Thomas Lima csc –
Readings: Acts 16:1-10; Jn 15:18-21
Today’s first reading gives the mission narration of St. Paul. St. Paul travels to Derbe and then to Lystra, where he meets a young man called Timothy. Paul invites Timothy to join him, and together they travel around the area instructing the believers. They continue traveling, but it becomes clear that the Holy Spirit is preventing them from entering the province of Asia.
Finally, Paul has a vision of a man from Macedonia pleading them to come over there. So, they travel immediately to Macedonia. Then there is the very specific positive direction, the Holy Spirit saying, “Go there!” The important thing is not the method God uses to speak to us, but that we are listening to whatever God says and are
ready to obey Him.
Today’s Gospel’s opening words are a bit startling. Jesus once again is talking with his disciples about the world. He tells them: “If the world hates you, understand that it hated me first.”
In this passage, Jesus is using the word “world” to describe the people who reject Him and who will persecute Jesus and his followers. Jesus also tells the disciples that they do not belong to the “world.” And most likely, the “world” will hate them because they do not belong to the world. Rather, Jesus has chosen them out of the world to follow him and his example. The path of following Jesus is a difficult one. Are we truly ready to follow him? This is more than simply giving “lip service” to his teachings. If we consciously choose to follow Jesus, we may have to make difficult choices and, in that process, we may be alienated in our lives by others.
“Following Jesus” sounds very romantic and holy. However, following Jesus may be a difficult journey at times. If we choose wholeheartedly to follow Jesus, we also will experience rejection or perhaps even persecution. The “world” is not an easy place to live. Each day we have the opportunity to make a variety of choices.