St. Ignatius of Antioch, bishop & martyr 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Ephesians 1:15-23

I have been told of your faith

And your affection towards all the believers, so I always give thanks to God, remembering you in my prayers.  May the God of Christ Jesus our Lord, the Father of Glory, reveal himself to you and give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation, that you may know him.

 May he enlighten your inner vision, that you may appreciate the things we hope for, since we were called by God. May you know how great is the inheritance, the glory, God sets apart for his saints;  may you understand with what extraordinary power he acts in favor of us who believe. He revealed his almighty power in Christ when he raised him from the dead and had him sit at his right hand in heaven, far above all rule, power, authority, dominion, or any other supernatural force that could be named, not only in this world but in the world to come as well.

Thus has God put all things under the feet of Christ and set him above all things, as head of the Church  which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

 

Ps 8:2-3ab, 4-5, 6-7

You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Luke 12:8-12

I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before people, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. But the one who denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God.

There will be pardon for the one who criticizes the Son of Man, but there will be no pardon for the one who slanders the Holy Spirit.  When you are brought before the synagogues, governors and rulers, don’t worry about how you will defend yourself or what to say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you have to say.”

  

Gospel Reflection：

This week we saw how Jesus found opposition from the leaders of the Jews. We conclude this week with Jesus asking his disciples to be faithful to him even unto death. Refusing to acknowledge him as Lord is formula for damnation.

The sin of slander against the Holy Spirit mentioned in the Gospel is denying Jesus as Lord and Savior. It is a sin that cannot be pardoned for it is refusal to acknowledge the need for the Savior.

St. lgnatius of Antioch (107+) was a martyr of the early church who acknowledged Jesus as Lord and Savior. He wrote some letters exhorting Christians to remain faithful and not to be afraid of the rulers of this world.

He testified to the power of Jesus Christ who is “far above all rule, power, authority, dominion” whether of this world or of the underworld. He encouraged them to remain faithful to the Bishop of Rome and be true Catholics.

In our world today there are forces that demand that we give up what we believe in, to compromise our moral principles, to adopt secular values. It is a time to become confident in the truth we confess, to be Catholic not only in name but in practice.