LECTIONARY READINGS
First reading: Proverbs 8:22-31
Responsorial psalm: Ps 8:4-9
Second reading: Romans 5:1-5
Gospel: John 16:12-15
Link to readings
Today we celebrate the mystery of the Holy Trinity, one God in three persons. We trust in the unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who together draw us into their great circle of love.
The Psalm praises the greatness of the Lord’s work and his deep care for humanity. We, too, are invited to be stewards of his creation. Wanting to assure the disciples that they will never be left alone, Jesus foretells the coming of the Holy Spirit, who will guide them – as that same Spirit continues to guide us. What the Spirit of truth tells us comes from Jesus, who in turn receives everything from the Father. In this way we are drawn by God’s love into the life of the Trinity itself. (Gospel)
St Paul (Second Reading) tells us that through our faith in Jesus, we have peace with God and a share in his glory. ‘God’s love . . . poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given us’ strengthens us to face suffering with hope and joy. Because of the love poured out onto us, we are called to show that love to the world. In this Jubilee Year, let’s pray to see how we might be a delight to others, sharing God’s love with everyone we encounter, even in the smallest of ways.
PSALM 8: 4–9
R:/ O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name through all the earth!
When I see the heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars which you arranged,
what is man that you should keep him in mind,
the son of man that you care for him?
Yet you have made him little lower than the angels;
with glory and honour you crowned him,
gave him power over the works of your hands:
you put all things under his feet.
All of them, sheep and oxen,
yes, even the cattle of the fields,
birds of the air, and fish of the sea
that make their way through the waters.
REFLECTION
Preparing for my prayer, I find a quiet place and consciously place myself before the Lord. I take a couple of deep breaths, taking in God’s love and peace. I can be confident that he delights in my presence. I pause and notice what’s going on for me at the moment, how I’m feeling. I place any concerns into the Lord’s hands for now. I may like to rest quietly here for a while.
When ready, I turn to the psalm. There is no rush. I read and re-read slowly, taking it line by line. I allow the words to deepen within me. Where am I drawn? Perhaps I’m moved by how much the Lord cares for me . . . for each of us . . . how God has ‘honoured’ me.
What does it mean to me to be given ‘power over the works of your hands’? How am I caring for creation? I ponder this. If I can, I may like to go outside and take in the beauty of God’s work all around me: sights . . . sounds . . . scents . . . sensations. With a sense of deep gratitude, I speak to the Lord from my heart, and close my prayer with ‘Glory be . . .’
GOSPEL
John 16: 12–15
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples,
‘I still have many things to say to you,
but you cannot bear them now.
When the Spirit of truth comes,
he will guide you into all the truth,
for he will not speak on his own authority,
but whatever he hears he will speak,
and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
He will glorify me,
for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
All that the Father has is mine;
therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.’
REFLECTION
I gently settle into stillness. I ask the Holy Spirit to open my ears and heart, to guide my prayer, and help me be attentive to God’s word. I read the text prayerfully, lingering over anything that touches me. These words come near the end of Jesus’s Last Supper discourse. Perhaps I picture myself there listening, with the disciples. How do I feel as I hear Jesus speak these words directly to me? Perhaps I can hear the tenderness and kindness in his voice . . . the patience and understanding being offered?
Jesus chose not to burden his friends with more than they could handle. Instead, he promised them, and us, the Spirit of truth, to slowly guide us into a further knowledge. Where have I noticed the Spirit of truth at work in my life? Maybe I ponder a time when the Spirit has led me to understanding . . . a moment when ‘the penny dropped’? I give thanks for this.
I take a moment now to ponder the relationship between Father, Son, and Spirit in this passage. What do I notice? What is my response to being invited into this relationship of love myself? How might others see God’s love through me? I ponder, and share whatever arises with the Lord, as one friend to another. In time, I draw my prayer to a close with a slow sign of the cross, giving thanks in the name of the Father who created me, the Son who died for me, and the Holy Spirit who guides me. Amen.
Courtesy of St Beuno’s Outreach in the Diocese of Wrexham, UK