Collecting Light | April 20, 2016

April 20, 2016

Yesterday’s gospel helped us focus on the voice of the shepherd and listening for his call. Today’s gospel gives us the image that Jesus is light. How does Jesus light up your world? Pay attention to those areas of your life that are dim and collect some light today to brighten those up. Here’s a poem to give you some food for thought. Have a blessed day.

Collecting Light

By Jen Bedison

The birds perform shamelessly singing,

                                    “Look at me! Look at me!”

                        like a child in a school play waving their arms to be seen.

My hair dances in the wind and glistens because

                                                stardust has been sprinkled

                                                                        by angels whispering my name – Brilliant.

There are diamonds in my friend’s eyes as she shares from her heart

                                                and water pools making the diamonds bling.

The trees stretch themselves high up and they sigh,

                                                “Ah, that feels so good.”

                                    They sparkle with praise for the God who created them in the

                                                                                                            arms of the Son.

The sun wraps me in a mantle of anointing and opens my cold

                                                so I can sing like the birds – shamelessly,

                                                and praise like the trees,

                                                and share with diamond eyes,

                                                and be brilliant like stardust

                                                                        because angels whisper my name

                                                                        and God is light

                                                                        and I collect it all.

Reading 1 ACTS 12:24—13:5A

The word of God continued to spread and grow. 

After Barnabas and Saul completed their relief mission,
they returned to Jerusalem,
taking with them John, who is called Mark. 

Now there were in the Church at Antioch prophets and teachers:
Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene,
Manaen who was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,
“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul
for the work to which I have called them.” 
Then, completing their fasting and prayer,
they laid hands on them and sent them off.

So they, sent forth by the Holy Spirit,
went down to Seleucia
and from there sailed to Cyprus. 
When they arrived in Salamis,
they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues.

Responsorial Psalm PS 67:2-3, 5, 6 AND 8

R. (4) O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia.
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia.
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia.
May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia JN 8:12

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel JN 12:44-50

Jesus cried out and said,
“Whoever believes in me believes not only in me
but also in the one who sent me,
and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me.
I came into the world as light,
so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness. 
And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them,
I do not condemn him,
for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world. 
Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words
has something to judge him: the word that I spoke,
it will condemn him on the last day,
because I did not speak on my own,
but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak. 
And I know that his commandment is eternal life. 
So what I say, I say as the Father told me.”