Daily Gospel for April 23, 2020. Readings of the day. John 3:31-36

Readings of the day April 23. (2nd Thursday of Easter)

Reading of the Acts of the Apostles 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 that God has given to those who obey him." When they heard this, they became infuriated and wanted to put them to death.

Daily Psalm. Psalm 34(33):2,9,17-20.

(R). "This poor man called and the Lord heard him".

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 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 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).

Daily Gospel Acclamation. Gospel of the day April 23. (2nd Thursday of Easter)

Alleluia, alleluia! Christ has risen, he who created all things, and has granted his mercy to men. Alleluia!

Daily Gospel. Gospel of the day April 23, 2020. John 3:31-36.

Reading for the Gospel of the day - (2nd Thursday of Easter - Believing in the Son to have eternal life) 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.

Daily Gospel Commentaries by Pope Francis.

In the Gospel of the day, Jesus says that he who does not believe the Son will not see life. Obedience often leads us down a path that is not what I think it should be: there is another, the obedience of Jesus who tells the Father in the Garden of Olives "that your will be done.

By doing so, Jesus obeys and saves us all. Therefore, we must be willing to obey, to have the courage to change our ways when the Lord asks us to do so. And therefore he who obeys has eternal life; and he who does not obey, the wrath of God abides on him.

It is precisely in this context that we can also reflect on the reading of the Book of the Acts of the Apostles (5:27-33), more precisely on the dialogue between the apostles and the high priests.

The apostles preached to the people and often gathered in Solomon´s portico. All the people went there to listen to them: they performed miracles and the number of believers increased. But a small group did not dare to join them for fear, they were far away.

However, even from the neighbouring places, from the neighbouring villages, they took the sick to the squares, on stretchers, so that when Peter passed by at least his shadow would cover them a little and heal them. And they were healed.

And so the priests and the leading group of the people became angry: in fact they were very jealous because the people followed the apostles, exalted them, praised them. And so they gave orders to put them in prison. But at night the angel of God sets them free, and it is not the first time that he will do this.

Therefore when the priests gathered to judge them in the morning, the prison was closed, all closed, and they were not there. Later they learn that the apostles had returned there, to Solomon´s portico, to preach to the people. And they were summoned again to his presence.

The passage from Acts tells what happened at that time: the commanders and servants led the apostles and presented them to the Sanhedrin.

And, we read also in the Scripture, the high priest interrogated them saying

"Had we not expressly forbidden them to teach in that name? And they have filled Jerusalem with their teachings and want to hold us accountable for the blood of that man."

To these accusations Peter responds:

"We must obey God before we obey men."

And so he repeats the history of salvation up to Jesus.

But on hearing this kerygma from Peter, this preaching by Peter about the redemption accomplished by God through Jesus to the people, the members of the Sanhedrin became enraged and wanted to kill them.

In reality, they were unable to recognize God´s salvation even though they were doctors who had studied the history of the people, had studied the prophecies, had studied the law, knew almost all the theology of the people of Israel, the revelation of God, knew everything: they were doctors

The question is, why this hardness of heart? Yes, his hardness is not hardness of mind, it is not simple stubbornness. The hardness is in his heart.

And so you might ask, what is the course of this total stubbornness of mind and heart? How does one come to this, this stubbornness, that even the apostles had before the Holy Spirit came. So much so that Jesus says to the two disciples of Emmaus: "Fools and fools to understand the things of God". (Homily of the Gospel of the day. St. Martha, April 16, 2015)

Pope´s quotes.

"Let us allow the love of God - who sent His Son Jesus - to enter into us, and help us see with the light of the Spirit. Let us ask ourselves: Do I walk in the light or in darkness? Am I a child of God? Or have I ended up like a poor "bat"?" (04.22.2020 - @pontifex)

Daily Gospel. Meditation in video for Gospel of the day April 23. (2nd Thursday of Easter)