Reading 1
Acts 18:1-8
Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus,
who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla
because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome.
He went to visit them and, because he practiced the same trade,
stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.
Every sabbath, he entered into discussions in the synagogue,
attempting to convince both Jews and Greeks.
When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia,
Paul began to occupy himself totally with preaching the word,
testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus.
When they opposed him and reviled him,
he shook out his garments and said to them,
“Your blood be on your heads!
I am clear of responsibility.
From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
So he left there and went to a house
belonging to a man named Titus Justus, a worshiper of God;
his house was next to a synagogue.
Crispus, the synagogue official, came to believe in the Lord
along with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians
who heard believed and were baptized.
98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4
Responsorial Psalm R. (see 2b)
The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel
Jn 16:16-20
Jesus said to his disciples:
“A little while and you will no longer see me,
and again a little while later and you will see me.”
So some of his disciples said to one another,
“What does this mean that he is saying to us,
‘A little while and you will not see me,
and again a little while and you will see me,’
and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?”
So they said, “What is this ‘little while’ of which he speaks?
We do not know what he means.”
Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them,
“Are you discussing with one another what I said,
‘A little while and you will not see me,
and again a little while and you will see me’?
Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices;
you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.”
Meditation: John 16:16-20
“You will see me.” (John 16:16)
What a promise! Jesus was going to go away, but then he would come back, and the apostles would see him once more. These words must have brought them a great measure of comfort.
And yes, they did see Jesus again—on Easter Sunday, when he appeared to them in the upper room. But the “seeing” Jesus was speaking of here meant more than just encountering him again with their physical eyes. Jesus was also talking about the way that the Holy Spirit would help them sense Jesus’ presence and his guidance even after he ascended and was no longer visible.
But why would Jesus think it was important for us to “see” him again? Didn’t his cross and resurrection take care of our salvation? Wasn’t it enough for us to hear his gospel and be baptized into his name?
Simply put, no, it wasn’t. And thank God for this truth! We need to “see” Jesus every day. We need to hear his voice, to know his guidance, and to receive his love. As St. Paul taught, Jesus gave us the Spirit “so that we may understand the things freely given us by God”
(1 Corinthians 2:12). The truth is that we could never grasp the price that Jesus paid for our salvation or the depth of his love for us on our own. We need the Spirit to open the eyes of our heart so that we can find the grace we need to live out Jesus’ commands. Without the Holy Spirit, we limit both our understanding and our abilities.
This is why Jesus wants us to be baptized, immersed, in his Holy Spirit. He knows it’s the only way we can know the power and presence of God in our lives.
So what did the apostles do after Jesus was taken away from them and they could no longer see him? Looking forward to the fulfillment of his promise, they joined together in prayer. They delved into the Scriptures. They prayed, “Come, Holy Spirit!”
Let’s follow their example. From now until Pentecost, let’s dive into Scripture, fix our eyes on Jesus, and try to increase our prayer. Let’s ask for the grace to see Jesus with new eyes, the eyes of the Holy Spirit.
“Come, Holy Spirit! Open the eyes of my heart!”
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