Daily Readings - Wed Jun 05 2019
Acts
28Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.29For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.30Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.31Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.32And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.33I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel.34Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.35I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.36And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all.37And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him,38Sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship.
John
11And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.12While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.13And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.14I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.15I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.16They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.17Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.18As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.19And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two profound moments of transition and trust in God's plan. The first reading from Acts 20:28-38 captures Paul's poignant farewell to the elders of Ephesus. Paul, aware that he will not see them again, entrusts them with the care of the Church, urging vigilance against false teachings and emphasizing the importance of selfless service. He commends them to God, highlighting the power of grace and the virtue of giving over receiving. The Gospel from John 17:11b-19 presents Jesus in prayer, seeking protection and sanctification for His disciples. Jesus asks the Father to preserve them in unity and truth, even as they remain in the world, just as He was sent into the world.
Both readings are set in contexts of transition and trust. Paul, facing imprisonment and eventual martyrdom, hands over the responsibility of leadership to the elders, trusting in God's grace to sustain them. Jesus, on the eve of His Passion, intercedes for His disciples, trusting the Father to protect and sanctify them. These moments of transition highlight the importance of unity and truth in the life of the Church. Just as Paul entrusted the elders to God’s care, and Jesus entrusted His disciples to the Father, we too are called to trust in God’s providence as we navigate our own challenges and transitions.
These readings invite us to reflect on our role as stewards of God’s flock and as disciples sent into the world. Like Paul, we are called to serve selflessly, to guard against false teachings, and to trust in God’s power to build up the Church. Like Jesus’ disciples, we are called to remain in the world, even as we are sanctified in truth. May we, like Paul and Jesus, entrust ourselves and others to God, knowing that He is our strength and our inheritance. Let us strive to live as one in unity and truth, even as we face the challenges of our own time.