Daily Readings - Wed May 17 2023
Acts
15The men who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.16While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.17So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.18A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.19Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?20You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean."21(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)22Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.23For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription:|sc TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.24"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.25And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.26From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.27God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.28'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'29"Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone--an image made by man's design and skill.30In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.31For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."32When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject."33At that, Paul left the Council.34A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.
1After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
John
12"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.13But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.14He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.15All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two profound moments of truth and understanding. In Acts, Paul stands before the Athenians, surrounded by the trappings of idolatry, and introduces them to the Unknown God. He bridges their pagan beliefs with the Gospel, explaining that this God is the creator of all, not confined to temples, and calls them to seek Him. In John's Gospel, Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit, who will guide the disciples into all truth and glorify Jesus by revealing what is His.
Both readings highlight the journey of truth and the role of the Holy Spirit. Paul's message in Athens shows how the Gospel can be presented in a way that resonates with diverse audiences, using their existing beliefs as a foundation. Jesus' words emphasize the Spirit's role in illuminating truth, a theme that connects with Paul's missionary work as he relies on the Spirit to guide his preaching.
In our daily lives, these readings invite us to seek God actively and remain open to the Holy Spirit's guidance. Just as Paul adapted his message to engage the Athenians, we should be mindful of how we share our faith with others. The moral lesson here is the importance of living in accordance with God's will, trusting in the Spirit's wisdom to navigate our own journeys of truth and understanding. Let us embrace this wisdom, allowing it to transform our lives and our interactions with the world around us.