Reflection for Saturday, 28th Week of Ordinary Time,  Memorial of St. Teresa of Avila

By

 Fr. Aloysius Santiago sdb
Director, Social Action Movement, Don Bosco Bidar

Today's WORD of GOD 


 Luke 12: 8 -12


 If you declare yourselves for me, I will declare myself for you 

 Jesus said to his disciples:

  ‘I tell you, if anyone openly declares himself for me in the presence of men, the Son of Man will declare himself for him in the presence of the angels. But the man who disowns me in the presence of men will be disowned in the presence of God’s angels. 

  ‘Everyone who says a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

  ‘When they take you before synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how to defend yourselves or what to say, because when the time comes, the Holy Spirit will teach you what you must say.’ 

 Today's Reflection 


Above Place & Time

Paul Uses the Metaphor of Place to Help Us to Understand that JESUS, who had Lived on Earth, was No Longer Limited to Earth-Bound Existence. Through the Power of GOD JESUS is now Far Above Everything.

And what Place is that? The Risen CHRIST is Seated at the Right Hand of GOD. Throughout the Scriptures We are Reminded that This is the Place of Highest Honor & Veneration. Seated in the Heavenly Place CHRIST is Now Able to See “in an Instant All the Kingdoms of the World.”

The Man from Lowly Nazareth is Now Far Above All Earthly Powers. Paul Wants to Make Sure that We Understand that the Power Given to the Risen CHRIST Cannot Compare with Anything on Earth so He Names Them All, “Far above All Rule & Authority & Power & Dominion” (Ephesians 1: 21). Kings, Queens, Presidents, Prime Ministers, Dictators, Emperors, Tyrants, Czars — the Risen CHRIST is Far Above Them All. Paul Says that GOD has Put All Things Under CHRIST'S Feet & “Made HIM the Head Over All Things” (1: 22). We are to Grow in Our Knowledge & Understanding of the One Whose Power is Limitless.

Finally, the Risen CHRIST is Far Above the Most Limiting of All, Time. We are Captive to Our Limited Time on This Earth, This Blue Marble, but Not the Risen CHRIST. Our LORD JESUS is “Above Every Name that is Named, Not only in This Age but also in the Age to Come” (1: 21). 

CHRIST is “the Alpha & the Omega,” the One “who Is & who Was, & Is, & who is to Come” (Revelation 1: 8). 

Not Denying HIM

JESUS Calls HIS Disciples to be Brave in Bearing Witness to HIM, in Making HIM Known even at Risk to Their Safety. HE Promises that in This Difficult Work They Won’t be Left Without Help. When the Time Comes, the HOLY SPIRIT will Inspire Them what They must Say.

Speaking about Faith is just as Hard Today because so much of Our Culture & Public Discourse is Hostile to Religion, & in Particular to Catholicism. We might Easily Be Cowed into Silence & Invisibility & even Abandon the Very Idea of Handing on the Faith.


Good Morning

God bless you all

Have a lovely day and a fruitful weekend.

Happy feast of St. Teresa of Avila.