Reading 1
Acts 18:23-28
After staying in Antioch some time,
Paul left and traveled in orderly sequence
through the Galatian country and Phrygia,
bringing strength to all the disciples.
A Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria,
an eloquent speaker, arrived in Ephesus.
He was an authority on the Scriptures.
He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord and,
with ardent spirit, spoke and taught accurately about Jesus,
although he knew only the baptism of John.
He began to speak boldly in the synagogue;
but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him,
they took him aside
and explained to him the Way of God more accurately.
And when he wanted to cross to Achaia,
the brothers encouraged him
and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him.
After his arrival he gave great assistance
to those who had come to believe through grace.
He vigorously refuted the Jews in public,
establishing from the Scriptures that the Christ is Jesus.
47:2-3, 8-9, 10
Responsorial Psalm R. (8a)
God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
All you peoples, clap your hands;
shout to God with cries of gladness.
For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,
is the great king over all the earth.
R. God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
For king of all the earth is God;
sing hymns of praise.
God reigns over the nations,
God sits upon his holy throne.
R. God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The princes of the peoples are gathered together
with the people of the God of Abraham.
For God’s are the guardians of the earth;
he is supreme.
R. God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel
Jn 16:23b-28
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.
Until now you have not asked anything in my name;
ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.
“I have told you this in figures of speech.
The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures
but I will tell you clearly about the Father.
On that day you will ask in my name,
and I do not tell you that I will ask the Father for you.
For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me
and have come to believe that I came from God.
I came from the Father and have come into the world.
Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”
Meditation: John 16:23-28
“Ask and you will receive.” (John 16:24)
At the Last Supper, Jesus promised his disciples that he would give them the Holy Spirit. But how would they—and how would we—know the love and help that the Spirit has come to give? Jesus’ answer is simple: Ask, ask, ask! As Jesus promised in the Gospel of Luke: “How much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” (Luke 11:13).
So what will we receive if we ask for the Spirit?
First, and most important, we will receive revelation. One of the Spirit’s most vital gifts is that he shows us Jesus in a new and more glorious light. We see him not only as a man who died on the cross centuries ago but as our own Lord and Savior. Through the Spirit’s power, we see Jesus as a living person, the Son of God whose love for us is constant, perfect, and intimate. And not only do we see Jesus; we experience his presence in a powerful way. We feel his joy, his mercy, and his freedom in our hearts.
Along with this gift of revelation, the Spirit gives us a peace that the world cannot give (John 14:27). He helps us stay rooted in Jesus and his love for us, so that we can weather the storms of life. By constantly reminding us that we are treasured children of God, the Spirit helps calm our fears and anxieties. He brings us to a place of rest and trust. And he convinces us that we can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us.
St. Paul tells us that the Spirit also prays with us and for us “according to God’s will” (Romans 8:27). That’s right. Even as we are asking and asking and asking, so is the Spirit. Only he is asking for the things that we don’t even know we need. He is asking for the yearnings in our hearts that we don’t dare speak. In other words, we don’t have to worry about a thing. All we have to do is keep seeking the Spirit and trying our best to submit to him. Then the Spirit, who searches our hearts, will give us every good and perfect gift we could ever need.
“Thank you, Holy Spirit, for helping me to pray as I ought. Come and perfect my prayer before the throne of grace!”
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