Daily Readings - Thu May 05 2022
Acts
26Now an Angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Rise up and go toward the south, to the way which descends from Jerusalem into Gaza, where there is a desert.27And rising up, he went. And behold, an Ethiopian man, a eunuch, powerful under Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasures, had arrived in Jerusalem to worship28And while returning, he was sitting upon his chariot and reading from the prophet Isaiah29Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Draw near and join yourself to this chariot.30And Philip, hurrying, heard him reading from the prophet Isaiah, and he said, "Do you think that you understand what you are reading?31And he said, "But how can I, unless someone will have revealed it to me?" And he asked Philip to climb up and sit with him32Now the place in Scripture that he was reading was this: "Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter. And like a lamb silent before his shearer, so he opened not his mouth33He endured his judgment with humility. Who of his generation shall describe how his life was taken away from the earth?34Then the eunuch responded to Philip, saying: "I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this? About himself, or about someone else?35Then Philip, opening his mouth and beginning from this Scripture, evangelized Jesus to him36And while they were going along the way, they arrived at a certain water source. And the eunuch said: "There is water. What would prevent me from being baptized?37Then Philip said, "If you believe from your whole heart, it is permitted." And he responded by saying, "I believe the Son of God to be Jesus the Christ.38And he ordered the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch descended into the water. And he baptized him39And when they had ascended from the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him anymore. Then he went on his way, rejoicing40Now Philip was found in Azotus. And continuing on, he evangelized all the cities, until he arrived in Caesarea
John
44No one is able to come to me, unless the Father, who has sent me, has drawn him. And I will raise him up on the last day45It has been written in the Prophets: ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has listened and learned from the Father comes to me46Not that anyone has seen the Father, except he who is from God; this one has seen the Father47Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me has eternal life48I am the bread of life49Your fathers ate manna in the desert, and they died50This is the bread which descends from heaven, so that if anyone will eat from it, he may not die51I am the living bread, who descended from heaven. If anyone eats from this bread, he shall live in eternity. And the bread that I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter powerful narratives that illuminate God’s initiative in reaching out to humanity and our response to His grace. The first reading from Acts 8:26-40 tells the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. Philip, guided by the Holy Spirit, approaches the eunuch who is reading from Isaiah. This encounter leads to the eunuch’s baptism, symbolizing the inclusion of Gentiles in God’s plan. The second reading, John 6:44-51, has Jesus describing Himself as the bread of life, emphasizing that faith comes through the Father’s drawing and that believing in Him grants eternal life.
Both readings highlight God’s proactive role in our salvation. In Acts, the Spirit directs Philip to the eunuch, showing how God seeks out those who are searching for Him. In John, Jesus underscores that faith is a gift from the Father, not a result of human effort. These passages remind us that our faith journey is a response to God’s grace, not our own initiative.
In our daily lives, we are called to be open to the Spirit’s guidance and to share our faith with others, just as Philip did. We should recognize that our encounters with others may be divine appointments. Let us trust in God’s plan and be receptive to His call, nurturing our faith through prayer and community. The moral lesson here is one of trust and receptivity: trusting in God’s plan and being open to His call, just as Philip and the eunuch were. May we, like them, embrace the grace of God and share it with others.