Daily Readings - Wed May 12 2021
Acts
15Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.16Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols.17So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.18Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, "What does this babbler wish to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities"--because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.19And they took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?20For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean."21Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.22So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: "Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious.23For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, 'To the unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.24The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man,25nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.26And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,27that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,28for "'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, "'For we are indeed his offspring.'29Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.30The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,31because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead."32Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, "We will hear you again about this."33So Paul went out from their midst.34But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.
1After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
John
12"I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.14He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.15All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two profound moments of revelation and truth. The first reading from Acts describes Paul’s encounter with the people of Athens, a city steeped in idolatry and philosophical inquiry. Paul, moved by the spirit, engages the Athenians in their own cultural and philosophical context, using the altar to the “unknown God” as a bridge to proclaim the one true God. He explains that this God is the creator of all, who does not dwell in temples but is close to every person. While some mock him, others open their hearts to the truth. The Gospel from John, on the other hand, presents Jesus speaking about the Spirit of truth, who will guide the disciples into all truth and reveal the things to come. The Spirit will glorify Jesus by taking what is His and announcing it to the disciples, emphasizing that everything the Father has belongs to Jesus.
These readings, though from different contexts, are deeply connected. In Acts, Paul is revealing the truth of God to a world steeped in idolatry and ignorance, while in John, Jesus is promising the Spirit who will reveal the truth of God to His disciples. Both readings emphasize the universal and eternal nature of God’s truth. Paul’s approach in Athens reminds us that the Gospel must be inculturated, meeting people where they are, while John’s passage underscores the role of the Holy Spirit in guiding us to the fullness of truth. Together, they invite us to seek God in all things and to remain open to the Spirit’s guidance in understanding and living out the truth.
In our daily lives, these readings challenge us to embrace the universal presence of God and to be bold in sharing the truth. Like Paul, we are called to engage our world with sensitivity and courage, using the language and experiences of those around us to proclaim the Gospel. At the same time, we must remain humble and open to the Spirit’s guidance, trusting that He will lead us into all truth. The moral lesson here is clear: God’s truth is not confined to temples or ideologies but is revealed in creation, in culture, and in the depths of the human heart. Let us, therefore, seek God in all things and allow the Spirit to transform us and guide us in our mission to share the truth with a world in need.