Daily Readings - Thu May 05 2022
Acts
26And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.27And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,28Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.29Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.30And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?31And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.32The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:33In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.34And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?35Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.36And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?37And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.38And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.39And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.40But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.
John
44No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.45It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.46Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.47Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.48I am that bread of life.49Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.50This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.51I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter powerful narratives that illuminate God’s initiative in reaching out to humanity and our response to His grace. The first reading from Acts 8:26-40 tells the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. Philip, guided by the Holy Spirit, approaches the eunuch who is reading from Isaiah. This encounter leads to the eunuch’s baptism, symbolizing the inclusion of Gentiles in God’s plan. The second reading, John 6:44-51, has Jesus describing Himself as the bread of life, emphasizing that faith comes through the Father’s drawing and that believing in Him grants eternal life.
Both readings highlight God’s proactive role in our salvation. In Acts, the Spirit directs Philip to the eunuch, showing how God seeks out those who are searching for Him. In John, Jesus underscores that faith is a gift from the Father, not a result of human effort. These passages remind us that our faith journey is a response to God’s grace, not our own initiative.
In our daily lives, we are called to be open to the Spirit’s guidance and to share our faith with others, just as Philip did. We should recognize that our encounters with others may be divine appointments. Let us trust in God’s plan and be receptive to His call, nurturing our faith through prayer and community. The moral lesson here is one of trust and receptivity: trusting in God’s plan and being open to His call, just as Philip and the eunuch were. May we, like them, embrace the grace of God and share it with others.