The Daily Word
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Wake Up Call
When Saul gets knocked off his horse, he asked whose voice it was that spoke to him. It was Jesus, and He was asking Paul why he was persecuting Him. But Paul never really persecutes Jesus Himself, so then what does Jesus mean? And what does this mean for us?
Click on the title for the full reflection.
“‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’
He said, ‘Who are you, sir?’
The reply came, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.’”Acts 9:4b-5
It does not seem like Saul had a personal encounter with Jesus before His passion and death. Yet when Saul is knocked off his horse and he asked who it was that was speaking to him, the voice said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” How could this be? Saul may have condoned the stoning of Stephen and may have dragged Christians out of their homes and putting them into prison, but he never laid a finger on Jesus. Why did Jesus say he was persecuting Him?
We recall in Scripture that Jesus said, “Whatsoever you do for these least brothers of mine, you do for me.” Jesus was telling Saul then and tells us now that when we persecute others, those around us, those who we do not like, those who share different views from us, we are persecuting and hating Him. Brothers and sisters, it does not matter how much we pray, fast, give to charity, if we treat those who are in front of us, around us, and near us with malice and judgement and hate, Jesus is saying to us, “Why are you persecuting me?” Any good work we may have done — no matter how much — does not justify any act of hate or discrimination — no matter how little — we show towards others.
Jesus calls us to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors. We must rise to the occasion. When we get knocked off our high horses, may we not become indignant but rather hear the voice of the Lord saying to us, “Love and do not hate. Remember how much I love you. Now, love others the same.” Our Lord gives us a wake up call today.
Heart of the Encounter
Have you ever found yourself reading or studying something that you weren’t quite sure what the words on the page meant? No one is born knowing everything. Jesus needed to learn how to walk, talk, read, and everything else that we needed to learn. If there is a learner, there must be a teacher. And at the heart of this encounter between learner and teacher is Christ, the Master Teacher. Do we encounter Christ in the other, and do others encounter Christ in us?
Click on the title to read the full reflection.
Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said,
“Do you understand what you are reading?”
He replied,
“How can I, unless someone instructs me?”
So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him.
Acts 8:30-31
How many of us want to understand the mysteries of life? Or know the secrets to joy and happiness? Or for some closer to home, how many of us want to just know how to get through this week and put food on the table? In the Acts of the Apostles, while on his way preaching the Good News, the Angel of the Lord told the Apostle Philip to go south. When he listened and followed the path as instructed, there he saw an Ethiopian court official who was reading from the Prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit told Philip to go to him. Philip did and he asked him, "Do you understand what you are reading?"
By this question, Philip opened up for the court official windows and doors of opportunity and grace. By being docile to the Holy Spirit, Philip was able to communicate a great gift to the court official. The Spirit may challenge us, but He will never lead us astray or bring us to situations we will be unable to handle or face. Because Philip listened to and followed the promptings of the Holy Spirit, the Ethiopian court official was able to come to know Christ and come to faith, being baptized into the family of God. Through encountering Philip, the court official encountered Christ. Likewise, through encountering the court official, Philip encountered Christ. At the heart of every encounter is Christ. It is the Christ in one that recognizes the Christ in the other. It is through encounter that faith was brought to the court official.
Who is the Lord asking me to ask "Do you understand?" today? Or who is asking me that question today? One question and one act of humble receptivity can open up unto us a door of overflowing grace. Let us never, in our fear or pride miss out on a chance to encounter Christ in the other, and allow the other to encounter Christ in us. May we always offer that invitation to encounter. We need one another on this road of discipleship. Holy Spirit, teach me to listen to you with open ears and a docile heart so that the hearts of many may be revealed.
Scattered No More
Soon after Stephen was martyred, severe persecution of the church began. We are told that “all were scattered.” But does this really mean what we think it means?
Click on the title to find out.
“There broke out a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem, and all were scattered
throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria,
except the Apostles.”Acts 8:1b
St. Bede said, “It was with Paul's consent that the occurrence of tribulation became the seed-bed of the Church.” At this time, Paul was still Saul. With the death of Stephen, severe persecutions of the Church commenced, causing the believers and perhaps those who were interested in the faith to scatter, and Saul supported it and condoned it. However, this time, unlike in the night and in the garden, the Apostles remained steadfast and did not scatter. They were changed, transformed men. Saul too will soon be transformed. Are we transformed people? Do we flee from suffering or do we endure and embrace it, allowing God to use them to bring good out of it?
At face value we may see this scattering as disappointing and discouraging, but it really was the opposite. We are told that those who were scattered did not do so to hide, but that they went to preach the word! The Apostles stayed together in body and in mind and in spirit. Then from there they went on mission. Philip went to Samaria to preach and crowds were drawn and they listened. This persecution facilitated the mission by Jesus to preach the word to all people and nations. Many came to hear the word and knew Jesus because of this persecution. Good always come forth from suffering.
In this loud and noisy world today where Christ and His Church is being persecuted, may we ask for the courage to remain faithful and may this steadfastness bear witness to the Word who was made flesh, so that even the scattered-hearted may hear the word and come to know the Risen Lord.
