From the responsorial psalm: “When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you set in place—What is man that you should be mindful of him, or the son of man that you should care for him? You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 12:8-12)
Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God. “Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.”
The words of Jesus call us to greater conversion and discipleship. If we acknowledge Jesus before others, he opens up his doors to us. If we deny him, how could we expect Jesus to do anything but deny us? Yet, we have a choice, and in choosing him there is forgiveness. Blaspheming against the Holy Spirit, Jesus says, will not be forgiven. Difficult words to take in and understand in light of free will. Blaspheming against the Holy Spirit is committed rejection of the love and forgiveness Jesus offers. Lucifer rejected God once and for all in his exercise of free will. How good it is to acknowledge the Son of God and trust in his mercy.
God, open my eyes today to the opportunity to acknowledge your Son before others. Give me the courage to do it, if only in a quiet way. While I would never desire to blaspheme the Holy Spirit, help me recognize the times in my life when choosing sin has completely eclipsed the light of the Lord, the giver of life. Give me a contrite heart, Lord, as I give over everything to you. Saint Paul said, “And he put all things beneath his feet and gave him as head over all things to the Church, which is his Body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.” Saints John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, pray for us!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
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