Daily Readings - Thu May 05 2022
Acts
26Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." This is a desert place.27And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship28and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.29And the Spirit said to Philip, "Go over and join this chariot."30So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?"31And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.32Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: "Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth.33In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth."34And the eunuch said to Philip, "About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?"35Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.36And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?"37See Footnote38And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.39And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.40But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
John
44No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.45It is written in the Prophets, 'And they will all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me--46not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father.47Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.48I am the bread of life.49Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.50This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh."
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.