April 15, 2021 Thursday of the Second Week of Easter (Lectionary: 270)
Reading I Acts 5:27-33
When the court officers had brought the Apostles in
and made them stand before the Sanhedrin,
the high priest questioned them,
“We gave you strict orders did we not,
to stop teaching in that name.
Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching
and want to bring this man’s blood upon us.”
But Peter and the Apostles said in reply,
“We must obey God rather than men.
The God of our ancestors raised Jesus,
though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree.
God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior
to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.
We are witnesses of these things,
as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”
When they heard this,
they became infuriated and wanted to put them to death.
Responsorial Psalm 34:2 and 9, 17-18, 19-20
R. (7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
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.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
Many are the troubles of the just man,
but out of them all the LORD delivers him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia Jn 20:29
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me, says the Lord;
blessed are those who have not seen, but still believe!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Jn 3:31-36
The one who comes from above is above all.
The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things.
But the one who comes from heaven is above all.
He testifies to what he has seen and heard,
but no one accepts his testimony.
Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy.
For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God.
He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.
The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,
but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life,
but the wrath of God remains upon him.
By Patty Breen
The little I have is always enough.
One of the lessons I will be learning the rest of my life is that the spiritual life is not about doing, but being. I have wasted a lot of time and energy when I was younger on thinking I was a better Christian if I “did” lots of holy or spiritual things.
Interestingly enough, that didn’t necessarily make me more loving or kind but harsh and judgmental.
I lacked a lot of love towards myself and others. In time, I began to realize a rich prayer life was more about being with God than doing lots of things.
In my prayer life, the little I have and bring before God is always enough.
I think about this personal journey as I sit with the Gospel today.
A large crowd of five thousand tired people. A few barley loaves and two fish. The sun sets as the disciples scramble trying to figure out how to feed all these people.
I often wonder about that nameless little boy whose simple lunch became the materials Jesus used to create this miracle.
Did that little boy understand the magnitude of what had happened or the important role he played?
Regardless, the little amount of food that boy offered was enough.
The little we have is always enough. Jesus takes our little amounts and turns them into abundance. He can work miracles with our small amounts.
No matter how small our faith, hope, love, etc -
Jesus takes it and turns it into something bigger and better for the Kingdom
- just like the multiplication of the fishes and loaves.
If my prayer or hope feels depleted, I offer that to Jesus. If I find myself tired, exhausted, or overwhelmed, I talk about it with Jesus. I can offer my little amount (however small!) as a sacrifice to Jesus, by inviting him into that moment with me.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Patty Breen has been working in parish ministry for over ten years and is a writer for Blessed is She. A Midwestern girl from the Mitten state, Patty finds joy in running, strong cups of coffee, Ignatian spirituality, and is mildly obsessed with Thomas Merton. She is passionate about messy conversations at the intersection of faith, culture, and ministry. Her passions in ministry include ministry to divorced Catholics and women whose relationships have been impacted by sexual addiction. You can find her writing online at America Magazine, CatholicMatch, Grotto Network, and Verily. Find her blogging and gramming about life while learning to find grace in all things.