Readings for Wednesday, May 7 2014; Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter

Lectionary: 275

Reading 1
Acts 8:1b-8

There broke out a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem,
and all were scattered
throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria,
except the Apostles.
Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him.
Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the Church;
entering house after house and dragging out men and women,
he handed them over for imprisonment.

Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.
Thus Philip went down to the city of Samaria
and proclaimed the Christ to them.
With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip
when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing.
For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice,
came out of many possessed people,
and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured.
There was great joy in that city.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 66:1-3a, 4-5, 6-7a

R. (1) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Shout joyfully to God, all the earth,
sing praise to the glory of his name;
proclaim his glorious praise.
Say to God, “How tremendous are your deeds!”

R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.

“Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you,
sing praise to your name!”
Come and see the works of God,
his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.

R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.

He has changed the sea into dry land;
through the river they passed on foot;
therefore let us rejoice in him.
He rules by his might forever.

R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel
John 6:35-40

Jesus said to the crowds,
“I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst.
But I told you that although you have seen me,
you do not believe.
Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: Creighton.edu

by

Patrick Borchers, Werner Institute

Given that I write a reflection about once every six weeks, I usually only have one during the Easter season.  This is an especially joyous season.  At Easter Mass, my son and I have developed a “tradition” of a discreet “fist bump” when the disciples arrive at the tomb to find the stone rolled away and the burial garments rolled up in the corner.

The victory is ours once again.

Today’s Gospel is among the most joyous.  As a child I used to wonder about the disciples.  Jesus would speak to them and say essentially, “I’m going to rise from the dead” and the Gospel reading would end with something to the effect of that; the disciples didn’t get it.  I used to think:  “Were they dense?  How could they not get it?  He’s telling them exactly what’s going to happen.”

But they weren’t dense.  Today’s Gospel recounts the joyful, wondrous and miraculous nature of Jesus’ triumph over death.  I’m not sure I would have gotten it until it happened.  But then it happened.   (Virtual) fist bump.