This week’s readings speak powerfully of faith, hope and trust in God. During the coming week and for the weeks ahead, God’s word inspires, sustains and encourages us as we continue to live with the impacts of current events.
We learn how the early church devised a way to ensure the fair sharing of food and material necessities among all the faithful, so that the apostles could continue preaching and teaching about Jesus (First Reading). They accomplished this task with prayer, seeking wisdom from the Holy Spirit in their decision-making.
St Peter (Second Reading) speaks of the difficulties of living without faith, and rejoices that those who are believers can be close to Jesus and become a holy people living in the light of God.
We are reminded that our hope is in God who is faithful, who loves justice and right, and who seeks to rescue the people who hope in his love (Psalm). I am invited to remember God as the source of my hope in difficulty, and to offer praise and thanksgiving with joy.
The Gospel is part of Jesus’s farewell to his disciples. Although he will leave them physically, he asks them not to be troubled, to trust in God. He invites us also to trust. We will not be left alone, but will know our Risen Lord as the Way, the Truth and the Life, and be enabled to live the way, truth and life of Jesus for others.
I may like to ponder how am I making my decisions during this difficult time? Perhaps I am called to try to spend some time each day with Jesus, growing closer to him and his values.
I ask Jesus for the grace to live this week in hope, trust and joy.