Daily Scripture, May 19, 2025
Scripture:
Reflection:
Today’s first reading from Acts begins with a crowd wanting to murder Paul and Barnabas and ends with another crowd wanting to worship them like gods. This is a dramatic illustration of the fickle nature of human respect. Every person has had experiences with this inescapable reality, but perhaps none more so than those devoutly seeking to live the Christian life. In some circumstances, we are mocked and even hated for moral stances that are labelled “out of touch” or “intolerant.” At other times, we are lauded for our charitable acts and patient acceptance of others. Unfortunately, despite how capricious it can be, we often allow the pursuit of human respect to dictate our choices. When we remain silent when God’s laws are being disrespected, we put the opinions of men over divine truths. When we do good works to get praise from men rather than to give praise to God, human respect has become our god.
In the Gospel, Jesus makes it very clear that He wants us to follow His commands for love of HIM. If love for Christ is our motivation for all we do, it matters very little what the crowds think. If we seek only the promise that loving obedience will result in Jesus and the Father coming and making their dwelling with us, both worldly rewards and derisions are meaningless in comparison.
Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory! Amen.
Megan Silas is a Lay Passionist at Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center in Houston, Texas.
Scripture: Acts 1:1-11 Ephesians 1:17-23 Mark 16:15-20 Reflection: In a time of the year when we celebrate graduations and milestones, we can all think of a few pearls of wisdom » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Acts 17:15, 22-18:1 John 16:12-15 Reflection: In Acts, Paul gives us his only fully developed speech to a Gentile audience. Absent from today’s proclamation are verses 16-21 in » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Acts 16:22-34 John 16:5-11 Reflection: “Your right hand saves me, O Lord.” In today’s first reading, there is a dramatic account of Paul’s and Silas’s experience in prison. Once » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Acts 16:11-15 John 15:26-16:4a Reflection: “I have told you this so that you may not fall away.” The community of the evangelist John lived during turbulent, polarizing times when » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Acts 16:1-10 John 15:18-21 Reflection: Priest, Altar and Lamb of Sacrifice During the days of Easter the Risen One is present with us and his wounds are often » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Acts 15:22-31 John 15:12-17 Reflection: There are some readings in scripture that are particularly beautiful to read. The words just flow off the tongue. This is due to » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Acts 15:7-21 John 15:9-11 Reflection: Rules, rules, rules, rules, I don’t like rules. Not too long ago a good friend and I took a trip down to St. » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Acts 15:1-6 John 15:1-8 Reflection: One of the major hardships resulting from the massive earthquake in Nepal was communication. The 7.8 earthquake created landslides that blocked mountain roads » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Acts 9:26-31 1 John 3:18-24 John 15:1-8 Reflection: Jesus said to his disciples: “Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Acts 13:44-52 John 14:7-14 Reflection: Do you remember far enough back in time to call from out of your memory those moments that clearly and publicly said, “I » Continue Reading.