FIRST READING
“What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.”
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 17: 15.22-18: 1)

In those days: Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and receiving a command or Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed. So Paul, standing in the middle of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all men life and breath and everything. And he made from one every nation of men to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after him and find him. Yet he is not far from each one of us, for ‘In him we live and move and have our being’ as even some of your poets have said, ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the Deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, a representation by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all men everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all men by raising him from the dead.” Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, “We will hear you again about this.” So Paul went out from among them. But some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them. After this he left Athens and went to Corinth.

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 148:1-2.11-12.13.14
R/.  Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Or: Alleluia.

Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his hosts. R.

Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all judges of the earth,
young men and maidens as well,
the old together with the young. R.

Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted,
his splendour above heaven and earth. R.

He exalts the strength of his people.
He is the praise of all his faithful,
the praise of the children of Israel,
of the people to whom he is close.

ALLELUIA John 14:16
Alleluia. I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor, to be with you forever. Alleluia

GOSPEL
“The Spirit of truth will guide you into all the truth.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (John 16:12-15)

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “1 have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Today’s Reflection

Natural reason can lead men to the knowledge of God, but the self-revelation of the Triune God is make more concrete by the gift of faith.  According to Pope St John Paul II: “Faith and reason are the two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth.” Paul discovered that the Athenians in their philosophical investigation did have this idea of God, though it was unclear to them. On seeing the alter to “An Unknown God.” Paul brilliantly tries to convince them of the existence of the one true God, who is not the work of any human hands but He created us and redeemed us in Christ Jesus.  For in Him we live, move and have our being.  May the Paraclete lead us to the complete truth!

FIRST READING
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 16:22-34)

In those days: The crowd of Philippians joined in attacking Paul and Silas; and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was   a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out and said, “Men, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds, and he was baptised at once, with all his family. Then he brought them up into his house, and set food before them; and he rejoiced with all his household that he had believed in God.

The word of the Lord

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 13b: 1 ac-2a.2bcd-3.7c-8 (see 7c)
R/. With your right hand you save me, O Lord.
or:  Alleluia.

I thank you, Lord, with all my heart;
you have heard the words of my mouth.
In the presence of the angels I praise you.
I bow down toward your holy temple. R.

I give thanks to your name
for your merciful love and your faithfulness.
You have exalted your name and your promise over all.
On the day I called, you answered me;
you increased the strength of my soul. R.

With your right hand you save me;
the Lord will accomplish this for me.
O Lord, your merciful love is eternal;
discard not the work of your hands. R.

ALLELUIA John 16:7.13
Alleluia. I will send the Spirit of truth to you, says the Lord; he will guide you into all the truth. Alleluia.

GOSPEL                                  
 “If I do not go away, the Counsellor will not come to you.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (John 16:5 – 11)

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “Now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convince the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgement: of sin, because they do not believe in me; of righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more; of judgement, because the ruler of this world is judged.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Today’s Reflection

The ability to endure persecution and trials for the sake of the Gospel is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, who is the Lord and Giver of Life. The Spirit strengthens the Christians in his daily life to constantly bear witness to the risen Lord.  The experience of Paul and Silas shows that God can use any human situation to advance His kingdom.  If we dispose ourselves to Him the Spirit still works in us, and through us, for the salvation of souls. May the Advocate who proceeds from the Father and the Son grant us the firm resolve of carrying our crosses daily to follow Jesus.

FIRST READING
“The Lord opened her heart to listen to what was said by Paul.”
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 16:11-15)

Setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is the leading city of the district of Macedonia, and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days; and on the sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshipper of God. The Lord opened her heart to listen to what was said by Paul. And when she was baptised, with her household, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 149: 1bc-2.3-4.5-6a and 9bc (R. 4a)
R/. The Lord takes delight in his people. 
Or: Alleluia.

Sing a new song to the Lord,
his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in its Maker;
let Sion’s children exult in their king. R.

Let them praise his name with dancing,
and make music with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord takes delight in his people;
he crowns the poor with salvation. R.

Let the faithful exult in glory,
and rejoice as they take their rest.
Let the praise of God be in their mouths.
This is an honour for all his faithful. R.

ALLELUIA John 15:26b.27a
Alleluia. The Spirit of truth will bear witness to me, says the Lord; and you also are witnesses. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
“The Spirit of truth will bear witness to me.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (John 15:26-16:4a)

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “When the Counsellor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to me; and you also are witnesses, because you have been with me from the beginning. I have said all this to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues; indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do this because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you of them.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Today’s Reflection

The joy of knowing Christ is boundless, especially when a person is baptized into the Body of Christ. This was the case with Lydia, a devout woman who opened her heart to God by listening to Paul, and afterwards, with her entire household, was baptized into the one family of Christ. The sacrament of baptism washes away our sins, imprinting on our souls an indelible mark that makes us citizens of heaven and members of God’s household.  In this Gospel, Jesus announces the coming of the Advocate, the Spirit of Truth, who will lead us to the complete truth.  Jesus asks us to remain steadfast even in the face of death. May the comforter help us to remain ever faithful to the end!

FTRST READING                   
“Come over to Macedonia and help us.
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 16: 1-10)

In those days: Paul came to Derbe and to Lystra a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer; but his father was a Greek. He was well spoken of by the brethren at Lystra and Iconium Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews that were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions which had been reached by the apostles and elders who were at Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily. And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing pleading with him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” And when he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 100: 1-2.3.5 (R. 1 )
R/. Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Or: Alleluia.

Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Serve the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing for joy. R.

Know that he, the Lord, is God.
He made us; we belong to him.
We are his people, the sheep of his flock. R.

Indeed, how good is the Lord,
eternal his merciful love.
He is faithful from age to age. R.

ALLELUIA Colossians 3:1
Alleluia. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Alleluia.

GOSPEL               
“You are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (John 15:18-21)

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. But all this they will do to you on my account, because they do not know him who sent me.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Today’s Reflection

In his missionary journey St Paul takes Timothy as a travelling companion, as he believes wholeheartedly in collaborative ministry; he does not do it all alone.  He trains the younger ones to walk in his footsteps, since Christ said, ‘The disciple will grow to be like his Master.’ This points to the fact that everyone has a role to play in the Church, which the Holy Spirit makes possible.  In the Gospel Jesus makes known to us the cost of being a faithful disciple: “If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you too.”  We need not be afraid to stand firm, for there is joy in the end.  May Jesus give us the grace to truly serve Him and not count the cost!

FIRST READING      
“It has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things.”
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 15:22-31)

In those days: It seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole Church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren, with the following letter: “The brethren, both the apostles and the elders, to the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greeting. Since we have heard that some persons from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, it has seemed good to us in assembly to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from unchastity. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.” So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch; and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. And when they read it, they rejoiced at the exhortation.

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM   Psalm 57:8-9.10- 12 (R. 10a)
R/. I will praise you, Lord, among the peoples.
Or: Alleluia.

My heart is ready, O God;
my heart is ready.
I will sing, I will sing your praise.
Awake, my soul!
Awake, lyre and harp!
I will awake the dawn. R.

I will praise you, Lord, among the peoples,
among the nations sing psalms to you,
for your mercy reaches to the heavens,
and your truth to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
may your glory shine on all the earth! R.

ALLELUIA John 15:15b
Alleluia. I have called you friends, says the Lord, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. Alleluia.

GOSPEL               
“This I command you, to love one another.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (John 15:12-17)

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. This I command you, to love one another.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Today’s Reflection

By his very nature, a human person is a ‘community being’ living in solidarity with others who blossoms only when he is intimately connected with God.  This is again stressed in the first reading.  As the Council of Jerusalem draws to an end, the apostles write admonishing the disciples to avoid immortality and idolatry and to live according to the principles of Christ. Who in Himself transcends all cultural barriers.  Living by those resolutions, the disciples become friends of Christ, chosen and commissioned to go out and bear good fruit.  May our heavenly Father grant us the grace to live in love and for love!