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.
148:1-2, 11-12, 13, 14
Responsorial PsalmR.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you his angels;
praise him, all you his hosts.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the kings of the earth and all peoples,
the princes and all the judges of the earth,
Young men too, and maidens,
old men and boys.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
His majesty is above earth and heaven.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has lifted up the horn of his people;
Be this his praise from all his faithful ones,
from the children of Israel, the people close to him.
Alleluia.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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
Pentecost is only twelve days away, and to help us get ready, we want to focus the upcoming meditations on the Holy Spirit and his work in our hearts.
And today’s Gospel reading is a great place to start. At the Last Supper, Jesus told his followers that there was so “much more” he wanted to teach them, but they weren’t ready for it yet. So he promised that the
Holy Spirit would soon come and reveal it to them.
So what was this “much more” that Jesus wanted to teach the disciples— and us? Here are just a few things:
Through the Spirit, the apostles learned that Gentiles were just as worthy of salvation as Jews (Acts 10). There is no distinction in Christ. Everyone—male or female, slave or free, rich or poor, black or white or yellow or brown—has equal dignity and value in God’s kingdom (Galatians 3:28).
Through the Spirit, they also learned that Jesus was not just Israel’s Messiah (Colossians 1:15-20). He is the eternal Son of God, Lord of heaven and earth! And that knowledge led them to bow down in worship. It led them to profess: “Jesus Christ is Lord” and to dedicate their lives to proclaiming Christ to everyone (Philippians 2:11).
Through the Spirit, they learned that nothing could ever separate them from God’s love (Romans 8:35-39). We are completely safe in God’s hands. He will never abandon us or disown us. He is full of mercy and love for us—all the time!
How about you? What is the “much more” that Jesus wants to give you? Perhaps there are unanswered questions about Jesus and his cross. Maybe he wants to give you more courage in sharing your faith. Maybe he wants to teach you how to bring healing to a friend or family member. Jesus has already given you the Holy Spirit. Now is the time to let the Spirit’s gifts unfold!
“Holy Spirit, widen my heart and open my mind. I want to receive more of you this Pentecost.”
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