The word of the day is “beneath.” When we are under duress, we call for the Lord’s mercy. Yet, what do we do when we have been delivered from disaster? As time goes on, the remembrance of how the Lord answered our prayers often fades into the background. Instead of God’s mercy, how we endured and overcame the calamity remains in our memory. In today’s passage (Acts 23:1-11), we read Luke’s report that Paul stood before the high priest and council of the Jews. The Jewish leadership was determined to put an end to Paul and his teaching. The apostle did not seem to have a chance to defend himself. But Paul found a way to divert the fury of his persecutors. Paul’s words raised…
The word of the day is “defile.” What makes someone, something, or somewhere holy or unholy? In our reading of Acts 21:26-32, that question put Paul in jeopardy of his life. When Paul entered the temple in Jerusalem, the Jews thought he had brought a Gentile into their holy place. Thus, he had defiled it. Seeing Paul in the temple courts, “some Jews from Asia” cried, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the Law and this place, and furthermore, he has brought Greeks [Gentiles] into the temple and has defiled this holy place” (OSB 21:28). The claim about the defilement was false, but it started a riot. Paul was saved from death only…
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…