Daily Readings - Fri Apr 27 2018
Acts
26Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.27For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.28And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain.29And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.30But God raised him from the dead:31And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people.32And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,33God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.
John
1Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.2In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.4And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.5Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter profound truths about God’s plan of salvation and the hope that lies at the heart of our faith. The first reading from Acts recounts the early Christian preaching of Paul, who explains how the rulers of Jerusalem failed to recognize Jesus as the Messiah despite the fulfillment of the prophets’ words. Paul emphasizes that God raised Jesus from the dead, fulfilling the promises made to the fathers, and that this salvation is now extended to all people. The Gospel from John, part of Jesus’ farewell discourse, offers comfort and clarity to his disciples. Jesus assures them that he is going to prepare a place for them in his Father’s house and that he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the only path to the Father.
These readings are deeply connected in their emphasis on the resurrection and the divine plan. In Acts, Paul’s words remind us that the resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith, the ultimate proof of God’s love and fidelity. In John’s Gospel, Jesus’ words to his disciples remind us that this resurrection hope is not just a future reality but also a present truth. Jesus is the Way, guiding us through the uncertainties of life, and the Truth, revealing God’s love to us. Together, these readings invite us to reflect on the hope that defines us as Christians: the hope of eternal life with God, made possible through the resurrection of Jesus.
As we apply these readings to our daily lives, we are reminded to trust in God’s plan, even when the path ahead seems unclear. Just as Jesus prepared a place for his disciples, he prepares a way for us, no matter the challenges we face. We are called to live with the confidence that Jesus is our guide, our truth, and our life. Let us ask for the grace to follow him faithfully, knowing that he leads us to the Father. May we, like the early Christians, be witnesses to the hope that we have, sharing the Good News of salvation with all those around us.