of the Holy Spirit that descends through Christ from the Father - he blesses us.98

97. Cf. Eph 1:3-14; 2 Cor 1:3-7; 1 Pet 1:3-9.

98. Cf. 2 Cor 13:14; Rom 15:5-6,13; Eph 6:23-24.

 

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A meditation on the 2nd Reading for practical application from Catholic Matters:

**APPLICATION: **We have just celebrated the feast of the resurrection, and St. Peter’s words today are intended to remind us again of what that unique event means to us and to the Christian faith which we profess. It is the final and convincing proof of the truth of the Incarnation. The Christ who had been born as a baby of the Virgin Mary, had lived in Nazareth, had preached the message of salvation, had died on the cross. was none other than what he had said he was, the divine Son of God. He had come to give mankind life and “abundant” life—an eternal life hereafter in the kingdom of his Father.

The first converts to Christianity had grasped this truth, this consoling knowledge, and they rejoiced in it “with unutterable and exalted joy.” We, too, have grasped this truth; we, too, know that through the Incarnation, death and resurrection of Christ, we have been made heirs to an “inheritance which is unperishable, undefiled and unfading.” But do we always let this consoling knowledge, this Christian conviction, govern and regulate our daily lives and actions?

The things of this world are very close to us and hard to ignore. Heaven seems very far away, and may seem to be something we can worry about later. The joys and pleasures of this passing life are very attractive because they surround us so closely now-the thought of the true, unending pleasure and happiness, much as it satisfies and answers to our innate human, intellectual desires and ambitions, can easily be pushed into the background by the hustling and bustling of the present, temporary attractions.

Today, perhaps, more than ever before, the advance of science and technology, that is, the discovery of the laws that govern our created universe and their application to daily living, keep so many so occupied that they have no time to think of the Law-maker, the Creator of all, and the future he has planned for them. They miss the wood because of the trees. They are so busy using and enjoying the earthly gifts God put at their disposal that they ignore the greatest gift of all—the one that will last forever.

“Our faith is more precious than gold”: let us never forget these words of St. Peter.

 

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Gospel - John 20:19-31

Last Sunday’s gospel, also taken from St. John, described the first hint at the resurrection which the Apostles received. Peter and John, convinced that the body had not been taken away, because the winding sheets were left behind, were beginning to believe. But the others were skeptical, the two disciples on the way to Emmaus paid no heed to the women’s story, and Thomas refused to believe the testimony of the other ten, even when this present appearance of our Lord had convinced them.

Here is the Gospel Reading as we will hear it this Sunday:

On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
But he said to them,
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples
that are not written in this book.
But these are written that you may come to believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

 

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From the Navarre Bible Commentary:

Jesus Appears to the Disciples
------------------------------
*[19] On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” [20] When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
*
**19-20. **Jesus appears to the Apostles on the evening of the day of which He rose. He presents Himself in their midst without any need for the doors to be opened, by using the qualities of His glorified body; but in order to dispel any impression that He is only a spirit He shows them His hands and His side: there is no longer any doubt about its being Jesus Himself, about His being truly risen from the dead. He greets them twice using the words of greeting customary among the Jews, with the same tenderness as He previously used put into this salutation. These friendly words dispel the fear and shame the Apostles must have been feeling at behaving so disloyally during His passion: He has created the normal atmosphere of intimacy, and now He will endow them with transcendental powers.

*[21] Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I send you.” *

21. Pope Leo XIII explained how Christ transferred His own mission to the Apostles: “What did He wish in regard to the Church founded, or about to be founded? This: to transmit to it the same mission and the same mandate which He had received from the Father, that they should be perpetuated. This He clearly resolved to do: this He actually did. As the Father hath sent Me, even so I send you' (John 20:21). As Thou didst send Me into the world, so I have sent them into the world’ (John 17:18). …] When about to ascend into Heaven, He sends His Apostles in virtue of the same power by which He had been sent from the Father; and He charges them to spread abroad and propagate His teachings (cf. Matthew 28:18), so that those obeying the Apostles might be saved, and those disobeying should perish (cf. Mark 16:16). …] Hence He commands that the teaching of the Apostles should be religiously accepted and piously kept as if it were His own: `He who hears you hears Me, and he who rejects you rejects Me’ (Luke 10:16). Wherefore the Apostles are ambassadors of Christ as He is the ambassador of the Father” ([Pope] Leo XIII, “Satis Cognitum”). In this mission the bishops are the successors of the Apostles: “Christ sent the Apostles as He Himself had been sent by the Father, and then through the Apostles made their successors, the bishops, sharers in His consecration and mission. The function of the bishops’ ministry was handed over in a subordinate degree to priests so that they might be appointed in the order of the priesthood and be co-workers of the episcopal order for the proper fulfillment of the apostolic mission that had been entrusted to it by Christ” (Vatican II, “Presbyterorum Ordinis”, 2).

*[22] And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. [23] If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
*
22-23. The Church has always understood–and has in fact defined—that Jesus Christ here conferred on the Apostles authority to forgive sins, a power which is exercised in the Sacrament of Penance. "The Lord then especially instituted the Sacrament of Penance when, after being risen from the dead, He breathed upon His disciples and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit…’ The consensus of all the Fathers has always acknowledged that by this action so sublime and words so clear the power of forgiving and retaining sins was given to the Apostles and their lawful successors for reconciling the faithful who have fallen after Baptism” (Council of Trent, “De Paenitentia”, Chapter 1).

The Sacrament of Penance is the most sublime _expression of God’s love and mercy towards men, described so vividly in Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son (cf. Luke 15:11-32). The Lord always awaits us, with His arms wide open, waiting for us to repent–and then He will forgive us and restore us to the dignity of being His sons.

The Popes have consistently recommended Christians to have regular recourse to this Sacrament: “For a constant and speedy advancement in the path of virtue we highly recommend the pious practice of frequent Confession, introduced by the Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit; for by this means we grow in a true knowledge of ourselves and in Christian humility, bad habits are uprooted, spiritual negligence and apathy are prevented, the conscience is purified and the will strengthened, salutary spiritual direction is obtained, and grace is increased by the efficacy of the Sacrament itself” ([Pope] Pius XII, “Mystici Corporis”).

Continued on the next post…