Friday, April 30, 2010
Paul continues to preach in the synagogue in Antioch. Having reminded them in yesterday’s reading of God’s favor, now he accuses “the residents of Jerusalem and their leaders [who] did not recognize Jesus…but asked Pilate to have him killed….But God raised him from the dead!”
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Thursday, April 29, 2010
Conflict still marks the early church. John leaves Paul and Barnabas to return to Jerusalem; this will eventually cause the two missionaries to the Gentiles to split.
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Wednesday, April 28, 2010
A small confusion because the ancient manuscripts did not have chapters and verses marked in them. In our first paragraph (12:25), Paul and Barnabas are in Jerusalem, and then suddenly in Antioch again (13:1-5). They are still following the pattern of proclaiming the Messiah in the synagogues.
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Tuesday, April 27, 2010
There is conflict in the early church with discrimination toward Hellenists (Helene means Greek in language and culture). “They spoke the word to no one except Jews.
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Monday, April 26, 2010
Peter is questioned about his admitting Gentiles into the new community and he gives an explanation of the Spirit’s working, “step by step”. The psalm’s “thirsting for the Lord” could well be a thirst for the Spirit, because the whole church, then and now, is waiting from power from on high
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Sunday, April 25, 2010
This is often known as Good Shepherd Sunday. Jesus, according to John, takes a title belonging to God and applies it to himself in Jn 10:11: “I am the good shepherd.
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Saturday, April 24, 2010
We have prayed to the Holy Spirit, for whom the disciples wait during these 50 days. In persecution they experience peace, and “in the comfort of the Holy Spirit,” they increase in number
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Friday, April 23, 2010
Luke for the first time narrates the story of Paul’s meeting Jesus, the Lord, on the road. “Who are you, Lord?” Paul asks, in response to Christ’s asking: “Why do you persecute me?”
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Thursday, April 22, 2010
If we only had Acts we would think the first creed of the young church was “Jesus Christ is Son of God,” but it is rather, “Jesus Christ is Lord.”
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Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Why were the Christians scattered, but the apostles were allowed to remain? Some think that Greek-speaking Jews like Stephen were able to think of Jesus as son of God but the apostles, Aramaic-speaking Jews, clung to monotheism.
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Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Luke deliberately patterns Stephen’s relativizing the Law and customs of Moses on Jesus’ stance. Stephen accuses the whole council of teaching but not practicing the Law, “opposing the Holy Spirit.”
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Monday, April 19, 2010
How we hate change! That is the charge against Stephen: he will change the customs.
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Sunday, April 18, 2010
Peter and the apostles teach the high priest. They must obey God, not any human authority. God has vindicated Jesus, exalting him as Leader and Savior.
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Saturday, April 17, 2010
Again, we are told Jesus withdrew to the mountain by himself. What did you learn (discipulus/a means a learner) from being with him on the mountain yesterday?
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Friday, April 16, 2010
“When the people saw the sign Jesus had done….” Notice, the feeding of the crowd is not a miracle in John’s theology. Jesus offers us signs of God’s inbreaking, and the evangelist usually follows each with a discourse about its meaning.
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Thursday, April 15, 2010
Peter insists, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.” Then Peter calls Jesus our Leader (Canadian translation) but in Greek, our pioneer, one who has gone before us, experiencing everything a human being can/does.
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Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Our liturgists repeat verse seven from John’s gospel: “You must be born from above…born of the Spirit.” To be born of the Spirit might mean we are willing and trusting enough to relinquish “private” property for the good of the whole, “holding everything in common…not a needy person among them."
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Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Tables are turned on those who persecute the apostles out of jealousy. When the apostles, freed by an angel from prison, return to preach, it is the priestly caste and their police who are afraid that the people would stone them.
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Monday, April 12, 2010
Peter, John and their companions pray about their experience of being persecuted and all prayed: “…grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal and signs and wonders are performed…”
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Sunday, April 11, 2010
“My Lord and my God,” Thomas cries. There is no physical touching recorded, but Jesus’ call to trust must have been even more authentic to Thomas than physical evidence that this is the Lord. It is the only time in the gospels that Jesus is “equated” with God.
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Saturday, April 10, 2010
Psalm 118: “I give thanks to you, for your faithful love lasts forever. You are my strength and my salvation. There are glad songs of victory in your tent. I shall not die but live.”
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Friday, April 9, 2010
Psalm 118: “We give thanks to you, for you are good. Your faithful love endures forever. Blessed are you who come in God’s own name. We bless you! You have given us light.”
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Thursday, April 8, 2010
Psalm 8: “How wonderful is your name in all the earth! Your glory is above the heavens! You have made us little lower than God and crowned us with glory and honor.”
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Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Psalm 105: “We give thanks to you, make your work known among people, sing praises to you, tell of all your wonderful works! We glory in your holy name. Our hearts rejoice as we seek you.”
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Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Psalm 33: “Your work is done in faithfulness. You love justice. The whole earth is full of your faithful love. We wait for you. Let your steadfast love be upon us for we hope in you.
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Monday, April 5, 2010
Every day this week is a Solemnity. How will you celebrate each day? Ask the Spirit, and plan to something joyful each day.
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Sunday, April 4, 2010
Alleluia! Glory to God! This is the day our God has made! “God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and with power”, Peter reminds the people, and although he was hung on a tree, a sign that Jesus was cursed by God (Deuteronomy 21:23), “God raised him on the third day…!”
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Saturday, April 3, 2010
The service of the light opens this lengthy welcome of new Christians into the Roman Catholic community. Seven readings, responses and prayers finally lead us to the Gloria, song, bells, trumpets!
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Friday, April 2, 2010
Although it seems Isaiah is predicting the suffering of Jesus, he really is looking back to find meaning in the suffering of Israel, carried off as slaves to Babylon.
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Thursday, April 1, 2010
John’s gospel has no creation of the on-going Lord’s Supper, the name some Protestants give the Eucharist; others call it Maundy Thursday, maundy meaning “washing”. Instead of bread and wine blessed and given, Jesus kneels in front of his friends and gives his service.
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