Catholic World

First Reading Acts 8:5-8 14-17   The Messiah is proclaimed and accepted in Samaria

Second Reading 1Peter 3:15 - 18 Suffer for good deeds, not evil.

Gospel John 17:1-17 Jesus prays to the Father

Are you wondering why the liturgical colour is gold/ white?   

Since it is a festive, joyful colour, is used during the Christmas and Easter seasons, and on major feast days, such as, on the celebrations of the Lord other than of his Passion, of the Blessed Virgin Mary, of the Holy Angels, and of Saints who were not martyrs, and on the Solemnities of All Saints. Because white symbolises the Resurrection, it is also the colour often used for funerals.

REFLECTION by Fr Michael Tate

Parallel Truths

Today’s Gospel speaks of an advocate. This translates a Greek word: ‘paraclete’. Our Lord says: ‘I will send you another Paraclete to be with you forever.’ Our Lord was a Paraclete, and he would send another.

What does this strange sounding word mean? Here is a hint. We all know that parallel lines run, well, para-llel. They run alongside each other. A paraclete is a person who stands alongside someone and pleads their case.

That is how our Lord Jesus Christ saw himself. His role was not to condemn but to plead the case for mercy and compassion, to be the intercessor par excellence.

Our Lord promises another Paraclete dwelling within us, individually and as the body of Christ’s disciples, the Holy Spirit advocating our cause, assisting us to live Truth-fully by the measure of the One who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. This Paraclete particularly assists us by acting as the Spirit of Truth.

We could pause for a moment to thank God for the two Paracletes, constantly pleading our case before the Throne of Mercy.