Bible Diary

Daily Reading

Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter

LECTIONARY
299

FIRST READING

Acts 20:28-38

“‘Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.

PSALM

68:29-30, 33-35a, 35bc-36ab

Response: Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.

Show forth, O God, your power,
the power, O God, with which you took our part;
For your temple in Jerusalem
let the kings bring you gifts.

You kingdoms of the earth, sing to God,
chant praise to the Lord
who rides on the heights of the ancient heavens.
Behold, his voice resounds, the voice of power:
“Confess the power of God!”

Over Israel is his majesty;
his power is in the skies.
Awesome in his sanctuary is God, the God of Israel;
he gives power and strength to his people.

GOSPEL

Jn 17:11-19

And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

Daily Reflection

The prayer of Jesus from yesterday’s Gospel and the farewell speech of Paul from yesterday’s first reading continue in today’s texts.

Jesus continues to pray to His Father for the flock He has gathered saying, “I am not asking you to remove them from the world but to protect them from the evil one.” This in no way implies that the world is evil, but is metaphorically used by Jesus to describe the forces of evil in the world that would try to overpower the Good News being proclaimed by the disciples after He had left them. It also means, therefore, that the disciples, because they are in the world, would face many trials.

Likewise, Paul reminds the Christian converts to guard their faith by constantly nurturing it; in this way, they will prevent themselves from falling prey to the evil forces of the world.

May the beliefs we profess, passionately lead us to counter the forces of evil.