GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY : Wednesday - May 25, 2022

  

Wednesday - May 25, 2022

I therefore command all my Brothers, those living now and those to come in the future, to venerate the Holy Mother of God, whom we always implore to be our Protectress, to praise her at all times, in all circumstances of life, with all the means in their power and with the greatest devotion and submission.

-St. Francis of Assisi    

May 25, 2022

 

WEDNESDAY OF THE SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER

Lectionary: 293

 

Reading I     

                                                                                    Acts 17:15, 22—18:1

 

After Paul’s escorts had taken him to Athens,

they came away with instructions for Silas and Timothy

to join him as soon as possible.

 

Then Paul stood up at the Areopagus and said:

“You Athenians, I see that in every respect

you are very religious.

For as I walked around looking carefully at your shrines,

I even discovered an altar inscribed, ‘To an Unknown God.’

What therefore you unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you.

The God who made the world and all that is in it,

the Lord of heaven and earth,

does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands,

nor is he served by human hands because he needs anything.

Rather it is he who gives to everyone life and breath and everything.

He made from one the whole human race

to dwell on the entire surface of the earth,

and he fixed the ordered seasons and the boundaries of their regions,

so that people might seek God,

even perhaps grope for him and find him,

though indeed he is not far from any one of us.

For ‘In him we live and move and have our being,’

as even some of your poets have said,

‘For we too are his offspring.’

Since therefore we are the offspring of God,

we ought not to think that the divinity is like an image

fashioned from gold, silver, or stone by human art and imagination.

God has overlooked the times of ignorance,

but now he demands that all people everywhere repent

because he has established a day on which he will ‘judge the world

with justice’ through a man he has appointed,

and he has provided confirmation for all

by raising him from the dead.”

 

When they heard about resurrection of the dead,

some began to scoff, but others said,

“We should like to hear you on this some other time.”

And so Paul left them.

But some did join him, and became believers.

Among them were Dionysius,

a member of the Court of the Areopagus,

a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

 

After this he left Athens and went to Corinth.

 

Responsorial Psalm                                  148:1-2, 11-12, 13, 14

 

R.        Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

 

Praise the LORD from the heavens;

            praise him in the heights.

Praise him, all you his angels;

            praise him, all you his hosts.

R.        Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

 

Let the kings of the earth and all peoples,

            the princes and all the judges of the earth,

Young men too, and maidens,

            old men and boys.

R.        Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

 

Praise the name of the LORD,

            for his name alone is exalted;

His majesty is above earth and heaven.

R.        Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

 

He has lifted up the horn of his people;

Be this his praise from all his faithful ones,

            from the children of Israel, the people close to him.

            Alleluia.

R.        Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

 

Alleluia                                              Phil 2:8 Jn 14:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I will ask the Father

and he will give you another Advocate

to be with you always.

R. Alleluia

 

Gospel                                                           Jn 16:12-15

 

Jesus said to his disciples:

“I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.

But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,

he will guide you to all truth.

He will not speak on his own,

but he will speak what he hears,

and will declare to you the things that are coming.

He will glorify me,

because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.

Everything that the Father has is mine;

for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine

and declare it to you.”

 

**********************************

The Spirit of Truth

Jesus said to his disciples: “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth.”  John 16:12–13

 

As we continue to get closer to the wonderful Solemnity of Pentecost, we continue to focus in on the Holy Spirit.  This passage specifically points to the Holy Spirit as the “Spirit of Truth.” 

 

It’s interesting how Jesus introduces the Holy Spirit under this title.  He explains that He has much more to tell them, but they cannot bear it now.  In other words, the “Truth” is too much for them to bear unless the Holy Spirit is alive within them and teaching them.  This gives us two wonderful insights worth pondering.

 

First, if we have not truly opened our lives to the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, we can be certain that we cannot bear the Truth.  We cannot understand the deep truths of God and we cannot believe them unless the Holy Spirit is alive within us.  That’s a frightening thought in that, when the Holy Spirit is not fully immersing someone, that person is left in the dark regarding all Truth.  And, sadly, they will not even realize they are in the dark!

 

If that does not make sense then perhaps you, too, suffer a bit from a lacking of the Spirit of Truth.  Why?  Because when the Spirit of Truth is alive within, you will know that you know the Truth. 

 

Secondly, when you have fully opened your mind and heart to the Holy Spirit, you will become hungry for the Truth.  The Holy Spirit will “guide you to all truth.”  And one of the effects of being guided into all truth is that you will be amazed with the journey.  You will be in awe at the understanding of things that open up in your mind.  You will be able to make sense of things in a new way.  The Holy Spirit is the perfect “guide” and the journey toward the Truth is glorious.

 

Reflect, today, upon the Truth as it resides in the mind of the Father in Heaven.  How open are you to the Truth?  How fully do you embrace all that God wants to reveal to you?  Open yourself more fully to the Holy Spirit and seek all that He wishes to reveal to you.

 

Today's Prayer

 

Holy Spirit, come consume my life.  Teach me and guide me into all Truth.  Holy Spirit, Divine Lord, Merciful Father, I trust in You.

 

 

God Bless You.....

The Rosary Family

The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”