5th Sun. of Easter

May 18, 2014:  5th Sunday of Easter

Readings

• Acts 6:1-7  Hellenists complained because their widows were being neglected, so the Twelve asked the disciples to choose seven wise Spirit-filled men for the job, and they did.  The apostles laid hands on them, and God's word continued to spread.

• Ps 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19  "Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you."  Exult in the Lord whose word is upright and works trustworthy.  He loves justice; the earth is full of his kindness.

• 1 Pt 2:4-9  Come to him, a living stone, rejected by people but precious in God's sight; like living stones, be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer sacrifices to God through Christ.  You're 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.

• Jn 14:1-12  “Don't let your hearts be troubled.  Have faith in me.  I go and prepare a place for you and will come back and take you to myself.  I am the way and the truth and the life.  Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.  I am in the Father and the Father is in me.  Whoever believes in me will do the works I do and greater ones.”

Music

• The call ("Come, my Way, my Truth, my Life")/ Vaughan Williams (gospel); the rest of his Five Mystical Songs are here and here.

• By name I have called you/ Angotti (gospel) [composer's intro] (Thanks again, Mary.)

• Christ, be our Light/ Farrell (another):  "Make us your building, sheltering others, walls made of living stone." (2nd reading)

• Priestly people/ Deiss (2nd reading)

From the Vatican

• Discerning the Fruits of the Digital Age (Fr. Jonah Lynch):  We use technology more wisely when we recognize how it affects us.  Technologies can be useful, but each has its strengths and limitations, and each changes our approach and relationship with the world and influences the content it relays; e.g., cell phones blur lines between home, office, and elsewhere, and TV can favor good-looking speakers.

Some moments need our undivided attention; deciding that nothing is more important than the person in front of me can be liberating.  Limiting distractions can help keep relationships healthy.  Observe how tech has affected you:  what's changed for better or worse?  What uses of tech actually improve my life?

Our experience modifies our brains' structure; reduction of time lag rewires me to expect instant gratification.  I can be more interested in efficiency than people, but sometimes someone needs somebody there listening and holding their hand.  Some of life's most important things need patience and tenderness and can happen only in person, as God taught us by becoming human and living with us.  He sent his Son, not just a message.

Reflections

• Creighton:  No shortcuts:  We're laying the cornerstone of a spiritual house.  If we build our faith and life on that stone, even if we're confused or puzzled, Jesus will soothe our hearts.

• One Bread One Body:  Jesus, our GPS?  In the form of a Person, God gives us directions to our ultimate destination.

• DailyScripture.net:  Re our doing Christ's works:  “Christ has no body now but yours.  No hands, no feet on earth but yours.  Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world.  Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good.  Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world.  Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body.  Christ has no body now on earth but yours.” (attributed to St. Teresa of Avila, but see here about likely cumulative authorship by Pearse, Rowntree (p.15), and Rowntree (p. 106).

• Passionist:  In the dark we need a guiding hand.  Faith may call us to go forward into the unknown but can trust Jesus has gone before us and is showing us the way by his and saints' example, through his Spirit, and through our companions.

• Universalis:  St. John I, pope, martyr

• Sacred Space

Apparel

• "Owl" tie pin, "Dove" pin:  "select seven filled with the Spirit and wisdom" (1st reading)
• "Kneeling person" tie bar:  they'll distribute food while we devote ourselves to prayer and the word (1st reading)
• "Hands" tie:  they laid hands on the new deacons (1st reading)

• "Eyeball" tie pin:  "the eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear him and hope for his kindness" (psalm); whoever has seen me has seen the Father (gospel)

• "Stone" tie pin:  Jesus is a living stone, rejected by people but precious in God's sight; be built into a spiritual house like living stones.  The stone the builders rejected became the cornerstone; a stone will make people stumble and fall.  (2nd reading)

• "Hearts" suspenders:  “Don't let your hearts be troubled. (gospel)
• "Star" tie pin:  "I am the way" (see Friday for explanation) (gospel)
• White shirt:  Easter season

[Watch for a Roamin' Catholic report tomorrow...]

Dress your life!