First reading Acts 16:22-34
Become a believer and you will be saved, and your household too
The crowd joined in and showed their hostility to Paul and Silas, so the magistrates had them stripped and ordered them to be flogged. They were given many lashes and then thrown into prison, and the gaoler was told to keep a close watch on them. So, following his instructions, he threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
Late that night Paul and Silas were praying and singing God’s praises, while the other prisoners listened. Suddenly there was an earthquake that shook the prison to its foundations. All the doors flew open and the chains fell from all the prisoners. When the gaoler woke and saw the doors wide open he drew his sword and was about to commit suicide, presuming that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted at the top of his voice, ‘Don’t do yourself any harm; we are all here.’ The gaoler called for lights, then rushed in, threw himself trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas, and escorted them out, saying, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They told him, ‘Become a believer in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, and your household too.’ Then they preached the word of the Lord to him and to all his family. Late as it was, he took them to wash their wounds, and was baptised then and there with all his household. Afterwards he took them home and gave them a meal, and the whole family celebrated their conversion to belief in God.
Responsorial Psalm 137(138):1-3,7-8
You stretch out your hand and save me, O Lord.
or
Alleluia!
I thank you, Lord, with all my heart:
you have heard the words of my mouth.
In the presence of the angels I will bless you.
I will adore before your holy temple.
I thank you for your faithfulness and love,
which excel all we ever knew of you.
On the day I called, you answered;
you increased the strength of my soul.
You stretch out your hand and save me,
your hand will do all things for me.
Your love, O Lord, is eternal,
discard not the work of your hands.
Gospel John 16:5-11
Unless I go, the Advocate will not come to you
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘Now I am going to the one who sent me.
Not one of you has asked, “Where are you going?”
Yet you are sad at heart because I have told you this.
Still, I must tell you the truth:
it is for your own good that I am going
because unless I go,
the Advocate will not come to you;
but if I do go,
I will send him to you.
And when he comes,
he will show the world how wrong it was,
about sin,
and about who was in the right,
and about judgement:
about sin: proved by their refusal to believe in me;
about who was in the right: proved by my going to the Father and your seeing me no more;
about judgement: proved by the prince of this world being already condemned.’
_______________________________
Joy, even in trails
“…threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. Late that night Paul and Silas were praying and singing God’s praises, …” (1st reading). Paul and Silas were stripped, flogged and thrown into prison. Yet, they remained faithful to Jesus and joyfully lived their faith amid hardship. Their joy reflected their conviction that the Holy Spirit was with them. We would find it hard to be joyful in such circumstances. We need to be in touch with the Holy Spirit and trust that He can and will bring new hope and life out of suffering.
“I will send him to you”. In the gospel, Jesus knew that the disciples would struggle to live their faith to the end when He would no longer be with them. Thus, Jesus promised He would remain with them in a new way, i.e. through His Spirit. Today, Jesus continues to stay with us through His Spirit. We are not alone. The Holy Spirit accompanies us and makes us walk the path of joyfully living our faith to the end.
Reflective question:
How can I depend more on the Holy Spirit?
How can I depend more on the Holy Spirit?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Sandra Seow FMVD.
