＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Acts 12:24 – 13:5a

Meanwhile the word of God was increasing and spreading.

Barnabas and Saul carried out their mission and then came back from Jerusalem, taking with them John also called Mark.

There were at Antioch – in the Church which was there – proph­ets and teachers: Bar­nabas, Symeon known as Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod, and Saul. On one occasion while they were celebrating the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said to them, “Set apart for me Bar­nabas and Saul to do the work for which I have called them.” So, after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

These then, sent by the Holy Spirit, went down to the port of Seleucia and from there sailed to Cyprus. Upon their arrival in Salamis they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogue; John was with them as an assistant.

 

Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6 & 8

O God, let all the nations praise you.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

John 12:44-50

Yet Jesus had said, and even cried out, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me, sees him who sent me.   I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.

 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I am not the one to condemn him; for I have come, not to condemn the world, but to save the world. The one who rejects me, and does not receive my word, already has a judge: the very word I have spoken will condemn him on the last day.

For I have not spoken on my own authority; the Father who sent me has instructed me in what to say and how to speak. I know that his commandment is eternal life, and that is why the message I give, I give as the Father instructed me.”

 

Gospel Reflection：

In the Gospel reading, Jesus himself speaks of being sent by the Father and speaking on the Father’s behalf. Ultimately, all things are rooted in the Father’s will, just as the Father sent Jesus, and Jesus sent his disciples. So now the original group of Jesus’ followers has to rely on others to keep the movement going.

It is truly amazing to think that the all-powerful Creator of all things and his only Begotten Son still chose to use weak, flawed, and sinful human beings, to continue the work of bringing all things back to its original goodness.

But the fact is, that is what God is, a community of persons, a Trinity whose love for each other binds them as one and spreads out to touch, heal, and redeem all of creation. It is an even more amazing thought to consider that we have been chosen to continue that work – in spite of our weakness and inadequacy.

The fact is, God believes in us. He trusts us. He relies on us – because he believes in us, sometimes, far more than we believe in ourselves.