Category: Uncategorized

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Gospel: John 14: 1-6

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.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Today’s Gospel passage comes from part of Jesus’ Last Supper discourse as he begins revealing to his disciples that this will be his final night on earth. 

Their faith will be shaken. Their world will be turned upside down. Their Lord will be taken from their midst, and placed in a tomb. 

Yet he tells them, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”

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To be troubled meant, “to be overwhelmed by the fear of death or some other grave evil.”

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Although dark hours are ahead, the Lord urges his friends not to be shaken; rather, to trust in God and thus, to be at peace. Jesus is stronger than death.

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What troubles my heart? What makes me feel overwhelmed?

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In those moments, turn to the Lord, who whispers gently, “You have faith in God. Have faith also in me.” 

Have faith in the promise of his comfort; have faith in his victory over death; have faith in God’s Spirit dwelling with you.

As Saint Paul once wrote, “No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it.”

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Although life may be difficult at times, we are not to be troubled. Christ has overcome the world.

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Image credits: (1) United Faith Church (2) The Last Supper, DaVinci (3) The Word Among Us

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Acts: 12:24-13:5

The word of God continued to spread and grow.

After Barnabas and Saul completed their relief mission,
they returned to Jerusalem,
taking with them John, who is called Mark.

Now there were in the Church at Antioch prophets and teachers:
Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene,
Manaen who was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,
“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul
for the work to which I have called them.”
Then, completing their fasting and prayer,
they laid hands on them and sent them off.

So they, sent forth by the Holy Spirit,
went down to Seleucia
and from there sailed to Cyprus.
When they arrived in Salamis,
they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues.

The Word of the Lord.

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Today we hear about the first missionary journey ever recorded in Christianity.

Starting in Antioch, Paul and Barnabas sail west to Cyprus, north into Turkey, south to Jerusalem, and finally back into Syria.

It was a three-year journey filled with risk and reward.

Paul was stoned at least once. He and Barnabas fled for their lives several times. They performed miracles, such as healing a crippled man, and converted many along the way.

This journey also inspired Paul to write some of his pastoral letters, including his Letter to the Galatians.

In spite of widespread persecution, the infant Church grew at a rapid pace. 

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How did they do it?

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They were courageous. Even when it meant risking their lives, these Christians believed so strongly in the resurrection that not even the threat of death could stop them.

They were open to the Holy Spirit. As we hear in our first reading, the disciples send Paul and Barnabas on mission only after prayer and fasting – two ways in which we still receive the Holy Spirit today.

They worked in teams. Saint Paul is one of the most travelled missionaries in history. But rarely was he alone. Among those who accompanied him were: Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, Luke, Priscilla, and Aquila.

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The Lord needs the same type of disciples today: people who are courageous, who are open to the Holy Spirit, and who are team players.

If we follow Paul’s example, then the Good News will continue to spread throughout our community – and beyond.

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Image credits: (1) Got Questions (2) Community in Mission, Archdiocese of Washington, WordPress (3) Jake Kail Ministries

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Acts: 11: 19-26

Those who had been scattered by the persecution
that arose because of Stephen
went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch,
preaching the word to no one but Jews.
There were some Cypriots and Cyrenians among them, however,
who came to Antioch and began to speak to the Greeks as well,
proclaiming the Lord Jesus.
The hand of the Lord was with them
and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.
The news about them reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem,
and they sent Barnabas to go to Antioch.
When he arrived and saw the grace of God,
he rejoiced and encouraged them all
to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart,
for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith.
And a large number of people was added to the Lord.
Then he went to Tarsus to look for Saul,
and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch.
For a whole year they met with the Church
and taught a large number of people,
and it was in Antioch that the disciples
were first called Christians.

The Word of the Lord.

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Our first reading describes one of the most important events in human history. 

Without a careful ear, we’d miss it.

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The death of Saint Stephen, the first known Christian martyr, caused many Christians to flee Jerusalem. While they left much behind, one thing they did bring was their faith.

As it’s written, “Some of them came to Antioch and spoke to the Greeks and told them the good news of the Lord Jesus.”

This is the moment when the Gospel is first shared with the Gentiles. 

Until now, all Christians were converts from Judaism. They either encountered the Risen Christ himself or came to understand Jesus as the fulfillment of the Jewish scriptures through the teaching of the Apostles.

Knowledge of scripture provided them with a strong foundation.

All of a sudden, Christians started evangelizing the Greeks, who had not known the God of Israel. Leading them to Jesus demanded courage and creativity as they convinced some that he was, in fact, LORD.

These early Christians – many poor and illiterate – started a movement that changed the world…and we don’t even know their names.

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Perhaps there’s a point in that for us today.

These early Christians remind us that spreading the Gospel is possible; that the Church in America can prosper; that non-believers can come to faith. 

Most of that work is done by ordinary people like us who bear witness to the Gospel through personal witness.  

What we need to be effective are the gifts of the Holy Spirit: courage, creativity, wisdom, and an openness to dialoging with people of different cultures, backgrounds, and beliefs.

For us, we pray: “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth.”

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Image credits: (1) English Plus Podcast (2) Blue Ridge Christian News, WordPress (3) The Salt Stories