Daily Readings - Tue Apr 30 2019
Acts
32Then the multitude of believers were of one heart and one soul. Neither did anyone say that any of the things that he possessed were his own, but all things were common to them33And with great power, the Apostles were rendering testimony to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord. And great grace was in them all34And neither was anyone among them in need. For as many as were owners of fields or houses, selling these, were bringing the proceeds of the things that they were selling35and were placing it before the feet of the Apostles. Then it was divided to each one, just as he had need36Now Joseph, who the Apostles surnamed Barnabas (which is translated as ‘son of consolation’), who was a Levite of Cyprian descent37since he had land, he sold it, and he brought the proceeds and placed these at the feet of the Apostles
John
7You should not be amazed that I said to you: You must be born anew8The Spirit inspires where he wills. And you hear his voice, but you do not know where he comes from, or where he is going. So it is with all who are born of the Spirit.9Nicodemus responded and said to him, "How are these things able to be accomplished?10Jesus responded and said to him: "You are a teacher in Israel, and you are ignorant of these things11Amen, amen, I say to you, that we speak about what we know, and we testify about what we have seen. But you do not accept our testimony12If I have spoken to you about earthly things, and you have not believed, then how will you believe, if I will speak to you about heavenly things13And no one has ascended to heaven, except the one who descended from heaven: the Son of man who is in heaven14And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so also must the Son of man be lifted up15so that whoever believes in him may not perish, but may have eternal life
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the transformative power of faith and the call to live as a community united in love and generosity. In the first reading from Acts, we see the early Christian community living in harmony, sharing their possessions, and ensuring that no one was in need. This was not a communism born of obligation but a radical expression of their faith in the Risen Christ. The Apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit, bore witness to the Resurrection, and the people, in turn, bore witness to their faith through their actions. This passage reminds us that true faith is not just about words but about how we live and share the blessings we have received.
In the Gospel, Jesus speaks to Nicodemus about the necessity of being "born anew" by the Spirit. Jesus emphasizes that the Spirit moves freely and mysteriously, and those who are born of the Spirit will reflect this in their lives. He then lifts Nicodemus' gaze to heaven, pointing to himself as the Son of Man who must be "lifted up" for the salvation of the world. This exchange challenges us to move beyond superficial understanding and to embrace the profound truth of God's love revealed in Jesus Christ. Just as the serpent was lifted up in the desert to bring healing, so too is Jesus lifted up on the cross to bring eternal life to all who believe.
These readings are deeply connected. The early Christian community in Acts was able to live with such radical generosity because they had been born anew by the Spirit and had accepted the testimony of Jesus. Their unity and selflessness were not just human efforts but the fruit of the Spirit working in them. For us today, the readings call us to examine how we are living out our faith. Are we allowing the Spirit to move freely in our lives? Are we sharing the blessings we have received with those in need? Let us ask for the grace to be born anew and to live in such a way that our actions bear witness to the love and truth of the Gospel.