Mary Of The Angelus Association

15.4.2010 THURSDAY of the Second Week of Easter

MEDITATION based on the readings for today’s Mass

These readings can be found in your bible or daily missal

FIRST READING: From the book of the Acts of the Apostles Chapter 5: verses 27-33

“Obedience to God comes before obedience to men” 

Christians throughout the ages have faced this dilemma.  Jesus himself advocated obedience to lawful authorities, and was subject to Pontius Pilate as the lawful governor.  But if those in authority use force or threats to suppress truth, the duty of a Christian is to serve truth first.  That is how Peter and the apostles saw it.  They continued to preach the truth of Jesus and his resurrection from the dead.  This now brings them into conflict with the local authorities.  The apostles “so infuriated them that they wanted to put them to death”. 

RESPONSE TO THE PSALM:  “The Lord hears the cry of the poor”

PSALM: 33(34): verses 17-20

“The Lord is close to the broken hearted; those whose spirit is crushed he will save.”

We continue the beautiful Psalm 33, the song of the God who hears those in distress and comes to rescue them.  This Psalm can be a mantra for those in need.  To read it, sing it, pray it, repeat it, is to receive blessings and action on our behalf from the God of Mercy and Compassion, who does indeed hear the cry of the poor.

GOSPEL of St. John chapter 3, verses 31 – 36.

“He whom God has sent speaks God’s own words”

John the evangeliser, the author of this Gospel, was first of all a disciple of the Baptiser who speaks to us in today’s Gospel.  The greatest of all the prophets, cousin of Jesus, man of the desert, has found deep understanding of the role of the man god, the one whom John is born to herald.  He also knows that he must diminish while Jesus must increase.  He points Jesus out to the young man and his friend;  “Behold the Lamb of God”.