Daily Readings - Wed Apr 30 2025
Acts
17Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy.18They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.19But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out.20"Go, stand in the temple courts," he said, "and tell the people the full message of this new life."21At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.22When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin--the full assembly of the elders of Israel--and sent to the jail for the apostles. But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported,23"We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside."24On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were puzzled, wondering what would come of this.25Then someone came and said, "Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people."26At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them.
John
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on the nature of faith, obedience, and the eternal struggle between light and darkness. The first reading from Acts recounts the Apostles’ miraculous escape from prison, where an angel of the Lord frees them to continue their mission of preaching the Gospel. Despite the authorities’ attempts to silence them, the Apostles remain steadfast in their obedience to God, even in the face of persecution. The Gospel from John, on the other hand, presents us with one of the most profound expressions of God’s love: the gift of His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ. This passage reminds us that God’s desire is not to condemn the world but to save it, yet it also warns that those who reject the light of truth will dwell in darkness.
The readings are deeply connected in their emphasis on the tension between human resistance to God’s will and the unstoppable power of divine love. In Acts, the Sadducees and temple authorities represent the forces of opposition to the Gospel, yet they are no match for the divine plan. Similarly, in John’s Gospel, the world is divided between those who embrace the light of Christ and those who prefer the darkness of sin. Both readings call us to consider where we stand in this spiritual divide. Are we among those who cling to the light, even when it challenges us, or do we find comfort in the shadows of our own making?
As we apply these readings to our daily lives, we are reminded that faith is not a passive belief but an active commitment to living in the light of Christ. Just as the Apostles continued to preach despite imprisonment, we too must remain faithful in the face of trials and setbacks. The moral lesson here is clear: God’s love is always available to us, but we must choose to accept it and live according to His truth. Let us ask ourselves: Are we willing to stand firm in our faith, even when the world around us seems hostile? Do we trust in God’s plan, even when the path ahead is uncertain? May we, like the Apostles, be courageous in our witness and may we, like the Father, love without condition, that we might walk ever more closely in the light of His Son, Jesus Christ.