Life of the world

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite contemplation of the guiding influence of the Holy Spirit in our actions that resonate with our relationship in the Trinity.

Life of the world

The reading from Acts describes the Spirit led encounter of Philip and the Ethiopian “god fearer”.

* [8:26–40] In the account of the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch, Luke adduces additional evidence to show that the spread of Christianity outside the confines of Judaism itself was in accord with the plan of God. He does not make clear whether the Ethiopian was originally a convert to Judaism or, as is more probable, a “God-fearer” (Acts 10:1), i.e., one who accepted Jewish monotheism and ethic and attended the synagogue but did not consider himself bound by other regulations such as circumcision and observance of the dietary laws. The story of his conversion to Christianity is given a strong supernatural cast by the introduction of an angel (Acts 8:26), instruction from the holy Spirit (Acts 8:29), and the strange removal of Philip from the scene (8:39).1 

In Psalm 66 the rescued person steps forward to teach the community what God has done.

* [Psalm 66] ... In the second part (Ps 66:13–20), an individual from the rescued community fulfills a vow to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving. As often in thanksgivings, the rescued person steps forward to teach the community what God has done (Ps 66:16–20).2 

The Bread of Life Discourse from the Gospel of John begins to speak of the intimacy of Jesus Presence.

* [6:35–59] Up to Jn 6:50 “bread of life” is a figure for God’s revelation in Jesus; in Jn 6:51–58, the eucharistic theme comes to the fore. There may thus be a break between Jn 6:50–51.3 

Mark Latta comments that God the Father is always drawing us into the divine life of the Holy Trinity through the people we meet, the successes we have the challenges and even failures we experience.

Since the Father is drawing us through all we experience we should endeavor not to be downcast by our own difficulties or those that we see in our tumultuous world. In fact, we must realize that these experiences are one way the Lord draws us from our own preoccupations (even our disordered attachments) in order to be present and compassionate to serve others. Indeed, being drawn to Jesus (by the Father) is in part to be motivated by Jesus’s example of his pouring out for others in love. Our prayers are not rooted in our own initiative but are a response to the call of God who is drawing us to the Holy Trinity. He draws us to what is true, loving, and life-affirming.4 

Don Schwager quotes “Studying the Scriptures with humility,” by Saint Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"My ambition as a youth was to apply to the study of the Holy Scriptures all the refinement of dialectics. I did so, but without the humility of the true searcher. I was supposed to knock at the door so that it would open for me. Instead I was pushing it closed, trying to understand in pride what is only learned in humility. However, the all-merciful Lord lifted me up and kept me safe." (excerpt from Sermon 51,6)5 

The Word Among Us Meditation on Acts 8:26-40 shares that Philip, one of the seven deacons appointed to oversee the distribution of food to the poor widows, went to Samaria where he continued to proclaim the gospel. His preaching was accompanied by signs and wonders, and many turned to the Lord.

Philip was seeing so much success, so why did God interrupt his work in Samaria to send him on this special mission?
Philip listened to the Spirit and did what he asked. When an angel of the Lord told Philip to go south on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza, he “got up and set out” (Acts 8:27). When the Holy Spirit told Philip to join the chariot, again he obeyed immediately.
Philip knew the Scriptures. Just as Jesus opened up the Scriptures to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35), the Holy Spirit had opened up the Scriptures to Philip. That meant he was able to help the Ethiopian see that the passage he was reading from Isaiah pointed to Jesus.
Philip was open to the new way in which God was working. The Ethiopian court official was most likely a “God-fearer,” a Gentile who prayed to Israel’s God.6 

Friar Jude Winkler traces the mission of Philip from the Samaritans to an Ethiopian pagan. The Song of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah appears in Jesus vocabulary in the Gospels. Friar Jude shares three levels of Presence that bind us in community as part of a matrimonial unity.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, teaches that in the fourth and fifth centuries, Augustine (354–430) described Trinity as God in three substances united as one. By the next century, God is one substance who happens to have three relationships. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) comes along in the thirteenth century saying that God is one substance, but the relationships constitute the very nature of that substance, subsistent relationship. Now we are prepared to say that God is not, nor does God need to be, “substance” in the Aristotelian sense of something independent of all else. God is relationship itself.

I would name salvation as simply the readiness, the capacity, and the willingness to stay in relationship. As long as you show up with some degree of vulnerability, the Spirit can keep working. Self-sufficiency makes God experience impossible! That’s why Jesus showed up in this world as a naked, vulnerable one, a defenseless baby lying in the place where animals eat. Talk about utter relationship! Naked vulnerability means I’m going to let you influence me; I’m going to allow you to change me. The Way of Jesus is an invitation to a Trinitarian way of living, loving, and relating—on earth as it is in the Godhead. We are intrinsically like the Trinity, living in absolute relatedness. To choose to stand outside of this Flow is the deepest and most obvious meaning of sin.7 

Our relationship in the Trinity is being guided by the Spirit and called by the Father to the fullness of Life in the Son.

References

1	(n.d.). Acts, chapter 8 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved May 9, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/acts/8
2	(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 66 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved May 9, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/66
3	(n.d.). John, chapter 6 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved May 9, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/john/6
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - OnlineMinistries - Creighton University. Retrieved May 9, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved May 9, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(n.d.). 3rd Week of Easter - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily Meditations .... Retrieved May 9, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/05/09/
7	(2019, May 9). God Is Relationship — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved May 9, 2019, from https://cac.org/god-is-relationship-2019-05-09/