Daily Readings - Wed Jun 05 2019
Acts
28Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.29I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;30and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.31Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears.32And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.33I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel.34You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me.35In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"36And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.37And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him,38being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.
John
11And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.12While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.13But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.14I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.15I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.16They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.17Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.18As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.19And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two profound moments of transition and trust in God's plan. The first reading from Acts 20:28-38 captures Paul's poignant farewell to the elders of Ephesus. Paul, aware that he will not see them again, entrusts them with the care of the Church, urging vigilance against false teachings and emphasizing the importance of selfless service. He commends them to God, highlighting the power of grace and the virtue of giving over receiving. The Gospel from John 17:11b-19 presents Jesus in prayer, seeking protection and sanctification for His disciples. Jesus asks the Father to preserve them in unity and truth, even as they remain in the world, just as He was sent into the world.
Both readings are set in contexts of transition and trust. Paul, facing imprisonment and eventual martyrdom, hands over the responsibility of leadership to the elders, trusting in God's grace to sustain them. Jesus, on the eve of His Passion, intercedes for His disciples, trusting the Father to protect and sanctify them. These moments of transition highlight the importance of unity and truth in the life of the Church. Just as Paul entrusted the elders to God’s care, and Jesus entrusted His disciples to the Father, we too are called to trust in God’s providence as we navigate our own challenges and transitions.
These readings invite us to reflect on our role as stewards of God’s flock and as disciples sent into the world. Like Paul, we are called to serve selflessly, to guard against false teachings, and to trust in God’s power to build up the Church. Like Jesus’ disciples, we are called to remain in the world, even as we are sanctified in truth. May we, like Paul and Jesus, entrust ourselves and others to God, knowing that He is our strength and our inheritance. Let us strive to live as one in unity and truth, even as we face the challenges of our own time.