Testimony Trust and Triumph

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to accept the invitation of Jesus to “Follow Me”

Following Him

The Reading from the Acts of the Apostles presents Paul’s Testimony to Jews in Rome.

* [28:16] With Paul’s arrival in Rome, the programmatic spread of the word of the Lord to “the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8) is accomplished. In Rome, Paul is placed under house arrest, and under this mild form of custody he is allowed to proclaim the word in the capital of the civilized world of his day.

* [28:20] The hope of Israel: in the words of Paul (Acts 23:6), Luke has identified this hope as hope in the resurrection of the dead.

* [28:30–31] Although the ending of Acts may seem to be abrupt, Luke has now completed his story with the establishment of Paul and the proclamation of Christianity in Rome. Paul’s confident and unhindered proclamation of the gospel in Rome forms the climax to the story whose outline was provided in Acts 1:8—“You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem…and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts, CHAPTER 28 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 11 is a song of trust.

* [Psalm 11] A song of trust. Though friends counsel flight to the mountain country (a traditional hideout) to escape trouble (Ps 11:1–3), the innocent psalmist reaffirms confidence in God, who protects those who seek asylum in the Temple (Ps 11:4–7). (Psalms, PSALM 11 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of John presents The Beloved Disciple.

* [21:22] Until I come: a reference to the parousia.

* [21:23] This whole scene takes on more significance if the disciple is already dead. The death of the apostolic generation caused problems in the church because of a belief that Jesus was to have returned first. Loss of faith sometimes resulted; cf. 2 Pt 3:4.

* [21:24] Who…has written them: this does not necessarily mean he wrote them with his own hand. The same expression is used in Jn 19:22 of Pilate, who certainly would not have written the inscription himself. We know: i.e., the Christian community; cf. Jn 1:14, 16. (John, CHAPTER 21 | USCCB, n.d.)

Kathy Kemler comments that  like us, Paul never got to meet Jesus when he walked this earth but was told by others about Him.

Paul had an ongoing spirit, a joy, a zeal for the Lord that is so admirable. In the face of so much turmoil, confrontation, and imprisonment, he didn’t give up; he just kept talking about Jesus (and pleading his own case, of course). He spoke of how Jesus wants us to live, to be joyful and not be afraid, to do good, and to turn away from sin. Paul has a lot of great messages that just spring from his foundation in Christ. It truly is admirable and brings to mind the phrase “joy in the Lord.” I think Paul’s deeply rooted foundation in Christ truly brought him this zeal and this joy in the Lord. What a gift to have!

I believe we could all have this joy in the Lord. Of course, it will be displayed through our own personality and our own life’s circumstances, but it certainly would be a beautiful thing to feel inside and be a true gift to the world as we proclaim the good news of the risen Lord in our own way through our own life. (Kemler, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “Peter follows, John remains,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"The Lord either said what he said to Peter about his martyrdom, or he said it about the gospel of John. As regards the martyrdom and this 'Follow me,' [he means] suffer for me, suffer what I did. Because Christ was crucified, Peter too was crucified... while John experienced none of this. That is what is meant by, 'It is thus that I wish him to remain.' Let him fall asleep without wounds, without torment, and wait for me. You, Peter, 'Follow me,' suffer what I did. That's one way these words can be explained...

"As regards the Gospel of John, though, this is what I think is meant: that Peter wrote about the Lord, others too wrote; but their writing was more concerned with the Lord's humanity... But while there is something about the divinity of Christ in Peter's letters, in John's gospel it is very much to the fore... He soared above the clouds and soared above the stars, soared above the angels, soared above every creature and arrived at the Word through which all things were made." (excerpt from Sermon 253.5.5) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 21:20-25 a call he likely issued—to all his apostles—over and over, in many different ways, during their time together.

Follow me. The call is simple but not easy. It’s a multifaceted call, which Jesus issues to each one of us.

So where are you today? If you’re nursing your ailing grandmother, follow Jesus by treating her with gentle compassion even when it’s hard. If you’re struggling to be content with the life God has given you, follow Jesus by focusing on being faithful to your calling and trusting that he will bless your every effort. If you’re trying to figure out the next steps for your life, follow Jesus by being consistent in prayer and waiting for him to reveal it.

Jesus will always lead you if you take the time to listen for his voice.

“Lord Jesus, I will take your hand and follow you.” (Meditation on John 21:20-25, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the texts for today.

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces spiritual director Therese DesCamp who reflects on her commitment to a contemplative practice.

 

My practice is not measured by how I feel or what I experience when I sit in place for a twenty-minute session. The true test of my practice is my behavior the other twenty-three-plus hours of the day.

A practice is just that: a practice. By definition, a practice gets me ready to do something else. One person practices scales on the piano so she can play a concerto beautifully. Another practices French so that he can converse easily. I practice Centering Prayer so that when life is coming apart at the seams, I remember how to stand steady. I practice Centering Prayer so that I can learn how to stand aside and let God work in and through me.…

Meditation practice can turn me into a sponge. The true nature of a sponge is that it gathers up water and it releases water. It does not hold onto, own, or create water…. In meditation, I am filled with the grace of God, the flowing waters of life. (If I am lucky, I will actually experience this in some way. But whether I consciously experience that grace or not, it is always true that I am filled with it.) Hence, the only goal I can truly name for my meditation practice is this: to let myself be filled, over and over, so that I can act as a streaming, saturated sponge, leaking Love in a dry and dusty world. (Rohr, n.d.)

We prepare to welcome the Holy Spirit to inspire us to follow Jesus in our contemplation and action to work for peace, love, and community.

References

Acts, CHAPTER 28 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved May 23, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/28?16 

John, CHAPTER 21 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 23, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/21? 

Kemler, K. (2026, May 23). Daily Reflection May 23, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved May 23, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-may-23-2026 

Meditation on John 21:20-25. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved May 23, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/05/23/1575186/ 

Psalms, PSALM 11 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 23, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/11?4 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Practicing “Just This”: Weekly Summary. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved May 23, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/practicing-just-this-weekly-summary/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). The Immensity of What Jesus Has Done for Us. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved May 23, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Behold Love in Action

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to react to the events of our life with a desire and action for good even as we aspire to perfect love.

Act in Love

The Reading from the Acts of the Apostles presents Paul before King Agrippa.

* [25:13] King Agrippa and Bernice: brother and sister, children of Herod Agrippa I whose activities against the Jerusalem community are mentioned in Acts 12:1–19. Agrippa II was a petty ruler over small areas in northern Palestine and some villages in Perea. His influence on the Jewish population of Palestine was insignificant. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 25 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 103 proclaims even sin cannot destroy God’s mercy.

* [Psalm 103] The speaker in this hymn begins by praising God for personal benefits (Ps 103:1–5), then moves on to God’s mercy toward all the people (Ps 103:6–18). Even sin cannot destroy that mercy (Ps 103:11–13), for the eternal God is well aware of the people’s human fragility (Ps 103:14–18). The psalmist invites the heavenly beings to join in praise (Ps 103:19–22). (Psalms, PSALM 103 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of John presents the relationship between Jesus and Peter.

* [21:15–23] This section constitutes Peter’s rehabilitation and emphasizes his role in the church.

* [21:15–17] In these three verses there is a remarkable variety of synonyms: two different Greek verbs for love (see note on Jn 15:13); two verbs for feed/tend; two nouns for sheep; two verbs for know. But apparently there is no difference of meaning. The threefold confession of Peter is meant to counteract his earlier threefold denial (Jn 18:17, 25, 27). The First Vatican Council cited these verses in defining that Jesus after his resurrection gave Peter the jurisdiction of supreme shepherd and ruler over the whole flock.

* [21:15] More than these: probably “more than these disciples do” rather than “more than you love them” or “more than you love these things [fishing, etc.].”

* [21:18] Originally probably a proverb about old age, now used as a figurative reference to the crucifixion of Peter. (John, CHAPTER 21 | USCCB, n.d.)

Cindy Murphy McMahon imagines Luke, like any good journalist or historian, went back to sources to get more details and to confirm facts or correct misinformation. The details he captured are rich and lively, and we owe him a great debt of gratitude.

Let us thank God for St. Luke and all the writers of the New Testament, and pray for their intercession.

Father, Son and Holy Spirit, thank you for the gifts you endowed upon St. Luke and all those who did their best to write testimonies concerning Jesus and his teachings. Thank you for their dedication and courage. St. Luke, and all writers of what became the New Testament, please pray for our writers, editors, historians, and theologians today, that they may seek, find, and share what is true and divinely inspired. (Murphy McMahon, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Do you love me? Feed my sheep,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"Christ rose again in the flesh, and Peter rose in the spirit because, when Christ died in his passion, Peter died by his denial. Christ the Lord was raised from the dead, and out of his love he raised Peter. He questioned him about the love he was confessing and entrusted him with his sheep. After all, what benefit could Peter confer on Christ by the mere fact of his loving Christ? If Christ loves you, it is to your advantage, not Christ's. And if you love Christ, it is to your advantage, not Christ's. And yet Christ the Lord wanted to indicate how people ought to show that they love Christ. And he made it plain enough by entrusting him with his sheep. 'Do you love me?' 'I do.' 'Feed my sheep.' All this once, all this a second time, all this a third time. Peter made no other reply than that he loved him. The Lord asked no other question but whether he loved him. When Peter answered, our Lord did nothing else but entrust his sheep to him." (excerpt from SERMON 229n.1.4)

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 21:15-19 comments that we tend to love mostly good things: our families, the beauty of this created world, the work we do, the ways we have contributed to our communities. But as good as these loves may be, they will not satisfy us. We will always be looking for more. The truth is, we are created to be in a relationship with Jesus. Only he can fill our deepest longing, and loving him puts everything else in its rightful order.

Do you love Jesus more than “these”? He is worthy of your full yes! So let him do for you what he did for Peter. Let him gently reveal your attachments and invite you to surrender them to him. Right now, imagine Jesus standing before you with his loving searching gaze fixed on your heart. How can you reprioritize your other “loves”? What comes to mind? Look into his eyes and surrender it to him.

“Jesus, you know everything. You know that I love you.” (Meditation on John 21:15-19, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments in the Acts of the Apostles we hear royalty discussing with Festus, the Governor, about Paul who had been arrested by Felix, a ruler who sought bribes, a few years prior. The crimes of Paul are expressed as simply religious disagreements about the life and death of Jesus. Paul, a Roman citizen, appealed to go to Rome avoiding likely assassination on the way to Jerusalem. In the Gospel of John, the disciples encounter Jesus after a miracle catch of fish. There are three words for love in Greek. Jesus asks if Peter loves Him twice using “agape” or sacrificial love. Peter responds twice using “phileo”: “You are my buddy”. The third time, Jesus asks using “phileo”, “Are you my buddy?”  Peter responds “I am” In the dialogue Jesus asks Peter to ”feed my lambs and sheep”. Friar Jude comments on the need for authority, an unusual part of the Gospel of John, where we encounter the Beloved Disciple and the ability of Peter to exercise the authority needed to guide the community. Peter would glorify God by martyrdom in Rome. 

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, views each moment as an opportunity to practice contemplation, to see things as they are, and to receive the gift of divine presence. He introduces spiritual writer Amy Frykholm who acknowledges that while contemplation may sound simple, the practice of “beholding” anything takes desire and discipline.

If we are able to get ourselves situated for beholding, we will notice the next difficulty arising: We are constantly being taken out of presence by our own thoughts…. Any act of attention is not a sustained experiencing. It’s a series of successive efforts to bring attention back to the same thing, considering it again and again. This kind of encounter is a series of repeated acts of will. We gradually train our attention to encounter, discovering its fruits in slow and subtle movements over time. Whatever you behold, you eventually become beholden to. You enter into a love relation. You recognize your own dependence on the created world, the way that you are held, even as you are holding.

And sometimes grace carries us away, and we glimpse, maybe even for several seconds at a time, the whole interconnected, openhearted world … welcomes us. [2] (Rohr, n.d.)

We seek the guidance of the Spirit to seize the opportunity to contemplate our responses to events and avoid sacrificing the “good” in search of “the perfect”.

References

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 25 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 22, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/25? 

John, CHAPTER 21 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 22, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/21? 

Meditation on John 21:15-19. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved May 22, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/05/22/1574152/ 

Murphy McMahon, C. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved May 22, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-may-22-2026 

Psalms, PSALM 103 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Reflections. Retrieved May 22, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/103?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Beholding God Everywhere. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved May 22, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/beholding-god-everywhere/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Do You Love Jesus More Than These? Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved May 22, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Courage and Confidence

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today remind us that our confidence in the life-giving message of Jesus often requires us to live with the courage of our convictions.

Truth and Power

The Reading from the Acts of the Apostles proclaims the assurance to Paul that he will be Jesus witness in Rome

* [23:11] The occurrence of the vision of Christ consoling Paul and assuring him that he will be his witness in Rome prepares the reader for the final section of Acts: the journey of Paul and the word he preaches to Rome under the protection of the Romans. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 23 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 16 reflects on the wise and life-giving presence of God.

* [Psalm 16] In the first section, the psalmist rejects the futile worship of false gods (Ps 16:2–5), preferring Israel’s God (Ps 16:1), the giver of the land (Ps 16:6). The second section reflects on the wise and life-giving presence of God (Ps 16:7–11). (Psalms, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of John, Jesus prays for the believers who ultimately will join him in heaven.

* [17:24] Where I am: Jesus prays for the believers ultimately to join him in heaven. Then they will not see his glory as in a mirror but clearly (2 Cor 3:18; 1 Jn 3:2).

* [17:26] I will make it known: through the Advocate. (John, CHAPTER 17 | USCCB, n.d.)

Desiree Nownes comments that the reading in Acts recounts times fraught with turmoil and unrest as society tries to figure out whom to believe. How similar does this sound to what American society is dealing with right now?

Jesus is praying for each of us to find him in each other. The hope that we see ourselves in each other and in turn through God’s eyes. This is a prayer of understanding and a shared experience so that we can finally know that we are a reflection of God’s love. For me the reading always come back to hope and love, yet the juxtaposition of judgement and othering is hard to combat from the society’s turmoil. But just as Paul was put to the test in front of the Sanhedrin, we must continue to speak of God’s love, God’s hope, and God’s faith in us all. That is the truth that will and can set us on the path of forgiveness and salvation. (Nownes, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Prayer of unity for all who believe,” by Cyprian of Carthage - first martyr bishop of Africa, 200-258 A.D.

"The Lord's loving-kindness, no less than his mercy, is great in respect of our salvation in that, not content to redeem us with his blood, he in addition prayed for us. See now what the desire of his petition was, that just as the Father and Son are one, so also we should abide in absolute unity. From this, it may be evident how greatly someone sins who divides unity and peace, since even the Lord himself petitioned for this same thing. He no doubt desired that his people should in this way be saved and live in peace since he knew that discord cannot come into the kingdom of God." (excerpt from THE LORD'S PRAYER 30.1) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Acts 22:30; 23:6-11 comments that anyone who seeks to serve the Lord and witness to His gospel knows that there’s always the risk of rejection or failure. Just living a confident life as a believer requires a good amount of courage!...courage grows through humble obedience. It comes as we place God’s will and his calling above our own will and desires. It comes as we surrender ourselves to his plan and trust in the Lord’s presence and provision.

The next time you sense that the Lord is urging you to “take courage,” remember St. Paul. Then step out in faith, trusting that God is at your side!

“Jesus, I believe that you are always with me, offering me your grace and courage!” (Meditation on Acts 22:30; 23:6-11, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that in Acts, Paul is arrested by Roman authorities following a riot about bringing pagans into the Temple. Paul will be able to explain the Way to the Sanhedrin. He divides them because of his speaking about resurrection, a concept more favourable to the Pharisees than the Sadducees. In the Gospel of John, Jesus prays for the disciples leaving them with those who reject His message, named as the “world. The Gospel recognizes an institution is developing to accept Jesus and the Gospel. John’s Gospel dates to 90 CE, to the second or third generation of believers. Friar Jude comments that there would be followers of the Way through the preaching of the disciple and a community of the Father and Son would follow him.

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Carmen Acevedo Butcher shares a contemplative practice that allows her to accept “just this”. She encourages us to begin contemplative practice wherever we are in our lives.

If we wait to start singing—or any kind of contemplative practice—until we feel peaceful or worthy, we’ll be waiting a very long time. Sometimes, we do a practice, and if we don’t feel peaceful or holy immediately, we think we’ve failed or are doing it wrong. But that’s not the point. The point is that we do them like breathing, just in and out, over and over again. Fidelity to the practice brings about a healing alchemical effect.

Sometimes I’ll begin to sing, “Be still and know that I am God,” and at the same time I’m thinking, “I’m so stressed out today.” It turns into a little dialogue with God, “Why can’t I be stiller and know that you are?” All these thoughts go around, and this practice—this repetition of “Be still and know I am God”—holds the space of stillness and silence. We can pause and “Be still” enough to remember that we are made in God’s image, and we can honor our own voice, God’s voice within us. We don’t have to wait for a special key. The key is already within us. (Rohr, n.d.)

We invoke the Spirit to “fill the hearts of the faithful” and kindle in us “the fire of your love” as we proclaim with courage and confidence your mission to renew the face of the earth. 

References

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 23 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 21, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/23 

John, CHAPTER 17 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Reflections. Retrieved May 21, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/17?20 

Meditation on Acts 22:30; 23:6-11. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved May 21, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/05/21/1573334/ 

Nownes, D. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved May 21, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-may-21-2026 

Psalms, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 21, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/16?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Lift Your Voice to God. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved May 21, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/lift-your-voice-to-god/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). May They Become Perfectly One. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved May 21, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/