Saturday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
The Active Spirit
Other Celebrations for this Day:
Liturgical Cycle: A | Lectionary Cycle: II
Introduction
Year II and Gospel. When St. Paul speaks to us about God’s power at work in us and in Christ and the Church, in parallel passages he says this is the work of the Spirit. The Spirit unites and animates the Church. He is the Spirit of wisdom. He is the same Spirit of whom Jesus speaks: the Holy Spirit who will teach us what to say and do in times of persecution. Let this Spirit be with us in this celebration.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
let the Holy Spirit, the bond of love
between you and your Son,
be present here among us.
May he bind us together in faith and love
and help this little Church here to be
all you want your universal Church
to signify to all:
the people of your good pleasure,
rich in hope and life and joy
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
First Reading
Supplication
I have been told about your faith and love for all the believers, and for this reason,
I always thank God for you, 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 so that you may know him.
May he enlighten your inner vision so that you may appreciate the things we hope for, since we were called by God. May you know how great the inheritance and glory that God has prepared for his saints are;
may you understand with what extraordinary power he works in favor of those who believe.
He demonstrated his supreme power through Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in heaven,
far above all rule, authority, power, dominion, or any other supernatural force that can be named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.
Thus, God has put all things under the feet of Christ and appointed him above all as the head of the church,
which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (7) You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.
O LORD, our LORD,
how glorious is your name over all the earth!
You have exalted your majesty above the heavens.
Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings
you have fashioned praise because of your foes.
R. You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.
When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars which you set in place—
What is man that you should be mindful of him,
or the son of man that you should care for him?
R. You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.
You have made him little less than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
putting all things under his feet.
R. You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Spirit of truth will testify to me, says the Lord,
and you also will testify.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
I tell you, whoever acknowledges me in front of people, the Son of Man will also acknowledge them before God’s angels.
But the one who denies me in front of others will be denied before God’s angels.
There will be forgiveness for the one who criticizes the Son of Man, but there will be no forgiveness for the one who slanders the Holy Spirit.
When you are brought before the synagogues, governors, and rulers, don’t worry about how to defend yourself or what to say;
for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you need to say.”
Prayers of the Faithful
– That the Spirit of strength and trust may be given to those who are persecuted for following their consciences and standing up fro their integrity, we pray:
– That the Spirit of love may be given to those who want to grow in love of God and people, we pray:
– That the Spirit of unity make us one heart and one soul in our communities, that we may do for one another what Jesus has done for us, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
this piece of bread
and this draught of wine
will bring us the life and joy
of Jesus, your Son.
Let his Holy Spirit unite us closely
with Jesus, the head of his body, the Church,
as living stones of his community
of faith and hope.
We ask you this through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
your Son has spoken his message to us.
By the power of the Holy Spirit
give us the strength to speak it
for all and to all as good news,
without fear or compromise.
Let him renew and unite us
as your people of hope and joy,
who proclaim with our lives
that you are our Father
and Jesus our Lord forever.
Blessing
Like Paul, we give thanks to God for the people’s faith in Jesus Christ, a faith that makes them also love one another. And we pray that this faith may endure and nourish our hope, with the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTIONS
Luke 12: 8-12
Be a witness every day!
In today’s Gospel, Jesus continues to prepare his disciples for trials that they will face in the future. He encourages them to be steadfast in their faithfulness to Christ as their Lord.
Jesus seems to speak about two kinds of sins – words against the Son of Man and the Holy Spirit. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would not be forgiven, says Jesus. What would constitute blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? Jesus acknowledges that not all are strong-willed to withstand torture and persecution. Under the pressure of suffering, some might break down and disown Jesus, as with St. Peter. But the Lord forgives the brief breakdown in courage, and even appoints Peter to be the leader of the Church. But a refusal to believe in the saving grace of Jesus – a radical denial of Jesus and loss of faith is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. The opponents of Jesus, although they saw the signs and listened to his teachings, refuse to believe in God’s saving grace.
St. Luke must have been warning the members of his community who were under attack for their faith. He encourages them to stand firm in moments of trials and persecutions because Jesus had predicted such persecutions and killings. Witnessing Jesus is the mission of every Christian, and Luke wants his community to grow in the habit of giving witness to the Lord in words and actions in their daily life.
Jesus raises this question with his disciples and with us today. Are we willing to acknowledge him as Lord in our daily life? When the disciples are dragged before civic and religious authorities, Jesus wants them to believe in God’s providential care.
Every day we do much talking! We talk to many people – at home, in the neighbourhood, and in the workplace. We send messages, write emails, watch TV, and listen to the radio…. Every day, thousands of words leave our lips or reach our ears. What are we talking about? What do we hear? How many of these words somehow give glory to God or witness to Jesus in whom we believe?