Reading 1
Acts 16:1-10
Paul reached also Derbe and Lystra
where there was a disciple named Timothy,
the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer,
but his father was a Greek.
The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him,
and Paul wanted him to come along with him.
On account of the Jews of that region, Paul had him circumcised,
for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
As they traveled from city to city,
they handed on to the people for observance the decisions
reached by the Apostles and presbyters in Jerusalem.
Day after day the churches grew stronger in faith
and increased in number.
They traveled through the Phrygian and Galatian territory
because they had been prevented by the Holy Spirit
from preaching the message in the province of Asia.
When they came to Mysia, they tried to go on into Bithynia,
but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them,
so they crossed through Mysia and came down to Troas.
During the night Paul had a vision.
A Macedonian stood before him and implored him with these words,
“Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
When he had seen the vision,
we sought passage to Macedonia at once,
concluding that God had called us to proclaim the Good News to them.
Gospel
Jn 15:18-21
Jesus said to his disciples:
“If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first.
If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own;
but because you do not belong to the world,
and I have chosen you out of the world,
the world hates you.
Remember the word I spoke to you,
‘No slave is greater than his master.’
If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.
If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
And they will do all these things to you on account of my name,
because they do not know the one who sent me.”
Meditation: Acts 16:1-10
They tried to go on into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. (Acts 16:7)
When we read about St. Paul’s travels, we frequently come across times where the Holy Spirit “prevented” him from going to a certain place. Does this mean that, while going down the road, Paul had a blinding flash of insight? Did he hear the voice of God telling him to change course? Was there some other kind of supernatural sign to guide him? Maybe. But it just as easily could have been something much more ordinary.
The Holy Spirit often speaks to us through everyday situations. Maybe Paul found a road washed out by an unexpected flood. A severe storm may have prevented travel to a certain part of the world. Or perhaps one of his traveling companions was taken ill suddenly, and they had to make a detour. We really don’t know what caused Paul to rethink his travel plans.
When faced with such obstacles, instead of trying to force his original plan, Paul accepted the change of plans with grace and confidence that the Holy Spirit would guide him. Often, Paul discovered that the new paths he took because of those obstacles brought better results than his original plan! Look at today’s reading as a prime example. Paul might not have gone to Macedonia in response to his dream if he was already on an arduous journey toward Bithynia. But then the Macedonians would have missed out on all the blessings that came from that missionary trip.
Sometimes discernment is a process where we hear the Holy Spirit speaking to us clearly. It might be like the heavenly lightning bolt that we often imagine. At other times, though, changing circumstances or detours may well be the “voice” God uses to help us reformulate our plans. Of course, we should never let circumstances be the only things that dictate our choices. We should always be open to the ways God may be leading us. As we accept changes and embrace new itineraries that come from the Lord, we will find—like Paul—that the new paths we follow often bring greater blessing and are more fruitful!
“Holy Spirit, teach me to recognize the ways you speak to me. May I not ignore your voice in the ordinary events of my day. Open my ears to your direction.”
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