“God so loved the world that he gave his only Son”.

Jesus asking the disciples to abide in his love, He also wants them to remember,

and transform it into energies of love, facing hatred with the power of love.

Jesus frankly tells His disciples the lot they will face in the future,

It would be a hard life.

We must therefore care for the world – and not just for people, but for the created world as well.

 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Acts 16:1-10

Paul traveled on,

To Derbe and then to Lystra. A disciple named Timothy lived there, whose mother was a believer of Jewish origin but whose father was a Greek. As the believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him, Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him. So he took him and, because of the Jews of that place, who all knew that his father was a Greek, he circumcised him.

 

As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions of the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, for the people to obey. Meanwhile, the churches grew stronger in faith, and increased in number, every day. They traveled through Phrygia and Galatia, because they had been prevented by the Holy Spirit from preaching the message in the province of Asia.

 

When they came to Mysia, they tried to go on to Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to do this. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. There, one night, Paul had a vision. A Macedonian stood before him and begged him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us!" When he awoke, he told us of this vision; and we understood that the Lord was calling us, to give the Good News to the Macedonian people.

 

Ps 100:1b-2, 3, 5 Let all the earth cry out to God with joy

 

＊＊＊ 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.

 

Gospel Reflection ：

"Jesus spoke the truth."

In John's Gospel, the Greek word kosmos, which can be translated into English as "world," has several meanings.

First, it may refer to the natural world inhabited by human beings. Second, it may refer to the whole of humanity. Third, it may refer to a portion of humanity that rejected Jesus whom God has sent. But why would a portion of humanity reject the one God has sent? It is because the deeds of such a portion were evil. Jesus' coming into the world also revealed the darkness overtaking this portion of humanity. This part of humanity and their wicked deeds were exposed. Consequently, they hated Jesus.

 

This is the "world" that hated Jesus. This is the same "world" which would also hate Jesus' disciples. As Jesus' disciples, we are called to make God known in our world. In the process of making God known, whatever evil there is in the world today is also being exposed. This is the reason why truth-tellers are harmed if not killed. People of lies hate those who speak the truth. Jesus spoke the truth. He was hated, and eventually killed. But no matter what, to speak the truth, even to those in power, is part of our sacred Christian duty.