Bible Diary

Daily Reading

Thursday of the Second Week of Easter

LECTIONARY
270

FIRST READING

ACTS 5:27-33

When the court officers had brought the Apostles in
and made them stand before the Sanhedrin,
the high priest questioned them,
"We gave you strict orders did we not,
to stop teaching in that name.
Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching
and want to bring this man's blood upon us."
But Peter and the Apostles said in reply,
"We must obey God rather than men.
The God of our ancestors raised Jesus,
though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree.
God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior
to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.
We are witnesses of these things,
as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him."

When they heard this,
they became infuriated and wanted to put them to death.

PSALM

PS 34:2 AND 9, 17-18, 19-20

Response: The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.

The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
Many are the troubles of the just man,
but out of them all the LORD delivers him.

GOSPEL

Jn 3:31-36

The one who comes from above is above all.
The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things.
But the one who comes from heaven is above all.
He testifies to what he has seen and heard,
but no one accepts his testimony.
Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy.
For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God.
He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.
The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,
but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life,
but the wrath of God remains upon him.

Daily Reflection

Jesus says in today’s Gospel, “The one who is of the earth is earthly, and speaks of earthly things”.

The first reading clearly illustrates this in the conversations between the Apostles and the Sanhedrin. The High Priest seems blind to a heavenly enterprise and is upset that the Apostles are teaching in Jesus’ name. The Jews never pronounce the Holy Name of God and ironically, the High Priest doesn’t pronounce the name of Jesus but simply says “That name”. St. Luke is clearly pointing out that while the High Priest has a Divine office and doesn’t pronounce the name of the Risen Jesus – who is God- it his ‘Earthliness’ that is upset because the apostles are not following the instructions of the Sanhedrin.

Peter on the other hand is filled with the Holy Spirit and thus doesn’t operate from ‘Earthliness’ but from “what is above”. His retort is clear; “We must obey God rather than men.”

What takes precedence in your life? Your ‘earthliness’ or the Holy Spirit that comes from ‘above’?