Renew our commitment to follow Christ.

Live a Life of Service and Faith: Actively serve others,

demonstrating love and compassion as Christ commanded.

Live a life of faith, trusting in God's promises and His plan for our life.

 

＊＊＊ 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 ：

Reflection:

"The world hated me before you."

"I have chosen you from the world." To respond favourably to Christ's choice means that we belong to him (cf. Ps 100:3).

Saint Ignatius of Loyola describes this belonging of discipleship in military terms as following the standard or banner of Christ.

He proposes that we meditate on the two standards, that of Christ and of the devil,

asking us to reflect on how much we are willing to embrace poverty, rejection and humility or whether we are driven by riches,

honor and swollen pride. Following Christ's standard leads us to salvation,

but it also involves rejection for us his disciples, just as it did our Lord and Master. Here St.

 

Ignatius is simply reflecting Christ's own words: "The servant is not greater than his master... If the world hates you,

remember that the world hated me before you." Are we sufficiently free from worldly cares and ambition to accept occasions of rejection

as part of our mission as disciples of Christ? Fear of rejection or the desire to fit in can become so important that we avoid speaking about our faith.

St. Ignatius would have us shake off that fear and renew our commitment to follow Christ.