A reading from the holy Gospel according to John 15:18-21

Jesus said to his disciples: " If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you, 'No slave is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me."

REFLECTION: "If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you"

The world is opposed to God's truth and righteousness. God is without compromise and we need to choose --we either walk with him or not. And once we decide to follow him, then, we too will be persecuted just as Jesus was.

God chose us out of this world--little us, yes. !! We, by following him and obeying his command to love, become his friend . We then, therefore , oppose the world who opposes God.

We will be attacked for the refusal to criticize, or gossip, for making the sign of the cross in public, for saying grace at a restaurant, and for going to mass while on vacation. We will be left out of parties or gatherings because of our values. We can't say we love Jesus yet refuse to cheerfully carry our cross--the cross handpicked by God alone.

PRAYER:

Dearest, Lord, we thank you for creating us and choosing us out of this world to be your friend. True friends stay in union no matter what and they grow stronger in their love . May the conviction of our love for God be forever unshaken in our hearts. Amen

God Bless