Dress to God's Word / "Liturgical Dress": April 24

See over a dozen connections
with today and yesterday?
Legend below

Listen

From Handel's Messiah

Let us break their bonds asunder: another (psalm) [The first is from a concert of just Parts 2 and 3, a great idea considering the preponderance of Part 1+Hallelujah chorus concerts.]

Read

Acts 4:23-31 Peter and John reported what the chief priests and elders told them. The people said, “Lord, you said through David: Why did the Gentiles rage? Kings took their stand against the Lord and his anointed. Herod and Pilate, with Jews and Gentiles, gathered to do what you'd willed long ago. Lord, let your servants speak your word boldly and do signs and wonders in Jesus' name.” They were filled with the Spirit and continued to speak God's word boldly.

Ps 2:1-9 "Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord." Why do the nations rage? Kings rise up against the Lord and his anointed. The Lord derides, then terrifies them. The Lord told me, “You are my Son. You shall rule and shelter the nations.”

Jn 3:1-8 Pharisee Nicodemus / Jesus: “Rabbi, we know you're from God; no one can do these signs unless God is with him.” / “Unless you're born from above, you can't see God's Kingdom.” / “How can an old man be born again?” / “Unless you're born of water and Spirit, you can't enter. Flesh begets flesh and spirit spirit. The wind blows where it wills; you hear it but don't know where it's from or where it's going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

Reflect

Fr. Galaviz's ACC homily: Jesus told Nicodemus he had to be "born from above" or "born again." We have to be "born of water," "born of the Spirit." Easter is time of renewal, of reflecting on how to live our baptism. Be open to the Spirit, remove the obstacles, and let the Spirit purify, encourage, and transform you. More

Creighton: Born into our created world is an immersion into the life breath of God. Ruah is Hebrew for Spirit, Breath, of God. To be born "from above" can be interpreted as born "anew." Just as Jesus lay in the tomb and rose to new life, we too sleep and wake each day born anew into the mystery that the Spirit is alive and lives in us. This awareness of the Spirit’s presence may come in many forms. If you listen closely to the wind, you may hear your name called. The 1st reading invites us to listen, speak, and act God's word courageously and boldly. To do so, especially in adversity, is brave!

One Bread, One Body: "Church militant or Church defeated?" Jewish leaders threw the apostles into prison for healing a cripple then "teaching the people and proclaiming the resurrection....". Then the leaders threatened them never to mention Jesus' name again and released them. The apostles returned to the other disciples, prayed for assurance in proclaiming God's Word, were filled with the Spirit, and kept speaking God's Word with confidence. We too must not be alarmed that the powerful conspire against us; Christians have been attacked for centuries. God's power is infinite and eternal, but the attackers' is limited and short-lived. We must pray for the apostles' confidence, assurance, and boldness. May we persevere in spreading God's Word.

Passionist: 'Witness' helps define what it means to be a Christian; it's in the New Testament 295 times; it means to be an eyewitness, to affirm you've seen, heard, or experienced something or know it because divine revelation or inspiration taught it to you. Scripture reminds us not only to grasp the Risen Christ as the women did but also to encourage others to do the same. The Risen Lord came and went unexpectedly; they wanted to keep Him there! The Greek for 'boldness' (parrēsia) means “freedom of speech, unreserved utterance, absence of fear to speak boldly, confidence.” Lack of conviction, or fear of what others may think, can keep us from speaking boldly. We can think that our Lord's teaching is narrow-minded and wrong and let practices against Christianity stand unchallenged, letting things degrade that took 2,000 years to establish. May we be witnesses to the Living Risen Christ."

DailyScripture.net: "Unless one is born anew": Nicodemus was no ordinary Jew; he was a religious ruler, Sanhedrin member, teacher, a devout Pharisee seeking to follow the law of Moses. He probably chose to meet with Jesus at night because he wasn't ready publicly to associate with Jesus in the face of opposition; rabbis said the best time to study the law was at night. Nicodemus addressed Jesus as rabbi (teacher) and acknowledged his teaching came from God. The new birth Jesus spoke about was spiritual birth, from God himself; he explained it could only come through the Spirit. To be reborn in the Spirit is to enter the community in which God is honored and obeyed. Those who willingly accept God's rule in their lives become citizens of God's kingdom and his adopted children and enter into his everlasting life of love, peace, joy, and freedom.

Dress legend

'Dove' pin: "They were all filled with the Holy Spirit" (1st reading); one not born of water and Spirit can't enter the Kingdom (gospel)

'Hands' pin: "Enable us to speak your word, as you stretch your hand to heal" (1st reading); Sunday: Jesus showed them his hands; Thomas: "unless I put my hand into his side" (gospel)

'Crown' tie bar: "The kings of the earth took their stand" (psalm, quoted in 1st reading); "I have set up my king" (psalm)

'Signs' tie: "Enable your servants to speak your word boldly, as you heal and work signs and wonders..." (1st reading); "no one can do the signs you're doing unless God is with him" (gospel)

Dress to God's Word / "Liturgical Dress"