but you will see me, because I live and you will also live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me,
and I in you. Whoever keeps my commandments is the one who loves me. If he loves me, he will also be loved by my Father;
I too shall love him and show myself clearly to him.”
LECTIO DIVINA:
Read: The apostle Phillip did great and miraculous deeds in the first reading – manifesting once more
the power of Christ whom the apostolic band was proclaiming.
There is such tremendous activity going on and the early Church was expanding,
its numbers were growing by leaps and bounds. And they did this by always being ready to proclaim their faith in Jesus,
as the second reading from Peter tells us.
The Gospel reading shows us the reason for this explosion of boldness in the proclamation of the faith: the Holy Spirit.
Reflect: Jesus promised his disciples – before he returned to the Father – that they would be performing great and amazing acts in his name.
And now we see it happening. But what is more amazing about all these accounts is that there’s an undeniable thread that connects all of them,
namely, that no matter who performs these great deeds, be it Peter, or John, or Paul, or Phillip, these men never pointed to themselves,
never took credit for the great deed they performed, never even showed any sense of pride. Rather, again and again,
they would direct people’s attention to Jesus, to the one who alone they proclaimed.
Pray: Lord, grant me the same humility as your apostles. Grant that like them,
and like John the Baptist who said that he must decrease while you increase,
I may be truly self-effacing amidst the many deeds you do through me, so that you and you alone may be known,
you alone may be loved, and you alone may be given the glory.
Act: Pray that like John the Baptist, you may be granted the grace of true self-effacement
so that you may be an even more effective instrument of the Good News.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2020