St. Augustine on 3 John. Sixth Week Easter Wednesday Year I

Daffodils

I wandered lonely as a cloud ...A host, of golden daffodils;

Night Office:

A better translation.
A Word in Season, Readings for the Liturgy of the Hours - Easter,  
Augustine Press 2001.

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Nivard ...
Sent: Wednesday, 8 May 2013, 8:25
Subject: Mass - Truth will set you free

Daily Reading & Meditation, adapted.  Wed 8 May

(c) 2013 Don Schwager http://www.rc.net/wcc/readings/may8.htm

 

The Spirit will guide you into all truth.

 

   What would you give to know all truth?

Truth is not something we do nor create.      

   Truth is a gift from God.

Jesus assures us that the Holy Spirit will reveal to us what is true. Sceptics do not want to believe in an absolute Truth. If truth is objective, then we must submit to it as authoritative.

   Some fear the truth because they think it will inhibit their freedom to act and think as they wish. Jesus says that the truth will set you free (Jn 8:32).

   Truth frees us from doubts, illusions, and fears. The closer we draw to God, the more we will know him and experience his great love for us.

 

   Father, fill us with your Holy Spirit and guide us in your way of life and truth, through Christ our Lord.

Night Office.

First Reading   3 John

Responsory                                                         3 In 11; 1 Pt 2:19

Do not imitate an evil example but follow what is good. + By doing good you will become a child of God, alleluia.

V. Grace is at work in the one who endures suffering for the sake of God. + By doing good ...

Second Reading

From a homily by Saint Augustine of Hippo (1 Joh., Tract. 10,9: se 75,432-436)

Christ's body on earth

At his ascension into heaven on the fortieth day, our Lord Jesus Christ commended to the world the body in which he would remain here below. He did this because he saw that many people would honour him on account of his ascension, but that such honour would be worthless if they were trampling on his members on earth. He wished to forestall the error of worshiping him as head in heaven and at the same time trampling on his feet on earth, and so he indicated where his members were to be found.

As he was about to ascend, he spoke the last words he was to utter on earth. At the moment of going up to heaven, the head commended to our care the members he was leaving on earth, and so departed. No longer will you find Christ speaking on earth; in the future he will speak from heaven. Why will he speak from heaven? Because his members are being trampled underfoot on earth. He spoke to Saul the persecutor from above, saying: Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? I have as­cended to' heaven, but I still remain on the earth. Here at the Father's right hand I sit, but there I still hunger and thirst and am without shelter.

In what way, then, did Christ commend to us the body he was leaving on earth at the moment of his ascension?

When his disciples asked him: Lord, has the time come for you to reveal yourself, and when will the kingdom be restored to Israel? his parting words were: It is not for you to know that time which the Father has reserved to his own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses. Observe the area his body is to cover, mark the places where he is loath to be trampled underfoot: You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in the whole of Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. That is where I remain on earth even when I ascend to heaven. I ascend because I am the head; my body still remains. Where is it? Everywhere, to the ends of the earth. Take care not to strike it or violate it or trample it underfoot. These are Christ's last words at the moment of his departure for heaven.

My friends, you have Christian hearts. Think, then, if the words of one who is on the way to the grave are so sweet, so precious, so important to his heirs, what must the last words of Christ mean to his heirs as he departs, not for the grave but for heaven! When a person has lived and died his soul is borne away to another place while his body is laid in the ground. Whether his last request is carried out or not, it matters little to him now. He has other things to do or suffer. His corpse lies in the grave, feeling nothing. And yet his dying wishes are carefully obeyed. If that is so, what will be the lot of those who fail to observe the parting words of the one who is seated in heaven and who looks down to see whether they are flouted or not - the words of him who said: Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? And who reserves for the Day of Judgment all that he sees his members suffer?

Responsory                                                    In 13:34; 1 In 2:10.3

I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you. + Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, alleluia.

V. We can be sure that we know Christ only if we keep his com­mandments. + Whoever loves his ...

Augustine -The comfort of the Holy Spirit, commentary on 1 John 5:13-21

On the First Letter of John by Saint Augustine: 

Our Heart Longs for God

A better translation.
A Word in Season, Readings for the Liturgy of the Hours - Easter,  
Augustine Press 2001.

Night Office

Sixth Week of Easter  MONDAY Year I

First Reading           1 John 5:13-21

Responsory                                             1 In 5:20i In 1:17

We know that the Son of God has come + and has given us the dis­cernment to recognize the true God, alleluia.

V. No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is nearest the Fa­ther's heart, has made him known, + and has given ...

Second Reading

From a homily by Saint Augustine of Hippo (In. Joh., 94,1-3: CCl 36, 561-563)

The comfort of the Holy Spirit

When the Lord Jesus had forewarned his disciples about the persecutions they would be called upon to suffer after he had left them, he went on to say: I did not tell you these things at first, because I was still with you. But now it is time for me to leave you and return to him that sent me. It is clear from the context that our Lord is referring to his teaching on the coming of the Holy Spirit, who would bear witness to him when the time came for his disciples to endure the trials of which he had spoken.

This advocate or comforter was going to be greatly needed by the disciples after Christ had left them. While he was still among them there had been no cause for him to mention the Holy Spirit, for then they drew their strength from the presence of the Lord himself. But when his departure was at hand, then it was necessary for him to tell them of the coming of the one who would so kindle the fire of love within their hearts as to enable them to proclaim the word of God with boldness. He would be within them, bearing witness to Christ. The disciples themselves would also bear witness to him; nor would they be shaken or discouraged when the Jewish leaders threw them out of their synagogues and even put them to death in the belief that they were acting in defense of God's own interests. Throughout all this the disciples would be sustained and strengthened by an all-enduring love poured into their hearts by the gift of the Holy Spirit. From this we see how Christ intended his disciples to become martyrs, that is, witnesses to him, by means of the Holy Spirit. With the Spirit at work within them they would be able to endure every kind of persecution and hardship, never allowing their zeal to cool but, with the divine fire ablaze in their breasts, continuing to preach the gospel openly.

But now I have forewarned you of these things, so that when the time comes you may remember that I did indeed speak to YOU of them. I have spoken to you of these things, namely that you will not only have suffering to endure but that you will have an Advocate who will be my witness when he comes, so that you may not be cowed by fear and reduced to silence, but may add your testimony to his. Yet I refrained from telling you these things at first, because you still had me with you, and I could then uphold you with my bodily presence, which your senses could appreciate and your simple minds could grasp.

Responsory                                            In 14:16-17i 16:7

I will ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate, the Spirit of truth, + to remain with you forever, alleluia.

V. If I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you, + to remain with ...