All three parts of the readings today call upon us to contemplate our relationship with Christ and His power for those who believe. The Gospel today is as relevant as it was 2,000 years ago.

In it, we have Jesus going up to Jerusalem, where, as we all know, is crucified for our sins and ultimately triumphs over death.

Like the disciples, we today have a choice to make. At this point in the Gospel, the disciples do not know what awaits them in Jerusalem. The same can be said of us in our daily lives today.

They are assured that through faith in Him, the Holy Spirit can be drawn upon for wisdom and knowledge. I ask myself the question, have I made the final complete commitment to Christ?

Am I ready for the trials? In our current times we have our own “rulers and authorities” that will test my faith. In my own experience I find those who are the biggest challenge to my faith are often friends, family, and neighbors. So, I try to go about living my faith without embarrassment as a disciple of Christ. Hopefully I am a good witness to his truth. I’m guaranteed “the Holy Spirit” will teach if I’m open and discerning. 

"To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible." — St. Thomas Aquinas