From: John 15:18-21

A Hostile World

(Jesus said to His disciples,) [18] “If the world hates you, know that it has hated
Me before it hated you. [19] If you were of the world, the world would love its own;
but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore
the world hates you. [20] Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not
greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you; if they
kept My word, they will keep yours also. [21] But all this they will do to you on
My account, because they do not know Him who sent Me.”

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Commentary:

18-19. Jesus states that there can be no compromise between Him and the
world, the kingdom of sin: anyone who lives in sin abhors the light (cf. John 3:19-
20). This is why Christ is persecuted, and why the Apostles will be in their turn.
“The hostility of the perverse sounds like praise for our life”, St. Gregory says,
“because it shows that we have at least some rectitude if we are an annoyance
to those who do not love God; no one can be pleasing to God and to God’s ene-
mies at the same time. He who seeks to please those who oppose God is no
friend of God; and he who submits himself to the truth will fight against those
who strive against truth” (”In Ezechielem Homiliae”, 9).

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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.

Readings at Mass

First reading	Acts 16:1-10 ©

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.

Psalm	Psalm 99:1-3,5 ©

Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth.

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.

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.

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.

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 ©

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.’