Wednesday: Our Lady of Fatima

Mary, who appeared  six times between May and October 1917
to three shepherd children.

Invitation

May I take this opportunity to draw your attention to the daily reading of the Gospel?

This invitation aims to share with you the joy
of the Gospel. Everyone, without exception,
can experience that joy by opening their hearts
to the healing power of God’s word.

Available every day.

Consideration
Today we have the famous speech at the Areopagus.
Paul wanders alone around Athens, keeping watch over his companions. What he sees arouses his anger. He detests pagan religiosity. God does not dwell in temples made by human hands (verse 2a); God does not require human care (verse 25, sacrifices); God cannot be represented in images made by human hands (verse 29). Yet in all this he finds a starting point to speak of the true God. Their search is positive. His address to the Athenians is certainly no success. The belief in the resurrection in particular causes offence, and their final remark is intended more as mockery than as a sign of interest.

FIRST READING                  Acts 17, 15, 22–18:1

What you worship without knowing, that I have come to proclaim to you.

From the Acts of the Apostles

On that day, Paul’s companions took him to Athens
and set off with a message for Silas and Timothy
to join him as soon as possible.
On arriving in Athens,
Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus
and addressed the crowd:
“Men of Athens,
I see from all that is here how much you revere the divine.
“For as I walked around and observed the objects of your worship,
I even found an altar with the inscription:
‘To an unknown god’.
“Now,
what you worship without knowing,
that is what I have come to proclaim to you.
“The God who made the world and everything in it
does not dwell in temples made by human hands.
“Nor is He served by human hands,
as though He needed anything,
for He Himself gives life and breath to everyone,
indeed, everything.
“From a single source He created the whole human race,
to inhabit the entire surface of the earth,
and He determined the seasons,
and the boundaries of their habitation;
and to seek God,
whether they might grope for Him and find Him.
“For He is not far from any one of us.
“For in Him we live and move and have our being;
as even some of your own poets have said:
‘For we are His offspring.’
“If, then, we are of His race,
we ought not to think
that the Divine is like gold or silver or stone,
a product of human art and ingenuity.
“Putting aside those times of ignorance,
God is now commanding all people to repent,
“For He has set a day,
on which He will judge the world in righteousness,
through a man whom He has appointed for this purpose.
“To all He gave proof of this,
by raising Him from the dead.”

But when they heard of the resurrection of the dead,
some mocked at it,
whilst others said:
“We shall hear you speak about this again at some future time.”
So Paul left them.
Yet some joined him,
and came to believe,
among whom were Dionysius the Areopagite,
and a woman named Damaris,
and others besides.
After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.

INTERLUDIUM                     Ps . 148, 1-2, 11-12ab, 12c-14a, 14bcd

Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or: Alleluia.

Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise Him, all that is above.
Praise Him, all His hosts of angels,
praise Him, all His mighty hosts.

Rulers of the earth with all your peoples,
lords and judges throughout the land;
young men and young women,
the aged and children, all together:

Let them now praise the Name of the Lord,
for this Name alone is exalted.
Glorious is He above earth and heaven.

He has also made His people glorious.
He is the glory of all His faithful,
of the people of Israel, His own possession.

ALLELUIA

Alleluia.
He who called all things into being
and had mercy on us, his people,
He is risen, Christ, the Lord!
Alleluia.

GOSPEL                         John   16, 12-15

The Spirit of truth will guide you into all truth.

From the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
John

At that time, Jesus said to his disciples:
“I have much more to say to you,
but you cannot bear it now.
“When he comes, however, the Spirit of truth,
he will guide you into all truth;
he will not speak on his own authority,
but will speak whatever he hears,
and will tell you what is to come.
“He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you;
what he has received from me.
“I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you,
for all that the Father has is mine.”

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