Letters From Home

The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Saturday of the Sixth Week of Easter by Mr. Clement Harrold.

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The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter by Dr. John Bergsma.

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The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Thursday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time by Ms. Joan Watson.

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The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter by Dr. John Bergsma.

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The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter by Dr. Shane Owens.

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The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Monday of the Sixth Week of Ordinary Time by Dr. Scott Hahn.

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Acts 8:5–8, 14–17
Psalm 66:1–7, 16, 20
1 Peter 3:15–18
John 14:15–21

Jesus will not leave us alone. He won’t make us children of God in Baptism only to leave us “orphans,” He assures us in today’s Gospel (see Romans 8:14–17).

He asks the Father to give us His Spirit, to dwell with us and keep us united in the life He shares with the Father.

We see the promised gift of His Spirit being conferred in today’s First Reading.

The scene from Acts apparently depicts a primitive Confirmation rite. Philip, one of the first deacons (see Acts 6:5), proclaims the Gospel in the non-Jewish city of Samaria. The Samaritans accept the Word of God (see Acts 17:11; 1 Thessalonians 2:13) and are baptized.

It remains for the Apostles to send their representatives, Peter and John, to pray and lay hands on the newly baptized—that they might receive the Holy Spirit. This is the origin of our Sacrament of Confirmation (see Acts 19:5–6), by which the grace of Baptism is completed and believers are sealed with the Spirit promised by the Lord.

We remain in this grace so long as we love Christ and keep His commandments. And, strengthened in the Spirit whom Jesus said would be our Advocate, we are called to bear witness to our salvation—to the tremendous deeds that God has done for us in the name of His Son.

In today’s Psalm, we celebrate our liberation. As He changed the sea into dry land to free the captive Israelites, Christ suffered that He might lead us to God, as we hear in today’s Epistle.

This is the reason for our hope—the hope that sustains us in the face of a world that cannot accept His truth, the hope that sustains us when we are maligned and defamed for His name’s sake.

Put to death in the flesh, He was brought to life in the Spirit, Paul tells us today. And as He himself promises: “Because I live, . . . you will live.”

Lecturas:
Hechos 8, 5–8.14–17
Salmo 66,1–7.16.20
1 Pedro 3, 15–18
Juan 14, 15–21

Jesús no nos dejará solos. No nos hará hijos de Dios en el Bautismo, sólo para dejarnos “huérfanos”. Él nos lo garantiza en el Evangelio de hoy (cf. Rm 8,14–17).

Le pide al Padre que nos de su Espíritu para que more en nosotros y nos mantenga unidos en la vida que Él comparte con el Padre.

En la primera lectura de hoy vemos que el don prometido del su Espíritu es conferido.

La escena que describe Hechos, aparentemente representa el rito primitivo de la Confirmación. Felipe, uno de los primeros diáconos (cf. Hch 6,5), proclama el Evangelio en la ciudad de Samaria (no judía). Los samaritanos aceptan la Palabra de Dios (cf. Hch 17,11; 1Ts 2,13) y son bautizados.

Toca a los Apóstoles enviar a sus representantes, Pedro y Juan, para rezar e imponer las manos en los nuevos bautizados, y que así ellos reciban el Espíritu Santo. Este es el origen de nuestro sacramento de la Confirmación (Hch 19,5–6), mediante el cual la gracia del Bautismo es completada, y los creyentes son sellados con el Espíritu prometido por el Señor.

Nosotros permanecemos en esa gracia mientras amemos a Cristo y guardemos sus mandamientos. Y, fortalecidos por el Espíritu—de quien Jesús dijo que sería nuestro Paráclito (Defensor)—, estamos llamados ser testigos de nuestra salvación; de las grandes maravillas que Dios ha hecho por nosotros en el nombre de su Hijo.

En el salmo de hoy celebramos nuestra liberación. Como escuchamos en la epístola, así como Yahvé cambió el mar por tierra seca para liberar a los israelitas cautivos, Cristo sufrió para poder conducirnos a Dios.

Esa es la razón de nuestra esperanza. Esperanza que nos sostiene frente a un mundo que no puede aceptar la verdad de Dios; esperanza que nos mantiene firmes cuando somos maldecidos o difamados por su Nombre.

Pedro nos dice hoy que, aunque Cristo fue muerto en la carne, en el Espíritu fue devuelto a la vida. Y, como Él mismo promete: “Porque yo vivo, también vosotros viviréis”.

The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter by Mr. Clement Harrold.

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The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter by Dr. John Bergsma.

Learn more about the Mass at www.stpaulcenter.com