ACTS 20: 28 – 38

In those days: Paul said to the elders of the Church of Ephesus, “Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you guardians, to feed the Church of the Lord which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities, and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by so toiling one must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.”’ And when he had spoken thus, he knelt down and prayed with them all. And they all wept and embraced Paul and kissed him, sorrowing most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they should see his face no more. And they brought him to the ship.

The Word of the Lord.

 
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 68: 33 – 35a, 35b and 36b (R.) 33a

R/. You kingdoms of the earth, sing to God.
Or: 
Alleluia.

Summon forth your might, O God;
your might, O God, which you have shown for us.
From your temple high in Jerusalem,
kings will come to you bringing their tribute. R.

You kingdoms of the earth, sing to God, praise the Lord
who rides on the heavens, the ancient heavens.
Behold, he thunders his voice, his mighty voice.
Come, acknowledge the power of God. R.

His glory is on Israel;
his might is in the skies.
Blest be God! R.

 
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
John 17: 17b, a

Alleluia. 
Your word, O Lord, is truth; sanctify us in the truth.
Alleluia.

 
GOSPEL
May they be one, as we are one!
JOHN 17: 11b – 19

At that time: [Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and prayed, saying,] “Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Chitatu 15 Chivabvu – May;

Vhiki yechinomwe yenguva yePasika –

Chiverengo chokutanga:
Mabasa 20,28-38

Inzwai chiverengo chinobva mubhuku raMabasa Avapositori
Pauro akati kuna vakuru vakuru veSangano
muEfeso, 28 “Zvingwarirei imi pachenyu nedanga
rose ramakaitwa vatariri varo neMweya Mutsvene,
kuti muchengete sangano raMwari raakawana
neropa roMwanakomana wake pachake. 29Ndinoziva kuti mushure mokuenda kwangu mhumhi
dzinorura dzichauya pakati penyu, dzisina tsitsi,
nokuuraya danga. 30 Kunyange mukati menyu
iyemi muchamuka varume vachataura zvakatsauka
kuti vakwezvere vadzidzi kwavari. 31 Naizvozvo chenjerai muchiyeuka kuti kwamakore
matatu handina kumbomira siku nesikati, kukupai
mazano mumwe nomumwe nemisodzi padama.
32 Zvino ndinokukumikidzai kuna Mwari, uye
kuShoko renyasha dzake rinokwanisa kukuvakai,
nokukupai nhaka pakati pavakaitwa vatsvene.
33 Handina kuchiva sirivha kana ndarama kana
hanzu dzomunhu. 34 Imi pachenyu munozviziva
kuti maoko aya ndiwo aindishandira pane zvandaida, nezvaidikanwa navandaiva navo. 35 Ndakakuratidzai, muna zvose, kuti nokushingaira kudaro
munhu anofanira kubatsira vakarukutika, tichiyeuka mazwi aTenzi Jesu zvaakataura achiti, ‘Chikomborero chikuru kupa pane kugamuchira.’ ”
36 Paakapedza kutaura izvi akapfugama akanamata
navo vose. 37 Vose vakachema vakambundikirana
naPauro vakamutsvoda. 38 Vaisuwiswa zvikuru
nezwi raakanga ataura rokuti, “Havachazoona uso
hwake zvakare.” Vakamuperekedza kuchikepe.
Shoko raTenzi.

Rwiyo rwokutsinhira:
Nziyo 68,28-29.32-34a.34bc-35ab. (D – 32)

(D) – Imbirai Mwari imi nyika dzapasi,
imbirai muchirumbidza TENZI.
28 Kokai simba renyu Mwari,
ratidzai simba ramakambotishandisira, Mwari 29 richibva kutemberi iri kuJerusaremu.
Madzimambo kwavanouya nezvipo.
(D) – Imbirai Mwari imi nyika dzapasi,
imbirai muchirumbidza TENZI.
32 Imbirai Mwari imi nyika dzapasi,
imbirai muchirumbidza TENZI.
33 Vaimbire iye anofamba ari pamatenga,
matenga akare. Iye anodzvova nezwi rake,
izwi rake rine simba.
(D) – Imbirai Mwari imi nyika dzapasi,
imbirai muchirumbidza TENZI.
34 Itii Mwari ane simba, iye anobata ushe
hweIsiraeri, simba rake riri mumatenga.
35 Mwari anotyisa, ari muNzvimbo yake inoera
Mwari weIsiraeri.
Anopa ukuru nesimba kuvanhu vake.
(D) – Imbirai Mwari imi nyika dzapasi, imbirai muchirumbidza TENZI.

Kupemberera Shoko Rakanaka:
Johani 17,17b+a

Areruya, Areruya.
Izwi renyu Tenzi ichokwadi. Itai kuti tive vatsvene muchokwadi.
Areruya.

Shoko Rakanaka: Johani 17,11b-19

Inzwai Shoko Rakanaka rakanyorwa naJohani
Jesu akatarisa kudenga akati,
“Baba vatsvene, vanhu vamakandipa vachengetei
muzita renyu.
12Pandakanga ndiinavo vanhu vamakandipa,
ndakavachengeta muzita renyu.
Ndakavachengetedza zvokuti hapana
akarasika, kusiya uya wekashambwa kokuraswa kuti Magwaro Matsvene azadzikiswe.
13Asi zvino ndavakuuya kwamuri,
ndiri kutaura zvinhu izvi ndichiri pasi pano
kuti kufara kwangu kunyatsozara chaizvo
mavari.
14 Inini ndakavapa shoko renyu,
pasi pakavavenga nokuti havasi vapasi pano,
sezvandisiriwo wapasi pano.
15 Handisi kunamatira kuti muvabvise pasi
pano, asi kuti muvadzivirire kune wakaipa uya.
16 Havasi vapasi pano sezvandisiriwo wapasi
pano.
17Vaitei kuti vave vatsvene muchokwadi, izwi
renyu ichokwadi.
18 Sokundituma kwamakaita pasi pano,
neniwo ndavakuvatuma kupasi rose.
19Nokuda kwavo ndinozvipira kuti ivo
vazvipirewo kuchokwadi.”
Shoko Rakanaka raTenzi
GOSPEL REFLECTION: Rejecting the evil one
May 15, 2024

“I gave them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the Evil One.” (John 17:14–15)

Unfortunately, the evil one is real. He is the highest of the fallen angels who retain their natural spiritual power given them at their creation. God created all angelic creatures with the purpose of serving His holy will. The Scripture reveals that there are nine levels or “choirs” to which these angelic creatures belong. Among the fallen angels, the highest of them directs the others, and he is traditionally given the name Lucifer or “the devil.”

One of the natural spiritual powers that these fallen angelic creatures retain is the power of influence and suggestive thought. They were created to be messengers of God’s truth to us; but, in their fallen state, they seek to communicate confusion and lies instead. Therefore, it is very helpful to understand the way the evil one and the other fallen angels communicate to us so that we can reject their lies and listen only to the voice of God.

In his rules for the discernment of spirits, Saint Ignatius of Loyola explains that when a person is going “from mortal sin to mortal sin,” the evil one and the other demons continually propose to their imagination the “apparent pleasures” and “sensual delights” that they obtain from their sin as a way of keeping them firmly controlled by that sin. However, when a person is “intensely cleansing their sins and rising from good to better,” the evil one and the other demons act in a contrary way. They will “bite, sadden and put obstacles, disquieting with false reasons, that one may not go on” in their pursuit of holiness. God and the good angels will act in the opposite way. For those immersed in sin, God and the good angels will use “the opposite method, pricking them and biting their consciences through the process of reason” so as to draw them away from sin. And when a person is, in fact, growing in holiness, God and the good angels will “give courage and strength, consolations, tears, inspirations and quiet, easing, and putting away all obstacles, that one may go on in well doing” (See mycatholic.life/ignatius).

These spiritual lessons on the discernment of spirits are of great value and will assist you on your daily struggle with sin and your daily pursuit of holiness. Understanding the deceptions of the evil one and discerning the promptings of grace given by God bring clarity to our daily lives and direction to all of our actions. The good news that is revealed by the Scripture passage above is that our Lord is fully aware of the working of the evil one, has prayed for you and will assist you as you seek to combat these lies and deceptions in your life.

Reflect, today, upon the importance of learning how to discern both the voice of God and the lies of the evil one. Work to discern the voice of God so that you may follow Him more faithfully. And seek to discern the lies of the evil one so that you will not be influenced by him and can directly reject him. Commit yourself to a more rigorous discernment of these spiritual experiences in your life and allow this prayer of Jesus to direct you into His holy will.

PRAYER:
My all-powerful Lord, You have conquered the evil one and provide all the grace I need to overcome his lies and deceptions. Open my mind to discern Your voice and give clarity to the voice of the evil one so that I may choose You with my whole heart and reject all that the evil one tries to say to me. Jesus, I trust in You.