ACTS 22: 30; 23: 6 – 11

In those days: Desiring to know the real reason why the Jews accused Paul, the tribune unbound him, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them. But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; with respect to the hope and resurrection of the dead I am on trial.” And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the assembly was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. Then a great clamour arose; and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party stood up and contended, “we find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them and bring him into the barracks. The following night the Lord stood by him said, “Take courage, for as you have testified about me at Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also at Rose.”

The Word of the Lord.

 
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 16: 1 – 2a, 5, 7 – 8, 9 – 10 and 11 (R.) 1

R/. Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
Or.
Alleluia

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge
I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord.”
O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup;
You yourself who secure my lot. R.

I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel,
Who even at night directs my heart.
I keep the Lord before me always;
With him at my right hand, I shall not be moved. R.

And so, my heart rejoices, my soul is glad;
Even my flesh shall rest in hope.
For you will not abandon my soul to hell,
Nor let your holy one see corruption. R.

You will show me the path of life,
The fullness of joy in your presence,
At your right hand, bliss forever. R.

 
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
John 17: 21

Alleluia.
May they all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, so that the world may believe that you have sent me, says the Lord.
Alleluia.
 

GOSPEL
May they become perfectly one.
JOHN 17: 20 – 26

At that time: [Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and prayed, saying,] “I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory which you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to behold my glory which you have given me in your love for me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world has not known you, but I have known you; and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

China 16 Chivabvu – May;

Vhiki yechinomwe yenguva yePasika

Chiverengo chokutanga:
Mabasa 22,30; 23,6-11

Inzwai chiverengo chinobva mubhuku raMabasa Avapositori
30Mukuru mukuru wamasoja zvaaida kuziva chikonzero chaicho vaJudha chavaimupira mhosva,
akamusunungura akati, vapristi namakurukota
ose edare aungane ndokuenda naPauro ondomuisa
pamberi pavo.
6 Pauro, paakaona kuti chimwe chikamu chaiva
chiri chavaSadhusei, chimwe chiri chavaFarisei
akadaidzira mudare achiti, “Varume hama ini ndiri
muFarisei, mwana womuFarisei. Ini ndiri kupinzirwa dare pamusana pechitarisiro uye kumuka
kwavakafa.”
7Paakataura izvi pakabva pava nokupesana pakati
pavaFarisei navaSadhusei. Musangano wakabva
wakamukana. 8 Chiripo ndechokuti, vaSadhusei
vanoti zvokumuka kwavafi hapana kana mutumwa
kana mweya, asi vaFarisei vanoti zvose izvozvo
zviriko. 9 Pakabva pamuka bopoto guru. Dzimwe
nyanzvi dzomutemo webato ravaFarisei vakasimuka vachipikisa vachiti, “Hapana chatinoona
chakaipa nomunhu uyu. Ko, zvichida mumwe
mweya kana kuti mumwe mutumwa akataura
naye! 10 Kupikisana uku zvakwakasvika pokuti bata
wabata, mukuru mukuru wamasoja, nokutya kuti
Pauro angangodamburwa, damburwa navo, akati
masoja adzike andomutora nechisimba pakati
pavo vamuunze munzvimbo inogara masoja.
11Usiku hwakatevera, Tenzi akamira pedyo naPauro
akati, “Tsunga mwoyo, nokuti sokundipupurira
kwawaita muJerusaremu, unofanira kundopupurawo kuRoma.”
Shoko raTenzi.

Rwiyo rwokutsinhira:
Nziyo 16,1-2a+5.7-8.9-10.11. (D – 1)

(D) – Ndichengetei Mwari nokuti ndinopotera mamuri.
1Ndichengetei Mwari nokuti ndinopotera mamuri.
2 Ndinoti kuna TENZI, Imi ndimi TENZI wangu.
5 TENZI ndiye mugove wangu nenhaka yangu.
Nhaka yangu iri mumaoko ake.
(D) – Ndichengetei Mwari nokuti ndinopotera mamuri.
7 Ndinorumbidza TENZI anondipa mazano
kunyange usiku, mwoyo wangu unondinyevera.
8 Ndinoisa TENZI mberi kwangu nguva dzose;
nokuti ari kurudyi rwangu, handitsuduguki.
(D) – Ndichengetei Mwari nokuti ndinopotera mamuri
9 Naizvozvo mwoyo wangu unofara,
mweya wangu unopembera;
kana muviri wangu uchava norugare.
10 Hamungandiregi ndichienda kunzvimbo yavakafa; kana kurega mururami wenyu achipinda
muguva.
(D) – Ndichengetei Mwari nokuti ndinopotera mamuri.
11 Munondiratidza nzira youpenyu;
pamuri ndipo pane rufaro ruzere,
kurudyi kwenyu kune rufaro nokusingaperi.
(D) – Ndichengetei Mwari nokuti ndinopotera mamuri.

Kupemberera Shoko Rakanaka:
Johani 17,21

Areruya, Areruya. Tenzi anoti, “Vose zvavo
vave vamwechete sezvakangoita kuti imi Baba
muri mandiri, ini ndiri mamuri ivowo ngavave
matiri, kuti pasi padavire kuti imi ndimi makandituma.” Areruya.

Shoko Rakanaka: Johani 17,20-26

Inzwai Shoko Rakanaka rakanyorwa naJohani
Jesu akatarisa kudenga akati,
“Baba vatsvene, 20 handinamatire ava bedzi,
asi ndinonamatira avo vachatenda mandiri,
pamusana pezwi ravo 21Kuti vose zvavo vave vamwechete
sezvakangoita kuti imi Baba muri mandiri,
ini ndiri mamuri ivowo ngavave matiri, kuti
pasi padavire kuti imi ndimi makandituma.
22Mbiri yamakandipa ndakavapawo,
kuti vave vamwechete sesu tiri vamwechete.
23 Ini ndiri mavari imi muri mandiri,
vanyatsova vamwechete, kuti pasi pazive kuti,
imi ndimi makandituma mukavada sokundida
kwamakaita.
24Baba ndinodawo kuti avo vamakandipa vave
kwandinenge ndiri, vaonewo mbiri yangu
yamakandipa pamusana porudo rwenyu
kwandiri pasi pasati pavapo.
25Baba makarurama, pasi hapana kukuzivai
asi ini ndakakuzivai,
uye ava vanoziva kuti makandituma.
26Ndakaita kuti vazive zita renyu,
uye ndichaita kuti rizivikanwe
kuti rudo rwamakandida narwo ruvewo
mavari, uyewo kuti iniwo ndive mavari.”
Shoko Rakanaka raTenzi
GOSPEL REFLECTION: Gestures of Love
May 16, 2024

Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying: “I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.” (John 17:20–21)

Over the past couple of weeks, we have been continually reading from Chapter 14–17 of John’s Gospel. These chapters contain Jesus’ Last Supper Discourses and provide us with Jesus’ last sermon, so to speak. Chapter 17, which we have been reading this past week, presents us with Jesus’ final prayer for His disciples and for all of us “who will believe” in Him through the preaching of the disciples. Each time we read from Chapter 17, the Lectionary begins the reading with the phrase “Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying…” That line is an adaptation of Chapter 17:1 but is used to introduce the various parts of the prayer of Jesus each time it is read at Mass.

It’s interesting that Jesus would look up to Heaven when He prayed. Of course, Heaven is not physically in the sky, because Heaven is a spiritual reality. The Father is not located in some place in the sky but is omnipresent, meaning, present all places and all times. And yet, Jesus raises His eyes upward when He prays to the Father. There is a great lesson in this.

Our physical disposition is important, at times. For example, when someone we owe respect to enters a room, we usually rise and greet them. It would be disrespectful to remain lounging on a bed or sofa in that case. And at Mass, we do not sit back with legs crossed during the Consecration; rather, we kneel in adoration. And when we greet someone for the first time, we do not look at the floor; rather, we look them in the eyes.

Jesus’ act of “Lifting his eyes to heaven” was not done because He thought He might see the Father in the sky; rather, it was done out of respect and love and as a way of acknowledging the dignity of the Father. This should teach us about our own bodily disposition and the message we communicate to others, especially to God in prayer.

When you pray, what do you do? Though you can pray at any time and while in any disposition, it is an excellent practice to speak to God not only by your words but also by the disposition you take. Kneeling, raising hands in prayer, falling prostrate before your Lord, sitting upright with attentiveness, etc., are all ways in which you communicate to God your love.

Reflect, today, upon this image of Jesus praying. Gaze at how attentive He would have been as He lifted His sacred eyes upward as a physical gesture honoring the glorious, all-powerful Father in Heaven. Try to imagine Jesus’ devotion, intensity, respect and burning love. Imitate this holy gesture of prayer and attentiveness to the Father and remind yourself of the importance of expressing your love in bodily form.

PRAYER:
My most holy Father in Heaven, I do join Your Son, Jesus, in lifting my eyes, my heart and my whole life to You in honor, love and respect. May I always be attentive to You and always show You the devotion due Your greatness. My dear Jesus, thank You for Your love of the Father in Heaven. Give me the grace I need to imitate You and Your perfect love in my life. Jesus, I trust in You.