Sixth Week of Easter
YOU BEAR WITNESS!
Introduction
We should not regret that the octave of Pentecost has been abolished. Two weeks from now to Pentecost, our attention is focused on the Spirit. Either the readings or the prayers, or both speak of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus was the faithful witness of the Father who showed us, in terms understandable for people, what God is like, but it cost him his life. Through his Spirit, he will make his apostles witnesses too. They have seen, so they MUST speak. They believe, so they MUST speak and act. The Spirit will make them afraid of nothing and nobody. Every Christian is called to be such a witness.
Opening Prayer
Lord, our God,
if we really believe in you and in your Son,
we cannot be but witnesses.
Send us your Spirit of strength,
that we may give no flimsy excuses
for not standing up for you
and for the love and rights of our neighbor.
Make us only afraid
of betraying you and people
and of being afraid to bear witness.
We ask you this through Christ, our Lord.
Reading 1: Acts 16:11-15
and on the next day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi,
a leading city in that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony.
We spent some time in that city.
On the sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river
where we thought there would be a place of prayer.
We sat and spoke with the women who had gathered there.
One of them, a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth,
from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God, listened,
and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention
to what Paul was saying.
After she and her household had been baptized,
she offered us an invitation,
“If you consider me a believer in the Lord,
come and stay at my home,” and she prevailed on us.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 149:1b-2, 3-4,5-6a and 9b
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches.
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia: Jn 15:26b,27a
The Spirit of truth will testify to me, says the Lord,
and you also will testify.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Jn 15:26—16:4a
Jesus said to his disciples:
“When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father,
he will testify to me.
And you also testify,
because you have been with me from the beginning.
“I have told you this so that you may not fall away.
They will expel you from the synagogues;
in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you
will think he is offering worship to God.
They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me.
I have told you this so that when their hour comes
you may remember that I told you.”
Intercessions
– Lord, send your Spirit to your Church, that without fear it may bear witness to you that you are risen, we pray:
– Lord, let your Spirit come down on our communities, that we may understand your Good News better, we pray:
– Lord, give us your Spirit, that he may teach us to pray from the heart, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
God, our Father,
your Son Jesus said:
“No one takes my life from me;
it is I who give it freely.”
As he is with us now,
may he give us his Holy Spirit
that we may bear witness to him without fear
and that our deeds more than our words
may show that we believe in Jesus Christ
and that we love him,
for he is our Lord forever.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God, we pray you also
for the strength of your Spirit,
so that we can be bold witnesses
against the unjust conditions
we have perhaps helped to create.
Make us absolutely honest with ourselves,
that we may become liberated persons
who bring the freedom of your Son, Jesus Christ,
to the people and the world around us.
May our witnessing lead our brothers and sisters
to believe that your Son is alive in our midst,
now and forever.
Blessing
We often need courage to bear witness to Christ and his Gospel. If the Gospel contradicts “public opinion,” who else will give us the courage to speak out than the Spirit of truth? May he speak in our words and our lives, with the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Reflection:
The Holy Spirit strengthens you
As we move from Easter toward Pentecost, our readings speak of the Holy Spirit. Jesus knew that his disciples and each of us would face unjust hardships that would severely test our faith. Jesus knew that his disciples would not be able to withstand persecution on their own. Today’s Gospel is Jesus’ answer to these overwhelming challenges. He promises his disciples and now each of us with the Helper, the Paraclete – the Holy Spirit.
The mission of the disciples would be to witness to the Jewish leadership and to the rest of the world the truth of Jesus – precisely in the face of their opposition. But they are never left alone. The Paraclete empowers disciples to face trials.
Today’s passage also hints at the persecution of those who believe in Jesus, not from outside the Church but from within. The hour is coming when people who kill you think they are offering worship to God. Jesus revealed a God who loved the world and every creature; he had no favorites because everyone, without exception, was his favorite. But people who are driven by selfishness want a God who favors them; they want their God to be against those they oppose. They prefer to believe in this God of their choice, and they act with violence even as they quote the Word of God to defend that God of their choice.
This can be the most disheartening experience for the faithful in the Church – to have such scandalous behaviors within the Church. The numerous scandals within the Church and divisions on account of liturgical traditions cut deep into the body of Christ. Many members of this body are no longer driven by the command of love, but by hatred and desires for power.This has led many to lose hope, abandon their faith and leave the Church.
John was faced with this problem in his community. Therefore, he writes to his readers and listeners – reminding them that the Lord had indeed foreseen this and, therefore, promised us his Paraclete. This is the role of the Holy Spirit – to strengthen us when our faith is shaken to profess like St. Paul: I believe and “proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.”
Lord, our God, if we really believe in you and your Son, we cannot be but witnesses. Send us your Spirit, that we may stand up for love and our neighbours’ rights.