Daily Readings - Thu Apr 29 2021

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 encounter profound lessons on humility and service. The first reading from Acts 13:13-25 captures Paul's sermon in the synagogue, where he traces Israel's history and culminates in Jesus as the fulfillment of God's promises. Paul's message is one of humility and faith, showing how God's plan unfolds through history. In the Gospel, John 13:16-20, Jesus emphasizes that a servant is not greater than the master, teaching the disciples about humility and unity. He warns of betrayal but assures them that receiving others is receiving Him and the Father. Both readings highlight the importance of humility and service. Paul's recounting of Israel's history is not just a historical account but a humble acknowledgment of God's grace. Jesus' words challenge us to embrace a life of service, understanding that true greatness lies in humility. The connection between the readings lies in their emphasis on servanthood and unity, reminding us that our actions reflect our relationship with God. Applying this to our lives, we are called to embrace humility in our interactions and service to others. Just as Paul and Jesus exemplified, we should approach life with a humble heart, recognizing that our service to others is service to God. The moral lesson here is the transformative power of humility and unity, urging us to live as servants of God, reflecting His love in our actions and fostering unity in our communities. Let us strive to embody this humility, allowing it to guide our daily lives and interactions.