Saturday of the Twenty- Eighth Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1
FIRST READING
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans 4:13. 16-18
Though it seemed Abraham’s hope could not be fulfilled, he hoped and believed.
The promise of inheriting the world was not made to Abraham and his descendants on account of any law but on account of the righteousness which consists in faith. That is why what fulfils the promise depends on faith, so that it may be a free gift and be available to all of Abraham’s descendants, not only those who belong to the Law but also those who belong to the faith of Abraham who is the father of all of us.
As scripture says:
I have made you the ancestor of many nations Abraham is our father in the eyes of God, in whom he put his faith, and who brings the dead to life and calls into being what does not exist.
Though it seemed Abraham’s hope could not be fulfilled, he hoped and he believed, and through doing so he did become the father of many nations exactly as he had been promised:
Your descendants will be as many as the stars.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 104
Response The Lord remembers his covenant for ever
Or Alleluia!
1. O children of Abraham, his servant, O sons of the Jacob he chose.
He, the Lord, is our God: his judgements prevail in all the earth. Response
2. He remembers his covenant for ever, his promise for a thousand generations,
the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac. Response
3. For he remembered his holy word, which he gave to Abraham his servant.
So he brought out his people with joy, his chosen ones with shouts of rejoicing. Response
Gospel Acclamation 1 Sam 3: 9
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Speak, Lord, your servant is listening: you have the message of eternal life.
Alleluia!
Or Jn 15: 26. 27
Alleluia, Alleluia!
The Spirit of truth will be my witness, and you too will be witnesses, says the Lord.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 12:9-12 Glory to you, O Lord.
When the time comes, the Holy Spirit will teach you what you must say.
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘I tell you, if anyone openly declares himself for me in the presence of men, the Son of Man will declare himself for him in the presence of God’s angels. But the man who disowns me in the presence of men will be disowned in the presence of God’s angels.
‘Everyone who says a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven,
but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
‘When they take you before synagogues and magistrates and authorities,
do not worry about how to defend yourselves or what to say,
because when the time comes, the Holy Spirit will teach you what you must say.’
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Gospel Reflection Saturday, Twenty Eighth Week in Ordinary Time, Luke 12:9-12
In the gospel reading today, Jesus assures his disciples that when they find themselves before hostile audiences, such as the magistrates and authorities, they won’t be on their own. He himself will be with them through the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit will teach them what they must say. Jesus is looking ahead here to the time of the church, the time in which we all live. He tells his disciples that, whereas, he may not be with the disciples then in the physical way he is with them now, he will be with them through the Holy Spirit, especially when their need is great, as when they find themselves having to declare openly for Jesus in the presence of hostile opponents. The promise that Jesus makes to his disciples in the gospel reading is made to us all. The risen Lord is with us through the Holy Spirit, and will be with us in this way until the end of time. The Spirit of the risen Lord, the Holy Spirit, is always active in our lives on a daily basis, helping us to grow in our relationship with the Lord.
Sometimes, as St Paul says in his letter to the Romans, he will be helping us in our weakness to pray. At other times, as Jesus suggests in the gospel reading, the Spirit will be giving us the courage and the strength we need to witness publicly to our faith. At other times, the Spirit will be working to enlighten us with his wisdom when we have an important decision to make. The Holy Spirit is a wonderful resource that the Lord gives us every day. It is good to remind ourselves that we have this daily gift, and to keep drawing on it, perhaps by praying the simple prayer, ‘Come Holy Spirit, fill my heart’.
