20220530 STAYING FAITHFUL TO JESUS
30 May, 2022, Monday, 7th Week of Easter
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 |
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.
Kingdoms of the earth, sing to God.
or
Alleluia!
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.
Kingdoms of the earth, sing to God.
or
Alleluia!
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.
Kingdoms of the earth, sing to God.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation | Jn16:28 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
I came from the Father
and have come into the world,
and now I leave the world
to go to the Father.
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 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.’
STAYING FAITHFUL TO JESUS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ACTS 19:1-8; PS 67:2-7; JOHN 16:29-33]
What does it take for us to remain faithful to Jesus? How many of us will stand up for our faith? It all depends whether our faith in Jesus is strong enough. Jesus told the disciples, “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.” How sure are we that we will not betray our Lord in times of persecution or temptation? The truth is that few will die for an ideology. But we are willing to die for those whom we love. So unless we know a Jesus personally, we will not be ready to die for Him. But do we really know Jesus? Many of us presume, like the disciples, that we know Jesus well enough to stand up for Him. This was what the disciples thought as well. They said, “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.”
How can we know that God is with us? We know His presence mostly through concrete experiences of His saving presence in our lives. Without which, our faith in Jesus remains a cerebral affair. Those of us who have no real experience of His presence and love will doubt His presence, especially when trials beset us. The way He makes Himself present to us is through the Holy Spirit in our hearts or in the activities of our lives.
The Holy Spirit comes in different ways. He comes most of all when we love. This is what St John says. “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 Jn 4:7f) Through our love for each other, God’s love is mediated to us. This is the most human way of encountering God. The talk about God’s love is not real unless this love is mediated. Have we said to someone who shows us an act of kindness that he or she is Jesus to us? However, those who encounter human love often do not go beyond the human actions of love to recognize that all love and goodness come from God.
St Paul reminds us that the Holy Spirit comes to us in different ways. He is the giver of all gifts. “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (1 Cor 12:4-7) So whether we are recipients of His love through others or of His gifts to bless others, it comes from the Lord. If that is the case, all should have encountered the Lord although not all recognize that it is the Spirit of Jesus acting in and through them. This was the case of the disciples at Ephesus who did not know Jesus. Even during the time of Jesus as also in our days, many who experienced healing miracles still do not recognize that it is the Lord who heals.
A more radical way to know that God is with us is through religious experiences such as miracles, particularly of healing. Many people come to have faith in Jesus only through a personal experience of His power at work in their lives. Like the psalmist, we pray, “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.” Only those who have experienced deliverance from their enemies and troubles in life will come to acknowledge the power of God. If many still lack a personal faith in Jesus it is because they have not yet come to a situation where they could do nothing by themselves except to rely on God alone. Unless we see the mighty works of God, it would be difficult for us to really believe that God is a loving and mighty God.
If faith is lacking and recognition of the Lord is weak, it is because they do not yet know the Holy Spirit. This was the deficiency in the faith of the early Christians at Ephesus. They were baptized in the baptism of John for the forgiveness of sins but they were not yet baptized in the name of Jesus. St Paul had them “baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus.” “The moment Paul had laid hands on them the Holy Spirit came down on them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy.” What the baptism of the Holy Spirit did was to help them recognize that all that they were experiencing then was through the Spirit of Jesus. Baptism in the Holy Spirit is by far the most tangible way to a conscious experience of Jesus. Those who received the gift of tongues came to realize that the Holy Spirit is real. All their doubts and questions about their faith seemed to have disappeared once they encountered the overwhelming love of the Holy Spirit.
If Jesus was not afraid of His imminent passion, it was simply because He was conscious of the Spirit of the Father in His life. “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.” With the assurance of His Father’s love for Him He was able to go through the passion. He was always conscious of His Father’s love for Him. When we know that someone is with us, we can always carry our crosses cheerfully. Having a confidante, a loyal friend, or a loving and supportive spouse is all we need to go through the storms of life. We too must come to Jesus and find support from Him in our battles against the darkness of this world.
We too are not alone when we receive the Spirit of truth who enables us to know the presence of God. Without the Holy Spirit, we will be having the mind without the light to grasp Him. We would be like those who have eyes but cannot see because there is no light. Our ears too will be useless if there is no sound for us to hear. So too, the Holy Spirit enlightens our minds so that we can see the work of God in our lives. This gift of coming to know God is given to us all through Jesus who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Alas, not many can recognize Him simply because they do not have the inner capacity.
Let us therefore seek for the Holy Spirit during this time of preparation for Pentecost. The way to receive the Holy Spirit is to deepen our knowledge of Jesus. Like the apostles and Mary, we must make time for prayer by reading the Word of God and contemplating on His promise to send us the Holy Spirit. For those who are truly hungry to encounter Him in the Spirit, be open to ask for the release of the Holy Spirit by getting those who are initiated in the Spirit to pray for them as St Paul did for the disciples at Ephesus. The Holy Spirit is given in proportion to those who are ready to receive Him. The greater the openness, the greater is the capacity to be filled with the Holy Spirit. In order that we do not block the grace of the Holy Spirit, we should make a thorough examination of conscience and go for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This is a prerequisite for the Holy Spirit to be bestowed upon us anew. The disciples at Ephesus first availed themselves to the grace of repentance before they received the Holy Spirit. We too must do the same. “And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.” (Acts 5:32) Let us be humble and welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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