A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians
1:15-23
Brothers and sisters:
Hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus
and of your love for all the holy ones,
I do not cease giving thanks for you,
remembering you in my prayers,
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation
resulting in knowledge of him.
May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened,
that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call,
what are the riches of glory
in his inheritance among the holy ones,
and what is the surpassing greatness of his power
for us who believe,
in accord with the exercise of his great might,
which he worked in Christ,
raising him from the dead
and seating him at his right hand in the heavens,
far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion,
and every name that is named
not only in this age but also in the one to come.
And he put all things beneath his feet
and gave him as head over all things to the Church,
which is his Body,
the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.
From the Gospel according to 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.”
The Consoler, the Holy Spirit, will be with the Apostles; when Christ will no longer be on earth, the Spirit will be present during the long periods of affliction that will last for centuries (cf. Jn 16:17). The Spirit will therefore be with the Church and within the Church, especially in times of struggle and persecution, as Jesus Himself promises the Apostles in the words recorded in the Synoptic Gospels: “And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious how or what you are to answer or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say” (Lk 12:11-13; cf. Mk 13:11): “for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” (Mt 10). These words refer to the tribulations endured by the Apostles and by the Christians of the communities they founded and led; but they also refer to all those who, wherever they may be on earth, throughout the ages, will have to suffer for Christ. And in truth, there are many who, throughout the ages, including in recent times, have experienced this help from the Holy Spirit. And they know, and can bear witness, to the joy of the spiritual victory which the Holy Spirit has granted them to achieve. The entire Church today knows this, and bears witness to it. (Saint John Paul II, General Audience, 13 March 1991)
Gospel and Word of the Day – 17 October 2026 –
A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians
1:15-23
Brothers and sisters:
Hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus
and of your love for all the holy ones,
I do not cease giving thanks for you,
remembering you in my prayers,
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation
resulting in knowledge of him.
May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened,
that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call,
what are the riches of glory
in his inheritance among the holy ones,
and what is the surpassing greatness of his power
for us who believe,
in accord with the exercise of his great might,
which he worked in Christ,
raising him from the dead
and seating him at his right hand in the heavens,
far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion,
and every name that is named
not only in this age but also in the one to come.
And he put all things beneath his feet
and gave him as head over all things to the Church,
which is his Body,
the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.
From the Gospel according to 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.”
The Consoler, the Holy Spirit, will be with the Apostles; when Christ will no longer be on earth, the Spirit will be present during the long periods of affliction that will last for centuries (cf. Jn 16:17). The Spirit will therefore be with the Church and within the Church, especially in times of struggle and persecution, as Jesus Himself promises the Apostles in the words recorded in the Synoptic Gospels: “And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious how or what you are to answer or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say” (Lk 12:11-13; cf. Mk 13:11): “for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” (Mt 10). These words refer to the tribulations endured by the Apostles and by the Christians of the communities they founded and led; but they also refer to all those who, wherever they may be on earth, throughout the ages, will have to suffer for Christ. And in truth, there are many who, throughout the ages, including in recent times, have experienced this help from the Holy Spirit. And they know, and can bear witness, to the joy of the spiritual victory which the Holy Spirit has granted them to achieve. The entire Church today knows this, and bears witness to it. (Saint John Paul II, General Audience, 13 March 1991)
A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians
1:15-23
Brothers and sisters:
Hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus
and of your love for all the holy ones,
I do not cease giving thanks for you,
remembering you in my prayers,
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation
resulting in knowledge of him.
May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened,
that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call,
what are the riches of glory
in his inheritance among the holy ones,
and what is the surpassing greatness of his power
for us who believe,
in accord with the exercise of his great might,
which he worked in Christ,
raising him from the dead
and seating him at his right hand in the heavens,
far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion,
and every name that is named
not only in this age but also in the one to come.
And he put all things beneath his feet
and gave him as head over all things to the Church,
which is his Body,
the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.
From the Gospel according to 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.”
The Consoler, the Holy Spirit, will be with the Apostles; when Christ will no longer be on earth, the Spirit will be present during the long periods of affliction that will last for centuries (cf. Jn 16:17). The Spirit will therefore be with the Church and within the Church, especially in times of struggle and persecution, as Jesus Himself promises the Apostles in the words recorded in the Synoptic Gospels: “And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious how or what you are to answer or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say” (Lk 12:11-13; cf. Mk 13:11): “for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” (Mt 10). These words refer to the tribulations endured by the Apostles and by the Christians of the communities they founded and led; but they also refer to all those who, wherever they may be on earth, throughout the ages, will have to suffer for Christ. And in truth, there are many who, throughout the ages, including in recent times, have experienced this help from the Holy Spirit. And they know, and can bear witness, to the joy of the spiritual victory which the Holy Spirit has granted them to achieve. The entire Church today knows this, and bears witness to it. (Saint John Paul II, General Audience, 13 March 1991)