Fifth Sunday of Easter
Reading 1
Acts 6:1-7
As the number of disciples continued to grow,
the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews
because their widows
were being neglected in the daily distribution.
So the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said,
“It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table.
Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men,
filled with the Spirit and wisdom,
whom we shall appoint to this task,
whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer
and to the ministry of the word.”
The proposal was acceptable to the whole community,
so they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit,
also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas,
and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to Judaism.
They presented these men to the apostles
who prayed and laid hands on them.
The word of God continued to spread,
and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly;
even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith.
Ps 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19Responsorial Psalm
R. (22) Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
1 Pt 2:4-9Reading 2
Beloved:
Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings
but chosen and precious in the sight of God,
and, like living stones,
let yourselves be built into a spiritual house
to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
For it says in Scripture:
Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion,
a cornerstone, chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in it shall not be put to shame.
Therefore, its value is for you who have faith, but for those without faith:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone, and
A stone that will make people stumble,
and a rock that will make them fall.
They stumble by disobeying the word, as is their destiny.
You are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, a people of his own,
so that you may announce the praises” of him
who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Jn 14:1-12Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If there were not,
would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way.”
Thomas said to him,
“Master, we do not know where you are going;
how can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you know me, then you will also know my Father.
From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to him,
“Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time
and you still do not know me, Philip?
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.
The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,
or else, believe because of the works themselves.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father.”
Catholic Fundamentalism Interpretation:
The first divisions in The Church become apparent. Some were being selfish with programmed entities and upsetting those who were deprived.
The Twelve called the Christian community together and decided that they, the first bishops of The Church, would not focus their efforts on things like food. Instead, they told the people to solve their own problems, the first example of Subsidiarity in any religion.
The community rose to the challenge, probably amazed that their minds were given credit for being able to solve such problems, a freedom that made the established religions and governments hate us to this day.
They chose the best among them in this early democracy.
Once they had been selected, The Twelve asked The Loving Programmer to give them guidance. By the laying on of hands, it was provided as the number of Christians (actually, Catholic Christians) increased greatly, proving the efficacy of God-based democracy for all time.
Even Jewish clergymen were converting and obeying the New Download.
Loving Programmer, let Your programming assistance help us as we align our programs with Yours.
If you are just, exult in The Loving Programmer, praise for Him is fitting from the best among us.
Use the instruments that we human programs were able to make (program) to praise Him.
Loving Programmer, let Your programming assistance help us as we align our programs with Yours.
The Word of The Lord stands tall and none of His works can fail. He loves justice and right, and His Creation Program is programmed, literally, out of His kindness.
Loving Programmer, let Your programming assistance help us as we align our programs with Yours.
Look around and know that The Loving Programmer will provide Programming Assistance (Assistants) to keep their individual, human programs from being erased and maintain those programs even when there is a shortage of necessary programmed entities.
Loving Programmer, let Your programming assistance help us as we align our programs with Yours.
Beloved: Come to Him, the Program Who has taken human form and been rejected by those focused on the things of Creation. He was chosen by, and greatly loved, by The Loving Programmer.
Download His Program, and become living stones, like Him, but on a human scale, and let yourselves be built into The Catholic Church (growing around you). Become a holy priesthood, sacrificing your vanities and desires to be acceptable to The Loving Programmer through Jesus Christ, The Program in perfect, obedient, human form. The First Programming Log makes it clear that He is downloading that precious Program among His people. Whoever downloads and obeys that Program and His operating instructions won’t be erased or damaged. For you, Jesus Christ, The Program, is of (the greatest) value.
For those who don’t have faith, He is the Download that the human programs refuse to download within themselves, He is a stone that will make them stumble (and, fall away from God), which they do (automatically and unavoidably) by disobeying The Operating Instructions. That is their destiny.
You (believers) are a chosen among the human programs to be a royal, holy people of His own, so that you may tell others how wonderful is He Who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.
Jesus (The Program in perfect, obedient, human form) said to His Disciples:
"Don’t let your individual, living programs become corrupted by upsetting errors. You have faith in The Loving Programmer, have faith in Me (The Living Program). My Father has programmed a place for each of His believing, obedient human programs. If there weren’t, would I lie by telling you that I am going to prepare a (special) place for (each of) you?
And, if I have a special place for you, I will come back and take you to Myself, so that where I am, you may also be. Where I’m going, you know the way."
(Doubting) Thomas said to Him, "Master, we don’t know where You are going, how can we access The Program to know how to get there?"
The Program said, "I am the access, The Program, and your maintenance. No human program comes to The Loving Programmer unless he/she accesses Me, (The Living Program). If you know The Program, you know The Loving Programmer. When a human program downloads this much, you know Him and have seen Him (Referring to the Catholic eucharist? Yes.)
Then, Philip said to Him, "Master, show us The Loving Programmer, and that will be enough for us."
Jesus replied, "I’ve been with you a long time, and you don’t know Me, Philip? Those who have seen Me (The Living Program) have seen The Loving Programmer. How can you say "Show us The Loving Programmer? I, The Program, am in The Loving Programmer (and have been, from the beginning), and He Who wrote The Program is in The Program.
"The programming instructions I download within your minds aren’t coming from The Program alone, but also from The Loving Programmer, Who works through The Program (just like human programmers work through their programs).
Believe Me, The Program is in The Programmer and The Programmer is in The Program. (God is The Programmer. I am His Living Program, and am in Him, and if you can’t make that download, then just look at all the Program Alterations and Restorations I have made (raising the dead, curing the sick, etc.) and believe them.
Amen, amen, I download within you awareness that whoever believes in Me (The Living Program) will also be able to do Program Alterations (changing wafer and wine to Body and Blood) will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, (transubstantiation, forgiveness of sins, etc.) because I (The Program) am going to The Programmer."
