Saturday, 7th week of Easter

DAILY GOSPEL COMMENTARY:
“FOLLOW ME“
(Jn 21:20-25).

READING I 
Acts 28:16–20, 30–31 
When he entered Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him. 
Three days later he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had gathered he said to them, “My brothers, although I had done nothing against our people or our ancestral customs, I was handed over to the Romans as a prisoner from Jerusalem. After trying my case the Romans wanted to release me, because they found nothing against me deserving the death penalty. But when the Jews objected, I was obliged to appeal to Caesar, even though I had no accusation to make against my own nation. This is the reason, then, I have requested to see you and to speak with you, for it is on account of the hope of Israel that I wear these chains.” 
He remained for two full years in his lodgings. He received all who came to him, and with complete assurance and without hindrance he proclaimed the Kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
RESPONSORIAL PSALM 
R. The just will gaze on your face, O Lord. 
Or: Alleluia.
The Lord is in his holy temple; 
the Lord’s throne is in heaven. 
His eyes behold, 
his searching glance is on mankind. 
R. The just will gaze on your face, O Lord. 
Or: Alleluia.
The Lord searches the just and the wicked; 
the lover of violence he hates. 
For the Lord is just, he loves just deeds; 
the upright shall see his face. 
R. The just will gaze on your face, O Lord. 
Or: Alleluia.
 
ALLELUIA
I will send you the Spirit of truth, says the Lord; he will lead you to the whole truth.

Gospel of Saturday, 7th week of Easter.
(Jn 21:20-25).

Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved, the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper and had said, “Master, who is the one who will betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus said to him, “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow me.” So the word spread among the brothers that that disciple would not die. But Jesus had not told him that he would not die, just “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours?” 
It is this disciple who testifies to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true. There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written.

GOSPEL COMMENTARY from the Navarre Bible, Commentary to the Gospel of St. John (with permission)

20-23 Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved, the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper and had said, “Master, who is the one who will betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus said to him, “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow me.” So the word spread among the brothers that that disciple would not die. But Jesus had not told him that he would not die, just “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours?” 

• According to St Irenaeus (Against heresies, II, 22, 5; III, 3, 4) St John outlived all the other Apostles, into the reign of Trajan (98-117 A.D.). Possibly the evangelist wrote these verses to dispel the idea that he would not die. According to the text, Jesus does not reply to Peter’s question. The important thing is not to be curious about what the future will bring but to serve the Lord faithfully, keeping to the way he has marked out for one.

24 This is the disciple who is bearing witness to these things, and who has written these things; and we know that his testimony is true.

• This is an appeal to the testimony of the disciple “whom Jesus loved” as a guarantee of the veracity of everything contained in the book: everything which this Gospel says should be accepted by its readers as being absolutely true.
• Many modern commentators think that vv. 24 and 25 were added by disciples of the Apostle, as a conclusion to the Gospel, when it began to be circulated, a short time after St John completed it. Be that as it may, the fact is that both verses are to be found in all extant manuscripts of the fourth Gospel.

25 But there are also many other things which Jesus did; were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

• St John’s account, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has as its purpose the strengthening of our faith in Jesus Christ through reflecting on what our Lord said and did.
  • Like the fourth Gospel, we shall never be able to capture the full richness and depth of our Lord’s personality.
  • “Once one begins to be interested in Christ, one’s interest can never cease. There is always something more to be known, to be said — infinitely more. St John the Evangelist ends his Gospel making this very point (Jn 2 1:25). Everything to do with Christ is so rich, there are such depths for us to explore; such light, strength, joy, desire have their source in him. . . . His coming to the world, his presence in history and culture and… his vital relationship with our conscience: everything suggests that it is unseemly, unscientific and irreverent ever to think that we need not and cannot advance further in contemplation of Jesus Christ” (Paul VI, General Audience, 20 February 1974).

VIDEO COMMENTARY ON TODAY’S GOSPEL
TOPIC 1: WHAT TALENTS CAN YOU OFFER GOD IN HIS SERVICE?

We are now on the penultimate day of the Easter season which ends tomorrow with the Feast of the Pentecost. The Ordinary Time resumes on Monday.

In today’s first reading, Paul arrives in Rome held by the Roman authorities as their prisoner. In the final lines of the book of Acts, which indicates his house arrest for two years, we are told that Paul “preached about the Kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ, speaking with all boldness and freedom” (Acts 28:31).

Today’s gospel reading also concludes the book of John which we started reading last Easter Sunday.

Peter and the beloved disciple are the focal point of the gospel. Peter tries to find out what role the Lord will give the beloved disciple. Jesus brushes him off and tells him to just follow and not be concerned of others.

What is our own calling? Do we glorify the Lord with our talents and where He places us?

TOPIC 2 : Do you understand God’s plan for you?

In yesterday’s gospel, Jesus had just recommissioned Peter to work for Him in spite of Peter’s abandonment and denial of Jesus during Jesus’ time of suffering.
Today, as Jesus and Peter discuss what Peter’s assignment will be, Peter asks Jesus what about John? And Jesus seems to say, “don’t mind Him. I have a plan for Him. Just focus on my plan for you.”
God’s love is so immense that He can use the best and the worst among us. He can even use the most unknown and inconsequential among us to remind us of and be assured of His love and His plans for us.
Let us let the Holy Spirit make visible to us what seems invisible in our eyes. To discover God’s plan for us, let us remember the following using the acronym P.R.A.Y.

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