Daily Readings - Mon May 16 2022

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 transformative power of God’s love. In the first reading from Acts, we see Paul and Barnabas facing persecution and fleeing to Lystra, where they encounter a lame man who is healed through Paul’s faith. The crowd, in awe of the miracle, mistakenly worships them as gods. Yet, Paul and Barnabas quickly correct them, insisting that they are mere mortals and pointing the people to the one true God. This passage highlights the missionaries’ humility and their unwavering commitment to spreading the Gospel, even in the face of misunderstanding and danger. In the Gospel, Jesus speaks about the relationship between love, obedience, and the presence of God. He explains that those who love him will keep his commandments, and in turn, the Father will love them. Jesus also promises that he and the Father will dwell with those who keep his word. This teaching emphasizes that love for God is not just a feeling but is expressed through actions—specifically, through obedience to his teachings. Jesus also hints at the role of the Holy Spirit, who will guide and remind the disciples of all that Jesus has taught them. Together, these readings remind us that our faith is not about seeking glory for ourselves but about humbly pointing others to God. Like Paul and Barnabas, we are called to live with humility and integrity, recognizing that any good we do is a gift from God. At the same time, Jesus’ words in the Gospel challenge us to examine how we express our love for him through our actions. Do we keep his commandments? Do we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in living out our faith? Let us strive to live in such a way that our lives reflect God’s love and truth, and may we always remember that our ultimate dwelling place is with him.