THURSDAY OF THE SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER - Jn 16:16-20 - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

READING OF THE DAY

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

Acts 18:1-8

Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.

There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus,

who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla

because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome.

He went to visit them and, because he practiced the same trade,

stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.

Every sabbath, he entered into discussions in the synagogue,

attempting to convince both Jews and Greeks.

When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia,

Paul began to occupy himself totally with preaching the word,

testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus.

When they opposed him and reviled him,

he shook out his garments and said to them,

"Your blood be on your heads!

I am clear of responsibility.

From now on I will go to the Gentiles."

So he left there and went to a house

belonging to a man named Titus Justus, a worshiper of God;

his house was next to a synagogue.

Crispus, the synagogue official, came to believe in the Lord

along with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians

who heard believed and were baptized.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to John

Jn 16:16-20

Jesus said to his disciples:

"A little while and you will no longer see me,

and again a little while later and you will see me."

So some of his disciples said to one another,

"What does this mean that he is saying to us,

'A little while and you will not see me,

and again a little while and you will see me,'

and 'Because I am going to the Father'?"

So they said, "What is this 'little while' of which he speaks?

We do not know what he means."

Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them,

"Are you discussing with one another what I said,

'A little while and you will not see me,

and again a little while and you will see me'?

Amen, amen, I say to you,

you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices;

you will grieve, but your grief will become joy."

THURSDAY OF THE SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER - Jn 16:16-20

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

In God's Word today, He wants to express to all humanity that He is the transcendent One, He understands all things from the point of view of the human mind and intelligence. He knows what humans think about His work and His words of teachings.

That's why, in God's Word today, Jesus foretold to His disciples: "'A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me.'" Jesus knew that His disciples' hearts and faith in God were still weak and not strong enough, so He told His disciples in advance about God's plan of salvation, about His departure to be with God the Father, and about how they would encounter suffering, difficulties, and challenges as they walk in the journey of the salvation of Jesus Christ that is about to be completed.

Through that, God wants to teach humanity today that those who accept and believe absolutely in the words taught by Jesus Christ and put into practice, then that person will also have to accept the same suffering as God's only Son went through, that is, having to walk on the way of the cross. The future glory and happiness of the Kingdom of Heaven will be enjoyed by those who walk the path of the cross and obey God the Father's will unconditionally and faithfully until their dying breath.

The words of Jesus Christ have been fulfilled from ancient times to today:

- When anyone follows the plan of God the Father and is obedient and loyal to Him until their last breath, that person will have to suffer along with Jesus Christ, being slandered and humiliated by people. But that suffering and humiliation is to walk by the grace of God the Father.

-And it will also be fulfilled for those who mock and ridicule those who walk in the grace of God the Father, that they will be joyful and rejoice when they see those who follow God the Father's work encounter suffering and trials.

But God the Father wants to teach His children in today's world to firmly believe in what God the Father teaches because it is exactly as the Bible says: when anyone follows God, that person will have to encounter suffering, difficulties, and challenges, and the world will laugh joyfully. But those who encounter difficulties and challenges, yet at the end of their lives remain loyal to God the Father and obey His will absolutely, will enjoy perfect happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Thanks be to God. Amen.