The threat of Christian disunity and the scattering of the flock is real because the one who scatters and his minions are at hand. Indeed today many men and women with a travesty of the truth on their lips have come forward and have induced many to follow them! To feed their very own hunger for fame, wealth, honour and glory all in the guise of bringing glory to God. Then there are those which makes use of the pandemic and other tragedies to say there is NO GOD while others come to entice folks to believe in many ‘gods’ for protection, health, wealth and peace.
What do we do? Well we remain steadfast and faithful for we already have the Truth, the Way and the Life. We already know with certainty that Jesus gives us His peace which the world cannot offer and so we cling to the promises of our faithful Lord and God. For He tells us, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe in Me as well. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever.
Come Holy Spirit Come!
Just as You moved upon the Void and darkness at creation.
Just as You moved in the tomb of Christ
Just as You moved upon the disciples at Pentecost
Move in my life, in my family, in the Church, in my Nation and in my World today. Amen Alleluia!
First reading
Acts 20:28-38 ·
I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, and its power
Paul addressed these words to the elders of the church of Ephesus:
‘Be on your guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you the overseers, to feed the Church of God which he bought with his own blood. I know quite well that when I have gone fierce wolves will invade you and will have no mercy on the flock. Even from your own ranks there will be men coming forward with a travesty of the truth on their lips to induce the disciples to follow them. So be on your guard, remembering how night and day for three years I never failed to keep you right, shedding tears over each one of you. And now I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace that has power to build you up and to give you your inheritance among all the sanctified.
‘I have never asked anyone for money or clothes; you know for yourselves that the work I did earned enough to meet my needs and those of my companions. I did this to show you that this is how we must exert ourselves to support the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, who himself said, “There is more happiness in giving than in receiving.”’
When he had finished speaking he knelt down with them all and prayed. By now they were all in tears; they put their arms round Paul’s neck and kissed him; what saddened them most was his saying they would never see his face again. Then they escorted him to the ship.
Gospel
John 17:11-19
Father, keep those you have given me true to your name
Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:
‘Holy Father,
keep those you have given me true to your name,
so that they may be one like us.
While I was with them,
I kept those you had given me true to your name.
I have watched over them
and not one is lost
except the one who chose to be lost,
and this was to fulfil the scriptures.
But now I am coming to you
and while still in the world I say these things
to share my joy with them to the full.
I passed your word on to them,
and the world hated them,
because they belong to the world
no more than I belong to the world.
I am not asking you to remove them from the world,
but to protect them from the evil one.
They do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
Consecrate them in the truth;
your word is truth.
As you sent me into the world,
I have sent them into the world,
and for their sake I consecrate myself
so that they too may be consecrated in truth.’
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