Gospel: Luke 12:8-12
Jesus said to his disciples:
“I tell you,
everyone who acknowledges me before others
the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God.
But whoever denies me before others
will be denied before the angels of God.
“Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven,
but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will not be forgiven.
When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities,
do not worry about how or what your defense will be
or about what you are to say.
For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
The Mass intention is for Deceased members of the McGovern Families RIP.
Reflection:
Being a disciple of Jesus cannot be taken lightly. As we receive and practice our faith, we would need to acknowledge before others who we are following. Acknowledging Jesus before others can be difficult at times. People would ridicule or ostracize us. There are even those who lost their life for the faith. The Church has a long list of martyrs who bore witness to the Good News of salvation. One such good example is Ignatius of Antioch, our Saint of the Day. Of Syrian origin, Ignatius served as the third Bishop of Antioch for 40 years. In the year 107, Emperor Trajan went to Antioch to force the Christians there to choose between death and apostasy. Ignatius chose death. As a result, he was arrested and condemned to die in Circus Maximus in Rome. While on his way, he wrote seven letters which became a source of inspiration to fellow persecuted Christians. In one of these letters he wrote: “Let me be food for the wild beasts for they are my way to God. I am God’s wheat and shall be ground by their teeth so that I may become Christ’s pure bread. Pray to Christ for me that the animals will be the means of making me a sacrificial victim for God.” The Holy Spirit, I am sure, was at work in Ignatius. By his steadfast faith, Jesus acknowledged Ignatius before the angels of God. He will do the same with us if we only have faith in Him.
- How do you acknowledge Jesus before others?
- “but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will not be forgiven,” Jesus says in today’s Gospel. When was the last time you have rejected God’s grace and forgiveness? - “But pray unceasingly also for the rest of men, for they offer ground for hoping that they may be converted and win their way to God.” (St Ignatius of Antioch) How do you treat those who misunderstood, made fun of, or criticized your faith?
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your Word today. Through the prayers and example of St Ignatius of Antioch, strengthen us in faith that we may courageously proclaim You to everyone we meet. Amen.
Sincerely,
Pietro
