+(Intro) In our first reading we will hear of the suffering of Paul and Silas, all they suffered for the sake of spreading the good news. Let us take a moment to reflect on where we may fall short of their dedication.
(After the gospel) There have probably been moments in each one of our lives when the Lord Jesus seemed very close to us. So, one can understand the grief of his disciples when Jesus tells them that he must leave them and go to the one who sent him.
But his physical absence is to their advantage because this will allow the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to come to them. What Jesus wants to do with each one of our lives is far more intimate and transformative than his physical presence will allow or bring about.
Through the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, we are empowered to become the very children of God, persons who not only have Christ at their side but the source of all that we think, say and do. And so we pray to allow this to happen and become even now, a new creation.
Acts 16:22-34; John16:5-11