First reading Acts 19:1-8
The moment Paul laid hands on them the Holy Spirit came down on them
While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul made his way overland as far as Ephesus, where he found a number of disciples. When he asked, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?’ they answered, ‘No, we were never even told there was such a thing as a Holy Spirit.’ ‘Then how were you baptised?’ he asked. ‘With John’s baptism’ they replied. ‘John’s baptism’ said Paul ‘was a baptism of repentance; but he insisted that the people should believe in the one who was to come after him – in other words, Jesus.’ When they heard this, they were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus, and the moment Paul had laid hands on them the Holy Spirit came down on them, and they began to speak with tongues and to prophesy. There were about twelve of these men.
He began by going to the synagogue, where he spoke out boldly and argued persuasively about the kingdom of God. He did this for three months.
Responsorial Psalm 67(68):2-7
Kingdoms of the earth, sing to God.
or
Alleluia!
Let God arise, let his foes be scattered.
Let those who hate him flee before him.
As smoke is blown away so will they be blown away;
like wax that melts before the fire,
so the wicked shall perish at the presence of God.
But the just shall rejoice at the presence of God,
they shall exult and dance for joy.
O sing to the Lord, make music to his name;
rejoice in the Lord, exult at his presence.
Father of the orphan, defender of the widow,
such is God in his holy place.
God gives the lonely a home to live in;
he leads the prisoners forth into freedom.
Gospel John 16:29-33
Be brave, for I have conquered the world
His disciples said to Jesus, ‘Now you are speaking plainly and not using metaphors! Now we see that you know everything, and do not have to wait for questions to be put into words; because of this we believe that you came from God.’ Jesus answered them:
‘Do you believe at last?
Listen; the time will come – in fact it has come already –
when you will be scattered,
each going his own way and leaving me alone.
And yet I am not alone,
because the Father is with me.
I have told you all this
so that you may find peace in me.
In the world you will have trouble,
but be brave: I have conquered the world.’
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Be courageous, I am with you
Jesus knew His disciples would leave Him alone when He was at His lowest moment, even though they professed their unwavering commitment to follow Him to the end. Yet, Jesus knew He would not be alone because God the Father was always with Him. Jesus invited His disciples to find peace in Him as they faced challenges living their discipleship.
Today, as we pray with the gospel passage, we listen to Jesus as He calls us to find our peace in Him and says, “In the world you will have hardship, but be courageous: I have conquered the world”. Let these words take root in our hearts when we feel overwhelmed by the sad news of people we love, when we feel hopeless and scared by the changes we cannot control, when we feel small in moments of humiliation, etc. Today, Jesus reassures us that He is with us. Thus, we can draw peace and courage from our relationship with Him.
Reflective question:
In what areas in my life, do I need Jesus’ peace and courage?
In what areas in my life, do I need Jesus’ peace and courage?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Sandra Seow FMVD.
