First reading Acts 16:1-10
‘Come across to Macedonia and help us’
From Cilicia Paul went to Derbe, and then on to Lystra. Here there was a disciple called Timothy, whose mother was a Jewess who had become a believer; but his father was a Greek. The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of Timothy, and Paul, who wanted to have him as a travelling companion, had him circumcised. This was on account of the Jews in the locality where everyone knew his father was a Greek.
As they visited one town after another, they passed on the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, with instructions to respect them.
So the churches grew strong in the faith, as well as growing daily in numbers.
They travelled through Phrygia and the Galatian country, having been told by the Holy Spirit not to preach the word in Asia. When they reached the frontier of Mysia they thought to cross it into Bithynia, but as the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them, they went through Mysia and came down to Troas.
One night Paul had a vision: a Macedonian appeared and appealed to him in these words, ‘Come across to Macedonia and help us.’ Once he had seen this vision we lost no time in arranging a passage to Macedonia, convinced that God had called us to bring them the Good News.
Responsorial Psalm 99(100):1-3,5
Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Serve the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing for joy.
Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
Know that he, the Lord, is God.
He made us, we belong to him,
we are his people, the sheep of his flock.
Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
Indeed, how good is the Lord,
eternal his merciful love.
He is faithful from age to age.
Gospel John 15:18-21
The world hated me before it hated you
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘If the world hates you,
remember that it hated me before you.
If you belonged to the world,
the world would love you as its own;
but because you do not belong to the world,
because my choice withdrew you from the world,
therefore the world hates you.
Remember the words I said to you: A servant is not greater than his master.
If they persecuted me, they will persecute you too;
if they kept my word, they will keep yours as well.
But it will be on my account that they will do all this,
because they do not know the one who sent me.’
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I belong to Jesus
The hallmark of a true disciple is to live a life of selfless love like Jesus. If we take our following of Jesus seriously, we may find ourselves facing hostility from the world around us. This rejection stems from our conscious decision to distance ourselves from the values and priorities upheld by secular society. Rather than embracing the nature of competition, the allure of self-interest, the bitterness of anger, the relentless pursuit of power and status, we choose a different path. We align ourselves with the gospel values of Jesus: values of forgiveness, reconciliation, honesty, faithfulness, simplicity, humility, etc. In doing so, we choose to stand with Jesus, even when it means going against the prevailing currents of society.
“My choice withdrew you from the world…” (The gospel). Jesus has chosen us to be His friends, His disciples. Let us joyfully and deeply ground ourselves in this truth: we belong to Him. When we understand that we belong to Jesus, we can then live and love as He does.
Reflective question:
Do I embrace the truth that I belong to Jesus, not to the world?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD.
