Daily Readings - Mon May 07 2018
Acts
11From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day on to Neapolis.12From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.13On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there.14One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message.15When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. "If you consider me a believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us.
John
1"All this I have told you so that you will not go astray.2They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.3They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.4I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you.
Sermon
In today's readings, we journey through two pivotal moments in the spread of Christianity. The first reading from Acts 16:11-15 recounts Paul's arrival in Philippi, where he encounters Lydia, a devout woman whose heart is opened by God to receive his message. This encounter not only marks the beginning of Christianity in Europe but also highlights the transformative power of faith. The second reading, John 15:26-16:4a, finds Jesus preparing his disciples for the challenges ahead, promising the Holy Spirit as their Advocate and warning them of the persecutions they will face. These readings intertwine the themes of evangelization and perseverance in the face of adversity.
The context of Acts 16:11-15 is set during Paul's second missionary journey, where he is divinely directed to Philippi. Lydia's conversion exemplifies the Gentile mission, showing that God's plan extends beyond the Jewish community. In John's Gospel, Jesus speaks to his disciples in the Upper Room, comforting them with the promise of the Holy Spirit, who will guide and strengthen them. These passages remind us that the spread of the Gospel is both a divine initiative and a human response, requiring openness and courage.
Applying these readings to our lives, we are called to be like Lydia—receptive to God's word and generous in sharing our faith. Just as the Holy Spirit empowered the early Christians, we too can rely on the Spirit's guidance in our own challenges. The moral lesson here is one of trust and courage: trust in God's plan and the Holy Spirit's presence, and courage to witness to Christ despite any trials. Let us embrace our role as modern-day disciples, spreading the Gospel with openness and perseverance, knowing that the Spirit is our ever-present Advocate.