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.’
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