The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to contemplate and expect to act and respond to the inspiration of the Spirit in surprising Ways that stretch our perception of our reality.
The Text from the Acts of the Apostles describes Persecution of the Church and Philip in Samaria.
* [8:1] All were scattered…except the apostles: this observation leads some modern scholars to conclude that the persecution was limited to the Hellenist Christians and that the Hebrew Christians were not molested, perhaps because their attitude toward the law and temple was still more in line with that of their fellow Jews (see the charge leveled against the Hellenist Stephen in Acts 6:13–14). Whatever the facts, it appears that the Twelve took no public stand regarding Stephen’s position, choosing, instead, to await the development of events.
* [8:3] Saul…was trying to destroy the church: like Stephen, Saul was able to perceive that the Christian movement contained the seeds of doctrinal divergence from Judaism. A pupil of Gamaliel, according to Acts 22:3, and totally dedicated to the law as the way of salvation (Gal 1:13–14), Saul accepted the task of crushing the Christian movement, at least insofar as it detracted from the importance of the temple and the law. His vehement opposition to Christianity reveals how difficult it was for a Jew of his time to accept a messianism that differed so greatly from the general expectation. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 66 praises God for powerful acts for Israel,
* [Psalm 66] In the first part (Ps 66:1–12), the community praises God for powerful acts for Israel, both in the past (the exodus from Egypt and the entry into the land [Ps 66:6]) and in the present (deliverance from a recent but unspecified calamity [Ps 66:8–12]). 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). (Psalms, PSALM 66 | USCCB, n.d.)
The Gospel of John presents God’s revelation in Jesus in the Bread of Life Discourse.
* [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. (John, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)
Barbara Dilly was fortunate to have been part of an ecumenical team that visited the Russian Orthodox Church in major Russian cities as well as Kyiv and Yalta in Ukraine in the early 1990s. She was struck by how the devotees adhered to a non-linear belief that all things are happening all the time. At all times, Jesus in entering triumphantly into Jerusalem. At all times, Jesus is dying on the cross. Their faith considers God at work in times of chaos and in times of crisis as well as times of peace and tranquility. They are not alone. Scientists and engineers are inclined to think that most systems are nonlinear. But just because they appear chaotic and unpredictable, they are not random. They are just more dynamic than simple linear systems.
This more dynamic way of thinking serves me well during the current times of great confusion and chaos in the world, which is just one of many such times over the last 2,025 years of the church. As recorded in Acts, we can consider that God is working to gather the faithful together, to protect the Church, heal the sick, and to preach the good news of resurrection even while there is severe persecution in many areas of the world. We know what God has done throughout history to deliver his people with tremendous deeds of mercy. And we trust in the words of Jesus that we too will be delivered even from the chaos of death. Until that ultimate promise is realized, we live in uncertain times, hopefully with the certainty of our faith. We do not know what will happen next or even how much we might suffer. I pray today that we can rejoice in the certainty of our God who rules by his might forever even if we do not exactly how this is working. (Dilly, 2025)
Don Schwager quotes Possessing the Scriptures, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"When you understand anything in the Scriptures, it is love that is manifesting itself to you. When you fail to understand, it is love that is hiding itself from you. Those, therefore, who possess charity possess both what is manifest in the divine words and what is hidden in them." (excerpt from Sermon 350,2) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Acts 8:1-8 comments that we are still celebrating the Easter season! We are still celebrating Jesus’ victory over sin and death that Philip proclaimed in Samaria. And although we probably don’t always see paralyzed people being cured and evil spirits being cast out (see Acts 8:7), we have seen and believed in the signs of Jesus’ resurrection.
And what are those signs? Maybe your daughter who stopped attending Mass returns to the Church. Or you have tried to overcome a sin, and then one day you receive the grace to finally do it. Maybe you see a sign of Jesus’ resurrection in the love you have for your neighbor and the love you receive from the people around you. When you see these signs and believe in the risen Lord, your heart will be filled with joy, and you will know eternal life. It’s just as Jesus says in today’s Gospel: “This is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day” (John 6:40).
This joy will enable you to go—as Phillip did—and tell others what you have heard and seen. It will enable you to share your hope with them and remind them that Jesus Christ has saved them, too. Your heart will rejoice, and you will be able to sing with the psalmist,
“How tremendous are your deeds, Lord! Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you! (Psalm 66:3, 4)”
Friar Jude Winkler comments that the persecution identified in Acts breaks our against the Greek speakers and any action against the Aramaic speakers is missing. As the Bread of Life Discourse continues, Jesus is Wisdom Incarnate come to reveal the Father’s Will and in a passage of future eschatology predicts the experience of Jesus face to face on the Last Day.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces CAC Programs Director Barbara Otero-López who writes in the spring ONEING issue about the colonizing exile that her ancestral family suffered, and the resilient love that her ancestors inspire.
Despite the pain and trauma of captivity and forced assimilation into a culture and society which was not their own, despite their sustos, these women learned how to love and pass on this love through food, song, healing, tradition, and the love of God and all Her creation. This love in the time of exile was a sacred love, one borne of resilience and silent resistance. And, as I have learned, just as trauma and soul wounds are passed on to successive generations through DNA, love and resilience are too.
As Dr. B [Barbara Holmes] has taught us, “You journey with your ancestors. That’s why knowing your roots is important, because whether you know it or not, they’re journeying with you. Wouldn’t you want the help? Wouldn’t you want the warnings? Wouldn’t you want the blessings of those who have gone before you?”… [1] (Rohr, n.d.)
We ponder the signs illuminated by the Spirit that reassure us of the Presence of God in our relationship with people and the natural world.
References
Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 7, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/8?1
Dilly, B. (2025, May 7). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved May 7, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/050725.html
John, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 7, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/6?
Meditation on Acts 8:1-8. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved May 7, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/05/07/1268815/
Psalms, PSALM 66 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 7, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/66?1
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Healing the Wounds of Exile. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved May 7, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/healing-the-wounds-of-exile/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). I Will Raise You up at the Last Day. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved May 7, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=may7
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