John 15:18-21

Acts 16:1-10

Psalm 100:1b-2, 3, 5

John 15:18-21

Jesus said to his disciples:

“If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first.

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.

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.

And they will do all these things to you on account of my name,

because they do not know the one who sent me.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, I am in the world you have created, but this is not my true home. I am a pilgrim and sojourner on a lifelong journey to your house, where your Son has prepared a dwelling for me. Lift up my eyes toward my heavenly home. Do not let me be discouraged on the journey, but fill me with hope in your promise.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Hated by the World: Throughout the Last Supper Discourse, Jesus has been speaking about the blessings and curses of the New Covenant. By keeping the commandments, we are blessed to abide in the divine community of love. However, if we do not keep the commandments, abide in Jesus’ love, and bear fruit, then we will be cast into the fire (John 15:6-10). The New Covenant transforms the curses of the Old Covenant into blessings. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus promised: “Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10). This same principle is at work in today’s Gospel. As friends of Jesus and adopted children of the Father, we will be hated by the world since we are in it but do not belong to it.

2. Persecuted by the World: At the Last Supper, Jesus was not asking his disciples to suffer more than himself or to do something that he himself did not. He was holy and innocent, and yet was crucified. When he healed and cast out demons, he was accused of working with the devil. When he declared his identity as the Son of God, he was condemned to death for blasphemy. When he restored his friend Lazarus to life, the religious authorities plotted to kill him. He went about doing good, and yet was rejected by many. We can expect the same treatment. In this way, we will suffer with Jesus, our friend and brother.

3. Loved by God: The New Covenant not only promises blessing, but also empowers us to attain the promised blessing. Even though we are hated and persecuted by the world for not living according to its sinful ways, we are loved and cared for by God for living according to his standards and our status as his children and friends of his Son. The Love of God, the Spirit of Truth, has been poured into our hearts through the waters of Baptism. This divine love surpasses all human love. Human love is often marked by likes and dislikes. We say things like, “I love ice cream,” and can easily equate love with what pleases us. Divine love is different. It is not a reaction to pleasure but an act of self-giving. The divine love, poured into our hearts, enables us to sacrifice ourselves for the good of others in supernatural ways. Human love is often motivated by what I get out of the relationship. Divine love is motivated, so to speak, by what the lover can give so that their beloved flourishes.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, as a child of God, I will endure persecution and suffer for the Gospel. You know the limits of my strength. I fully trust in you to accompany me, in your Father to care for me, and in your Spirit to guide me.

Living the Word of God: How have I been listening to the Spirit lately? What is the Spirit asking me to do? Where am I called to be a witness to the Good News of our salvation? How am I promoting and proclaiming the teachings of Jesus and the Church? How can I do better?