Daily Readings - Mon May 29 2017
First Reading - Acts 19.1-8
Acts
And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.And all the men were about twelve.And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.
Gospel - John 16.29-33
John
His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb.Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God.Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe?Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Sermon
Dear friends, in today’s readings, we encounter two powerful moments in the early Christian community and the life of Jesus. In the first reading from Acts, Paul meets some disciples in Ephesus who had only received John’s baptism and hadn’t heard of the Holy Spirit. Paul explains that John’s baptism was a call to repentance, preparing the way for Jesus. These disciples then receive baptism in Jesus’ name, and through Paul’s laying on of hands, they experience the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues and prophesying. This event highlights the transition from the preparatory baptism of John to the fullness of Christian baptism in the Holy Spirit.
In the Gospel, Jesus speaks to His disciples about their growing faith. They acknowledge that He speaks plainly and that they believe He comes from God. Jesus affirms their faith but also warns them about the challenges ahead. He tells them that they will be scattered, but He won’t be alone because the Father is with Him. Jesus offers these words so that they, and we, may have peace in Him and confidence that He has overcome the world.
These readings remind us of the essential role of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Just as those disciples in Ephesus needed to move beyond John’s baptism to receive the fullness of the Spirit, we too are called to live in the power of the Holy Spirit. In a world filled with challenges, Jesus assures us of His peace and victory. Let us trust in His power, knowing that through the Spirit, we can overcome any difficulty. May we, like those early disciples, be bold in our faith and open to the gifts of the Spirit, living each day with the confidence that Jesus has indeed overcome the world.