Daily Readings - Wed May 28 2025
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 powerful moments of revelation and truth. In the first reading from Acts, Paul stands in the heart of Athens, surrounded by idols and philosophical debates. He seizes the opportunity to proclaim the one true God, using the altar inscribed “To the Unknown God” as a bridge to the Athenians’ understanding. Paul’s message is clear: the God who created all things, who is beyond human-made temples and statues, is the same God who calls all people to seek Him. This passage reminds us that even in the midst of confusion and idolatry, God’s truth can shine through when we engage the world with wisdom and love.
In the Gospel, Jesus speaks about the Spirit of truth, who will guide His disciples into the fullness of truth. The Holy Spirit, He says, will take what belongs to Him and reveal it to us, glorifying Jesus in the process. This passage invites us to trust in the Holy Spirit’s guidance in our lives. Just as the Spirit led Paul to proclaim the Gospel in Athens, the Spirit continues to lead us today, helping us understand and live out God’s truth in a world that often misunderstands or resists it.
These readings call us to reflect on how we engage with the world around us. Like Paul, we are called to share the Gospel in a way that connects with the people and cultures we encounter. At the same time, we are reminded to rely on the Holy Spirit’s guidance, trusting that He will lead us into deeper understanding and faith. May we, like Paul, be bold in proclaiming God’s truth, and may we, like the disciples, remain open to the Spirit’s prompting in our lives. Let us seek to live as people of truth, guided by the Spirit and rooted in God’s love.