Reading 1
Acts 17:15, 22—18:1
After Paul’s escorts had taken him to Athens,
they came away with instructions for Silas and Timothy
to join him as soon as possible.
Then Paul stood up at the Areopagus and said:
“You Athenians, I see that in every respect
you are very religious.
For as I walked around looking carefully at your shrines,
I even discovered an altar inscribed, ‘To an Unknown God.’
What therefore you unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you.
The God who made the world and all that is in it,
the Lord of heaven and earth,
does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands,
nor is he served by human hands because he needs anything.
Rather it is he who gives to everyone life and breath and everything.
He made from one the whole human race
to dwell on the entire surface of the earth,
and he fixed the ordered seasons and the boundaries of their regions,
so that people might seek God,
even perhaps grope for him and find him,
though indeed he is not far from any one of us.
For ‘In him we live and move and have our being,’
as even some of your poets have said,
‘For we too are his offspring.’
Since therefore we are the offspring of God,
we ought not to think that the divinity is like an image
fashioned from gold, silver, or stone by human art and imagination.
God has overlooked the times of ignorance,
but now he demands that all people everywhere repent
because he has established a day on which he will ‘judge the world
with justice’ through a man he has appointed,
and he has provided confirmation for all
by raising him from the dead.”
When they heard about resurrection of the dead,
some began to scoff, but others said,
“We should like to hear you on this some other time.”
And so Paul left them.
But some did join him, and became believers.
Among them were Dionysius,
a member of the Court of the Areopagus,
a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
After this he left Athens and went to Corinth.
Gospel
Jn 16:12-15
Jesus said to his disciples:
“I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.
But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,
he will guide you to all truth.
He will not speak on his own,
but he will speak what he hears,
and will declare to you the things that are coming.
He will glorify me,
because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.
Everything that the Father has is mine;
for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine
and declare it to you.”
Meditation: John 16:12-15
I have much more to tell you. (John 16:12)
Don’t you sometimes wish that Jesus had just said all those things he promised that the Holy Spirit would tell us after he was gone? We have all experienced the frustration of seeking the Lord’s guidance in a situation but coming out of our prayer unsure of whether that “voice” in our mind was God or our own imagination. If only the Spirit would talk to us as clearly as Jesus spoke with his disciples! It would be so much easier if he would just use plain words that we could never second guess!
So why did Jesus think it was better that he return to the Father? Because then he could send the Holy Spirit to sanctify us as well as lead us. It’s not always about getting the right answer, after all. It’s about growing closer to the Lord and becoming more like him. We should remember that having Jesus right there with them didn’t prevent the disciples from fearing for their lives and running away when Jesus was arrested.
Clearly, being close to Jesus physically does not guarantee being close to him spiritually. So just how can we get closer to Jesus? Well, one way is to be as open as we can when we receive the Eucharist. It’s in those quiet moments just after we receive his body and blood that we can open our hearts the widest and receive the wisdom Jesus wants to give us.
Every time you go to Mass, go with expectation. Ask Jesus to send his Holy Spirit to you to teach you everything he wants you to know. Decide that you won’t go home until you have received a blessing from the Lord—whether it be a new insight, a sense of direction, or just a deeper touch of his love and presence.
Don’t let these moments of union with God slip away. You may not come out with a document dictated by the Spirit that spells out your destiny. But you will be closer to the Lord—and that’s your highest, greatest calling!
“Lord, speak living words to me this day—words that will lodge deep within me and help direct my thoughts, words, and actions. By the power of your Spirit, lead me more deeply into your truth.”
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