Daily Readings - Tue Apr 30 2019
Acts
32And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.33And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.34Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,35And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.36And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,37Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
John
7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.8The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.9Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?10Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?11Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.12If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?13And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:15That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the transformative power of faith and the call to live as a community united in love and generosity. In the first reading from Acts, we see the early Christian community living in harmony, sharing their possessions, and ensuring that no one was in need. This was not a communism born of obligation but a radical expression of their faith in the Risen Christ. The Apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit, bore witness to the Resurrection, and the people, in turn, bore witness to their faith through their actions. This passage reminds us that true faith is not just about words but about how we live and share the blessings we have received.
In the Gospel, Jesus speaks to Nicodemus about the necessity of being "born anew" by the Spirit. Jesus emphasizes that the Spirit moves freely and mysteriously, and those who are born of the Spirit will reflect this in their lives. He then lifts Nicodemus' gaze to heaven, pointing to himself as the Son of Man who must be "lifted up" for the salvation of the world. This exchange challenges us to move beyond superficial understanding and to embrace the profound truth of God's love revealed in Jesus Christ. Just as the serpent was lifted up in the desert to bring healing, so too is Jesus lifted up on the cross to bring eternal life to all who believe.
These readings are deeply connected. The early Christian community in Acts was able to live with such radical generosity because they had been born anew by the Spirit and had accepted the testimony of Jesus. Their unity and selflessness were not just human efforts but the fruit of the Spirit working in them. For us today, the readings call us to examine how we are living out our faith. Are we allowing the Spirit to move freely in our lives? Are we sharing the blessings we have received with those in need? Let us ask for the grace to be born anew and to live in such a way that our actions bear witness to the love and truth of the Gospel.