Daily Readings - Wed May 27 2020

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 hear St. Paul’s heartfelt farewell to the elders of Ephesus and Jesus’ prayer for His disciples. In Acts, Paul reminds the leaders of their sacred responsibility to care for the flock, warning them of dangers both from outside and within. He expresses trust in God’s grace and emphasizes the importance of selfless service, recalling Jesus’ words about the blessedness of giving. In John’s Gospel, Jesus prays for His disciples, asking the Father to protect and sanctify them, not to remove them from the world but to equip them for their mission in it. Both readings highlight the themes of leadership, unity, and the divine call to serve others. These passages are deeply connected. Paul, as a leader, mirrors Jesus’ own prayer and example. Both emphasize the importance of unity and the need for protection from evil. Paul’s tears and Jesus’ prayer reveal a profound love for those entrusted to their care. They remind us that true leadership is not about power but about serving and sacrificing for the well-being of others. Both readings also underscore the reality that followers of Christ are called to live in the world but not to be conformed to it. We are to be sanctified in truth, living as witnesses of God’s love. In our daily lives, these readings invite us to reflect on how we care for one another and how we live out our faith in the world. Like Paul, we are called to be vigilant and generous, using our talents to support the weak and to build up the Body of Christ. Like Jesus’ disciples, we are sent into the world to share God’s love, even as we remain connected to Him through prayer and His Word. Let us strive to live with the same selflessness and unity that Paul and Jesus modeled. May we, too, be sanctified in truth and become instruments of God’s grace in the world.