Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Lectionary: 283
Reading 1ACTS 13:26-33
When Paul came to Antioch in Pisidia, he said in the synagogue:
“My brothers, children of the family of Abraham,
and those others among you who are God-fearing,
to us this word of salvation has been sent.
The inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders failed to recognize him,
and by condemning him they fulfilled the oracles of the prophets
that are read sabbath after sabbath.
For even though they found no grounds for a death sentence,
they asked Pilate to have him put to death,
and when they had accomplished all that was written about him,
they took him down from the tree and placed him in a tomb.
But God raised him from the dead,
and for many days he appeared to those
who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem.
These are now his witnesses before the people.
We ourselves are proclaiming this good news to you
that what God promised our fathers
he has brought to fulfillment for us, their children, by raising up Jesus,
as it is written in the second psalm,
You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.”
“My brothers, children of the family of Abraham,
and those others among you who are God-fearing,
to us this word of salvation has been sent.
The inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders failed to recognize him,
and by condemning him they fulfilled the oracles of the prophets
that are read sabbath after sabbath.
For even though they found no grounds for a death sentence,
they asked Pilate to have him put to death,
and when they had accomplished all that was written about him,
they took him down from the tree and placed him in a tomb.
But God raised him from the dead,
and for many days he appeared to those
who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem.
These are now his witnesses before the people.
We ourselves are proclaiming this good news to you
that what God promised our fathers
he has brought to fulfillment for us, their children, by raising up Jesus,
as it is written in the second psalm,
You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.”
In this verse, St. Paul teaches the people of Antioch, both Jew and Gentile, all that happened in Jerusalem in the Passion of Christ. How they falsely accused Him and had Him crucified. How He died and rose again.
I had never noticed this before. St. Paul also says that the Second Psalm teaches of the resurrection of Jesus Christ when it says, "You are my Son, this day I have begotten you." At least, that is how I'm reading it. What do you think?
Responsorial PsalmPS 2:6-7, 8-9, 10-11AB
R. (7bc) You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
“I myself have set up my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.”
I will proclaim the decree of the LORD:
The LORD said to me, “You are my Son;
this day I have begotten you.”
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
“Ask of me and I will give you
the nations for an inheritance
and the ends of the earth for your possession.
You shall rule them with an iron rod;
you shall shatter them like an earthen dish.”
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
And now, O kings, give heed;
take warning, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him;
with trembling rejoice.
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
“I myself have set up my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.”
I will proclaim the decree of the LORD:
The LORD said to me, “You are my Son;
this day I have begotten you.”
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
“Ask of me and I will give you
the nations for an inheritance
and the ends of the earth for your possession.
You shall rule them with an iron rod;
you shall shatter them like an earthen dish.”
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
And now, O kings, give heed;
take warning, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him;
with trembling rejoice.
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
This Psalm has a double meaning. It is in reference, first, to Kings like David and Solomon, whom God put on the throne of His Kingdom to rule the nations fairly. But in the Spiritual sense, it is about the Messiah. The Messiah, is of course, Jesus Christ.
GospelJN 14:1-6
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If there were not,
would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way.”
Thomas said to him,
“Master, we do not know where you are going;
how can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.”
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If there were not,
would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way.”
Thomas said to him,
“Master, we do not know where you are going;
how can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.”
They say that hindsight is twenty-twenty. It is easy to either feel sorry for St. Thomas or to laugh at his seeming lack of intelligence. Even yet, when Christ has shown so many signs, St. Thomas does not yet realize that he is sitting in the presence of God.
But let us not be hasty in our judgment. How many of us, after receiving so many gifts from God, have questioned His existence? Don't do that. Be grateful and always give God the praise that He deserves.
My opinion is today first reading Acts 13:33 and the responsorial psalm is really regarding Jesus rules as davidic king whom God Himself promised to Israel. A messiah whom they are waiting to come. Ironically they ( Jewish) didn't believe it, that Jesus is messiah, they killed him, that's the reason St. Paul citing psalm 2:7 for reminding the Jewish that God really kept His promise and has sent a mesiah.
ReplyDeleteSincerely, Anna
Ps. We all are acting like St. Thomas most the time especially when things are not in our favour. You did nice reminder. Thank you.
It must have something to do with our fallen nature that we are so difficult to convince. Although Jesus produced so many signs and prodigies in their midst, the Jews still did not come to believe.
DeleteIt reminds me when you asked me why it was so difficult to convince the Protestants. I think it must have something to do with sin. St. Paul said of the Jews:
1 Thessalonians 2:15
Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men:
This, I believe, is why they were struck with a blindness:
Romans 11:25
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Perhaps, the fullness of the Gentiles will come soon and then they will be able to see and understand that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God.
Your servant in Christ,
De Maria