1ST READING
Paul
has come to the point where he does not care if he lives or dies. The
only thing that matters to him is whether or not he has an opportunity
to share the Gospel with someone. Let us reflect upon this story in
order to draw encouragement from Paul’s attitude towards imprisonment
and suffering.
Acts 16:22-34
22 The
crowd joined in the attack on Paul and Silas, and the magistrates had
them stripped and ordered them to be beaten with rods. 23 After inflicting many blows on them, they threw them into prison and instructed the jailer to guard them securely. 24 When he received these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and secured their feet to a stake. 25 About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying and
singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened, 26 there
was suddenly such a severe earthquake that the foundations of the jail
shook; all the doors flew open, and the chains of all were pulled loose.
27 When
the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his
sword and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had
escaped. 28 But Paul shouted out in a loud voice, “Do no harm to yourself; we are all here.” 29 He asked for a light and rushed in and,
trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved.” 32 So they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house. 33 He took them in at that hour of the night and bathed their wounds; then he and all his family were baptized at once. 34 He brought them up into his house and provided a meal and with his household rejoiced at having come to faith in God.
P S A L M
Psalm 138:1-2, 2-3, 7-8
R: Your right hand saves me, O Lord.
1 I
will give thanks to you, O Lord, with all my heart, for you have heard
the words of my mouth; in the presence of the angels I will sing your
praise; 2 I will worship at your holy temple and give thanks to your name. (R) Because of your kindness and your truth; you have made great above all things your name and your promise. 3 When I called, you answered me; you built up strength within me. (R) 7 Your right hand saves me. 8 The Lord will complete what he has done for me; your kindness, O Lord, endures forever; forsake not the work of your hands. (R)
GOSPEL
Jesus
believes that the sending of the Holy Spirit is the work of both the
Father and the Son. This is why He needs to return to His Father so they
can send us the Holy Spirit as the enduring sign of their love for and
presence within the Church. Let us pray that we will always welcome the
Holy Spirit in our hearts and in our communities so that we will always
be guided according to the mind and heart of God.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
I will send to you the Spirit of truth, says the Lord; he will guide you to all truth.
John 16:5-11
5 Jesus said to his disciples: “Now I am going to the one who sent me, and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts. 7 But
I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not
go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to
you. 8 And when he comes he will convict the world in regard to
sin and righteousness and condemnation: 9 sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; 11 condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.”
think: Let us pray that we will always welcome the Holy Spirit in our hearts and in our communities.
T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: __________________
____________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today_
_____________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR 1 Samuel 17-20
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