SATURDAY OF THE SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER FIRST READING: Acts 18:23-28 PSALM: Ps 47: 2-3, 8-10 GOSPEL: Jn.16:23-28 THEME: GET HELP!

The picture painted of Apollos in the First Reading is admirable. He was an eloquent man with sound knowledge of the Scriptures; he preached with great spiritual fervour; he was accurate in all the details about Jesus and he preached the Gospel fearlessly in the synagogues of the Jews. In spite of all these credentials, he did not have it all; he still needed help. It took Priscilla and Aquila to offer him that needed assistance of a detailed instruction about the way. He needed to discover new things in Christ.

The fact is that no one has it all. The knowledge that most of us have in Christ is only a tip of the iceberg. There is more to be discovered. Unfortunately, our 'credentials' often blind us from seeing the need to learn more about Christ and to deepen our Christian faith. Over reliance on academic credentials, titles and positions hinders us in submitting humbly to the 'Aquilas' and 'Priscillas' in order to receive detailed instruction about the way.

An 'Aquila' or 'Priscilla' may take the form of a spiritual director, a spiritual companion or a counsellor. God uses such persons to help us grow in our faith journey. In my own personal spiritual journey, I have learnt some great truths from illiterates and semi-literates, truths that I never got from the classroom. I have come to discover that God is able to use very simple people to reveal to us profound truths.

During this season of Pentecost Novena, we have the opportunity to pray and ask for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in order to deepen our experience of the Christian faith. As the Lord sends us the 'Aquilas' and 'Priscillas' to aid us in this experience let us submit with a humble heart and allow the Lord to do something new in our lives. We all need an Aquila and Priscilla to help us get to the next level of the spiritual ladder. Do not ignore them.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, baptize me with your Spirit and let this show forth in a life of holiness to glorify your name. Amen

DATE: 26TH MAY 2017 FRIDAY OF THE SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER FIRST READING: Acts 18:9-18 PSALM: Psalm 47:2-7 GOSPEL: John 16:20-23 THEME: DO NOT BE AFRAID, FOR I AM WITH YOU

There are moments in life when suddenly all hell breaks loose and one is pummelled by trials of different sizes and shapes. In such moments fear and anxiety lurk around seeking to melt the heart and to weaken the will to continue.

Humanly speaking, Paul had a lot to be afraid of. He was embarking on a perilous missionary journey. In fact, in one of his letters to the Church in Corinth, he recounts unpleasant missionary experiences such as imprisonment, flogging, exposition to death, shipwreck and dangerous journeys (cf. 2Cor. 11:23-29).

In today's First Reading, the Lord spoke to Paul one night in a vision while he was in the City of Corinth, ''Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you'' (Acts 18:9-10). This message was timely. It gave fresh heart to Paul and he continued to stay in that city for one year and six months teaching the word of God among the people.

There are many social evils out there in our world today and the will to be a Christian in every situation is difficult. The fear of being ridiculed or persecuted has robbed some Christians of the desire to stand up for the Gospel publicly. In the face of such challenges, the Lord speaks to each one of us, ''Do not be afraid, for I am with you.''

As we surrender to the Holy Spirit, during this season of Pentecost Novena, fear gives way to holy boldness and sorrow gives way to joy. Jesus makes it abundantly clear in the Gospel that ''your sorrow will turn to joy'' (Jn 16:20).

Has the going become tough for you? Do not be afraid. The Holy Spirit is with you to help you, and if God is for you, who can be against you?

PRAYER: Holy Spirit, your joy is my strength. As I surrender this day to you, take away every fear, anxiety and worry from my heart and fill me with the graces I need to bear good fruits. For the sake of the name of Jesus I pray. Amen

DATE: THURSDAY, 25TH MAY 2017 SOLEMNITY OF THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD FIRST READING: Acts 1:1-11 PSALM: Psalm 47:2-3, 6-9 SECOND READING: Ephesians 1: 17-23 GOSPEL: Matthew 28:16-20 THEME: POWER FROM ON HIGH

As the apostles gazed into the sky, watching Jesus ascend, one wonders what their feelings were and what was going on in their minds. Were they in a state of ecstasy, with all the sweet feelings that go with it or they were in a state of bereavement seeing a loved one depart from them? Whatever their feelings and thoughts were, the rhetorical question of the two men dressed in white was the alarm bell to bring them back to reality:  Why are you looking into the sky?

The ascension of Jesus into heaven does not mark the end of his ministry on earth. Rather, it ushers us forth into a new phase of this one ministry to save. The task of this new phase is to be carried out by his followers, having been equipped with the power of the Holy Spirit. Hence, just before ascending into heaven, Jesus, in our Gospel text, says to his disciples, "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations..."

The divine power which Jesus speaks of is so great that the author of our Second Reading writes, I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his mighty power (Eph 1:18-19).

Jesus ascended with power into heaven so that we can move with power on earth. Unfortunately, many Christians walk on the face of the earth powerlessly, ignorant of the power that is available to them in Christ.

Like the disciples of Jesus, the time has come for us to wait in the city, praying until we are clothed with power from on high. Now is the time to enter our "Upper Room" and for the next nine consecutive days pray until we are filled with the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 1:12-14).

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, fill us anew with the power of the Holy Spirit as we wait upon you and send us forth clothed with your divine presence to proclaim to all nations the Good News of salvation.

DATE: 24TH MAY 2017 WEDNESDAY OF THE SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER FIRST READING: Acts 17:15, 22 ? 18:1 PSALM: Psalm 148:1-2, 11-14 GOSPEL: John 16:12-15 THEME: GO AND RESCUE!

When your baby is trapped in a storm, you would not mind running through the rain to save him/her. That is the kind of passion that God ignites in the heart of an evangelist. He/she cannot watch one single child of God perish in a raging storm.

Paul was a man who seized every opportunity to proclaim the Gospel. He preached in the synagogues of the Jews, in the public places of the gentiles and in today's First Reading, we hear him preaching in the Areopagus of Athens.

Athens was the intellectual hub of the ancient Greek world. It was a city of philosophers  prominent among them were the epicureans and stoics. The Areopagus was the council or court of justice which met in the open air on a hill.  It was the nerve center of Athens and the arena of the intelligentsia.

Naturally, faced with such an audience, Paul considered it expedient to speak to them using a language they would best understand. There were mixed reactions to his message. Some burst out in laughter while others became believers.  Many years later, Paul, perhaps reflecting on this experience, would write: While the Jews demand miracles and the Greeks look for wisdom, we are preaching a crucified Christ: to the Jews an obstacle they cannot get over, to the gentiles foolishness (1Cor 1:22-23).

It is true that the Areopagus is a place where we stand the risk of being mocked by scoffers and where preaching the Gospel may come with the feeling of being put on trial. However, the Great Commission mandates us to send the Gospel to everyone. The Gospel must be preached in the nerve centers of our time.

Pope John Paul II, in his encyclical Redemptoris Missio writes:  At that time the Areopagus represented the cultural center of the learned people of Athens, and today it can be taken as a symbol of the new sectors in which the Gospel must be proclaimed (RM 37).

For fear of the challenges that await us in the modern Areopagus, some have coiled themselves in their shells and have chosen to incessantly churn out half-baked reasons why the church should not take the Gospel to everyplace. These are people who would prefer the Church to shrink and die gradually; but this is not going to happen, for in our time the Lord is raising up courageous young men and women who do not fear to preach the Gospel even in the den of lions.

The time is ripe for us to proclaim the Gospel on every platform where human beings can be found. The Gospel must be preached in the parliament, the judicial courts, the presidency and ministries; it must be preached in the universities and on social media. The Gospel must resound on the streets and in public places. Everyone must hear the message that Jesus saves! Let us preach the Gospel and trust God to do the conversion.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, fill us with your Spirit of Truth and give us boldness to preach your unchanging Gospel in a rapidly changing world.

DATE: 23RD MAY 2017 TUESDAY OF THE SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER FIRST READING: Acts 16:22-34 PSALM: Psalm 138: 1-3, 7-8 GOSPEL: John 16:5-11 THEME: THE POWER OF PRAYER

Prayer changes situations. It is the most powerful weapon in the face of any adversity. There is a saying that Satan trembles when he sees God's weakest child on his/her knees. In moments when we are most vulnerable, the effect of our prayers is immeasurable.

The attitude of Paul and Silas in today's First Reading is worth emulating. As they went about proclaiming the Gospel with power in the district of Macedonia, they ran into trouble. They were arrested, flogged and thrown into prison. Rather than complaining and losing faith in God on account of what had befallen them, they chose to pray and praise God. As they exercised their faith through prayer, the unpleasant situation changed and their pain became a gain. Now they had a powerful testimony that brought about the conversion of the jailer and his household.

Are you going through some trials and challenges at this point in time in your life? Do you feel like you have been thrown into prison? Are you thinking of giving up because of your present predicament? You have at your disposal a powerful weapon to transform the situation you are faced with. It is the weapon of prayer; it works. It shakes things up, breaks chains and sets prisoners free.

In good times, pray and praise God. In bad times, pray and praise God even more. As you do this, the promised Advocate, i.e. the Holy Spirit would descend upon you with power and your tears of pain would turn into tears of joy.

PRAYER: Come Holy Spirit. I need your power in my present situation. Shake the prison bars to its foundations and set me free. Renew your grace in me and tell a story with my life. For the sake of Christ, I pray. Amen
 

DATE: 22ND MAY 2017 MONDAY OF THE SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER FIRST READING: Acts 16:11-15 PSALM: Psalm 149: 1-6, 9 GOSPEL: John 15:26 ? 16:4 THEME: THE LORD OPENED HER HEART

It is not beautiful sermons and homilies, important though they are, that bring about conversion. Conversion is purely the work of God. A preacher is only an instrument in the hand of God during a spiritual surgery of the heart. This means that before we set out to preach to anybody or counsel anybody, we must first and foremost ask the Lord in prayer to open the heart of that person.

In our First Reading for today, Lydia listened to Paul preach but it took the action of the Lord for her heart to be opened in order to accept the message that Paul was proclaiming. Subsequently, she was baptized, together with her household. The transformation that came upon this woman must have been so deep that she insisted that Paul and his companions stay with them.

I have seen parents trying so hard to change their wayward children, husbands seeking to change their wives and wives seeking to change their husbands. We often, consciously or unconsciously seek to change one friend or the other. The truth is that it takes the grace of God for the human heart to change. It is only God who is capable of opening the spiritual heart of a person in order  to enact a process of conversion; and there is no heart that the grace of God cannot open.

PRAYER: Come Holy Spirit. Hover over every human heart needing a change today. Cause conversions in our families, neighbourhoods and nations. Bring about conversion in situations where peace talks have failed and animosity reigns. Let your transforming light shine in the hearts of persons and places where darkness hold sway and may the heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all people.

DATE: 21ST MAY 2017 SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER FIRST READING: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17 PSALM: Psalm 66:1-7,16,20 SECOND READING: 1Peter 3:15-18 GOSPEL: John 14:15-21 THEME: POWER IN HIS PRESENCE

Having a good lawyer is vital in coming out unscathed in any legal tussle. Among other things, a good lawyer would offer sound legal advice and appropriately represent you in court.

In using the Greek term parakletos (often translated as advocate, helper, counsellor or comforter) to speak of the Holy Spirit, the author of the Gospel text for today sends us right into a court-room context where a parakletos stands next to the one who is accused. The powerful presence of such an advocate is enough to end the case. As an advocate, the Holy Spirit is a friend in need and that makes him a friend indeed.

The First Reading offers us a practical example of the role of the Holy Spirit as a parakletos in the life of a believer. The name of Philip first appears in the Acts of the Apostles when the decision was made to select ?seven reputable men filled with the Holy Spirit and wisdom? to handle the daily distribution within the Jerusalem Christian community (cf. Acts 6:1ff). By choosing Philip to be a member of the group of seven, one can infer that he must have been a man full of the Holy Spirit.

In the wake of the persecution that arose in Jerusalem, primarily targeted at the Hellenist Christians, Philip fled and came to Samaria. Our liturgical text for today gives us a picture of the action of the Holy Spirit in his ministry during his sojourn in that city. He brought joy there and the crowd accepted the message he preached because they heard and saw the signs which he was performing; for unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, crying with a loud voice; and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed? (Acts 8:6-7). The person of the Holy Spirit in the life of Philip was that which made a difference in his ministry.

A proclamation of the Gospel using words but devoid of power does not bring about conversion. The Holy Spirit is not a mere theological construct of the mind. He is first and foremost a person to be experienced. There is power in his presence and this power manifests in signs. He is the secret behind any fruitful ministry in the vineyard of the Lord.

Many of us work so hard but achieve so little because we rely on our human strength rather than the strength of the Holy Spirit. There are some of us who go to Church every Sunday and yet are totally ignorant about the person and work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian. There are others too who are experts in giving talks about the Holy Spirit but do not have a living relationship with the person they talk about passionately.

The good news is that we too can experience the Holy Spirit exactly the same way Philip did. How? Jesus gives the answer in the Gospel text: "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Paraclete to be with you for ever (Jn. 14:15-16).

The Holy Spirit is closer to us than we are to ourselves. As we seek to express our love for Jesus by obeying his commandments and as we pray, Come Holy Spirit, the grace of Baptism and Confirmation would fructify in us and we shall discover immense power in His presence to accomplish mighty works.
    
PRAYER: Lord Jesus we pray for a new Pentecost. Fill us with the power of your Spirit and make our lives bear fruits in abundance. Amen