Daily Readings - Fri Apr 27 2018
Acts
26"Brothers, children of Abraham, and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent.27The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath.28Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed.29When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb.30But God raised him from the dead,31and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people.32"We tell you the good news: What God promised our fathers33he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: "'You are my Son; today I have become your Father. '
John
1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.2In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.4You know the way to the place where I am going."5Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through 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.