Reading 1
Col 1:21-23
Brothers and sisters:
You once were alienated and hostile in mind because of evil deeds;
God has now reconciled you
in the fleshly Body of Christ through his death,
to present you holy, without blemish,
and irreproachable before him,
provided that you persevere in the faith,
firmly grounded, stable,
and not shifting from the hope of the Gospel that you heard,
which has been preached to every creature under heaven,
of which I, Paul, am a minister.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 54:3-4, 6 and 8R. (6)
God himself is my help.
O God, by your name save me,
and by your might defend my cause.
O God, hear my prayer;
hearken to the words of my mouth.
R. God himself is my help.
Behold, God is my helper;
the Lord sustains my life.
Freely will I offer you sacrifice;
I will praise your name, O LORD, for its goodness.
R. God himself is my help.
Gospel
Lk 6:1-5
While Jesus was going through a field of grain on a sabbath,
his disciples were picking the heads of grain,
rubbing them in their hands, and eating them.
Some Pharisees said,
"Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?"
Jesus said to them in reply,
"Have you not read what David did
when he and those who were with him were hungry?
How he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering,
which only the priests could lawfully eat,
ate of it, and shared it with his companions?"
Then he said to them, "The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath."
Meditation: Colossians 1:21-23
“… of which I, Paul, am a minister.” (Colossians 1:23)
Just how did Paul go from being a “minister” of persecution, to becoming a minister of the gospel? Well, the surprising transformation began during his powerful encounter with the risen Lord on the road to Damascus. Jesus told Paul that he, who was on a mission to arrest Christians, would become his “chosen instrument” to spread the gospel to the Gentiles—and at great personal cost! This encounter dramatically changed Paul’s life. Just as Jesus had promised, Paul now spent all his energies in sharing the good news of Christ with everyone around him.
Can you echo Paul’s words and talk about the gospel as something of which you are a minister? You can. This is the calling of every Christian, not just of priests and missionaries and nuns. Jesus wants all of us to become the mouthpiece of his good news. He wants all of us to tell the story about God’s love for his people. And Paul himself can give us a few pointers on how to effectively do that.
Take a look at Acts 22 and 26, two occasions when Paul—the great theologian—shares the story of his conversion. There’s not much speculative theology in these stories, is there? Instead, Paul gives an account of how he met the Lord Jesus, and how the encounter changed his life. Simple, straightforward, and compelling. Anyone can do this! And everyone is called to do it. The first thing to do is try to write down what you might say. For instance, you might talk about how prayer brings you God’s peace. You might talk about how the Mass brings you close to Jesus and fills you with gratitude that he has saved you from sin. Then pray, with expectant faith, that God will open doors for you. And finally, keep your eyes open for the opportunities Jesus gives you to share your faith experience with someone else—and maybe even to invite that person to pray with you. The harvest is ripe! Let’s ask the Lord for the grace and the courage to be his harvesters.
“Lord, help me find more courage to be a witness of your gospel.”
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