May 5, May 6 Lectionary # 270 and 271

Scripture: Lectionary # 270: Acts 5:27-33. Psalm 34:2.9.17-18.19-20. John
3:31-36:

Luke tells us the apostles respond to the religious leaders by saying, "It
is better for us to obey God than men." This bold response comes from those
simple fishermen who have been transformed into other Christs by the action
of the Holy Spirit upon and within them. We will follow their journey
throughout all twenty-eight chapters of the Acts of the Apostles. They
will witness to the name of Jesus by their proclamation of the Good News
given in the twenty or more speeches given to us in the Acts. In this
witnessing the important word for us is "parrhesia" which means boldness,
openness, and courage. They have what we inherit when we become followers
of the word of God--"apostolic boldness."

By our continuous reading of Acts we will see this boldness in many of the
events and situations in which they find themselves. Their word will
attract thousands of others to join them both in Judea and Samaria. We
will follow them especially through Peter, John, Philip, and Paul. They do
what Jesus did while he was among them. Now they do it instead of fishing
and they leave other parts of the ministry to the newly converted
believers. The apostles will preach; others will be designated to serve at
feeding the poor and distributing goods to those who have nothing. Widows,
orphans, foreigners, and the sick will be the object of their ministry
while the apostles do what the Lord did for them--preaching, praying, and
breaking the bread of the Eucharist.

Peter ends his speech and his witness with these words today,"We testify to
this. So too does the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey
him." They hearken back to the obedience to God is more demanding and
important than obeying men who are attempting to persecute them.

The obedience they witness and the love they have for God casts aside all
their fears and makes them bold proclaimers of the word. Our own Baptism
can be a way in which we too are bold in our witness and our example of
living out the Gospel. We have received the Holy Spirit and the gifts of
the spirit as well as the source for our hope, our trust, and our love of
God. The Spirit is eager to work within us and calls us to both holiness
and action. We join in our prayer through the Psalm Response, "The Lord
hears the cry of the poor." (Psalm 34).

Scripture: Lectionary # 271. Acts 5:34-42. Psalm 27:1.4.13-14. John
6:1-15:

Signs are very important in our daily life. The Evangelist John realized
this and in composing his Gospel went to the "Signs Source" of a chain of
signs that Jesus worked while he was in his active ministry. John has
selected seven of them and we are listening or reading one of the signs
this day--the multiplication of the loaves and the fish. Signs are
spiritually necessary if we are to develop the faith in Jesus that John
wants us to have. We are to go beyond the signs which often have a
miraculous effect and direct our faith not in them but in the Presence of
the Anointed One, Jesus, who performs these signs. He always wants us to
get beyond the sign and to go to the words and meaning of the words in the
actions that follow the signs.

In our seven sacraments we also have signs accompanied by words. These
signs are effective within us and the community and are meant for our own
growth and development within the communities of faith to which we belong.
We are led by the words to the heart and effect of the sacraments within
our lives. Today it is the sacrament of the Eucharist that is featured. We
have had the sign of Baptism in the past readings of this week in Jesus'
encounter with Nicodemus.

We are to look beyond ourselves to Jesus seen in others. Through his
living word we hear Jesus giving us the nourishment we need for our
spiritual life. Jesus takes the bread and the fish, he thanks God for these
humble gifts, and then distributes them to the five thousand! The people
realize how great a sign this is and they want to make him king, but he is
leading them to a king who is not a warrior nor a religious our political
figure but the Suffering Servant of God who serves God's people.

In the Fourth Gospel this passage and the rest of chapter six are central
to the Eucharistic theology of John. As we imagine ourselves on the slopes
of green in Galilee near the lake, we too are ready to receive the sacred
bread and wine of the Lord in the Eucharistic banquet of the Servant of
God, Jesus, our Messiah. He is the Bread of Life broken and distributed to
all of us. Amen. Alleluiah!"