From: John 15:26-16:4a
A Hostile World (Continuation)
The Action of the Holy Spirit
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
26-27. Just before the Ascension our Lord will again charge the Apostles with the
mission to bear witness to Him (cf. Acts 1:8). They have been witnesses to the
public ministry, death and resurrection of Christ, which is a condition for belonging
to the Apostolic College, as we see when Matthias is elected to take the place of
Judas (cf. Acts 1:21-22). But the public preaching of the Twelve and the life of the
Church will not start until the Holy Spirit comes.
Every Christian should be living witness to Jesus, and the Church as a whole is a
permanent testimony to Him: “The mission of the Church is carried out by means
of that activity through which, in obedience to Christ’s command and moved by the
grace and love of the Holy Spirit, the Church makes itself fully present to all men
and peoples in order to lead them to the faith, freedom and peace of Christ by the
example of its life and preaching, by the sacraments and other means of grace”
(Vatican II, “Ad Gentes”, 5).
2-3. Fanaticism can even bring a person to think that it is permissible to commit
a crime in order to serve the cause of religion—as happened with those Jews who
persecuted Jesus to the point of bringing about His death, and who later persecu-
ted the Church. Paul of Tarsus was a typical example of misguided zeal (cf. Acts
22:3-16); but once Paul realized he was wrong he changed and became one of
Christ’s most fervent apostles. As Jesus predicted, the Church has often experi-
enced this sort of fanatical, diabolical hatred. At other times this false zeal, though
not so obvious, takes the form of systematic and unjust opposition to the things of
God. “In the moments of struggle and opposition, when perhaps ‘the good’ fill your
way with obstacles, lift up your apostolic heart: listen to Jesus as He speaks of
the grain of mustard seed and of the leaven. And say to Him: ‘edissere nobis para-
bolam’: explain the parable to me.’
“And you will feel the joy of contemplating the victory to come: the birds of the
air lodging in the branches of your apostolate, now only in its beginnings, and
the whole of the meal leavened” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 695).
In these cases, as our Lord also pointed out, those who persecute God’s true
servants think they are serving Him: they confuse God’s interest with a deformed
idea of religion.
4. Here Jesus prophesies not only His own death (cf. Matthew 16:21-23) but also
the persecution His disciples will suffer. He forewarns them of the contradictions
they will experience so that they will not be scandalized or depressed when they
do arise; in fact, difficulties will give them an opportunity to demonstrate their faith.
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
|
First reading |
Acts 16:11-15 © |
Sailing from Troas we made a straight run for Samothrace; the next day for Neapolis, and from there for Philippi, a Roman colony and the principal city of that particular district of Macedonia. After a few days in this city we went along the river outside the gates as it was the sabbath and this was a customary place for prayer. We sat down and preached to the women who had come to the meeting. One of these women was called Lydia, a devout woman from the town of Thyatira who was in the purple-dye trade. She listened to us, and the Lord opened her heart to accept what Paul was saying. After she and her household had been baptised she sent us an invitation: ‘If you really think me a true believer in the Lord,’ she said ‘come and stay with us’; and she would take no refusal.
|
Psalm |
Psalm 149:1-6,9 © |
The Lord takes delight in his people.
or
Alleluia!
Sing a new song to the Lord,
his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in its Maker,
let Zion’s sons exult in their king.
The Lord takes delight in his people.
or
Alleluia!
Let them praise his name with dancing
and make music with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord takes delight in his people.
He crowns the poor with salvation.
The Lord takes delight in his people.
or
Alleluia!
Let the faithful rejoice in their glory,
shout for joy and take their rest.
Let the praise of God be on their lips:
this honour is for all his faithful.
The Lord takes delight in his people.
or
Alleluia!
|
Gospel Acclamation |
cf.Lk24:46,26 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
It was ordained that the Christ should suffer
and rise from the dead,
and so enter into his glory.
Alleluia!
|
Or |
Jn15:26,27 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Spirit of truth will be my witness;
and you too will be my witnesses.
Alleluia!
|
Gospel |
John 15:26-16:4 © |
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘When the Advocate comes,
whom I shall send to you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who issues from the Father,
he will be my witness.
And you too will be witnesses,
because you have been with me from the outset.
‘I have told you all this that your faith may not be shaken.
They will expel you from the synagogues,
and indeed the hour is coming
when anyone who kills you
will think he is doing a holy duty for God.
They will do these things
because they have never known
either the Father or myself.
But I have told you all this,
so that when the time for it comes
you may remember that I told you.’