Work in the World

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today implore us to work in the world, where God is rejected, with the strength of Love, Faith, and Hope.

Witness to the World

In the Reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Paul in Lycaonia invites Timothy to Europe with him.

* [16:3] Paul had him circumcised: he did this in order that Timothy might be able to associate with the Jews and so perform a ministry among them. Paul did not object to the Jewish Christians’ adherence to the law. But he insisted that the law could not be imposed on the Gentiles. Paul himself lived in accordance with the law, or as exempt from the law, according to particular circumstances (see 1 Cor 9:19–23).

* [16:7] The Spirit of Jesus: this is an unusual formulation in Luke’s writings. The parallelism with Acts 16:6 indicates its meaning, the holy Spirit. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 100 is a hymn inviting the people to enter the Temple courts.

* [Psalm 100] A hymn inviting the people to enter the Temple courts with thank offerings for the God who created them.

* [100:3] Although the people call on all the nations of the world to join in their hymn, they are conscious of being the chosen people of God. (Psalms, CHAPTER 100| USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of John, prepares the disciples for the “World’s” Hatred.

* [15:18–16:4] The hostile reaction of the world. There are synoptic parallels, predicting persecution, especially at Mt 10:17–25; 24:9–10.

* [15:20] The word I spoke to you: a reference to Jn 13:16.

* [15:21] On account of my name: the idea of persecution for Jesus’ name is frequent in the New Testament (Mt 10:22; 24:9; Acts 9:14). For John, association with Jesus’ name implies union with Jesus. (John, CHAPTER 15 | USCCB, n.d.)

Vivian Amu comments that in today’s Gospel, John 15:18-21, Jesus reveals another layer of the challenge of discipleship. He said that those who walk in His ways and live by His teachings naturally stand out—they love differently, act differently, and prioritize differently. With that difference comes rejection, being misunderstood, or even disliked.

When doors close, God opens new ones. When others push us away, God stays with us, reminding us of who and whose we are. Jesus did not sugarcoat anything—living out our faith authentically may not always bring applause or a loving and positive response, but it is always worth it.

Can we place our trust in God’s way, even when it feels inconvenient or uncomfortable, believing God has designed our path for a greater good and our best interest in mind? How might it look to boldly bring God’s love into places and among people who may not accept it? What would it be like to find genuine peace, simply knowing we are following in Christ’s footsteps? How would it feel to live and speak as Christ did, without letting the fear of rejection hold us back?

Merciful God, help us lean on your strength and trust in your love for us when the way feels difficult.

Amen. (Amu, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Those who suffer with Christ reign with Christ,” by Cyril of Alexandria, 375-444 A.D.

"It is just as if Jesus said, 'I, the creator of the universe, who have everything under my hand, both in heaven and on earth, did not bridle their rage or restrain ... their inclinations. Rather, I let each one choose their own course and permitted all to do what they wanted. Therefore, when I was persecuted, I endured it even though I had the power of preventing it. When you too follow in my wake and pursue the same course I did, you also will be persecuted. You're going to have to momentarily endure the aversion of those who hate you without being overly troubled by the ingratitude of those whom you benefit. This is how you attain my glory, for those who suffer with me shall also reign with me.'" (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 10.2) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 15:18-21 comments that by choosing us “out of the world,” Jesus has given us real hope—the hope of a life spent in a living relationship with him and of eternal life in heaven. At his resurrection, he broke down the barrier between heaven and earth so that life in this world could be infused with the grace of his kingdom.

So if you feel yourself getting tired or discouraged, remember that you don’t belong to this fallen world. Ask the Spirit to raise your heart to the promise of heaven. Let that promise fill you with hope again. You are a fellow citizen with all the saints!

“Lord, thank you for filling me with the hope of heaven!” (Meditation on John 15:18-21, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that in Acts we hear a disciple Timothy who begins to follow Paul is circumcised because his mom is Jewish and descent from a Jewish woman is his identity marker for his heritage. Paul’s plan to go to the coast of Turkey is prohibited by the Spirit as he is not to go to a community where the Good News is already preached. He is invited in a dream by the Spirit to Macedonia. The Gospel of John raises the question of how we are invited into the Life of the Father? The “world” that rejects the Love of God, lives in concupiscence. We try to live a life of love, and often, we are hated for our efforts. Friar Jude reminds us we will pay a price accused of being naive, experiencing rejection, having a sense of being better. We too have to be willing to suffer and die for Him as He does for us.

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces James Finley who describes how the dance of union and separation experienced by lovers can be a reflection of how we experience our relationship with God. There isn’t a distinction that says, “Over here is oneness, and over there is twoness.” It’s the alchemy of the endless interplay of the oneness of the two who are one. 

I think love’s nature is like that.

It doesn’t really matter if we’re married, single, or celibate. We can all experience this. My sense is that God says to us, “It may be true that the thread of your constancy, your ability to be aware of my oneness with you, often breaks. But know that no matter how often it breaks from your end, it never breaks from my end. Furthermore, when it breaks from your end and you can’t find me, I’m infinitely present as love in your inability to find me. Your inability to find me is me, because the fact that you long for me, even though you can’t find me, bears witness to your longing for me. Therefore, every time the thread breaks from your end, know that it will reawaken your desire to lean into and renew the thread that never breaks from mine.” The rhythms of oneness and separation are reflected in death, married love, or people in love. The love and the oneness permeate both endlessly and unexplainably. I think that’s love’s rhythm. (Rohr, n.d.)

We invite the Holy Spirit to accompany our mission to live out our Baptismal Anointing as priest, prophet, and leader as our source of Wisdom and consolation when we need a Plan B after setbacks and rejections.

References

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved May 9, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/16?1 

Amu, V. (n.d.). Daily Reflections. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved May 9, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-may-9-2026 

John, CHAPTER 15 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 9, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/15? 

Meditation on John 15:18-21. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved May 9, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/05/09/1560874/ 

Psalms, CHAPTER 100| USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved May 9, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/100?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Lover and Beloved in the Song of Songs: Weekly Summary. CAC Daily Meditations. Retrieved May 9, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/lover-and-beloved-in-the-song-of-songs-weekly-summary/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). You Are Not of the World. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved May 9, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Help with Healing

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to treat the decay and desperation we encounter at times with the healing example of care, compassion, and love offered by Christ for everyone.

Healing and Hope

The Reading from the First Letter of John proclaims that Faith is Victory over the World.

* [5:6–12] Water and blood (1 Jn 5:6) refers to Christ’s baptism (Mt 3:16–17) and to the shedding of his blood on the cross (Jn 19:34). The Spirit was present at the baptism (Mt 3:16; Mk 1:10; Lk 3:22; Jn 1:32, 34). The testimony to Christ as the Son of God is confirmed by divine witness (1 Jn 5:7–9), greater by far than the two legally required human witnesses (Dt 17:6). To deny this is to deny God’s truth; cf. Jn 8:17–18. The gist of the divine witness or testimony is that eternal life (1 Jn 5:11–12) is given in Christ and nowhere else. To possess the Son is not acceptance of a doctrine but of a person who lives now and provides life. (1 John, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 147 praises the creator who provides food to animals and human beings; the third and climactic section exhorts the holy city to recognize it has been re-created.

* [Psalm 147] The hymn is divided into three sections by the calls to praise in Ps 147:1, 7, 12. The first section praises the powerful creator who restores exiled Judah (Ps 147:1–6); the second section, the creator who provides food to animals and human beings; the third and climactic section exhorts the holy city to recognize it has been re-created and made the place of disclosure for God’s word, a word as life-giving as water (Psalms, PSALM 147 | USCCB, n.d.).

The Gospel of Luke presents the Cleansing of a Leper by Jesus.

* [5:12] Full of leprosy: see note on Mk 1:40.

* [5:14] Show yourself to the priest…what Moses prescribed: this is a reference to Lv 14:2–9 that gives detailed instructions for the purification of one who had been a victim of leprosy and thereby excluded from contact with others (see Lv 13:45–46, 49; Nm 5:2–3). That will be proof for them: see note on Mt 8:4. (Luke, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB, n.d.)

 

David Crawford comments that we can learn a lot from this “man full of leprosy” who received the gift of being healed.  He did not resign himself to suffering.  Instead, desiring to be healed, he brought his illness to Jesus and asked for healing – a good lesson for us all.  Our Alleluia verse reminds us that Jesus “cured every disease among the people,” so we should bring all our afflictions to Jesus – physical, emotional, spiritual … all of them.

But we can’t overlook what followed, how powerful a witness the man became, not because of anything he said but because it was apparent to everyone that he had been healed and changed.  We, too, have that potential to show the impact Jesus has had and continues to have on our lives …  to borrow the words of an old hymn, “let others see Jesus in you.”  We must surrender our anxieties, fears and doubts so that we can fully experience the joy that comes from Christ, so much so that it will be apparent to everyone that we have been healed and transformed.  We must give up our angers, frustrations, insecurities and judgmentalism so that we can truly love our neighbors and ourselves.  We must forgive and be forgiven so that our relationships with one another and with God can be restored.  We must swap self-centeredness for compassion and arrogance for humility so that caring for the “least” ones (i.e., the hungry, the thirsty, the unwelcomed stranger, the naked, the sick and the imprisoned listed by Jesus in Matthew 25:31-46) becomes second nature – and as we, with service and compassion, show others they are loved, we will be powerful witnesses, just like the man healed of leprosy in today’s Gospel. (Crawford, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “Jesus' healing demonstrates the power of the kingdom of heaven,” by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D.

"The authority of power in the Lord is here compared with the steadfastness of faith manifest in the leper (Luke 5:12-13). He fell on his face because it is a mark of humility and modesty that each feel shame for the sins of his life, but shyness did not restrict his confession. He showed the wound, he begged for the remedy, and the very confession is full of piety and faith. 'If you will,' it says, 'you can make me clean'" He conceded the power to the Lord's will. But he doubted concerning the Lord's will, not as if unbelieving in piety, but as if aware of his own impurity, he did not presume. The Lord replies to him with a certain holiness. 'I will: be clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.' For there is nothing between God's command and his work, because the work is in the command. Thus he spoke, and they came into being (Psalm 33:9). You see that it cannot be doubted that the will of God is power. If, therefore, his will is power, those who affirm that the Trinity is of One will affirm that it is of one power. Thus the leprosy departed immediately. In order that you may understand the effect of healing, he added truth to the work." (excerpt from EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 5.2-3) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 John 5:5-13 shares that belief, John tells us, goes beyond intellectually accepting a doctrine of the Church. It also involves accepting the “testimony” of three core elements of Jesus’ life: “the Spirit, the water, and the Blood” (1 John 5:8, 9).

The Spirit testified to Jesus from the very start. It was the Spirit who overshadowed Mary at her Annunciation so that she conceived a child who would “be called holy, the Son of God” (Luke 1:35)...

The water testified to Jesus when John baptized him in the Jordan River. It enveloped him and covered him with all the sins of the world—including our own—so that he could carry them to the cross… 

The blood testified to Jesus when it flowed from his hands, feet, and side on the cross. As it spilled out onto the earth, that precious blood bore with it the power of Jesus’ love even for those who caused him such agony:

The Spirit who fills us. The water that refreshes us and brings us joy. And the blood that redeems us. Holding fast to these three witnesses, we can overcome everything!

“All praise to you, Jesus, for giving me a share in your victory!” (Meditation on 1 John 5:5-13, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that the reading in the last chapter of 1 John is a concluding message. It reminds us the “world” is that part of reality that opposes Jesus as the author warns of concupiscence in our environment. Jesus' testimony is presented in water, blood, Spirit and Flesh. The Passage implies Jesus coming in the Spirit in the Water of Baptism and in the Body in the Eucharist. We live in Jesus through the Sacraments. We are already living His promise when He lives in us In life.  The leper asks Jesus for healing and He extends His cleanliness to the leper. In Luke, Jesus tries to fulfill the commandments of the Law. Note that as a Stoic, Luke would hold to a pattern in life from God. Friar Jude reminds us that just as Jesus goes to a desert place to recharge, we have to recharge too, so we renew our will to follow Christ.

Father Richard Rohr introduces Episcopal Bishop Barbara Harris (1930–2020) who describes how encountering Jesus offers each of us an opportunity to make a choice for wisdom.

My friends, we thirst after many things in this world. We thirst after money, power, prestige, position. We put our trust in them; we may even pray for them. But like our Lord, we are at a crossroads in the church and in society. We still have a choice and the question our Lord is asking us is, “Do we have a thirst for the kingdom?”

Jesus is asking us, “Are we content to settle for the temporary thirst quenchers of life: the material values of this world, the right connections, the proper credentials, the things on which this society places so much value, things that will never slake the thirst of your parched, dry souls? Or do you thirst for righteousness, for peace, for justice, for the liberation of all God’s people?” (Rohr, n.d.)

We are reminded that the Sacraments provide a real connection with the healing and support offered by Christ to the workers in His vineyard as they strive to cultivate full life in the Kingdom of God.

References

Crawford, D. (2026, January 9). Daily Reflection January 9, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved January 9, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-january-9-2026 

Luke, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 9, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/5?12 

Meditation on 1 John 5:5-13. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved January 9, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/01/09/1477008/ 

1 John, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 9, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1john/5?5 

Psalms, PSALM 147 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 9, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/147?12 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). A Thirst for the Good News. CAC.org. Retrieved January 9, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-thirst-for-the-good-news/

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Lord, You Can Make Me Clean. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 9, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Chosen Out of the World

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today offer the example of Paul and his dedication to sharing the Way and the teaching of Jesus to meet opposition with Love.

Opposition by the World

In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Timothy joins Paul and Silas and Paul shares a vision of the man of Macedonia.

* [16:3] Paul had him circumcised: he did this in order that Timothy might be able to associate with the Jews and so perform a ministry among them. Paul did not object to the Jewish Christians’ adherence to the law. But he insisted that the law could not be imposed on the Gentiles. Paul himself lived in accordance with the law, or as exempt from the law, according to particular circumstances (see 1 Cor 9:19–23).

* [16:7] The Spirit of Jesus: this is an unusual formulation in Luke’s writings. The parallelism with Acts 16:6 indicates its meaning, the holy Spirit. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 100 declares all lands are summoned to Praise God.

* [Psalm 100] A hymn inviting the people to enter the Temple courts with thank offerings for the God who created them.

* [100:3] Although the people call on all the nations of the world to join in their hymn, they are conscious of being the chosen people of God. (Psalms, PSALM 100 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of John describes the World’s Hatred.

* [15:18–16:4] The hostile reaction of the world. There are synoptic parallels, predicting persecution, especially at Mt 10:17–25; 24:9–10.

* [15:20] The word I spoke to you: a reference to Jn 13:16.

* [15:21] On account of my name: the idea of persecution for Jesus’ name is frequent in the New Testament (Mt 10:22; 24:9; Acts 9:14). For John, association with Jesus’ name implies union with Jesus. (John, CHAPTER 15 | USCCB, n.d.)

Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries was not available at publication time.

Don Schwager quotes “Those who suffer with Christ reign with Christ,” by Cyril of Alexandria, 375-444 A.D.

"It is just as if Jesus said, 'I, the creator of the universe, who have everything under my hand, both in heaven and on earth, did not bridle their rage or restrain ... their inclinations. Rather, I let each one choose their own course and permitted all to do what they wanted. Therefore, when I was persecuted, I endured it even though I had the power of preventing it. When you too follow in my wake and pursue the same course I did, you also will be persecuted. You're going to have to momentarily endure the aversion of those who hate you without being overly troubled by the ingratitude of those whom you benefit. This is how you attain my glory, for those who suffer with me shall also reign with me.'" (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 10.2) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 15:18-21 comments that like our Lord, we need to see our persecutors as men and women who are created in the image of God and are loved by the Father. We need to remember that God wants everyone to know him and be saved. If we can keep these truths in mind, we are more likely to follow Jesus’ example to love those who hate us. That loving response, in fact, can be a powerful witness. It might just help someone recognize that it is only Jesus and his life in us that makes such a response possible.

Does someone “hate” you for your Christian faith? Today, pray for that person. Then ask the Spirit to soften your heart so that you can love them with the love of your Savior.

“Holy Spirit, give me the grace to love even those who hate me.” (Meditation on John 15:18-21, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler explains that the seemingly odd circumcision of Timothy is based on his Jewish heritage being passed to him through his mother. Paul refrains from going to Asia because he saw his mission to preach where the Way had not already been shared, like Europe, through Macedonia. Friar Jude reminds us of the honour and trust that comes from following Jesus through giving witness on our cross.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Sophfronia Scott who, prompted by the life and writings of Thomas Merton, asks  “What else might we see more clearly if we could hold our stuff more loosely?”

 

As Merton writes, we have to exercise this feeling of “enough.” But we also have to recognize a certain tension inherent in this sensibility—this isn’t about being stingy or coming always from a place of grasping and lack. He observes, 

Knowing when you do not need any more. Acting just enough. Saying enough. Stopping when there is enough. Some may be wasted, nature is prodigal. Harmony is not bought with parsimoniousness. Yet stopping is “going on.”… [2] 

For me, “going on” looks like holding something in love but being willing to let it go—not because I have to get rid of it in a flurry of decluttering but because it has to leave my life when a turn of events warrants it. And knowing that’s OK. (Rohr, n.d.)

We live in an environment where we may encounter opposition and persecution because of our faith from those forces named by John as the world. We invoke the Spirit to guide our action to encounter opposition with love.

References

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 4, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/16?1 

John, CHAPTER 15 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 4, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/15?18 

Meditation on John 15:18-21. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved May 4, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/05/04/948601/ 

Psalms, PSALM 100 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 4, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/100?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). The Path to Simplicity: Weekly Summary. CAC Daily Meditations. Retrieved May 4, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/simplicity-weekly-summary/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). You Are Not of the World. Daily Scripture net. Retrieved May 4, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=may4