Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter
You Bear Witness
Liturgical Cycle: A, B, C | Lectionary Cycle: I, II
Introduction
We should not regret that the octave of Pentecost has been abolished. In the 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 to 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 fear nothing and no one. 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 but be 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 neighbour.
Make us only afraid
of betraying you and people
and of being afraid to bear witness.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
First Reading
So we set out to sea from Troas and sailed directly to Samothrace Island, then the next day to Neapolis.
From there, we traveled inland to Philippi, the leading city of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We spent several days in that city.
On the Sabbath, we went outside the city gate to the riverbank, where we thought the Jews would gather to pray. We sat down and started talking to the women who were gathering there.
One of them was a God-fearing woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a dealer in purple cloth.
As she listened, the Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying.
After she was baptized, along with her household, she invited us to her home.
“If you think I am faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my house.”
She convinced us to accept her invitation.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b
R. (see 4a) The Lord takes delight in his people.
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 Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Spirit of truth will testify to me, says the Lord,
and you also will testify.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
The Testimony of the Spirit and the Disciples
When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf.
You also will be my witnesses, because you have been with me from the beginning.
I share all this with you to keep you from stumbling.
They will expel you from the synagogues. Moreover, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will claim to be serving God;
they will do this because they do not know the Father or me.
I have told you all these things now so that when the time comes, you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you earlier because I was with you,
Prayers of the Faithful
– Lord, send your Spirit to your Church, that without fear it may bear witness to you that you are risen, we pray:
– Lord, 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 ashamed 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 for ever.
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.
REFLECTIONS
Jn 15:26-16:4
The Holy Spirit strengthens you
As we transition from Easter to Pentecost, our readings focus on the Holy Spirit. Jesus understood that his disciples and each of us would face unjust hardships that would deeply test our faith. He knew that his disciples would not be able to withstand persecution alone. Today’s Gospel is Jesus’ response to these daunting challenges. He promises his disciples and now each of us the Helper, the Paraclete - the Holy Spirit.
The mission of the disciples is to bear witness to the Jewish leadership and the rest of the world about the truth of Jesus – even in the face of their opposition. But they are never left alone. The Paraclete empowers disciples to confront 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 favourites because everyone, without exception, was his favourite. But people who are driven by selfishness want a God who favours 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 behaviour within it. The numerous scandals within the Church and divisions over 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 faced this problem in his community. Therefore, he writes to his readers and listeners—reminding them that the Lord indeed foresaw this and, as a result, promised us his Paraclete. This is the role of the Holy Spirit: to strengthen us when our faith is shaken, so that we can 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 but be witnesses. Send us your Spirit, that we may stand up for love and our neighbours' rights.