GOD’S WORD

5

DISCIPLES BECOME APOSTLES

Our readings from Romans and John’s Gospel offer a wonderful description of how the Holy Spirit can directly impact on our lives if we allow this to happen.

St Paul is very clear that the Spirit lives in us and this is not to be questioned. We are after all “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ” and therefore the implication is that the people of God are considered an inextricable part of this unity. The demand for us believers is to live by the Spirit, to live within the Spirit that has been given to us freely. Arising out of our witness to the Spirit, the Spirit will in turn give us life as it gave life to Jesus in raising him from the dead.

JUNE Then John’s Gospel presents us with the great promise of Jesus. We no longer need let our hearts be troubled by fear or anxiety, for the Spirit has been sent to us by a loving God. PENTECOST The context for Jesus’ promise, of course, is

SUNDAY the recognition that there are testing times ahead for this group of followers. But the idea of an interactive relationship between God and his people is a new one. Up to this point, the faith of the people was very much hierarchical in nature. Staring up into the heavens, prayers were spoken and offerings were made. This Spirit of John’s Gospel encourages a reciprocal relationship between God and all believers: “love our Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father will love you in return.”

Today’s Readings

Acts 2:1-11; Ps 103; Rom 8:8-17; Jn 14:15-16. 23-26

DEEPER INTO TRUTH

JUNE The Gospel extract for 12 our feast today is taken from Jesus’ final speech

FEAST OF THE to his disciples, in which

MOST HOLY he promises that the

TRINITY Holy Spirit will assist them in reaching a deeper understanding of his teaching, He emphasises the unity between himself and the Father, a theme which has occurred before in John’s account. It may well mean that the Spirit will lead the disciples “into the very heart of all truth”: we remember that Jesus has described himself as “the way, the truth and the life”. Jesus is the Word of God, God’s most direct way of reaching out to human beings to invite us into a personal relationship, characterised by friendship.

When we think about the Holy Trinity, we talk about the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. ‘Father’ and ‘Son’ are masculine terms and figures. ‘Spirit’ in the Hebrew Scriptures is feminine; in the Christian scriptures, it is neuter, neither masculine nor feminine. So, is there perhaps something missing in our idea of the Godhead? We might recall that the most conservative writer in the book of Genesis points out – twice, in case we might miss the point – that God created woman in God’s image and likeness. So where is that teaching mirrored in our understanding of the Blessed Trinity? As we contemplate the mystery of the Holy Trinity, we might take this wider biblical perspective into account.

Today’s Readings

Prov 8:22-31; Ps 8; Rom 5:1-5; Jn 16:12-15

JESUS AMONG US

JUNE Jesus’ initial reaction 19 to the arrival of the crowds is to welcome THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD them, teach them and cure those in need of

OF CHRIST healing. There is no suggestion that the people concerned are actually hungry and the episode can be read, as all the ‘miracle’ stories can be understood, as symbolic, that is, that there is a deeper meaning to these actions of Jesus. The mention of twelve baskets reinforces this idea.

The way in which we refer to this incident is important: it is better to describe it as ‘the feeding of the crowds’ rather than ‘the multiplication of the loaves’. The latter phrase concentrates on the ‘miraculous’ aspect of the event, but the New Testament uses the expression ‘works of power’, emphasising that this is the power, the kingdom of God breaking into the lives of people in need. The scriptural background to this story is God’s providing food for the people of Israel during their journey through the wilderness from Egypt to the Promised Land: there is a hint about this in the disciples’ remark to Jesus that “we are in a desert place here”, rather than “a lonely place” as our text renders it. Jesus is thus echoing God’s concern by providing food for the people, and the disciples share in his ministry by distributing the bread to those present, who number five thousand men: interestingly, in his account of the same incident, Matthew adds “to say nothing of women and children”.

We might note how Luke describes Jesus’ actions: he takes the bread, says the blessing, breaks it and gives it: this is the language we find used at the Last Supper in connection with the institution of the Eucharist. The feeding of the crowds foreshadows the institution of the Eucharist, which, in its turn, anticipates the banquet in the final Messianic Kingdom.

Today’s Readings

Gen 14:18-20; Ps 109; Cor 11:23-26; Lk 9:11-17

COME WITH ME – IF YOU DARE!

JUNE One of the features of Luke’s narrative is the 26 idea of Jesus journeying to Jerusalem, the place of his destiny and the achieving of God’s plan. In our Gospel reading today, Jesus is presented 13TH SUNDAY IN as setting out resolutely on the way to the holy ORDINARY TIME city. The obvious route was through the region of Samaria, the mountainous area between Galilee in the north and Judea in the south, but this was inhabited by people whose claim to share Jewish identity was rejected by those who lived in the other parts of the country. Hence the hostility to pilgrims and travellers passing through on the way to Jerusalem and the refusal of hospitality to Jesus and his disciples. Earlier, Jesus had instructed his followers that, in the event of their being rejected in any town, they should leave and shake off the dust of the place from their feet as a sign to the citizens. James and John propose to copy the example of the prophet Elijah, who called down fire from heaven to devour the troops sent to arrest him, but Jesus shows that, although he may be a prophet in the line of Elijah, his method of dealing with hostility and rejection does not take violent form.

Jesus’ setting out on his journey is accompanied in our reading today by three somewhat uncompromising statements about the cost of being his disciple. This must take priority over any other consideration, either human comfort or ties of kinship.

Today’s Readings

Kgs 19:16. 19-21; Ps 15; Gal 5:1. 13-18; Lk 9:51-62

SOLUTIONS CROSSWORD No. 3 Across: 1. Cherub, 5. Gdansk, 10. Gabriel, 11. Arugula, 12. Ibid, 13. Latin, 15. Snap, 17. Due, 19. Mosaic, 21. Kraken, 22. Tolstoy, 23. Adieus, 25. Isaiah, 28. Auk, 30. RSVP, 31. Adder, 32. Spur, 35. Walloon, 36. Leagues, 37. Ad-libs, 38. Remedy. Down: 2. Hobbits, 3. Ruin, 4. Ballad, 5. Goalie, 6. Ague, 7. Sputnik, 8. Ageism, 9. Tarpon, 14. Tussaud, 16. Titus, 18. Tryst, 20. Cos, 21. Koi, 23. Arrows, 24. Invalid, 26. Impound, 27. Harass, 28. Adonis, 29. Kevlar, 33. Gobi, 34. Palm. Winner of Crossword No. 3 Billy Hannon, Tuam, Co. Galway.

ACROSS

1. He killed 1,000 Philistines with the jaw bone of a donkey. (6) 5. Hat, canal and country. (6) 10. Presented as an act of worship or devotion. (7) 11. Tornado and game or contortionists. (7) 12. Central parts of wheels and regions. (4) 13. Jesus changed his name from Simon. (5) 15. Relatively small in extent from one surface to the other. (4) 17. Lair or shelter of a wild animal. (3) 19. A wide street or thoroughfare. (6) 21. A form of the Hebrew name of God used in the Bible. (6) 22. German city known for china. (7) 23. Line with abrupt alternate right and left turns. (6) 25. Water nymphs in classical mythology. (6) 28. Employment for the nice guy with bad luck. (3) 30. Yearn for a coniferous tree. (4) 31. African country, formerly Dahomey. (5) 32. Move about aimlessly. (4) 35. People after which things are named. (7) 36. Angel who appeared to the Virgin Mary. (7) 37. A yacht named after medieval China. (6) 38. Gave off a strong offensive odour. (6)

DOWN

2. Friendly, good-natured and easy to talk to. (7) 3. Arrange systematically. (4) 4. Prodded gently with one’s elbow. (6) 5. Illicit Irish whiskey. (6) 6. For want of this a kingdom was lost in a rhyme. (4) 7. One of the Apostles. (7) 8. The sixth book of the Old Testament. (6) 9. A division of a tree. (6) 14. Mental or emotional strain. (7) 16. NE African country, capital is Khartoum/ (5) 18. Hackneyed, trite and boring. (5) 20. A unit of work or energy. (3) 21. A strong desire for Japanese currency. (3) 23. Slide fastener! (6) 24. Venetian canal boat. (7) 26. Undergo great mental pain through worrying about something. (7) 27. Small part intended to show what the whole is like. (6) 28. Knitted garment with long sleeves. (6) 29. Of greater size. (6) 33. A traditional or legendary story. (4) 34. A musical instrument that is shaped like a tube. (4)

Entry Form for Crossword No.5, June 2022

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