Daily Readings - Fri Apr 24 2020
Acts
34But someone in the council, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law honored by all the people, rose up and ordered the men to be put outside briefly35And he said to them: "Men of Israel, you should be careful in your intentions about these men36For before these days, Theudas stepped forward, asserting himself to be someone, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined with him. But he was killed, and all who believed in him were scattered, and they were reduced to nothing37After this one, Judas the Galilean stepped forward, in the days of the enrollment, and he turned the people toward himself. But he also perished, and all of them, as many as had joined with him, were dispersed38And now therefore, I say to you, withdraw from these men and leave them alone. For if this counsel or work is of men, it will be broken39Yet truly, if it is of God, you will not be able to break it, and perhaps you might be found to have fought against God." And they agreed with him40And calling in the Apostles, having beaten them, they warned them not to speak at all in the name of Jesus. And they dismissed them41And indeed, they went forth from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were considered worthy to suffer insult on behalf of the name of Jesus42And every day, in the temple and among the houses, they did not cease to teach and to evangelize Christ Jesus
John
1After these things, Jesus traveled across the sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias2And a great multitude was following him, for they saw the signs that he was accomplishing toward those who were infirm3Therefore, Jesus went onto a mountain, and he sat down there with his disciples4Now the Passover, the feast day of the Jews, was near5And so, when Jesus had lifted up his eyes and had seen that a very great multitude came to him, he said to Philip, "From where should we buy bread, so that these may eat?6But he said this to test him. For he himself knew what he would do7Philip answered him, "Two hundred denarii of bread would not be sufficient for each of them to receive even a little.8One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him9"There is a certain boy here, who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are these among so many?10Then Jesus said, "Have the men sit down to eat." Now, there was much grass in that place. And so the men, in number about five thousand, sat down to eat11Therefore, Jesus took the bread, and when he had given thanks, he distributed it to those who were sitting down to eat; similarly also, from the fish, as much as they wanted12Then, when they were filled, he said to his disciples, "Gather the fragments that are left over, lest they be lost.13And so they gathered, and they filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which were left over from those who had eaten14Therefore, those men, when they had seen that Jesus had accomplished a sign, they said, "Truly, this one is the Prophet who is to come into the world.15And so, when he realized that they were going to come and take him away and make him king, Jesus fled back to the mountain, by himself alone
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two profound moments of faith and trust in God’s providence. The first reading from Acts describes a pivotal moment in the early Christian Church. Gamaliel, a respected Pharisee, advises the council to refrain from persecuting the apostles, suggesting that if their work is of God, it cannot be stopped. His words of caution and discernment lead the council to release the apostles, who then continue their mission with renewed vigor, undeterred by the warnings they received. This passage reminds us of the importance of discernment and trust in God’s plan, even in the face of uncertainty or opposition.
The Gospel reading from John presents the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand. Jesus, seeing the vast crowd following him, tests Philip by asking how they might feed so many people. Despite the seeming impossibility of the situation, a young boy offers his five barley loaves and two fish. Jesus takes this small offering, gives thanks, and multiplies it to feed the entire crowd. This miracle is not just about the provision of food; it is a revelation of Jesus’ divine nature and his ability to take our small, insignificant offerings and turn them into something extraordinary. It invites us to trust in God’s abundance and to step out in faith, even when our resources seem inadequate.
Both readings call us to trust in God’s plan and providence. In Acts, we see the apostles rejoicing in their suffering because they trusted that God was at work. In John’s Gospel, we see Jesus taking a small offering and using it to accomplish something far beyond human expectation. These stories encourage us to approach life with faith, knowing that God can take our limited efforts and turn them into something greater. Let us, like the apostles and the boy with the loaves, offer what little we have to God, trusting that he will use it to accomplish his will. In doing so, we may find that even in the face of challenges, we can rejoice in the knowledge that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves.