Peace and Blessings, Friends and Parishioners!
We encourage you to reflect on Tuesday’s readings at this link:
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082421.cfm
If you prefer to use your own Bible, the readings are:
First Reading: Revelation 21:9b-14
Responsorial: Psalm 145:10-13, 17-18
Gospel : John 1:45-51
Our reflection on Tuesday’s readings:
Can anything good come from Nazareth? John 1:46
Today’s first reading from Revelation is the basis of an incredible spiritual hymn and later a popular folk song, Twelve Gates to The City. You can hear my favorite version sung by Pete Seeger here. Reverend Gary Davis is credited as the author of the lyrics of this traditional spiritual. Rev. Davis was blind. Yet he could see the new Jerusalem that God would build through His son, Jesus. This new Jerusalem would replace the old with glory and beauty. Here we see the promise of a new life for an old city, an image of the new life we are promised through Jesus Christ.
In the gospel the disciple, Philip, tells his friend Nathanael that they have found the one whom Moses wrote about in the law. Nathanael scoffs and asks if anything good can come from Nazareth. He learns that Jesus knows him. Jesus is who He says He is – the Son of God. When Nathanael declares his faith in Jesus, Jesus tells him he will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. We do not know why Nathanael came to believe, but we do hear what Jesus promises him.
In 2015, I had the opportunity to go into a small church in Puerto Chiapas, Mexico during Adoration. I did not see a vision, but I felt the presence of Jesus and knew without a doubt that He was there. A feeling of indescribable peace and serenity came over me and all I could do was fall to my knees and pray.
Our eyes are opened to see the new Jerusalem and our hearts are opened to feel His presence when we believe and accept the truth that Jesus is the Son of God. He has made a new Jerusalem for us in His kingdom. There is a season for us to believe and rejoice and that season is now.
Peace,
Al Ammons
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.