Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of Proper 12: Year 2
Morning, Psalms 72; Evening, Psalm 119:73-96;
Judges 3:12 to 30; Acts 1:1 to 14; Matthew 27:45 to 54:
“In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over the course of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.” (Acts 1: 1 – 3)
When I read scripture, I remember that I am standing behind the writer. I am watching Luke, a man who never knew Jesus the way the apostles did. He learned from Paul and Peter. I remember that his teacher Paul also did not know Jesus in the flesh, Paul met the bright shining resurrected Jesus while he, (Paul) was traveling to Damascus.
Even with this insight, I know that the “Acts of the Apostles” is Luke’s second book, his Gospel account being the first. Acts starts out with heavy input from Peter but ends with Paul speaking. It wasn’t until I saw the movie “Paul, Apostle of Christ” (with James Faulkner as Paul and Jim Caviezel as Luke), that I realized how significant Luke was in providing these writings to us. He put himself at great risk going into and out of confinement with Paul. I highly recommend the movie.
Luke was an educated man, a physician. He was accustomed to writing and taking notes. God used the gifts of Luke to ensure we, of today, knew the history of Jesus and the first apostles, disciples and Christians. It must be remembered that he never met Jesus personally. He received his information from Peter and Paul. God still gifts a few of us with what we need as a community. We get what we need for now, and we get what we will need for the future – like Luke.
The only thing you have to do to please God is live, believe, have courage when it seems dangerous, and make use of the gifts God has graced you with. This leads to the kingdom of God that Jesus spoke of through Luke. Thank you Lord Jesus.
Today we remember Ignatius of Loyola and his information can be found at http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/Ignatius_Loyola.htm,
Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools. And, as we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John
Let us pray:
Bright shining Jesus, who met Saul on his way to Damascus, guide us in our studies of your time with us, and let us be in the experience as was taught by Ignatius of Loyola, that we too might be fully apostolic and changed forever, as was Saul to Paul. In your most holy Name we pray, Amen.
onewhoponders 