"Everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

In redeeming the world, He has brought the Kingdom of God - through His death and resurrection.

We are given the chance to be saved only if we really want.

In order to do so, it calls us to be truthful to ourselves, to others and to the Lord.

 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊      　

Acts 5:17-26

The High Priest and

All his supporters, that is, the party of the Sadducees, became very jealous of the apostles; so they arrested them and had them thrown into the public jail. But an angel of the Lord opened the door of the prison during the night, brought them out, and said to them, "Go and stand in the temple court and tell the people the whole of this living message." Accordingly, they entered the temple at dawn and resumed their teaching.

 

When the High Priest and his supporters arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin, that is the full Council of the elders of Israel. They sent word to the jail to have the prisoners brought in. But when the temple guards arrived at the jail, they did not find them inside; so they returned with the news, "We found the prison securely locked, and the prison guards at their post outside the gate; but when we opened the gate, we found no one inside."

 

Upon hearing these words, the captain of the temple guard and the high priests were baffled, wondering where all of this would end. Just then, someone arrived with the report, "Look, those men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple, teaching the people." Then the captain went off with the guards and brought them back, but without any show of force, for fear of being stoned by the people.

So they brought them in and made them stand before the Council; and the High Priest questioned them,

 

Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊     

 John 3:16-21

Yes, God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but may have eternal life. God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world; instead, through him the world is to be saved. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned. He who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

 

This is how Judgment is made: Light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For whoever does wrong hates the light, and doesn't come to the light, for fear that his deeds will be seen as evil. But whoever lives according to the truth comes into the light, so that it can be clearly seen that his works have been done in God."

 

Gospel Reflection ：

"God loves the world."

Overcoming human selfishness benefits not only our human community but also the natural world. Today's Gospel says it all, that God so loved the world. God's love is the very reason why God sent his Son. God loved the world, wanting the world and the human beings inhabiting it, to be saved.

 

Thus, the salvation of the natural world is deeply tied up with human salvation. If human beings are to be saved, they must overcome their selfishness. If the natural world is to be saved, human beings must overcome their selfishness. God did not send his Son to condemn but to save the natural world and the human beings. Human beings, due to their selfishness, are the ones condemning themselves and also the world they inhabit.

 

Human beings continue to create havoc with the natural environment without letup. Pope Francis' Encyclical Laudato Si is almost in its ninth year yet many people are still too slow to heed Pope Francis' challenge with regard to ecological conversion. Climate risks become higher and higher yet many are still unmindful of the seriousness of the present climate emergency. If we really love God, we would truly care for our common home because God loves the world.