Skip to main content

I SHALL SEE YOU AGAIN NO ONE WILL TAKE AWAY YOUR JOY

FRIDAY SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER: DO NOT BE AFRAID I AM WITH YOU
First Reading Acts 18:1-18 
'I have many people on my side in this city'

At Corinth one night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid to speak out, nor allow yourself to be silenced: I am with you. I have so many people on my side in this city that no one will even attempt to hurt you.’ So Paul stayed there preaching the word of God among them for eighteen months. Readings Lectures Reflections

But, while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a concerted attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal. ‘We accuse this man’ they said ‘of persuading people to worship God in a way that breaks the Law.’ Before Paul could open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, ‘Listen, you Jews. If this were a misdemeanour or a crime, I would not hesitate to attend to you; but if it is only quibbles about words and names, and about your own Law, then you must deal with it yourselves – I have no intention of making legal decisions about things like that.’ Then he sent them out of the court, and at once they all turned on Sosthenes, the synagogue president, and beat him in front of the court house. Gallio refused to take any notice at all. 

After staying on for some time, Paul took leave of the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had his hair cut off, because of a vow he had made.

Responsorial Psalm: God is king of all the earth

Gospel John 16 :20-23 Your hearts will be full of joy that no-one will take from you
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I tell you most solemnly, you will be weeping and wailing while the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy.

A woman in childbirth suffers, because her time has come;but when she has given birth to the child she forgets the suffering in her joy that a man has been born into the world.

So it is with you: you are sad now, but I shall see you again, and your hearts will be full of joy, and that joy no one shall take from you. When that day comes, you will not ask me any questions.’

PRAYER: Heavenly Father you are King of over all. Father you reign supreme. Your majesty is eternal you alone be adoration and worship. Thank you loving Father for a new refreshing day. Thank you for the gift of life and for your Spirit that abides in me, and with me. Take all glory now and for ever Father the Lord Most High deserves all honor and praise.

Loving Father thank you for you subdue our enemies under us. My inheritance and my glory comes from you. I will speak of your faithfulness, your mercy and your love. I will not fear for you are the I am that I am. No one will even attempt to hurt me. My assurance comes from you.

Thank you loving Father for your Son Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. I sing your praise Father for your Son goes up into heaven in triumph and victory. He conquered evil and all forms of hostilities. Christ foretold those who love you the challenges they will encounter in loving you Father and Him. However He promised that our sorrows will turn to abundant joy, and that no one will take away our joy - for His promised Advocate will remain with us as our comforter. Spirit of God come dwell in our hearts.

Lord Jesus Christ I trust in you. Virgin Mary pray for me. Saint Joseph pray for me. God's Holy Angels and Saints pray for me. My Angel Guardian pray for me. Protect me, defend me. Be my guide and my guard.

Pray the Holy Rosary: Rejoice Queen of Heaven. Rejoice the Blessed Virgin Mother of our Lord and Saviour. Hail Mary. Ave Maria. Hail Holy Queen. Pray for us and bring us to your Son Jesus Christ 
our Master.

Your Birthday Saint: Saint Augustine of Canterbury, Bishop. May he pray for you as you celebrate your birthday today. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

TRUST GOD, TRUST IN ME

Fifth Sunday of Easter  'I am going now to prepare a place for you' First Reading  Acts 6:1-7  They elected seven men full of the Holy Spirit About this time, when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenists made a complaint against the Hebrews: in the daily distribution their own widows were being overlooked. So the Twelve called a full meeting of the disciples and addressed them, ‘It would not be right for us to neglect the word of God so as to give out food; you, brothers, must select from among yourselves seven men of good reputation, filled with the Spirit and with wisdom; we will hand over this duty to them, and continue to devote ourselves to prayer and to the service of the word.’ The whole assembly approved of this proposal and elected Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus of Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these to the apostles, who prayed and laid th...

THE BREAD FROM HEAVEN

Tuesday week 3 of Eastertide -   ‘I can see heaven thrown open’ First Reading 7:51-8,1  'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit' Stephen said to the people, the elders and the scribes: ‘You stubborn people, with your pagan hearts and pagan ears. You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. Can you name a single prophet your ancestors never persecuted? In the past they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, and now you have become his betrayers, his murderers. You who had the Law brought to you by angels are the very ones who have not kept it.’ They were infuriated when they heard this, and ground their teeth at him. But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. ‘I can see heaven thrown open’ he said ‘and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ At this all the members of the council shouted out and stopped their ears with their hands; then they ...

YOU MUST NOT KILL

First Reading Ezekiel 18:21-28  I prefer to see the wicked man renounce his wickedness and live Thus says the Lord: ‘If the wicked man renounces all the sins he has committed, respects my laws and is law-abiding and honest, he will certainly live; he will not die. All the sins he committed will be forgotten from then on; he shall live because of the integrity he has practised. What! Am I likely to take pleasure in the death of a wicked man – it is the Lord who speaks – and not prefer to see him renounce his wickedness and live? ‘But if the upright man renounces his integrity, commits sin, copies the wicked man and practises every kind of filth, is he to live? All the integrity he has practised shall be forgotten from then on; but this is because he himself has broken faith and committed sin, and for this he shall die. But you object, “What the Lord does is unjust.” Listen, you House of Israel: is what I do unjust? Is it not what you do that is unjust? When the upright ma...