Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc.
6TH WEEK OF EASTER
Psalter: Week 2 / (White)
St. Damien Joseph de Veuster of Moloka’i, priest / St. John of Avila, priest & doctor
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 47: 2-3, 4-5, 6-7: God is king of all the earth.
1st Reading: Acts 18: 9-18
One night, in a vision, the Lord said to Paul, “Do not be afraid, but continue speaking and do not be silent, for many people in this city are mine. I am with you, so no one will harm you.” So Paul stayed a year and a half in that place, teaching the word of God among them.
When Gallio was governor of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the court. And they accused him, “This man tries to persuade us to worship God in ways that are against the law.”
Paul was about to speak in his own defense when Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of a misdeed or vicious crime, I would have to consider your complaint. But since this is a quarrel about teachings and divine names that are proper to your own law, see to it yourselves: I refuse to judge such matters.” And he sent them out of the court.
Then the people seized Sosthenes, a leading man of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal; but Gallio paid no attention to it.
Paul stayed on with the disciples in Corinth for many days; he then left them and sailed off with Priscilla and Aquila for Syria. And as he was no longer under a vow he had taken, he shaved his head before sailing from Cenchreae.
Gospel: John 16: 20-23
Truly, I say to you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy. A woman in childbirth is in distress because her time is at hand. But after the child is born, she no longer remembers her suffering because of her great joy: a human being is born into the world.
You feel sorrowful now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice; and no one will take your joy from you. When that day comes you will not ask me anything. Truly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.
REFLECTION:
“Do not lose hope.”
We are living in a time when life has become even more difficult. Wars escalate. Poverty worsens. Climate risks become higher. Yet, in the Gospel today, Jesus told his disciples of sorrow turning into joy. He also tells us now not to lose hope despite all the problems we face at present. He is in charge. Nonetheless, we are also challenged to do our part in making the present world we live in a better place.
Today’s Gospel teaches us the proper disposition. We are called to take the disposition similar to that of an expectant mother. Once we take this kind of disposition, we can face every suffering with hope the way a woman in childbirth would face birth pangs. Hence the experience of hardship is taken as something positive because such suffering would only be transitory, eventually bringing a beautiful outcome.
Every Christian is summoned to have the kind of joy experienced by a mother who has given birth to a child, forgetting the suffering while possessing the joy of being able to give birth.
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