Daily Reflection | Gospel Reading | RVA

Gospel: John 15:26—16:4a
From the Father, I will send you the Spirit of truth. When this Helper has come from the Father, he will be my witness, and you, too, will be my witnesses, for you have been with me from the beginning.I tell you all this to keep you from stumbling and falling away. They will put you out of the synagogue. Still more, the hour is coming, when anyone who kills you will claim to be serving God; they will do this, because they have not known the Father or me. I tell you all these things now so that, when the time comes, you may remember that I told you about them.

Reflections
“He will be my witness.”The Spirit of truth which Jesus refers to is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is about to be sent by him from God the Father. In Greek, the gender of pneuma (spirit) is neuter, but when it is translated into English the gender becomes masculine.The Holy Spirit is described as Helper or paraclete proceeding from the Father. He will strengthen the apostles in times of crisis. It is about being driven away from the synagogues because of their faith in Christ. Worse still, there will be people who would like to elimi- nate them, thinking that by doing so, they are doing the will of God. Jesus does not want his followers to give up their faith. They need the Holy Spirit to support them.Not only John the Baptist gave witness to Jesus, the Holy Spirit too will do the same, by pointing out to the people his presence among them.Jesus has refrained from re- vealing this to them at the begin- ning. He reserved this information until he was about to ascend into heaven. Do you feel the Holy Spirit is working in you? Are you strong in surmounting rejection and threats?
© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: John 14:23-29
Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word and my Father will love him; and we will come to him and live with him. But if anyone does not love me, he will not keep my words; and these words that you hear are not mine, but the Father’s who sent me.I told you all this while I am still with you. From now on the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I have told you.Peace be with you! My peace I give to you; not as the world gives peace do I give it to you. Do not be troubled! Do not be afraid! You heard me say, ‘I am going away, but I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.I have told you this now before it takes place, so that when it does happen you may believe.

Lectio Divina

READ: Loving Jesus is not possible without keeping his words. Jesus demands obe- dient love. Jesus, as he bids goodbye assures those who love and keep his words of the Holy Spirit. They will know him more and his teachings. The Holy Spirit will enlighten them. They will also possess the peace which only God can give. They should not be afraid.
REFLECT: Are you always afraid of the future? If you have no peace of mind, it may be an indication that you do not love Jesus at all or keep his words. Jesus is present in the poor and the needy. Jesus identifies himself with them. They are all over the place. Loving Jesus is showing soli- darity with them.
PRAY: Lord, many times I realize I do not really love you because I am always thinking of my own interest. I don’t care to help the poor. I am always conscious of protecting my things and my earnings, for- getting your words that I should be charitable.
ACT: Express your love by giving to the poor you meet today. You can buy them food and smile at them. Volunteer to pay the tuition fees of your neighbor.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: John 15:18-21
If the world hates you, remember that the world hated me before you. This would not be so if you belonged to the world, because the world loves its own. But you are not of the world, since I have chosen you from the world; because of this the world hates you.Remember what I told you: the servant is not greater than his master; if they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will keep yours as well. All this they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know the One who sent me.

Reflections
“The servant is not greater than his master.”The world hates the followers of Christ. The Christians should not be surprised because first of all it has hated to death Jesus Christ himself.When Christians are given a hard time by worldly people, they should not complain. They should accept persecutions or rejections as part of their Christian life.If Jesus was not spared of all these hostilities, they too will ex- perience the same fate. For they are not greater than their teacher. They are not more privileged or fortunate than their master.This was already the feelings of the Johannine communities at the time of writing in the late 90s. Christians were obnoxious to the Roman society.The first reading tells a diffe- rent story. The Christian missio- naries, like Paul and Timothy, suc- ceed in evangelizing work. They make converts. They are very much welcome in helping those in need in the Christian commu- nities they established.History tells us that their con- verts too will be persecuted by the Roman authorities. Today church members are also perse- cuted because they speak against the abuses of the government officials and against unjust eco- nomic and political system.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2019

Gospel: John 15:12-17
This is my commandment: Love one another as I have loved you! There is no greater love than this, to give one’s life for one’s friends; and you are my friends, if you do what I command you.I shall not call you servants anymore, because servants do not know what their master is about. Instead, I have called you friends, since I have made known to you everything I learned from my Father.You did not choose me; it was I who chose you and sent you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last. And everything you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.This is my command, that you love one another.

Reflections
“Love one another as I have loved you!”The commandment of love seems to be easy and romantic. Looking deeper at what is in- volved in loving can be scary. Love seeks to give benefit to the other person. One must also be willing to receive the gestures of love of the other. It is reciprocal. Now it is not only about giving affection or justice, sharing a portion of your time and resources, but also it is offering all that you have, your life. Love is actually martyrdom. It is not wishy washy. You die for your friend with nothing left for yourself, not even a breath. That is the greatest love according to Jesus. Jesus will show that it is possible when he suffers and dies on Mount Calvary. It is just a mat- ter of time that he accomplishes these things for his friends.Loving to the point of death is possible only if we have deve- loped friendship. We cannot die for our friends who are dear to us. To make real friends is as difficult as dying for them. If we feel it is not possible, because we have no real friends, we have to examine again what kind of hearts do we have.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2019