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From the Pastor’s Desk
The Lectionary for Sunday Mass, which has been one of the great fruits of the Second Vatican Council, assigns Bible readings for Mass as well as other liturgical celebrations. During the Easter season the two privileged books of the Bible that we will hear from consistently are the Acts of the Apostles and the Gospel according to Saint John.
Acts was composed by the Evangelist Saint Luke and is a “second volume” to his Gospel that tells the stories of the early Church in the years after Jesus’ Death and Resurrection. The primary subjects are Saints Peter and Paul, but other Apostles also play a prominent role in these accounts that relate how powerful an influence the Paschal Mystery had upon the early believers, even in the face of much derision and persecution.
Anyone who has read even a little potion of the Gospel of John knows that it is very different that the Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. John’s Gospel is highly symbolic; also, it’s literary style is of very high quality. One of the questions that the author of John’s Gospel asks over and over again is, “Where is Jesus from” as well as “Where is Jesus going?” Jesus is from God because his is the Son of the Eternal Word (John 1:1-2) and is “going to” (or returning) to His Father (John 14:28 and 16:10). To know the answers to these questions becomes the path for all believers to follow in order to attain the glory of the Risen Lord in heaven.
In this cycle of the Sunday Lectionary, our second readings for Sunday (the Lord’s Day) will be from the First Letter of Saint John. Overall it is one of the most straightforward and easiest books of the Bible to read and understand. In its first verses we find the reason that this letter was written” “We are writing this so that your joy may be complete” (1 Jn 1:4). As we continue to ponder and celebrate the Resurrection of Christ, may our joy be complete in Him who is our Savior.
Love,
Fr. Tom