Posts Tagged ‘community of disciples’

On Today’s Gospel

Posted: April 13, 2021 by CatholicJules in Personal Thoughts & Reflections
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How can we believers be united heart and soul if we do not belong to a community of believers? If we believe that however we behave, say or do is between us and God individually? If everything and everyone else is a priority over our community prayer meetings? If we do not meet to pray and dwell on the Word of the Lord as one body in Him? If we do not testify to His great love for us in our lives? If we do not care for the well being of one another? If we hold back and do not give our all, then in essence we deprive ourselves of life to the full in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

For if we are truly united heart and soul then we too will testify to the resurrection of our Lord with great power. Together we will bear our crosses and lift our Lord up high so that everyone who believes will have a share of eternal life in Him. Amen Alleluia

First reading

Acts 4:32-37 ·

The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul

The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul; no one claimed for his own use anything that he had, as everything they owned was held in common.

    The apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power, and they were all given great respect.

    None of their members was ever in want, as all those who owned land or houses would sell them, and bring the money from them, to present it to the apostles; it was then distributed to any members who might be in need.

    There was a Levite of Cypriot origin called Joseph whom the apostles surnamed Barnabas (which means ‘son of encouragement’). He owned a piece of land and he sold it and brought the money, and presented it to the apostles.

Gospel

John 3:7-15

No-one has gone up to heaven except the Son of Man who has come down from heaven

Jesus said to Nicodemus:

‘Do not be surprised when I say:

You must be born from above.

The wind blows wherever it pleases;

you hear its sound,

but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.

That is how it is with all who are born of the Spirit.’

‘How can that be possible?’ asked Nicodemus. ‘You, a teacher in Israel, and you do not know these things!’ replied Jesus.

‘I tell you most solemnly,

we speak only about what we know

and witness only to what we have seen

and yet you people reject our evidence.

If you do not believe me when I speak about things in this world,

how are you going to believe me when I speak to you about heavenly things?

No one has gone up to heaven

except the one who came down from heaven,

the Son of Man who is in heaven;

and the Son of Man must be lifted up

as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,

so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.’

On Today’s Gospel

Posted: October 30, 2020 by CatholicJules in Personal Thoughts & Reflections
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Love not just for ourselves but love that wills the good of and in another. This kind of extraordinary love does not exist simply in one’s own family since a family generally is one unit in itself; but in community. It is only in a community of disciples in our Lord Jesus Christ that such love is nurtured, flourishes and eventually overflows out into the world! For such love is built upon the rock where living waters flow.

See and feel the love for yourselves in today’s First Reading. Hear the affection the apostle of Christ, St Paul has for His beloved community of disciples who lifts him up just as he lifts them up through Christ our Lord. Do you belong to such a loving community? If you do not then why not? Do they not exist where you’re at? Or rather have you kept yourself away from them? If you are in such a community then how welcoming are you of others as a community, when someone in search of one approaches? Does your community proactively reach out to others?

Sweet saviour grant me a disciple’s heart after Your own, let me to tend to my sister or by brother in need swiftly. Just as You make haste to help me in my need. Amen

First reading
Philippians 1:1-11
Greeting and thanksgiving

From Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus, together with their presiding elders and deacons. We wish you the grace and peace of God our Father and of the Lord Jesus Christ.
    I thank my God whenever I think of you; and every time I pray for all of you, I pray with joy, remembering how you have helped to spread the Good News from the day you first heard it right up to the present. I am quite certain that the One who began this good work in you will see that it is finished when the Day of Christ Jesus comes. It is only natural that I should feel like this towards you all, since you have shared the privileges which have been mine: both my chains and my work defending and establishing the gospel. You have a permanent place in my heart, and God knows how much I miss you all, loving you as Christ Jesus loves you. My prayer is that your love for each other may increase more and more and never stop improving your knowledge and deepening your perception so that you can always recognise what is best. This will help you to become pure and blameless, and prepare you for the Day of Christ, when you will reach the perfect goodness which Jesus Christ produces in us for the glory and praise of God.


Gospel
Luke 14:1-6
‘Is it against the law to cure a man on the sabbath?’

Now on a sabbath day Jesus had gone for a meal to the house of one of the leading Pharisees; and they watched him closely. There in front of him was a man with dropsy, and Jesus addressed the lawyers and Pharisees. ‘Is it against the law’ he asked ‘to cure a man on the sabbath, or not?’ But they remained silent, so he took the man and cured him and sent him away. Then he said to them, ‘Which of you here, if his son falls into a well, or his ox, will not pull him out on a sabbath day without hesitation?’ And to this they could find no answer.