Breaking the Word

28^th Week in Ord. Time, Saturday – 15^th October 2022 — Gospel:   Lk 12,8-12

Witness Bravely and Proclaim Forcefully

Genuine disciples bear witness to Jesus before other people at the time of judgment and persecution. When they are brought before the Jewish and Roman authorities, the disciples should trust in God and not worry about how they will defend themselves. Primarily, the disciples of the Lord should be more committed to proclaiming the gospel than being preoccupied about defending themselves. At that moment, the Holy Spirit will give them the words to say, so that they can bear witness to Jesus bravely; and it gives the power to proclaim the gospel clearly and forcefully. In the Acts of the Apostles, Luke presents examples of trust and testimony of Peter, John, Stephen and Paul. They publicly and boldly proclaimed Jesus as Christ, as Israel’s messiah, especially when they were arrested by the Jewish and Roman authorities. Peter and John, when arrested, courageously preached the gospel as their defense (Acts 4). Stephen, when arrested and charged before the crowd, powerfully preached the gospel as his defense (Acts 6 & 7). So, too, with Paul (cf. Acts 22). When the Holy Spirit provided and empowered men with words, their defense was awesome, even if rejected. Therefore we must faithfully proclaim the gospel, leaving the defense to our advocate, the Holy Spirit.

28^th Week in Ord. Time, Friday – 14^th October 2022 — Gospel:       Lk 12,1-7

Believe in Glorious Destiny

Jesus has revealed that after we die we face judgment. We are not living for this earthly life alone. Our journey here is directed towards a glorious destination beyond this earth. How foolish are we to lose sight of this? How easily are we manipulated by false fears and false promises? Jesus wants to save us from that life of unnecessary anxiety and uncertainty. Therefore, He reminds us that God is our Father and that at the judgment, everyone’s true character will be revealed. There will be no masks, and everyone will be seen as he or she is. Even the sparrow which is so insignificant when compared to human beings is looked after by God. Therefore, there is no need to be afraid, because a God who is and will remain, Father, will judge us. The challenges and sufferings of life in this fallen world, riddled with injustice and violence, are real. But Jesus doesn’t want us to live in fear of them. He invites us to trust that God can handle them, and that God’s plan for our eternal happiness surpasses anything we could possibly imagine.