Daily Readings
From Paphos, Paul and his companions set sail and arrived at Perga in Pamphylia. But John left them and returned to Jerusalem. They continued on from Perga and reached Antioch in Pisidia. On the sabbath they entered into the synagogue and took their seats. After the reading of the law and the prophets, the synagogue officials sent word to them, “My brothers, if one of you has a word of exhortation for the people, please speak.”
So Paul got up, motioned with his hand, and said, “Fellow children of Israel and you others who are God-fearing, listen. The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors and exalted the people during their sojourn in the land of Egypt. With uplifted arm he led them out, and for about forty years he put up with them in the desert. When he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance at the end of about four hundred and fifty years. After these things he provided judges up to Samuel the prophet. Then they asked for a king. God gave them Saul, son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. Then he removed him and raised up David as their king; of him he testified, I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will carry out my every wish. From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus. John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel; and as John was completing his course, he would say, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’”
RESPONSORIAL Psalm:
PS 89:2-3, 21-22, 25 AND 27
Response <R> : For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
The favors of the LORD I will sing forever; through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness. For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”; in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness. <R>
“I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him, That my hand may be always with him, and that my arm may make him strong.” <R>
“My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him, and through my name shall his horn be exalted. He shall say of me, ‘You are my father, my God, the Rock, my savior.’” <R>
SECOND READING:
Revelation 7:9, 14B-17
I, John, had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.
Then one of the elders said to me, “These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
“For this reason they stand before God’s throne and worship him day and night in his temple. The one who sits on the throne will shelter them. They will not hunger or thirst anymore, nor will the sun or any heat strike them. For the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
GOSPEL: John 13:16-20
When Jesus had washed the disciples’ feet, he said to them: “Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it. I am not speaking of all of you. I know those whom I have chosen. But so that the Scripture might be fulfilled, The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me. From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
DAILY REFLECTION - 15 May 2025
Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Paul begins his preaching in the synagogue in Antioch with an account of the salvation history of the Jewish people. He speaks, also, of John the Baptist, who fulfilled his call to preach repentance and point the way to Jesus.
Jesus tells his disciples – and this includes all of us who profess to follow Him – that our call is to servant leadership which requires that we put others before ourselves, to build a more just and caring environment. Servant-leaders focus primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong. This is the exact opposite of the traditional norm, where leaders see themselves as those who possess the power to control and exercise absolute authority.
Servant leadership promotes a culture of life where everyone thrives equally. The absolute authority of power, on the other hand, will eventually lead to corruption and the culture of death, where human life is expendable.
Jesus has shown us that servant leadership requires faith and courage. Are we prepared to fulfill the discipleship we profess?