St. Paul tells us that he worships God "with a clear conscience as my ancestors did" even though his faith is moving in a different direction. Are we still open, in good faith, to allowing the Power of God to lead us in new directions in our understanding of scriptures?
Fr. Scott Steinkerchner, OP breaks open the readings for the Feast of the Ascension, contrasting how the disciples were told to wait for the Holy Spirit, but were also to go out and use those gifts to preach the Good News to the ends of the earth.<br>
Paul preaches to the leading philosophers of his day... to mixed reviews. We are all called to share our faith, not to convince others.
Paul carries on preaching despite opposition in Philippi, while the disciples are sad at Jesus' departure. The first is an example of staying the course, which was good, and the second was an example of not wanting to change, which was bad. In the spiritual life, change is good when it supports growth and a greater ownership of the ministry of preaching the Good News.
For 7 May 2024, Tuesday of teh sixth week of Easter, based on Acts 17:15,?22-18:1
Fr. Scott Steinkerchner, OP breaks open the readings for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, lifting up Jesus' comment: "This is my commandment: that you love one another as I have loved you." Trusting the love of God shown in Jesus and reflecting that love to others should be the center of our faith.<br>
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Readings: Acts 10:25-26,34-35,44-48, 1 John 4:7-10, John 15:9-17
For 2 May 2024, Thursday of the fifth week of Easter, based on Acts 15:7-21
For 23 April 2024, Tuesday of the fourth week of Easter, based on Acts 11:19-26
Though his role was to feed the widows and orphans, Philip left Jerusalem to avoid persecution and preached Christ to great effect in a town in Samaria. We all have official roles in our communities, but we have to discern to find what our real role is in helping to unfold the Kingdom of God.
St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, looked up to heaven as he was being stoned to death and asked Jesus not to hold this sin against his executioners. If we hate our enemies or want them to be punished, then Stephen has a lesson for us, that we should instead look forward to reuniting with them in heaven some day.