Bearing Witness

Today’s Gospel Text:   But when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to me; 27 and you also are witnesses, because you have been with me from the beginning.

16 "I have said all this to you to keep you from falling away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues; indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 And they will do this because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you of them. John 15:26-16:4a

Reflection: Every Christian is called to be a witness of Christ but the fact is that not all are witnesses of Christ Jesus.

What does it take to be a witness of Christ Jesus?

There are two things that are evident from the gospel in order to be a witness of Christ Jesus:

1) One needs to be having the help of the Holy Spirit to bear witness to Christ in their lives. (vs. 26)

In other words not just the Holy Spirit, which many claim that they have received in baptism but also his constant help and guidance, his witnessing quality to work in their lives.

The Holy Spirit constantly bears witness to Christ in us. It is an ongoing work which has begun in us in baptism and yet not if we do not allow him to speak to us about the Christ first revealed to us in his incarnation.  

2) One needs to be with Christ (vs. 27)

In other words, seeking the company of the one who is with us as Emmanuel; which means seeking his face daily through prayer and in and through his sacramental presence so easily available to us.

It also means learning at his feet with the Holy Spirit to guide our thoughts in the ways of Christ Jesus.

If one does that then there are signs that will accompany them to confirm their calling as witness. These sign s are not just miracles and healings but also persecution for the faith.

“They will put you out of the synagogues; indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.”  (vs. 16:2)

Let us ask ourselves in the light of the above: Are we witnesses of Christ Jesus and thus are we true Christians or are we pseudo-Christians?

Prayer:  Lord we know that we cannot bear witness to unseen realities without encountering them in our daily lives. Teach us to be guided by your Spirit of truth.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

Signs

Today’s Gospel Text:  So they said to him, "Then what sign do you do, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" 32 Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world." 34 They said to him, "Lord, give us this bread always." 35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. John 6:30-35

Reflection: God speaks to us through signs and wonders

If God speaks to us through signs and wonders then what was wrong when the disciples asked him for signs in order to believe in Jesus?

So they said to him, "Then what sign do you do, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you perform?”  (vs. 30)

I am confident that if there was a survey done then there would be quite a few who would expect a sign or a wonder in order to believe in God or increase their level of their faith.

Yet he who sits in the highest heaven knows the secret of men’s heart: he knows what even we may not know about ourselves unless it is pointed out to us and even here some will acknowledge and the many may not:

What we think we will do or accomplish is not always the fact of human life and thinking. One thinks that they will believe after seeing a sign but may still harden their hearts because the heart is still a seat of evil.

One does not really require a sign, as in a miracle, in order to believe, there is a greater quality in humans in which if they are sincere, humble and honest with themselves and with others then it does not take much to believe in the truth of faith.

Belief is an assertion of a heart that wants to trust and the sincere words of Jesus, his life style are more than enough for any honest seeker to believe in him and be saved.

Hence the cross of Christ is the greatest sign for generations to come and the church that was born from his side, burst open on the cross, is the sign for the world and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

The primary way in which the church accomplishes this mission of being a sign to the world is through the Proclamation of the Gospel of Christ, to which men respond and believe.

Prayer:  Lord, make me an instrument of your power, so that men may believe that you are God in heaven and on earth.

   

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

Save us O Lord

Today’s Gospel:  When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For as Jonah became a sign to the men of Nin'eveh, so will the Son of man be to this generation. 31 The queen of the South will arise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nin'eveh will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. Luke 11:29-32

Reflection:  How is our generation different from that generation? Do we not seek for signs too? No not really so, not all of us seek for signs in our generation in order to believe.  

Our generation is an indifferent generation? How many of us are really bothered to know whether there is a God who exists and demands from us a response for our good and for our salvation?

We are instead worried about politics and humanity and how to save the earth and increase the living conditions of humans by way of materialistic emancipation and do good (purely from the human sense).  


Ours is a generation that thinks that by putting humans and their agenda first they are serving God as well as humanity.  In the bargain they suppress the freedom of those who voice their concern against such blasphemous ways and practices. 

So we have all sorts of charities and programs for human emancipation, holistic formation, saving the earth against global warming and looking forward to a new world order where justice, peace and brotherhood reign; an idealism.

You cannot be serving humanity, however good it may sound and however holistic the program. Humanity can only find its true meaning in Christ Jesus who has revealed himself to us as the one and only savior. His ghastly death at the hands of men was an act to save us and he is still saving all those who trust in his abiding grace to save to them.

Prayer: “So now, O Lord our God, save us, I beseech thee, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou, O Lord, art God alone." 2 Kings 19:19

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

Humble and Contrite Spirit

Today’s Gospel: The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven, to test him. 12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation." 13 And he left them, and getting into the boat again he departed to the other side. Mark 8:11-13

Reflection:  Some people are always superior; I mean they think that they are superior. They think that only they have the power and the ability to think rationally, they are perfect and they are able to judge others and their behavior patterns and think that they can arrive at a safe conclusion about people and individuals.

They are never able to see their folly and how their judgments about them are fraught with danger. Maybe many of them in the course of their lives may have arrived at solutions to people’s problems and may have even got a feed back and a fan following which may have been flattering enough to their ego’s. This could further spur them on to boss over the many some do it surreptitiously with a humble demeanor whereas the others may be more overt with their actions.

In reality many of these hide the confusion in their minds with a façade of clarity and false expertise. In their case what scripture says is fulfilled; “Claiming to be wise, they became fools”.  Rom 1:22

The Pharisees in the Gospel carried the same demeanor and we know on account of the revelation of God’s wisdom that they only end up as fools. 

Prayer:  Lord, in your mercy grant me a humble and contrite spirit so that I may tremble at your Holy Word and thus be acceptable to you. (cfr. Is. 66:2)

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Allowing God to Work in me; repentance.

Bible: "Woe to you, Chora'zin! woe to you, Beth-sa'ida! for if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. Luke 10:13

Reflection:  I am wondering how many in Chorazin and Bethsaida may have watched these mighty things done by Jesus. Imagine a big town and a miracle done in some private places: how many would be around at the time of performing a mighty miracle or sign by Jesus. If this is true then the real problem is elsewhere.

God will continue to perform his miracles and mighty works among men irrespective whether they come to see them or not. It is not he who is to be blamed if men are not seeing it.  Men will continue to be so busy with worldly affairs and entertaining themselves that they would have no time for God or his works. Today such sign are on display even on select T.V. channels and internet: how many of us have the time to watch and repent of their ways?

Prayer: Lord, in my busy schedule help me to spare some time for you so that you may perform your mighty work beginning with me.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us