22 | April | 2009

Archive for April 22nd, 2009

An Invitation to Life

April 22, 2009

04222009

The Words of Jesus of Nazareth by Lee Cantelon

An Invitation to Life

Everyone who believes in the Son will have life everlasting.

A wealthy man planned a great banquet, and invited many guests. When the preparations were completed, he sent his servant to gather those who had been invited. "Come,” he said, “for all things are ready."

But all those who had been invited began to make excuses.

The first replied: "I have just purchased a piece of land, and I must go and look at it again. Please have me excused."

The second said: "I have just purchased a herd of cattle, and I must go and examine it. Please have me excused."

A third answered: "I have recently been married, and for this, I cannot attend."

Finally, the servant returned and reported what had happened. Hearing the disappointing news, the master commanded: "Go quickly into the streets of the city, and gather the poor, the lame, the ill, and the blind."

The servant hurried to do this and soon returned, saying: "Sir, I have done as you commanded, and still there is room at the table."

"Go then," the rich man replied, "along the highways and among the fields, and urge those you meet to come in, that my table might be filled. For I say to you: none of those that were originally invited will taste of the banquet that I had prepared for them."

Whoever hears my word and believes in the One who has sent me will find eternal life and not be condemned. Instead, they will pass from death unto life. Do not be amazed at this , for the time is coming when even the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear his voice shall live. In their graves, the dead will recognize his voice and be raised up; those that have done good will be raised to new life, and those who have lived wrongfully will be raised to condemnation.

Herein lies the way to eternal life: know the only true God and Jesus Christ, the one sent to you by God. Take my words to heart. For God so loved the world that he offered his only Son a living sacrifice, that whoever believes in him will not perish, but be redeemed and have everlasting life. This good news of the kingdom shall be preached to the entire world as a witness to all nations; and then shall the end come.

Lord God, Abba Father, O that You would bless me indeed, enlarge my territory for You by helping me make the right decisions, and keeping me from evil by placing me with those fellow believers whom I can work together with for Your good and glory, while keeping me from causing pain and from being hurt by those lost souls who let the ways under the sun harden their hearts and drive their thoughts, words and acts. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Man, though made of body and soul, is a unity. Through his very bodily condition he sums up in himself the elements of the material world. Through him they are thus brought to their highest perfection and can raise their voice in praise freely given to the Creator. For this reason man may not despise his bodily life. Rather he is obliged to regard his body as good and to hold it in honor since God has created it and will raise it up on the last day.

— Gaudium et spes

Reading 1
Acts 5:17-26
The high priest rose up and all his companions,
that is, the party of the Sadducees,
and, filled with jealousy,
laid hands upon the Apostles and put them in the public jail.
But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison,
led them out, and said,
"Go and take your place in the temple area,
and tell the people everything about this life."
When they heard this,
they went to the temple early in the morning and taught.
When the high priest and his companions arrived,
they convened the Sanhedrin,
the full senate of the children of Israel,
and sent to the jail to have them brought in.
But the court officers who went did not find them in the prison,
so they came back and reported,
"We found the jail securely locked
and the guards stationed outside the doors,
but when we opened them, we found no one inside."
When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this report,
they were at a loss about them,
as to what this would come to.
Then someone came in and reported to them,
"The men whom you put in prison are in the temple area
and are teaching the people."
Then the captain and the court officers went and brought them,
but without force,
because they were afraid of being stoned by the people.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R.(7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

Gospel
Jn 3:16-21
God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.
And this is the verdict,
that the light came into the world,
but people preferred darkness to light,
because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light
and does not come toward the light,
so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light,
so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.