20260509 FINDING STRENGTH IN CHRISTIAN WITNESSING
9 May 2026, Saturday, 5th Week of Easter
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 |
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.
Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Lord, who hung for us upon the tree,
has risen from the tomb.
Alleluia!
Or: | Col3:1 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Since you have been brought back to true life with Christ,
you must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is,
sitting at God’s right hand.
Alleluia!
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.’
FINDING STRENGTH IN CHRISTIAN WITNESSING
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ACTS 16:1-10; PS 100:1-3,5; JOHN 15:18-21]
Why do people want to become Christians? For some, it is because they think that by being a Christian they will have no more troubles. They will be filled with peace, which means no suffering; and joy, which means being blessed with a good life. But few are aware that being a Christian is not to take refuge from the world, but rather, it is a call to be more committed to the world. Being a Christian means living out our faith and discipleship in the world. It is a call to testify to Christ and the truth of the Gospel.
Truly, the mark of a true and mature Christian is one who takes the Good News seriously, lives it in his or her own life; and then announces and shares the Good News of Jesus with others. This is what we read in today’s First Reading of Paul’s second missionary trip. This time, he took with him Silas and Timothy. The latter was a convert. His Jewish-Greek parentage gave him easier access into both communities. He was brought up by his mother according to the Jewish tradition. Paul took him along to replace Mark from the first missionary expedition. Both of them assisted Paul in spreading the Gospel to new territories.
Whilst we may not all be called to full-time missionary work, all of us, by virtue of our baptism and confirmation, are called to witness to Christ in the circumstances and environment we are in. We are called to bear witness to Christ in our life, in our words and in our works. When the occasion permits, we are called to share Christ explicitly. But when there are sensitivities in the circumstances, we can proclaim Christ implicitly by our lifestyle, but most of all by our good deeds, and by our love, compassion and humble service, especially to the poor, the vulnerable, the suffering and the marginalised. So long as we restrict ourselves to these areas, generally, at least in our country, we will not meet with much hostility from those who disagree with our values, our lifestyle and our faith.
The real challenge in Christian witnessing is that there will come a time in our lives when we cannot be silent in our faith. St Peter wrote to the Christians, “In your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame.” (1 Pt 3:15f) Indeed, when we try to be true to our faith and live the Gospel teachings, there will be people who will oppose us and see us as a threat to their own lifestyle.
That we will face opposition has already been forewarned by the Lord in the Gospel. So we should not be Christians without realising the duties, responsibilities and commitments we have made to Christ and His Church. Being a Christian is more than getting baptised, receiving the sacraments, attending Mass on Sundays, saying a few prayers, giving a few dollars to help the Church and the poor. Being a Christian is to live out the life of Christ and to announce Him as the Saviour of the world. Before he ascended into Heaven, the Lord commanded us, saying, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” (Mt 28:19f) Witnessing and mission are not options but obligations because they are commands from the Lord, not merely from the Church.
But why would people oppose us? What have we done wrong? Why, when we are called to be loving people, forgiving of our enemies and serving our brothers and sisters humbly and unselfishly, should we face opposition? Strictly speaking, if anything, we should be able to attract people to our faith because we are sharing with them the fullness of life in Christ, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. In Christ, we find our true identity as God’s sons and daughters; that we are all brothers and sisters in the Lord; and our true destination, which is to share the life of God in Heaven. So why would people oppose us for doing good without any evil or selfish intention, and for sharing Christ and the Gospel with others?
Our Lord tells us in today’s Gospel that opposition is inevitable. This is because, firstly, we no longer belong to the world. We have a new nature in Christ. “Jesus said: ‘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.” The world wants us to be one of them. The world, as we know, is controlled by the Evil One. The world that Jesus speaks about is not the world per se, but worldly values, the selfish and self-centred lifestyle that people want us to embrace. The world tries very hard to secularise us and make us forget our identity as Christians. They do not want us to behave differently from them. They want us to live a life of hedonistic pleasure, and to seek the trappings of success, power, fame and popularity.
Secondly, we face opposition from the world because we share in the life of Christ. Jesus said, “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.” If Jesus was treated by the world in that way, we cannot expect His disciples to be treated differently. We will be persecuted like our Lord simply because we are identified with Christ and His Gospel. Some oppose us because they feel threatened by our increasing number. Some feel threatened because they lose their own members and become jealous of the Christians. Others are threatened because they are afraid that if Christians come into power in government, politics or the corporate world, they might impose Christian values on the larger society. So some see Christians as a threat to their peace, progress and advancements.
Finally, we face opposition because our lives expose evil. Living a life contrary to what the world holds true is a silent judgement against them. The demons and the religious leaders sought to silence our Lord because He exposed their hypocrisy and selfishness. They were living lives of double-standards and only appeared to be holy and righteous. But in their hearts, they were craving recognition, power and glory. Jesus, as the light of the world, exposes all our hidden sins, and selfish and evil intentions. So when Christians seek to live in the truth and expose lies, inconsistencies in politics, injustice towards the poor and corruption in society, they are met with retaliation because we deprive others of power and influence. Evil people will threaten us if we seek to expose their evil intentions.
In the face of such opposition, what must we do as Christians living in this sinful and corrupt world? We must be vigilant and sober, but we should not be afraid. We must turn to the Holy Spirit given to us to guide us, just as He guided the apostles in their missionary expedition. We read in today’s First Reading that the Holy Spirit guided Paul to where he should go and how he should respond. We should not do our own will, but seek His will and submit in obedience to the voice of the Holy Spirit. This was what Paul did when he wanted to cross Mysia into Europe, but we are told the Holy Spirit restrained him. Yet on another occasion, Paul had a vision calling him to Macedonia to bring the Gospel to them. This time, he knew that the vision was from the Lord.
Therefore, in our Christian witnessing, as the Lord tells us, we must be wise as serpents and gentle as doves. Previously, St Paul was fighting against the need to circumcise the Gentile Christians, but when it came to Timothy, he had him circumcised, not because it was necessary, but because it would help in the proclamation of the Gospel to the Jews. The Holy Spirit continues to speak to us through daily life situations, through our friends, through the Church and, most of all, through the Word of God. Let us be attentive in our prayer and contemplation, so that we find strength and wisdom to proclaim the Gospel in word and deed as inspired by Him. Let us be open to the ways the Holy Spirit is leading us, even to places in ways we never thought possible.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved
