Daily Readings - Thu May 30 2019
Acts
1After these things, having departed from Athens, he arrived at Corinth2And upon finding a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with Priscilla his wife, (because Claudius had ordered all Jews to depart from Rome,) he met with them3And because he was of the same trade, he lodged with them and was working. (Now they were tentmakers by trade.4And he was arguing in the synagogue on every Sabbath, introducing the name of the Lord Jesus. And he was persuading Jews and Greeks5And when Silas and Timothy had arrived from Macedonia, Paul stood firm in the Word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ6But since they were contradicting him and blaspheming, he shook out his garments and said to them: "Your blood is on your own heads. I am clean. From now on, I will go to the Gentiles.7And moving from that place, he entered into the house of a certain man, named Titus the Just, a worshiper of God, whose house was adjoined to the synagogue8Now Crispus, a leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, with his entire house. And many of the Corinthians, upon hearing, believed and were baptized
John
16A little while, and then you will not see me. And again a little while, and you will see me. For I am going to the Father.17Then some of his disciples said to one another: "What is this, that he is saying to us: ‘A little while, and you will not see me,’ and ‘Again a little while, and you will see me,’ and, ‘For I am going to the Father?’ 18And they said: "What is this, that he is saying, ‘A little while?’ We do not understand what he is saying.19But Jesus realized that they wanted to question him, and so he said to them: "Are you inquiring among yourselves about this, that I said: ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me?20Amen, amen, I say to you, that you shall mourn and weep, but the world will rejoice. And you shall be greatly saddened, yet your sorrow shall be turned into joy
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on faith, perseverance, and the transformative power of God’s plan in our lives. The first reading from Acts 18:1-8 describes Paul’s missionary journey to Corinth. Despite facing opposition and blasphemy from the Jews, Paul remains steadfast in his mission, eventually turning to the Gentiles. His perseverance leads to the conversion of many, including Crispus, a synagogue leader, and his household. This passage reminds us that our faith must be resilient, even in the face of adversity, for God’s plan often unfolds in unexpected ways.
The Gospel from John 16:16-20 shifts our focus to Jesus’ final words to his disciples before his Passion. He speaks of a “little while” when they will not see him, followed by a time when they will see him again. The disciples are confused and saddened by these words, but Jesus assures them that their sorrow will turn to joy. This passage invites us to trust in God’s timing and to find hope in the midst of uncertainty. Just as the disciples would come to understand the deeper meaning of Jesus’ words after his Resurrection, we too can learn to see God’s plan unfolding in our lives, even when the path seems unclear.
These readings call us to embrace faith and perseverance in our daily lives. Like Paul, we are called to remain steadfast in our mission to share the Gospel, even when faced with challenges. Like the disciples, we are invited to trust in God’s plan, knowing that our sorrows will ultimately be transformed into joy. Let us ask for the grace to remain faithful, to trust in God’s timing, and to find hope in the promise of eternal life.