Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed. Paul, standing in the middle of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all men life and breath and everything. And he made from one every nation of men to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after him and find him. Yet he is not far from each one of us, for ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your poets have said, ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the Deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, a representation by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all men everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all men by raising him from the dead.” Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, “We will hear you again about this.” So Paul went out from among them. But some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them. After this he left Athens and went to Corinth.
Ps 148:1-2, 11-14 R./ Your glory fills all heavens and earth.
Gospel: (Jn 16:12-15)
Jesus said to his disciples, “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
Reflection:
According to Jesus, The Holy Spirit will bring glory to Him by making known to us what Jesus said and did.“That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you (John 16:15”).By this teaching what is evident is that the fundamental work of the Spirit is nothing but to glorify Jesus. What Jesus desires for his followers is the Spirit-filled life because it is the Spirit who will lead us to the complete Truth. And it is very important to note the actions of the Spirit in our life.The Holy Spirit which is given to us consoles us in our struggles, reveals the truth, helps us to be witnesses of Jesus, and manifests the glory of Jesus. Added to this,Saint Paul writes in his letter to the Corinthians: “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Cor 3:17).