The word of the day is “commend.” It is not easy to part with loved ones. At these times we are sadly aware that we will no longer be present with them. And they will not be able to care for us nor we to care for them. But there is one thing that can give us comfort. We can commend those we love to the Lord. In our reading of Acts 20:16-18;28-36, Paul meets with the elders of the church in Ephesus for what was likely to be the last time (Acts 20:25). He gives his farewell instructions that they are to take care of the flock to which they have been entrusted. Then he commends them “to God and to the…
The word of the day is “preach.” Remember the last sermon that you heard? What was it about? What was the main point? Many of us would have a hard time answering unless, perhaps, the day of the church year reminds us of the subject of that day’s preaching.  But do you remember something that happened in worship? Do you recall the visit of a bishop or other church leader, an especially stirring anthem, or even an accident or humorous incident that happened?  It is more likely that you could call to mind the event rather than the sermon’s message. Today, in our reading of Acts 20:7-12, Paul preaches in an upper room until midnight. A young man sitting on a…
The word of the day is “fullness.” Most of us would admit that our relationship with the Lord is still maturing. Yet, in our reading of Acts 19:1-18, we find a faith that is not only immature but incomplete in its basic understandings. In Ephesus, Paul encounters a group of disciples. But he finds their belief incomplete. He asks, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed” (vs. 2)? They reply, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit” (OSB vs. 2). Today, from the example of these followers and Paul’s teaching, we learn that our goal should be the maturity of the “fullness” of the Body of Christ of which we are members. John the…
Blessed Feast! The word of the day is “better.” Sometimes, our Heavenly Father does not fulfill our petitions but bestows on us a better hope and a wiser answer to our prayers. For instance, on this day of the glorious Ascension of Our Lord, we hear the last conversation that the Risen Christ had with his apostles. We find in our reading of Acts 1:1-12 that their last words were, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (OSB vs. 6). But the Lord declines to answer. Rather, He gives them a better hope, the baptism of the Holy Spirit that will provide them with the power to fulfill the mission that He has in store for them (OSB vs. 5…
The word of the day is “instructed.”  We never outgrow our need for teaching. Even the most learned among us can benefit from instruction that deepens our faith and guides us in the way of discipleship. Today in our reading of Acts 18:22-28, Luke introduces us to an erudite and persuasive teacher. Yet, for all his knowledge, he still needed to be instructed so that “he could teach the faith more correctly” (vs. 26). Thus, Luke, the historian of Acts, writes, “When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately” (OSB vs. 26). Today, the example of a cultured man named Apollos teaches us that humility is required for us to…
Christ is risen! The word of the day is “know.” In the Divine Liturgy, we profess that God, the Holy Trinity, is ineffable, inconceivable, invisible, incomprehensible, ever-existing, and eternally the same” (St-Tikhon’s 1984). But does that mean the Almighty is unknowable? About three in four Americans say that they are “convinced” that God exists. But does that mean they know God or even care to know Him? Today in Acts 17:19-28, we read of Paul’s speech to the philosophers at the Areopagus (Mars Hill) of Athens. To begin his argument, Paul points out an altar in the city with the inscription “To an Unknown God.” And he states, “Therefore, the One you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you” (OSB vs. 23). Today we consider from…
Christ is risen. The word of the day is “pretext.” Evil comes in many disguises. One of these is to hide one’s motives under the cloak of pretext. This tactic of wickedness misleads others into believing that the reasons for one’s actions are good and genuine. Today in our reading of Acts 17:1-15, we find that envious Jews stir up a mob in Thessalonica. The crowd drags the host of Paul and Silas to the pagan rulers of the city. They charge that Jason and the followers of Christ have acted “contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king–Jesus” (OSB vs. 7). Today we exam this example of a pretext and find that pretexts are based on motives, the motivations of passions. Pretext as a…
Christ is risen! The word of the day is “saved.” There may be times, God forbid, when we face desperate circumstances. In these trials, we might be tempted to do irrational things that harm ourselves and others. In our reading of Acts 16:16-34, we find that the jailor at Philippi is terribly distraught when he thinks his prisoners have escaped. Luke, the historian of Acts, writes, “And the keeper of the prison awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself” (OSB vs. 27). But his salvation from this horrible fate led to his deliverance from a destiny even worse. So he was saved twice: once from physical…
Christ is risen. Do We Get a Second Chance After Failing? (Sat. May 20) The word of the day is “second.” They say that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. But what about those who are not so resilient? Is there a second chance for quitters? In our reading of Acts 15:35-41, Paul and Barnabas debate whether to take John Mark with them on the “Second Missionary Journey.” In his history of the early church, Luke writes, “Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark. But Paul insisted that they should not take with them one who had departed from them in Pamphylia” (OSB vs. 37-38). Today we consider this case of a failure to meet the challenge of service to the Lord. And we…
Christ is risen! The word of the day is “same.” When it comes to what people believe, there are more allegations than truths, more falsehoods than realities, and more suppositions than conclusions based on evidence. Today, in our reading of Acts 15:5-34, we hear Peter’s appeal for the inclusion of Gentiles in the church and the final decision of the church leaders in Jerusalem on the matter. Peter says, “We believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they [the Gentiles]” (OSB vs. 11). To prove an assertion, we must give warrants for it. The warrant is the connection between a truth claim and the evidence that supports it. A close…