"Hear the Word! by Bill Ayres: Fifth Sunday of Easter
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles
(Chapter 6:1-7)
In the early Christian community, there was often tension between the Hebrews and the Hellenists—the Greeks. In this reading, we hear a complaint from the Hellenists “because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution (of food). So, the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said, ‘It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table. Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.’” This appointment of what we now call deacons is the first record of an ordination, and it made it possible to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the whole community.
Responsorial Psalm
(Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19)
“Lord, let your mercy be upon us, as we place our trust in you.” Pope Francis has certainly become our “Mercy Pope.” He often talks about God’s mercy as a powerful force in his life and ours. When he was a young priest in Argentina, he failed to stand up for two of his fellow priests during a time of political terror. Afterward, he regretted this, but he experienced God’s mercy in a powerful way, and ever since he has tried to share this message with all.
A reading from the First Letter of Peter
(Chapter 2:4-9)
You are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises” of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
The Jewish people always understood themselves as a “chosen people,” and now Peter is saying that Christians, too, will be ”a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John
(Chapter 14:1-12)
John, writing many years after the death of Jesus, wants to let everyone know who Jesus really was. The disciples certainly believed that Jesus was the Messiah, and now John is saying much more.
In this account, Jesus says to Thomas, “’I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.’ Philip said to him, ‘Master, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in my Father and the Father is in me? … Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?’”
Later, John writes that Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.” That’s it. There is a unity between the Father and the Son that is so close that seeing one is seeing the other, and “seeing” either is seeing the Holy Spirit. This is something so hard to comprehend that people still have trouble grasping it after two thousand years. But that is the point: we do not grasp it; we live in it. We live in and are nourished by living in the mystery of the Holy Trinity.
✝️
Painting: The Heavenly and Earthly Trinities (1681-81) by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. National Gallery, London. Public Domain.
Excerpts from the English translation of the Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL). All rights reserved.
Bill Ayres was a founder, with the late singer Harry Chapin, of WhyHunger. He has been a radio and TV broadcaster for 40 years and has two weekly Sunday-night shows on WPLJ, 95.5 FM in New York. He is a member of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Centerport, New York.
Subscribe
Recent Posts
Topics
- Sharon Krause (136)
- RENEW International (124)
- Reflections on the coming Sunday's Gospel (111)
- Hear the Word! by Bill Ayres (41)
- Bill Ayres (38)
- Indwelling of the Holy Spirit (21)
- Jesus Christ (16)
- Lent (14)
- Advent (11)
- everyday prayer (11)
- Lenten season (10)
- The Everyday Gospel: Deacon Charles Paolino (10)
- John the Baptist (8)
- Jesus Christ the King (7)
- take time to pray (7)
- trust in God (7)
- Catholic social teaching (6)
- God in daily life (6)
- Gratitude to God (6)
- The Good Shepherd (6)
- forgiveness (6)
- justice (6)
- praying (6)
- resurrection (6)
- Advent prayer (5)
- Dignity and the Death Penalty (5)
- Fifth Sunday of Lent (5)
- Palm Sunday (5)
- Scripture (5)
- Third Sunday of Lent (5)
- gratitude (5)
- patience (5)
- renewing our faith (5)
- Christmas (4)
- Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (4)
- Fourth Sunday in Lent (4)
- Gifts of the Holy Spirit (4)
- Lenten journey (4)
- Second Sunday of Advent (4)
- Second Sunday of Lent (4)
- Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (4)
- Sign of the Cross (4)
- Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (4)
- The Holy Spirit accompanies us (4)
- The Resurrection of the Lord (4)
- care for those in poverty (4)
- daily prayer (4)
- death penalty (4)
- epiphany (4)
- faith in Jesus (4)
- first sunday of Lent (4)
- mercy (4)
- prayer (4)
- spontaneous prayer (4)
- suffering servant (4)
- third sunday in ordinary time (4)
- 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time (3)
- 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (3)
- Awaken to the Spirit (3)
- Easter (3)
- Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (3)
- Fifth Sunday of Easter (3)
- God's forgiveness (3)
- God's gifts (3)
- God's love (3)
- Holy Spirit (3)
- Holy Trinity (3)
- Jesus walks on water (3)
- Marian devotion (3)
- Pentecost (3)
- Seventh Sunday of Easter (3)
- Sixth Sunday of Easter (3)
- Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity (3)
- The Ascension (3)
- body and blood of Christ (3)
- celebration of the Eucharist (3)
- dignity of each person (3)
- doubting Thomas (3)
- feast of pentecost (3)
- gifts from God (3)
- good deeds (3)
- humility (3)
- open to the Holy Spirit (3)
- pray for peace (3)
- solemnity of the most holy body and blood of chris (3)
- spreading good news (3)
- woman at the well (3)
- 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (2)
- 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (2)
- 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (2)
- 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (2)
- Annunciation (2)
- Baptism of the Lord (2)
- Christ the King (2)
- Christian discipleship (2)
- Christmas Day (2)
- Christmas shopping (2)
- Easter joy (2)
- Easter season of rebirth (2)
- Eucharist (2)
- Feeding the hungry (2)
- First Sunday of Advent (2)
- Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (2)
- Fourth Sunday of Easter (2)
- God is love (2)
- God who loves you (2)
- God's unconditional love for all (2)
- Good News (2)
- Holy Eucharist (2)
- Jesus as teacher (2)
- Jesus healing (2)
- Jesus loves us (2)
- Jesus’ Resurrection (2)
- Lent prayer (2)
- Mary (2)
- Mary's House (2)
- Nativity of the Lord (2)
- Spirit of love (2)
- St John the Baptist (2)
- St. Joseph (2)
- Temptation of Christ (2)
- The Rosary (2)
- The golden rule (2)
- Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time (2)
- attitude of gratitude (2)
- baptism (2)
- bread of life (2)
- distractions from prayer (2)
- divinity of Jesus (2)
- encounter with Christ (2)
- eternal life (2)
- evangelization (2)
- fourth sunday in ordinary time (2)
- fourth sunday of advent (2)
- generosity (2)
- give thanks to God (2)
- good works (2)
- gratefulness (2)
- having faith (2)
- holding grudges (2)
- holy spirit at work (2)
- hope in the Lord (2)
- kindness (2)
- love one another as I love you (2)
- man born blind (2)
- mental incompetence (2)
- need prayer and reflection (2)
- persist in prayer (2)
- prayer life (2)
- prayer of gratitude (2)
- prayers of gratitude (2)
- raising of Lazarus (2)
- reconciliation (2)
- recreate yourself this New Year (2)
- road to Emmaus (2)
- saint (2)
- scripture readings (2)
- second coming of Christ (2)
- second sunday in ordinary time (2)
- servant leadership (2)
- sharing our gifts (2)
- solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord (2)
- spiritual grouth (2)
- spiritual renewal (2)
- spread the Gospel (2)
- teaching children about God (2)
- the miraculous catch of fish (2)
- thinking (2)
- third sunday of advent (2)
- transfiguration of the Lord (2)
- use your gifts (2)
- wedding feast at Cana (2)
- woman found in adultery (2)
- words (2)
- 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- 4th Sunday of Lent (1)
- Abba (1)
- Acts of love (1)
- Advent journey (1)
- Advent season (1)
- Ascension (1)
- Assumption of Mary (1)
- Be awake (1)
- Birth of John the Baptist (1)
- Book of Wisdom (1)
- Book of the Prophet Amos (1)
- Catholic education (1)
- Charity (1)
- Charles Paolino (1)
- Christ's love (1)
- Christian unity (1)
- Creator God (1)
- Crucifxion (1)
- Dying to new life (1)
- Easter Sunday (1)
- Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- Father Son and Holy Spirit (1)
- Feast of the Holy Family (1)
- Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- Gentiles (1)
- God always with you (1)
- God full of love (1)
- God is our help (1)
- God is with us (1)
- God's blessings (1)
- God's generosity (1)
- God's guidance (1)
- God's healing (1)
- God's mercy (1)
- God's presence (1)
- God's presence in life (1)
- God's voice (1)
- Good Shepherd (1)
- Hail Holy Queen (1)
- Holy Week (1)
- Inspired by the Holy Spirit (1)
- Jesus Christ is born (1)
- Jesus as high priest (1)
- Jesus feeds the multitude (1)
- Jesus' love (1)
- Jesus' miracles (1)
- Joseph (1)
- Joseph of Arimathea (1)
- Laura DePalma (1)
- Lenten (1)
- Lenten Prayer (1)
- Let the little children come to me (1)
- Love your neighbor as yourself (1)
- Mary Magdalene (1)
- Mary mother of God (1)
- Messiah (1)
- Nativity (1)
- New Covenant (1)
- New Year (1)
- Prediction of the Passion (1)
- Prophet Ezekiel (1)
- Prophet Jeremiah (1)
- Rely on Jesus (1)
- Sadducees (1)
- Saint Peter (1)
- Santa Claus (1)
- Savior of the world (1)
- Second Sunday of Easter (1)
- Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- Small-Group Ministry (1)
- Solemnity of Sts Peter and Paul (1)
- Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord (1)
- Sr. Helen Prejean (1)
- St. Nicholas (1)
- St. Nicholas of Bari (1)
- St. Thomas (1)
- St. patrick (1)
- Suffering Messiah (1)
- Sunday (1)
- Sunday Mass (1)
- Sunday Matters (1)
- Sunday readings (1)
- Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- The Lord's Prayer (1)
- The holy name (1)
- The rich young man (1)
- Third Sunday of Easter (1)
- Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- War in Ukraine (1)
- You shall love the Lord your God (1)
- Zacchaeus (1)
- almsgiving (1)
- applying Scripture to your life (1)
- authentic discipleship (1)
- authority of Jesus (1)
- awareness (1)
- be less judgmental (1)
- being a disciple (1)
- being positive (1)
- bible study (1)
- birth of our Savior (1)
- bread from heaven (1)
- call to discipleship (1)
- catholic renew progam (1)
- centering prayer (1)
- choices (1)
- connecting faith and life (1)
- counting our blessings (1)
- courage (1)
- crèche (1)
- discipleship (1)
- divine mercy (1)
- divorce (1)
- do not be afraid (1)
- driving responsibly (1)
- evangelize by witness (1)
- evangelizer (1)
- fasting (1)
- fear not (1)
- follow Jesus (1)
- follow the gospel (1)
- following the way of the cross (1)
- gift of faith (1)
- giving things up for Lent (1)
- go in peace (1)
- good Samaritan (1)
- good christian lives (1)
- good will (1)
- greatest commandment (1)
- growing in faith (1)
- healing of the blind man (1)
- hope in God (1)
- human dignity (1)
- humanity and divinity of Christ (1)
- humble life (1)
- imitating Jesus (1)
- inclusion (1)
- inner peace (1)
- intimacy with Christ (1)
- joy and wonder of the resurrection (1)
- joy from the Lord (1)
- listening to God (1)
- little prayers (1)
- lives of joy and gladness (1)
- lives of saints (1)
- love of neighbor (1)
- love one another (1)
- love your neighbor (1)
- magnificence of God's love (1)
- marriage (1)
- meek and humble of heart (1)
- mental health (1)
- minister with humility (1)
- ministry of evangelization (1)
- mission (1)
- new beginnings (1)
- online community (1)
- online small groups (1)
- optimism (1)
- parable of the hidden treasure (1)
- parable of the pearl (1)
- parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee (1)
- parables (1)
- patron of the universal catholic church (1)
- peace (1)
- peace of mind (1)
- penance (1)
- persecution (1)
- praying with children (1)
- problem solving (1)
- promise of new life (1)
- reach out to others in mercy and love (1)
- rebrand (1)
- remembering (1)
- renew our faith (1)
- renewed outlook on faith (1)
- respect for the will of God (1)
- restraint (1)
- resurrection in our lives (1)
- sabbath (1)
- saint joseph (1)
- saint nicholas (1)
- saints (1)
- salvation is through Jesus (1)
- say yes to God's will (1)
- saying grace (1)
- season of Lent (1)
- self-awareness (1)
- self-sacrifice (1)
- serenity (1)
- sharing your faith (1)
- silent prayer (1)
- small faith sharing groups (1)
- social justice (1)
- something new (1)
- spend time with Jesus (1)
- starting fresh (1)
- status of women (1)
- suffering (1)
- summer (1)
- summer as time to reflect on God's presence (1)
- thanking God (1)
- the common good (1)
- the examined life (1)
- the just one (1)
- thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- three meditations (1)
- transfiguration (1)
- treatment of women (1)
- true wisdom (1)
- trust in God's mercy (1)
- universal Church (1)
- use time well (1)
- voice crying out in the desert (1)
- we remember (1)
- wedding garment (1)
- wisdom (1)
- women in the Church (1)
- wonder of creation (1)
Share a Comment