Daily Readings - Wed Jun 01 2022
Acts
28Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.29I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.30Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.31So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.32"Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.33I have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing.34You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.35In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"36When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.37They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him.38What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.
John
11I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name--the name you gave me--so that they may be one as we are one.12While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.13"I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.14I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.15My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.16They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.17Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.18As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.19For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two profound moments of leadership and devotion. The first reading from Acts 20:28-38 captures Paul's heartfelt farewell to the elders of Ephesus. He entrusts them with the care of the Church, purchased by God's blood, warning them of impending challenges and false teachers. Paul emphasizes his own integrity and the importance of generosity, concluding with an emotional departure. The Gospel, John 17:11b-19, presents Jesus' prayer for His disciples, seeking their protection and unity in God's name. He acknowledges the world's hatred but desires their sanctification in truth, not removal from the world.
Both readings are set in contexts of transition and concern for the community. Paul is leaving Ephesus, knowing he won't return, while Jesus is preparing His disciples for His departure. The common theme is the importance of unity and protection. Paul urges vigilance and selflessness, while Jesus prays for unity and sanctification, highlighting the need to remain in the world while being set apart by God's truth.
In our daily lives, these readings call us to embrace unity and trust in God's protection. Just as Paul and Jesus entrusted their communities to God, we too can find strength in prayer and fidelity. We are reminded to live generously and remain faithful, even in challenging times. The moral lesson is clear: our unity in Christ and adherence to His truth are our greatest protections, enabling us to thrive in a world that often opposes our values. Let us strive to embody this unity and trust, living as sanctified beings in a world that needs God's light.