Join Msgr. Don Fischer as he reads and delivers a short reflection on today’s gospel, followed by 3 1/2 minutes of contemplative music and a closing prayer. Msgr. Don hopes that today’s reflection on the gospel will empower you to carry the Word in your heart throughout the day.

Choose either the video or audio below.

Gospel
Luke 12:8-12

Jesus said to his disciples: 
 “I tell you,
everyone who acknowledges me before others
the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God.
But whoever denies me before others
will be denied before the angels of God.

“Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven,
but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will not be forgiven.
When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities,
do not worry about how or what your defense will be
or about what you are to say. 
For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.”

Reflection
If you peel back all the layers and look to what is it that Jesus is longing to establish within each of us, it is awareness of His Father. Jesus came to awaken us to divinity, living within us, infecting everything around us.

So we have in this message a beautiful image of saying, one cannot do the work of the kingdom, one will not know how to live in the kingdom of heaven without a reliance upon the God who dwells within us. He is there to guide us, to enable us to succeed at what we are seeking, that brings about the Kingdom of God.

Closing Prayer
Father, it's clear that if we are to be engaged in establishing the kingdom of God, if we're here to bring life and peace to one another, we have to be connected to you, God. Who dwell within us, awakening us, teaching us, empowering us. That's at the heart of the entire gospel. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.