Both of the readings for mass today do not seem to have anything to do with us, at first glance. Saint Paul is preparing to leave Miletus in the first reading from the book of Acts, and Jesus is preparing for his death in the gospel reading today. The first reading was also about those who were left behind and so was the second reading. One difference between the two readings is that Paul’s friends in the first reading for mass was concerned for Paul, but in the gospel today, the reverse is true, Jesus is concerned for his friends, the disciples.
The two readings for mass today do have something in common though. Saint Paul spoke of the truth in the first reading and Jesus also spoke of truth in the gospel.
Saint Paul said in today’s reading from the book of Acts:
“I know that after my departure savage wolves will come among you and they will not spare the flock. And from your own group, men will come forward perverting the truth to draw the disciples away after them.”
Jesus said something similar in today’s gospel:
“I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the Evil One. They do not belong to this world any more than I belong to this world. Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth.”
The truth is the main theme of the readings for mass today, and that we are in danger of the devil enticing us to pervert the truth, and divert us from living a christian life to follow him. Jesus mentions truth three times in today’s gospel. He prayed and asked his Father to consecrate his disciples in the truth. Why did Jesus emphasize the truth so much in his last prayers before his death?
One reason protecting the truth may have been so important, was because Jesus was preparing for his death and knew what kind of pressures and opposition his Apostles would face after he was gone.
Remember when Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” when Jesus was brought before him? The truth can become so perverted that it can get to the point that people wonder if it even exists. But, we know that it does exist, from Jesus’s own words in his prayer from today’s gospel, “Your word is truth”.
So many problems in our world seem to stem from people disregarding the ten commandments, and many of the teachings Christ gave us in the bible. It’s like Saint Paul said in the first reading, that “men will come forward and pervert the truth”.
The devil entices many people into twisting God’s word into whatever their personal truth is. They think they can make it say whatever they want it to say, by picking out a verse or two out of context, to support their point of view. If anyone attempts to closely adhere to the word of God, they are often thought to be old fashioned, strict, or judgmental. But, God didn’t give us the ten commandments, the prophets, His word, and His own son in order to impose harsh rules on us. He gave them to us to prevent a great deal of suffering in our lives, and in the next as well. It was out of His great love for us, and His desire for us to be truly happy that He gave us His Word and His Son.
The truth of Christianity in the Catholic church is known as the Deposit of Faith. The main function of our pope is to protect the Deposit of Faith for future generations, so that the truths of Christianity are not perverted, diluted, or allowed to evolve into something Jesus Christ never meant it to be. An everyday example of how this could happen through many generations of Christian people, is to notice what happens to the truth during a major event in our own lives.
If a group of people witness a crime like a murder, the police will question the eye witnesses as soon as it happens, to record the truth while it is still fresh in their minds. Things can get out of hand later in the courtroom though. Sometimes the truth gets twisted out of shape by lawyers, or the defendant is freed on a technicality or loop hole, and is never held accountable for their crime. However, it would have been better for everyone concerned, if the crime never occurred to begin with. It would have eliminated so much suffering, if the murder had listened to the word of God and not committed this crime. This is what God’s word is like. God’s word was given to us for a reason, to prevent ourselves and other people from a lot of unnecessary suffering.
The scriptures today challenge us to hold fast to God’s word and not allow other people to distract us from it. It is hard sometimes to live by God’s word, but in the end, our lives will be a lot happier if we do so.
Daily Readings for Mass:
Acts 20: 28-38 / Psalm 68 / John 17: 11b-19
