Daily Readings - Mon May 20 2019

⁵There was a plot afoot among the Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them.⁶But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country,⁷where they continued to preach the good news.⁸In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked.⁹He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed¹⁰and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.¹¹When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in human form!"¹²Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker.¹³The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.¹⁴But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting:¹⁵"Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.¹⁶In the past, he let all nations go their own way.¹⁷Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy."¹⁸Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.

John

Chapter 14

²¹Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."²²Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?"²³Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.²⁴He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.²⁵"All this I have spoken while still with you.²⁶But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of faith, humility, and the living relationship we have with God. In the first reading from Acts, Paul and Barnabas face both persecution and mistaken adoration. They flee from those who seek to harm them but continue to preach the Gospel. When they heal a lame man in Lystra, the crowd mistakenly worships them as gods. Paul and Barnabas quickly correct this misunderstanding, emphasizing that they are mere mortals and pointing the people to the one true God who creates and sustains all things. This passage reminds us that our faith is not about seeking glory for ourselves but about directing others to God. In the Gospel, Jesus speaks about the intimate relationship between love, obedience, and the presence of God. He explains that those who love Him will keep His commandments, and in return, the Father and the Son will dwell with them. Jesus also addresses Judas’ question about why He manifests Himself to believers but not to the world. He emphasizes that love and obedience are the keys to understanding His presence, and He promises the Holy Spirit as a guide and comforter. This passage invites us to reflect on how our love for God is expressed through our actions and our willingness to follow His will. Together, these readings challenge us to live with humility and trust in God’s providence. Like Paul and Barnabas, we may face challenges or misunderstandings, but our focus should always be on pointing others to God. Like the disciples, we are called to love God through obedience and to remain open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In our daily lives, let us strive to be humble servants of God, recognizing that all good comes from Him. Let us also nurture our relationship with God through prayer and fidelity to His commandments, trusting that He will always be with us, even when the world does not understand.