"Karon nga nahibaluan na ninyo ini nga mga butang, bulahan kamo kon inyo ini himuon"

Ebanghelyo subong nga Adlaw (Juan 13:16-20)

Sa pagkamatuod, ginsugid ko sa inyo nga wala sing suluguon nga labaw pa sang sa iya agalon, kag wala sing sinugo nga labaw pa sang sa nagsugo sa iya.

Karon nga nahibaluan na ninyo ini nga mga butang, bulahan kamo kon inyo ini himuon.

"Wala ako nagasiling nga bulahan kamo tanan, kay kilala ko ang akon mga ginpili. Pero kinahanglan nga matuman ang ginasiling sang Kasulatan nga ang tawo nga nagasalo sa akon sa pagkaon amo pa ang magatraidor sa akon.

Ginasugid ko na ini nga daan sa inyo samtang wala pa matabo, agod nga kon matabo na magapati kamo nga ako amo gid man ang Cristo.

Sa pagkamatuod, ginsugid ko sa inyo nga ang nagabaton sa mga tawo nga akon ginapadala nagabaton man sa akon, kag ang nagabaton sa akon nagabaton man sa nagpadala sa akon."

Prayers:

"Eternal God, who are the light of the minds that know you, the joy of the hearts that love you, and the strength of the wills that serve you; grant us so to know you, that we may truly love you, and so to love you that we may fully serve you, whom to serve is perfect freedom, in Jesus our Lord." (Prayer of Saint Augustine)

***

Reflection of the Daily Gospel:

How do you treat those who cause you grief or harm, especially those who are close to you in some way? In his last supper discourse, Jesus addressed the issue of fidelity and disloyalty in relationships. Jesus knew beforehand that one of his own disciples would betray him. Such knowledge could have easily led Jesus to distance himself from such a person and to protect himself from harm's way. Instead, Jesus expresses his love, affection, and loyalty to those who were his own, even to the one he knew would "stab him in the back" when he got the opportunity. Jesus used a quotation from Psalm 4:9 which describes an act of treachery by one's closest friend. In the culture of Jesus' day, to eat bread with someone was a gesture of friendship and trust. Jesus extends such friendship to Judas right at the moment when Judas is conspiring to betray his master. The expression lift his heel against me reinforces the brute nature of this act of violent rejection.

Jesus loved his disciples to the end and proved his faithfulness to them even to death on the cross. Through his death and resurrection Jesus opened a new way of relationship and friendship with God. Jesus tells his disciples that if they accept him they also accept the Father who sent him. This principle extends to all who belong to Christ and who speak in his name. To accept the Lord's messenger is to accept Jesus himself. The great honor and the great responsibility a Christian has is to stand in the world for Jesus Christ. As his disciples and ambassadors (2 Cor. 5:20), we are called to speak for him and to act on his behalf. Are you ready to stand for Jesus at the cross of humiliation, rejection, opposition, and suffering?