Daily Readings - Sun May 14 2023

⁵Now Philip, descending to a city of Samaria, was preaching Christ to them⁶And the crowd was listening intently and with one accord to those things which were being said by Philip, and they were watching the signs which he was accomplishing⁷For many of them had unclean spirits, and, crying out with a loud voice, these departed from them⁸And many of the paralytics and the lame were cured¹⁴Now when the Apostles who were in Jerusalem had heard that Samaria had received the Word of God, they sent Peter and John to them¹⁵And when they had arrived, they prayed for them, so that they might receive the Holy Spirit¹⁶For he had not yet come to any among them, since they were only baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus¹⁷Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit

1 Peter

Chapter 3

¹⁵But sanctify Christ the Lord in your hearts, being always ready to give an explanation to all who ask you the reason for that hope which is in you¹⁶But do so with meekness and fear, having a good conscience, so that, in whatever matter they may slander you, they shall be confounded, since they falsely accuse your good behavior in Christ¹⁷For it is better to suffer for doing good, if it is the will of God, than for doing evil¹⁸For Christ also died once for our sins, the Just One on behalf of the unjust, so that he might offer us to God, having died, certainly, in the flesh, but having been enlivened by the Spirit

John

Chapter 14

¹⁵If you love me, keep my commandments¹⁶And I will ask the Father, and he will give another Advocate to you, so that he may abide with you for eternity¹⁷the Spirit of Truth, whom the world is not able to accept, because it neither perceives him nor knows him. But you shall know him. For he will remain with you, and he will be in you¹⁸I will not leave you orphans. I will return to you¹⁹Yet a little while and the world will not see me any longer. But you will see me. For I live, and you shall live²⁰In that day, you shall know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you²¹Whoever holds to my commandments and keeps them: it is he who loves me. And whoever loves me shall be loved by my Father. And I will love him, and I will manifest myself to him.

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter powerful themes of faith, the Holy Spirit, and living out our beliefs with integrity. The first reading from Acts describes Philip’s missionary work in Samaria, where he preaches and performs miracles, leading many to faith. The Apostles then send Peter and John to confer the Holy Spirit upon the new believers through the laying on of hands. This passage highlights the early Church’s structure and the essential role of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers. The second reading from 1 Peter emphasizes the importance of sanctifying Christ in our hearts and being prepared to share our faith with others. Peter encourages believers to live with meekness and a clear conscience, even in the face of suffering, for it is better to suffer for doing good than for evil. This letter, written to early Christians facing persecution, reminds us that our actions and attitudes should reflect our faith in Christ. In the Gospel, Jesus speaks to His disciples about the promise of the Holy Spirit, who will abide with them forever. He connects obedience to His commandments with the expression of love for Him. Jesus assures them of His continued presence through the Spirit and promises that those who love Him will be loved by the Father. This passage from John’s farewell discourse underscores the unity between Jesus, the Father, and believers, sustained by the Holy Spirit. These readings are interconnected through the theme of the Holy Spirit and the call to live out our faith authentically. In Acts, the Spirit is the gift that completes the initiation of the Samaritan believers. In 1 Peter, the Spirit empowers believers to endure suffering with integrity. In John’s Gospel, the Spirit is the ongoing presence of Jesus in the lives of His disciples. Together, they remind us that the Holy Spirit is both a gift and a guide, enabling us to live as witnesses to Christ’s love. As we apply these readings to our daily lives, let us remember that the Holy Spirit is our Advocate and Strength. Like Philip, we are called to share the Good News with others, trusting in the Spirit’s power to transform hearts. Like the early Christians, we are to live with integrity, ready to give an account of our hope in Christ. And like Jesus’ disciples, we are to keep His commandments, knowing that love and obedience are intertwined. May we embrace the moral lesson of these readings: that our faith is not just a set of beliefs, but a way of life. May we rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us, to give us courage in the face of challenges, and to empower us to love as Christ has loved us. Let us strive to live in such a way that our actions and attitudes reflect the presence of Christ within us, and may we always remember that we are never alone, for the Spirit of Truth abides with us.