With Christ you were buried in baptism; with him you were also resurrected, through faith in the power of God, who raised Christ from the dead, hallelujah

Disciples of the Resurrected, our vocation is to be signs of contradiction, through fidelity to Christian values, such as humility, service and compassion. Even when misunderstood by society, we continue to seek in the Word and the Eucharist the strength to generate new humanity, through the experience and proclamation of the Gospel.

First Reading: Acts 16:1-10

Reading from the Acts of the Apostles – In those days, 1Paul went to Derbe and Lystra. There was in Lystra a disciple named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman, a believer, and a Greek father. 2The brothers of Lystra and Iconium gave good testimony about Timothy. 3Paul then wanted Timothy to go with him. He took him with him and circumcised him for the sake of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that Timothy's father was a Greek. 4Going through the cities, Paul and Timothy conveyed the decisions that the apostles and elders of Jerusalem had made. And they recommended that they be observed. 5The churches grew stronger in faith, and day by day they grew in number. 6Paul and Timothy crossed Phrygia and the region of Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had forbidden them to preach the Word of God in Asia. 7When they arrived near Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus stopped them. 8Then they crossed Mysia and went down to Troas. 9During the night, Paul saw a vision: in front of him, a Macedonian man was standing and begging him: “Come to Macedonia and help us!” 10After this vision, we tried to leave immediately for Macedonia, because we were convinced that God had just called us to preach the Gospel to them. - Word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm: 99(100)

Shout to the Lord, O whole earth.

1. Shout to the Lord, O whole earth, † serve the Lord with joy, / go to him, singing joyfully! – R.

2. Know that the Lord, he alone, is God, † he himself made us and we are his, / we are his people and his flock. – R.

3. Yes, the Lord and our God is good, † his goodness endures forever, / his love is faithful forever! – R.

Gospel: John 15,18-21

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah.

If you have risen with Christ, seek what is above, / where Christ is seated, at the right hand of God the Father (Col 3,1). – R.

Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to John – At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: 18 “If the world hates you, know that it first hated me. 19If you were of the world, the world would like what belongs to it. But because you are not of the world, because I chose you and separated you from the world, therefore the world hates you. 20Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they have kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21All this they will do to you because of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me.” – Word of salvation.

Reflection:

The panorama that Jesus presents to his disciples is certainly not bright. He doesn't promise them applause. Instead, it prepares them to face the mission realistically. He talks about hatred and persecution. The world persecutes the followers of Christ because they “are not of the world”. The selfish world, contrary to Jesus' project, does not accept Jesus' disciples, because it does not accept Jesus nor the Father who sent him. Whoever adheres to Jesus, by faith, cannot agree with an unjust, oppressive society, which moves exactly in the opposite direction to the Kingdom project. Why are many people still unaware of Jesus and his project of love and life for everyone? Could it be a lack of apostolic zeal on the part of Church leaders? Or, perhaps, accommodation and inconsistent faith of current Christians?