Gospel: John 16:5-11
But now I am going to the One who sent me, and none of you asks me where I am going; instead you are overcome with grief, because of what I have said. Believe me, it is better for you that I go away, because as long as I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go away, I will send him to you, and when he comes, he will vindicate the truth before a sinful world; and he will vindicate the paths of righteousness and justice. What is the world’s sin, in regard to me? Disbelief. What is the path of righteousness? It is the path I walk, by which I go to the Father; and you shall see me no more. What is the path of justice? It is the path on which the prince of this world will always stand condemned.
Reflection:
"Plant the seeds of God’s Word of love."
Saint Augustine and his fellow missionary monks were not the first to bring the Gospel to British shores. His, rather, was a reviving and expansion of what had gone before. Pope Gregory the Great had great missionary zeal as Pope, and so he chose Augustine, a fellow monk from his community to lead a small group to the Kingdom of Kent. However, they almost didn’t reach their destination, as the monks took fright at the enormity of the task. The example of Saint Augustine of Canterbury teaches us that we overcome our missionary fear through confidence in Christ. Moreover, just as Pope Francis has called the Church to reach out to the margins, so did Gregory the Great in sending Augustine to a land where Christianity had dwindled. Mission is not only about breaking new ground, but is also about turning over and refreshing soil has been left fallow. We are to reach out to those who are on the margins of society, and plant the seeds of God’s Word of love, that they might flourish. May our love of Christ also rekindle the flame of faith in others who have lost heart through the challenges of life.
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