The Catholic Calendar for Monday, May 15, 2006
Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Acts 14:5-18
Psalms 115:1-4, 15-16
John 14:21-26

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

Paul and Barnabas become angry at the realization that God is not being praised for such wondrous miracles performed in the presence of the Gentiles. They shout at the Gentiles to abandon their false gods, to acknowledge and worship the true God of all the earth and people.

We read in the Gospel of John that Jesus teaches and stresses the very notion that when we love, worship, and praise God our Father, He is always with us all the days of our lives. When we live the Commandments and teachings of Our Lord, we become filled with the Holy Spirit, proclaiming His wonders in our midst!

It is evident that Paul and Barnabas were filled with the Holy Spirit as they taught about Jesus and performed miracles in His Name. Unfortunately, the ignorance of the Gentiles, led them to confuse Paul and Barnabas with human forms of their own gods.

These readings carry various meanings in our lives today. In our materialistic, fast-paced society, we often let ourselves be swept away in material idols and riches. We forget those less fortunate, begin to hoard our possessions and lose sight of Our Lord's teachings. We also fail to praise and thank Jesus for His hand in leading us to where we are at this present moment.

In the pursuit of individuality, we abandon Jesus in our lives and become vulnerable to the false teachings, heresies, and practices of the "new age" movement. Our vision of Jesus and His teachings becomes cloudy, as we literally drown in the new and “old” religious fads of society. We must hold dear to our hearts the healing power and wonders of Our Lord and when subtle miracles become visible, let us know to see Christ as their source.

- Alicia