Daily Readings - Mon May 18 2020
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 encounter two powerful moments of faith and grace. The first reading from Acts tells the story of Lydia, a wealthy merchant from Thyatira, who becomes one of the first converts to Christianity in Europe. Paul and his companions arrive in Philippi, and on the Sabbath, they encounter Lydia by the river, where she is gathered with other women for prayer. The Lord opens her heart to Paul’s preaching, and she, along with her household, is baptized. This moment marks the beginning of the Church’s expansion into Europe, showing how the Holy Spirit works through ordinary people in extraordinary ways.
The Gospel reading from John takes us to Jesus’ farewell discourse, where He prepares His disciples for the challenges they will face after His departure. Jesus speaks of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, who will come to testify about Him and guide the disciples in their mission. He warns them that they will face persecution and expulsion from the synagogues, but He reassures them that the Spirit will give them the strength to endure. These words remind us that following Christ is not without cost, but with the Spirit’s help, we can remain faithful even in the face of adversity.
Both readings highlight the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church and in our personal lives. In Acts, the Spirit opens Lydia’s heart to receive the Gospel, while in John, the Spirit is promised as a guide and defender for the disciples. These passages remind us that our faith is not just a human effort but is sustained by the divine presence of the Spirit. As we go about our daily lives, we are called to remain open to the Spirit’s prompting, just like Lydia, and to trust in His strength when we face challenges. Let us pray for the courage to bear witness to Christ, knowing that the Spirit is always with us, guiding and sustaining us on our journey of faith.