Daily Readings - Thu May 16 2019

¹³And when Paul and those who were with him had sailed from Paphos, they arrived at Perga in Pamphylia. Then John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem¹⁴Yet truly, they, traveling on from Perga, arrived at Antioch in Pisidia. And upon entering the synagogue on the Sabbath day, they sat down¹⁵Then, after the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent to them, saying: "Noble brothers, if there is in you any word of exhortation to the people, speak.¹⁶Then Paul, rising up and motioning for silence with his hand, said: "Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen closely¹⁷The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people, when they were settlers in the land of Egypt. And with an exalted arm, he led them away from there¹⁸And throughout a time of forty years, he endured their behavior in the desert¹⁹And by destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he divided their land among them by lot²⁰after about four hundred and fifty years. And after these things, he gave them judges, even until the prophet Samuel²¹And later on, they petitioned for a king. And God gave them Saul, the son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years²²And having removed him, he raised up for them king David. And offering testimony about him, he said, ‘I have found David, the son of Jesse, to be a man according to my own heart, who will accomplish all that I will.²³From his offspring, according to the Promise, God has brought Jesus the Savior to Israel²⁴John was preaching, before the face of his advent, a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel²⁵Then, when John completed his course, he was saying: ‘I am not the one you consider me to be. For behold, one arrives after me, the shoes of whose feet I am not worthy to loosen.

John

Chapter 13

¹⁶Amen, amen, I say to you, the servant is not greater than his Lord, and the apostle is not greater than he who sent him¹⁷If you understand this, you shall be blessed if you will do it¹⁸I am not speaking about all of you. I know those whom I have chosen. But this is so that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with me shall lift up his heel against me.¹⁹And I tell you this now, before it happens, so that when it has happened, you may believe that I am²⁰Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives anyone whom I send, receives me. And whoever receives me, receives him who sent me.

Sermon

In today's readings, we journey through two significant moments in the narrative of faith. The first reading from Acts 13 finds Paul addressing a synagogue, where he succinctly recounts Israel's history, from their origins in Egypt to the arrival of Jesus as the Savior. This historical account is not merely a recitation of past events but a bridge connecting the community's heritage to the present reality of salvation through Jesus. Paul's message is one of fulfillment, highlighting how Jesus embodies the culmination of God's promises. In the Gospel of John 13, Jesus engages His disciples during the Last Supper, discussing themes of servant leadership and betrayal. He underscores the humility required in following Him, noting that a servant is not greater than the master. This passage also touches on the pain of betrayal, with Jesus foreseeing one of His closest disciples turning against Him. Yet, amidst this foresight, He emphasizes the importance of receiving His messengers as receiving Himself and the Father. These readings intertwine the themes of divine plan and discipleship. Paul's address in Acts illustrates God's overarching plan, while John's passage delves into the personal challenges of following Jesus. Together, they call us to embrace humility and trust in God's plan, even when faced with adversity. In our daily lives, this means living as servants, trusting in God's providence, and being open to receiving others with the same grace we would extend to Christ. The moral here is clear: our faith is lived through humble service and unwavering trust in God's plan.