Monday, May 6, 2002
6th Week of Easter
1st Reading: Acts 16:11-15
Gospel: Jn 15:26-16:4
Jesus said to his disciples, "From the Father, I will send you the
Spirit of truth. When this Helper has come from the Father, he will be
my witness, and you, too, will be my witnesses for you have been with
me from the beginning.
I tell you all this to keep you from stumbling and falling away. They
will put you out of the Jewish communities. Still more, the hour is coming
when anyone who kills you will claim to be serving God; they will do this
because they have not known the Father or me. I tell you all these things
now so that when the time comes you may remember that I told you.
I did not tell you about this in the beginning because I was with you."
Commentary
Jesus' words confirm that persecution will be a permanent feature of
Christian life. If there is no persecution then perhaps our witness to
Jesus' values and way of life has become pale, unconvincing and unchallenging.
We have absorbed worldly ways instead of being a counter-witness with
the Holy Spirit.
Today's gospel encouraged the Johannine community when they experienced persecution from diehard elements, prepared to kill others in the name of God, imagining this was a service to God! If this happens to members of our community, our call as Christians is to love our enemies and pray for them. Then Jesus' words and promises will have been proved true by the witness of our lives. We will continue God's redemptive work by our refusal to return evil for evil.