CatholicJules.net

Do I choose to stand for Christ?
Or choose to hide my faith from my family and friends?
Do I choose to stand for Christ?
Or choose my hobbies or my pets over spending a little time with Him?
Do I choose to stand for Christ?
Or does my work take up all my time?
Do I choose to stand for Christ?
In my words alone but not in my deeds.
Do I choose to stand for Christ?
But spend no time with His body, His community.
Do I choose to stand for Christ?
Or does my cathechism or formation take a backseat to my school, office or leisure plans.

If our faith only lies on the surface then it is not surprising that we end up criticising or gossiping about others, who serve our Lord because they do not do things the way we envision them. Even though they lead many into a relationship with Jesus through the workings of the Holy Spirit, we only see the one or two who stubbornly walked away by their own accord.

Let us instead grow in our relationship with our Lord by first opening our contrite hearts to receive Him. Let us then be docile to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and we will receive such abundance of grace; that we will bear fruit.

Our greatest joy will be to witness the glory of God working through us for others. Amen

First reading
Acts 16:11-15

Sailing from Troas we made a straight run for Samothrace; the next day for Neapolis, and from there for Philippi, a Roman colony and the principal city of that particular district of Macedonia. After a few days in this city we went along the river outside the gates as it was the sabbath and this was a customary place for prayer. We sat down and preached to the women who had come to the meeting. One of these women was called Lydia, a devout woman from the town of Thyatira who was in the purple-dye trade. She listened to us, and the Lord opened her heart to accept what Paul was saying. After she and her household had been baptised she sent us an invitation: ‘If you really think me a true believer in the Lord,’ she said ‘come and stay with us’; and she would take no refusal.

Gospel
John 15:26-16:4

Jesus said to his disciples:
‘When the Advocate comes,
whom I shall send to you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who issues from the Father,
he will be my witness.
And you too will be witnesses,
because you have been with me from the outset.
‘I have told you all this that your faith may not be shaken.
They will expel you from the synagogues,
and indeed the hour is coming
when anyone who kills you
will think he is doing a holy duty for God.
They will do these things
because they have never known
either the Father or myself.
But I have told you all this,
so that when the time for it comes
you may remember that I told you.’