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Brothers and sisters:
Hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus
and of your love for all the holy ones,
I do not cease giving thanks for you,
remembering you in my prayers,
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation
resulting in knowledge of him.
May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened,
that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call,
what are the riches of glory
in his inheritance among the holy ones,
and what is the surpassing greatness of his power
for us who believe,
in accord with the exercise of his great might,
which he worked in Christ,
raising him from the dead
and seating him at his right hand in the heavens,
far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion,
and every name that is named
not only in this age but also in the one to come.
And he put all things beneath his feet
and gave him as head over all things to the Church,
which is his Body,
the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.
R./ You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.
O Lord, our Lord,
how glorious is your name over all the earth!
You have exalted your majesty above the heavens.
Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings
you have fashioned praise because of your foes.
R./ You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.
When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars which you set in place—
What is man that you should be mindful of him,
or the son of man that you should care for him?
R./ You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.
You have made him little less than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
putting all things under his feet.
R./ You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.
Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before people, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. But the one who denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God.
"There will be pardon for the one who criticizes the Son of Man, but there will be no pardon for the one who slanders the Holy Spirit.
"When you are brought before the synagogues, governors and rulers, don't worry about how you will defend yourself or what to say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you have to say."
The movie The King’s Speech is famous and significant because it somehow makes us empathize with those who are not fully qualified for a job and yet have to perform it. We sympathize with poor George because we have found ourselves in a situation (on our own scale) from which we did not know how to get out. The king had to speak out because not doing so could lead his country to disaster.
But we have even older testimonies of this very thing. That is, it seems to be a fairly universal experience of insecurity and lack of confidence in one’s ability. Moses was a stutterer; Jeremiah claims that he is a child and cannot speak; David was the youngest of the brothers and is called to be king; Amos, Nehemiah….. And then the disciples of Jesus, some rude and unenlightened men. The figure of the reluctant prophet is everywhere. How often have we found ourselves reluctant prophets? There is no certainty (and in some cases the absolute certainty of impossibility) that it can be done. And here we are told today that above all real or imagined problems of self-esteem, we must place a trust that has almost nothing to do with us: «When they bring you before the synagogues, before the magistrates and the authorities, do not worry about how or with what reasons you will defend yourself or what you will say, because the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you have to say.
Don’t worry about that. But on the other hand, there is a serious warning: not speaking, not witnessing, not acknowledging Christ can have even more serious consequences. Instead of worrying about what to say, worry about not saying anything. Worry when a paralyzing fear leads you to silence… with the disastrous personal result of not being recognized by Christ and the disastrous result for others of not hearing the word of truth and salvation because we have not spoken it. Do not worry. Worry. Worry a lot.
Carmen AguinacoLord our God,
let the Holy Spirit, the bond of love
between you and your Son,
be present here among us.
May he bind us together in faith and love
and help this little Church here to be
all you want your universal Church
to signify to all:
the people of your good pleasure,
rich in hope and life and joy
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
First Reading Introduction
When St. Paul speaks to us about God's power at work in us and in Christ and the Church, in parallel passages, he says, this is the work of the Spirit. The Spirit unites and animates the Church. He is the Spirit of wisdom. He is the same Spirit of whom Jesus speaks: the Holy Spirit who will teach us what to say and do in times of persecution. Let this Spirit be with us in this celebration.
Gospel Introduction
To those that are faithful to him, Christ promises to let his Spirit speak and work in them in times of trial.
– That the Spirit of strength and trust may be given to those who are persecuted for following their consciences and standing up for their integrity, we pray:
– That the Spirit of love may be given to those who want to grow in love of God and people, we pray:
– That the Spirit of unity may make us one heart and one soul in our communities, that we may do for one another what Jesus has done for us, we pray:
Lord our God,
this piece of bread
and this draught of wine
will bring us the life and joy
of Jesus, your Son.
Let his Holy Spirit unite us closely
with Jesus, the head of his body, the Church,
as living stones of his community
of faith and hope.
We ask you this through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Lord our God,
your Son has spoken his message to us.
By the power of the Holy Spirit,
give us the strength to speak it
for all and to all as Good News,
without fear or compromise.
Let him renew and unite us
as your people of hope and joy,
who proclaim with our lives
that you are our Father
and Jesus our Lord for ever.
Like Paul, we give thanks to God for the people's faith in Jesus Christ, a faith that makes them also love one another. And we pray that this faith may endure and nourish our hope, with the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
