Scripture for May 8, 2008. Thursday after 7th Sunday in Easter. Acts
22:30.23:6-11. Psalm 16:1-2, f,7-11. John 17:20-26. Lectionary # 300

Courage is a great human strength and when it is joined to the Holy
Spirit it is a spiritual force beyond reckoning. St. Paul's hope and
belief in the Spirit and in Jesus' rising from the dead gave him the
courage to do what God called him to do and be. He alone is called the
Apostle to the Nations or Gentiles. His conversion to belief that Jesus is
the Messiah was brought about by a personal experience of Christ breaking
dramatically into his life. He continued to be a Jew through and through
and cited and believed the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings. This too
gave him unusual courage and persuasive speech even among Greek
philosophers and sophisticates at the Areopagus in Athens. In today's
Scripture from Acts we see how the Pharisees and the scribes save him in a
rough courtroom situation. As a result the Pharisees argue and probably
brawl with the Sadducees and Paul gets out safely, but Roman soldiers take
him by force and bring him into their barracks. He hears from the Lord who
says, "Keep up your courage! for just as you have testified for me in
Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also in Rome." (Acts 23:11).
In the Gospel, Jesus confirms the apostles in their belief in him
while praying to God, his Father. He prays, "...these men know that you
have sent me." Paul, too, as an apostle received this faith through the
appearance of the resurrected Jesus. He no longer is a persecutor of the
believers in Jesus but actually is a prominent and outspoken preacher of
his belief in Jesus as Lord and Messiah. We Christians are asked to follow
Jesus. We should take a few moments to ponder over the last verse of
today's Johannine selection: "To you I have revealed my Father's name and I
will continue to reveal it so that your love for me may be kept alive and I
may live in you and you in me." Amen.

Scripture for May 2, Friday of Sixth week of Easter. Lectionary # 295.
Acts 18:9-18. Psalm 47:2-3,4-5,6-7. John 16:20-23:

Paul is before the tribunal of the procounsul Gallio who after
hearing the complaints of those who brought him before the tribunal is
acquitted and released for it was a question of religious issues not
political ones. Paul certainly confirmed the Corinthians in their faith
both by his preaching and writing. Some even said he was baptizing! (see I
Corinthians 1:10-17). He was able to do much in this rough seaport city
during the year and a half he was there, perhaps, the years of 56-57 A.D.
He has taken a vow to go to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover for the
last time, therefore, at Cenchreae he has his head shaved to confirm that
vow. This will enable Luke our author to once again remind us of his work
as starting in Jerusalem and ending in Rome. He had begun his Gospel in
Jerusalem and now the hero of Acts will be making a final journey from
Jerusalem to Rome. Paul always remains faithful to his heritage as a Jew
and tells us that he is a Pharisee from the tribe of Benjamin. We wil see
this same admission in the court scene in chapter 23 of Acts.
Paul had the inner joy that Jesus speaks of in his dialogue with the
apostles. This dimension of joy is a revealed gift that becomes a great
source of consolation for them after his departure. Jesus uses the strong
and beautiful example of the joy a woman experiences when she gives birth
to her baby. Such joy is so embedded in her heart that she no longer
remembers the throes of childbirth. Jesus tells the apostle, "So you have
pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no
one will take your joy from you. Until now you have not asked for anything
in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete."
(John 16:23-24). Lord, we do ask for the joy that only you can give us.
Amen.