St. Christopher Magallanes, prpiest & Companions martyrs 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Acts 18:1-8

After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.

 There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pon­tus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, following a decree of the Emperor Claudius which ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to visit them and then stayed and worked with them because they shared the same trade of tentmaking. Every Sab­bath he held discussions in the synagogue, trying to convince both Jews and Greeks.

When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was able to give himself wholly to preaching and proving to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. One day when they opposed him and insulted him, he shook the dust from his clothes in protest, saying, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. I am not to blame if from now on I go to the non-Jews.”

 So Paul left there and went to the house of a God-fearing man named Titus Justus who lived next door to the synagogue. A leading man of the sy­na­gogue, Crispus, along with his whole household, believed in the Lord. On hearing Paul, many more Corinthians believed and were baptized.

 

Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4

The Lord has revealed to the people his saving power.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

John 16:16-20

A little while and you will see me no more; and then a little while, and you will see me.”  Some of the disciples wondered, “What does he mean by: ‘A little while and you will not see me, and then a little while and you will see me’? And why did he say: ‘I go to the Father’?” And they said to one another, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand.”

Jesus knew that they wanted to question him; so he said to them, “You are puzzled be­cause I told you that in a little while you will see me no more, and then a little while later you will see me. Truly, I say to you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy.

 

Gospel Reflection：

The path that Jesus had asked his disciples to take – the same path that he asks us, his present-day disciples to take – isn’t one of comfort and ease. It is, rather, the path towards greatness, towards the living of a life dedicated to a noble and holy cause: the proclamation of the Good News.

But saying this is one thing, actually experiencing it is quite another. And the difficulties that come with it can be truly daunting, at times even discouraging. For our commitment to Christ will inevitably lead us to encounter situations and circumstances, as Paul did, that will test our limits of patience, kindness, love, and even compassion for people.

We will not always be welcomed. We will not always be willingly and gladly heard. We will sometimes be treated rudely, harshly, unkindly, uncharitably, sometimes even inhumanely. Not only misunderstanding, but downright persecution and suffering are the lot of the followers of Jesus. All throughout this ordeal though, we lean on the power and strength of the Holy Spirit: our Advocate and Comforter.