REFLECTIONS FOR SIXTH WEEK EASTERTIDE: TUESDAY

TODAY'S WORD

By


Fr. Aloysius Santiago sdb
Rector and Parish Priest
Don Bosco Shrine
Lingarajapuram, Bangalore

Acts: 16:25 "About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them."


TODAY REFLECTION

FIRST READING

Paul and Silas, who were in the prison, experienced the miraculous Power of the Holy Spirit - as we read in Acts of the Apostles (Acts 16:25-34)

This incident evoked feelings of faith and repentance in jailor. His cry for the Mercy of the Lord would be answered by Paul and Silas in a majestic manner: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household!” (Acts 16:31)

GOSPEL

Departures can be sad affairs. 

Many are the tears that are shed at airports. 

The most difficult of all departures is the death of a loved one and that particular experience of departure brings its own very particular form of sadness. 

In the gospel reading this morning Jesus acknowledges the sadness of his disciples because of his imminent departure. 

‘You are sad at heart’, Jesus said to them. They are sad because Jesus had been saying, ‘I am going to the one who sent me’. 

On the evening before Jesus was crucified, the disciples were aware that Jesus was taking his leave of them and sadness filled their hearts. 

Yet, Jesus wants his disciples to see that his departure is not the tragedy it appears to be; it contains within it the seeds of new life. 

It is only his departure that makes it possible for him to send the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to his disciples, and it is in and through the Spirit that Jesus can be present to them in a new way. 

To that extent, as Jesus says to them, ‘it is for your own good that I am going’. 

In our own day to day experience the pain of letting go can be the birth pangs of a new and fuller life. 


RESOLUTION

Let's resolve to face into our own necessary losses, we will experience the Lord’s coming in new way

In a few minutes, God, I'm going to get out of bed… and from then on, I'm probably going to need a lot of help, Amen!"

Have an amazing day.

God bless you all