In close to two decades of coaching, I’ve witnessed this truth: Internal transformation overflows externally. I once coached a COO of a global company. She was burnt out, overworked, and often sick, yet still pushed herself to keep performing. She kept saying yes to clients, micromanaged her team, and came home too exhausted to truly be with her children. Through coaching, she discovered that her drive came from a childhood longing for affirmation. When she healed that wounded part of her heart, everything changed. Her team felt more trusted. Her clients were seamlessly handed over to her employees. Her children experienced a more present, joyful mom.

As within, so without. Today’s readings show the same principle. The Lord opened Lydia’s heart and her first instinct was to act: She welcomed Paul and his companions into her home. And in the Gospel, Jesus reminded the disciples that with the Spirit’s help, their testimony must flow even amid persecution. When we are healed within, love overflows. 

Edwin S. Soriano (edwin@edwinsoriano.com)

reflect

What healing within you needs to happen so you may love more freely outside?

Lord, heal me inside so I may overflow Your love to the people around me.

St. Ignatius of Lanconi, pray for us.

The churches and fledgling communities set up by Paul in various centers of the Roman Empire grew daily in numbers. The disciples made the most of their time fulfilling their mission for the Gospel. May we have the same urgency as the disciples did during that time. The relativism of today’s cultural milieu in the West is slowly eating away at the sharpness of the Gospel message. Let us do something about it now!

¹ Paul also reached Derbe and Lystra where there was a disciple named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. ² The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him, ³ and Paul wanted him to come along with him. On account of the Jews of that region, Paul had him circumcised, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. ⁴ As they traveled from city to city, they handed on to the people for observance the decisions reached by the Apostles and presbyters in Jerusalem. ⁵ Day after day the churches grew stronger in faith and increased in number. ⁶ They traveled through the Phrygian and Galatian territory because they had been prevented by the Holy Spirit from preaching the message in the province of Asia. ⁷ When they came to Mysia, they tried to go on into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them, ⁸ so they crossed through Mysia and came down to Troas. ⁹ During the night Paul had a vision. A Macedonian stood before him and implored him with these words, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” ¹⁰ When he had seen the vision, we sought passage to Macedonia at once, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the Good News to them.  

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 100:1-2, 3, 5

R: Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

¹ Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands; 2 serve the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful song. (R) ³ Know that the Lord is God; he made us, his we are; his people, the flock he tends. (R) 5 The Lord is good; his kindness endures forever, and his faithfulness, to all generations. (R)  

Gospel | John 15:18-21

The world is not our friend. In John’s Gospel today, the “world” refers to many of the powers that do not accept the Gospel in the society of Jesus’ day. The same “world” exists today in the current secularizing and liberal trends. Let us prevent the Gospel from being eroded until it fades into the comfort-seeking, self-focused world in which we live. Let us fight against these trends, whatever the cost may be.

Gospel Acclamation

If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

¹⁸ Jesus said to his disciples: “If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. ¹⁹ If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember the word I spoke to you, ‘No slave is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. ²¹ And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me.”

Read the Bible in one year! Read JOSHUA 1 - 4 today.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus told His Apostles what their fate would be if they followed Him. He did not want them to follow Him blindly. He was honest about their future fate as His disciples—that they would receive the same treatment from those who reject Him.

To be a Christian is both a joy and a great challenge, not to mention a life full of pain, challenges, and sacrifices. The Christian should not expect an easy and comfortable life during his ministry. If you have no enemies or do not experience any rejection, you might be wanting in witnessing and proclaiming the Good News. We are expected to endure pain, shame, discrimination, rejection, and even death for the sake of the Gospel. Our eyes are fixed on the Kingdom. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. We do not compromise our faith for anything in the world. This was the case of the saints. While martyrdom is a grace, a good part of it is the decision to stay with the Lord than to be separated from Him.

This is why some leave the faith, yet many also stay for the same reason. 

The challenge is to see our discipleship as the definition of our life. Life is about knowing, loving, and serving God at all cost. Martyrs attained such a state. They saw their faith as larger than life. They had come to the point of seeing the whole of life as lived here on earth and continued in the eternal life with God. 

That is why we have hope. The Christian is the epitome of hope. Justice still exists in the next life. Life’s challenges are worth bearing. Our Lord had proven it. He had, in fact, gone ahead and experienced the worst. We must be inspired and motivated. Like soldiers, we march to sure victory towards the Kingdom.

Fr. Benny Tuazon

reflection question

How far can you go with and for the Lord?

Lord Jesus, I admit I am afraid of suffering and death. But You have conquered sin and death when You died on the cross and obtained eternal life for us. Grace me always with courage and faith so I will always decide to be with You in this life and the next. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ____________________________________________