First Reading - Acts 16:1-10
Gospel - John 15:18-21
The first reading clearly manifests the role of the Spirit in the work of evangelization. The Holy Spirit becomes a leading protagonist in guiding the disciples and showing them their work for the mission. The passage also highlights the works of Paul who was guided by the Spirit for the work of evangelization.
In today’s Gospel passage Jesus warns his apostles of what they are to expect from a world which ignores God and His teaching. They will be hated and persecuted as Jesus was. But there can be no compromise between Christ’s disciples and the followers of the powers of darkness. The term “world” in today’s Gospel passage means people who are hostile towards God and opposed to His will. They represent an evil society which “calls evil good and good evil” (Is 5:20). Such a society will hate Christ and his teachings because Christian teaching exposes the evil of society and its false and dangerous doctrines. Since the Church Jesus established stands for truth, morality and justice, it does not support the modern “dictatorship of relativism.” The modern world hates and ridicules everything Christian through its liberal, agnostic and atheistic media.
Dear friends, let us ask the Holy Spirit for the courage of our Christian convictions to believe and practice what Jesus taught and what Jesus continues to teach through the Church. It's also pointed out by the gospel that living, practicing and preaching the teachings of Jesus will be fraught with difficulties, challenges, and oppositions but the first reading assures us that the Spirit of the Lord will always guide and direct his disciples in His works. Therefore, we should not be disturbed by opposing forces of the time but should believe in the power of the Spirit of the Lord who will be with us in our works.
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