Free Republic

May 1, 2013   Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter   Reading 1 Acts 15:1-6 Some who had come down from Judea were instructing the brothers,“Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic practice,you cannot be saved.”Because there arose no little dissension and debateby Paul and Barnabas with them,it was decided that Paul, Barnabas, and some of the othersshould go up to Jerusalem to the Apostles and presbytersabout this question. They were sent on their journey by the Church,and passed through Phoenicia and Samariatelling of the conversion of the Gentiles,and brought great joy to all the brethren.When they...

April 30, 2013   Tuesday of Fifth Week of Easter   Reading 1 Acts 14:19-28 In those days, some Jews from Antioch and Iconiumarrived and won over the crowds. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city,supposing that he was dead.But when the disciples gathered around him,he got up and entered the city. On the following day he left with Barnabas for Derbe. After they had proclaimed the good news to that cityand made a considerable number of disciples,they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch.They strengthened the spirits of the disciplesand exhorted them to...

April 29, 2013 Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church   Reading 1 Acts 14:5-18 There was an attempt in Iconiumby both the Gentiles and the Jews,together with their leaders,to attack and stone Paul and Barnabas.They realized it,and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbeand to the surrounding countryside,where they continued to proclaim the Good News. At Lystra there was a crippled man, lame from birth,who had never walked. He listened to Paul speaking, who looked intently at him,saw that he had the faith to be healed,and called out in a loud...

“A Little While” (John 16:12-22)“We do not know what he is talking about.” Maybe you say that sometimes towards the end of my sermons. “We don’t know what he’s talking about!” Well, if so, then I’m in good company, because that’s what the disciples said about a sermon Jesus was preaching. We heard it in today’s Gospel from John 16. “We do not know what he is talking about,” the disciples said. What was it they were puzzled about? It was this. Jesus had just told them: “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a...

April 28, 2013   Fifth Sunday of Easter   Reading 1 Acts 14:21-27 After Paul and Barnabas had proclaimed the good newsto that cityand made a considerable number of disciples,they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch.They strengthened the spirits of the disciplesand exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying,“It is necessary for us to undergo many hardshipsto enter the kingdom of God.”They appointed elders for them in each church and,with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lordin whom they had put their faith.Then they traveled through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia.After proclaiming the word at...

April 27, 2013 Saturday of the Fourth Week of Easter   Reading 1 Acts 13:44-52 On the following sabbathalmost the whole citygathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousyand with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said. Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said,“It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first,but since you reject itand condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life,we now turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us,I have made you a light to the Gentiles,that...

April 26, 2013   Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter   Reading 1 Acts 13:26-33 When Paul came to Antioch in Pisidia, he said in the synagogue:“My brothers, children of the family of Abraham,and those others among you who are God-fearing,to us this word of salvation has been sent. The inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders failed to recognize him,and by condemning him they fulfilled the oracles of the prophetsthat are read sabbath after sabbath. For even though they found no grounds for a death sentence,they asked Pilate to have him put to death,and when they had accomplished...

April 25, 2013 Feast of Saint Mark, Evangelist   Reading 1 1 Pt 5:5b-14 Beloved: Clothe yourselves with humilityin your dealings with one another, for: God opposes the proudbut bestows favor on the humble. So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,that he may exalt you in due time.Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you. Be sober and vigilant.Your opponent the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lionlooking for someone to devour.Resist him, steadfast in faith,knowing that your brothers and sisters throughout the worldundergo the same sufferings.The God of all gracewho called you...

April 24, 2013   Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter   Reading 1 Acts 12:24—13:5a The word of God continued to spread and grow. After Barnabas and Saul completed their relief mission,they returned to Jerusalem,taking with them John, who is called Mark. Now there were in the Church at Antioch prophets and teachers:Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene,Manaen who was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saulfor the work to which I have called them.”...

April 23, 2013 Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter   Reading 1 Acts 11:19-26 Those who had been scattered by the persecutionthat arose because of Stephenwent as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch,preaching the word to no one but Jews.There were some Cypriots and Cyrenians among them, however,who came to Antioch and began to speak to the Greeks as well,proclaiming the Lord Jesus. The hand of the Lord was with themand a great number who believed turned to the Lord. The news about them reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem,and they sent Barnabas to go to...

April 22, 2013 Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter   Reading 1 Acts 11:1-18 The Apostles and the brothers who were in Judeaheard that the Gentiles too had accepted the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalemthe circumcised believers confronted him, saying,‘You entered the house of uncircumcised people and ate with them.” Peter began and explained it to them step by step, saying,“I was at prayer in the city of Joppawhen in a trance I had a vision,something resembling a large sheet coming down,lowered from the sky by its four corners, and it came to...

April 21, 2013   Fourth Sunday of Easter   Reading 1 Acts 13:14, 43-52 Paul and Barnabas continued on from Pergaand reached Antioch in Pisidia.On the sabbath they entered the synagogue and took their seats.Many Jews and worshipers who were converts to Judaismfollowed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to themand urged them to remain faithful to the grace of God. On the following sabbath almost the whole city gatheredto hear the word of the Lord.When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousyand with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said.Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and...

“The Good Shepherd Cares for His Sheep” (John 10:14-15, 22-30; Acts 20:17-35; Revelation 7:9-17)Today is what is usually called “Good Shepherd Sunday.” Every year on this Sunday in the Easter season, the theme of all the parts of the service is Jesus as the Good Shepherd of the sheep, his flock, the church. He lays down his life for the sheep and takes it up again--that’s the Easter connection. On Good Shepherd Sunday, the Holy Gospel is always a portion of John 10, in which Jesus identifies himself as that shepherd several times. The other two readings also fit the...

April 20, 2013   Saturday of the Third Week of Easter   Reading 1 Acts 9:31-42 The Church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samariawas at peace. She was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord,and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit she grew in numbers. As Peter was passing through every region,he went down to the holy ones living in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas,who had been confined to bed for eight years, for he was paralyzed. Peter said to him,“Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed.”...

April 19, 2013 Friday of the Third Week of Easter   Reading 1 Acts 9:1-20 Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord,went to the high priest and asked himfor letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that,if he should find any men or women who belonged to the Way,he might bring them back to Jerusalem in chains. On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus,a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him,“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”He said, “Who are you, sir?”...

April 18, 2013 Thursday of the Third Week of Easter   Reading 1 Acts 8:26-40 The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip,“Get up and head south on the roadthat goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route.” So he got up and set out. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch,a court official of the Candace,that is, the queen of the Ethiopians,in charge of her entire treasury,who had come to Jerusalem to worship, and was returning home.Seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.The Spirit said to Philip,“Go and join up with that chariot.” Philip ran...

April 17, 2013 Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter   Reading 1 Acts 8:1b-8 There broke out a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem,and all were scatteredthroughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria,except the Apostles.Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him.Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the Church;entering house after house and dragging out men and women,he handed them over for imprisonment. Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.Thus Philip went down to the city of Samariaand proclaimed the Christ to them.With one accord, the crowds paid attention to...

April 16, 2013   Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter   Reading 1 Acts 7:51—8:1a Stephen said to the people, the elders, and the scribes:“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears,you always oppose the Holy Spirit;you are just like your ancestors.Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute?They put to death those who foretold the coming of the righteous one,whose betrayers and murderers you have now become.You received the law as transmitted by angels,but you did not observe it.” When they heard this, they were infuriated,and they ground their teeth at him.But Stephen, filled with the...

April 15, 2013 Monday of the Third Week of Easter   Reading 1 Acts 6:8-15 Stephen, filled with grace and power,was working great wonders and signs among the people.Certain members of the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen,Cyreneans, and Alexandrians,and people from Cilicia and Asia,came forward and debated with Stephen,but they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.Then they instigated some men to say,“We have heard him speaking blasphemous wordsagainst Moses and God.”They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes,accosted him, seized him,and brought him before the Sanhedrin.They presented false witnesses who testified,“This man...

April 14, 2013 Third Sunday of Easter   Reading 1 Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41 When the captain and the court officers had brought the apostles inand made them stand before the Sanhedrin,the high priest questioned them,“We gave you strict orders, did we not,to stop teaching in that name?Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teachingand want to bring this man’s blood upon us.”But Peter and the apostles said in reply,“We must obey God rather than men.The God of our ancestors raised Jesus,though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree.God exalted him at his right hand as leader...