Sixth Week of Easter
17th May 2023 (Wednesday) Readings and Reflection
Reading of the Day
First Reading: Acts 17:15, 22—18:1
15 Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed. 22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ 29 Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” 32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” 33 So Paul went out from their midst. 34 But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them. 1 After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
Psalm 148:1-2, 11-12, 13, 14
R/. Heaven and earth are full of your glory Or: Alleluia.
Gospel : John 16:12-15
12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
Daily Gospel Reflection
The Reflection by Fr. Thumma Mariadas Reddy MSFS{alertWarning}
Main Theme: Guided by the Spirit!
Indicative: God gives us His Spirit of truth. He will enlighten us regarding truth and also share the same truth with others{alertSuccess}
1. Jesus continues to speak of the Spirit that is to come, sent by the Father to continue the mission of Christ. What does he do? He will guide us to all truth. He will speak what he hears from the Lord. He will glorify the Lord
2. The point here is not who first and who is next or that the Spirit has no original or creative function but has only a function of succession or continuity of Christ’s mission. It is not a matter of subordination or sequence.
3. The main thrust is, it is all one whole mission of redemption, shared by all the three in the Trinity. The Father sent the Son, the Son redeemed the world, and the Spirit continues, stabilizes and fosters the same mission. All the three are fully involved and perfectly integrated. Each has a definitive role and a specific form of action.
4. If Christ founded the church, the Holy Spirit sustains the era of the church where the apostles pay a prominent role. We see one such instance of the guidance and action of the Holy Spirit in the first reading in the case of Paul.
5. Paul was fully guided by the Spirit and so makes an illuminated discourse. Guided by the wisdom of the Spirit, he presents Jesus Christ, connected to their own context. He appeals to the deeper religious sentiments of the people of Athens that are present in every one.
6. He stirs up their inner spiritual –philosophical-existential sensibilities. He speaks of God who is transcendent and immanent, God who is the cause and sustainer of all. God at His appropriate time saved the humankind through Jesus, the Saviour. Thus Paul wins some to faith.
Imperative: In our mission, always all the situations will not be tailor-made or all-favourable. We should be open to the Spirit to make inroads and to present the message of salvation as relevant and appealing{alertSuccess}