Reading 1
Acts 8:26-40
The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip,
“Get up and head south on the road
that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route.”
So he got up and set out.
Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch,
a court official of the Candace,
that is, the queen of the Ethiopians,
in charge of her entire treasury,
who had come to Jerusalem to worship, and was returning home.
Seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
The Spirit said to Philip,
“Go and join up with that chariot.”
Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said,
“Do you understand what you are reading?”
He replied,
“How can I, unless someone instructs me?”
So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him.
This was the Scripture passage he was reading:
Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who will tell of his posterity?
For his life is taken from the earth.
Then the eunuch said to Philip in reply,
“I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this?
About himself, or about someone else?”
Then Philip opened his mouth and, beginning with this Scripture passage,
he proclaimed Jesus to him.
As they traveled along the road
they came to some water,
and the eunuch said, “Look, there is water.
What is to prevent my being baptized?”
Then he ordered the chariot to stop,
and Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water,
and he baptized him.
When they came out of the water,
the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away,
and the eunuch saw him no more,
but continued on his way rejoicing.
Philip came to Azotus, and went about proclaiming the good news
to all the towns until he reached Caesarea.
Gospel
Jn 6:44-51
Jesus said to the crowds:
“No one can come
to me unless the Father who sent me draw him,
and I will raise him on the last day.
It is written in the prophets:
They shall all be taught by God.
Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.
Not that anyone has seen the Father
except the one who is from God;
he has seen the Father.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes has eternal life.
I am the bread of life.
Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;
this is the bread that comes down from heaven
so that one may eat it and not die.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give
is my Flesh for the life of the world.”
Meditation: Acts 8:26-40
The Spirit said to Philip, “Go and join up with that chariot.” (Acts 8:29)
Imagine that the following thought comes to you while you are praying: “Tell a stranger today how much God loves them.” What would be going through your head? “Did that thought come from me or from the Lord?” Or, “What if the person gets upset with me?” Maybe after some consideration, you decide: “Okay, I’ll do it—but maybe later when I know more about God.” Or, “Maybe I’ll do it when I think the person is ready.”
Do you think Philip had thoughts like these when the Spirit told him to chase down the Ethiopian’s chariot? It’s possible. But somehow he found the courage to take a risk. And the results were spectacular!
How did Philip get so confident about discerning the Spirit’s voice and sharing the gospel? The same way we can: by spending time with Jesus and by stepping out in faith, willing to take risks. Remember: Philip was a regular guy just like us. He was married and had four daughters (Acts 21:9). Just like Stephen, he started out as an administrator in the church, handing out food to the needy (6:1-6). But then, after a period of persecution in Jerusalem, he took his family out of the city to keep them safe—but he continued to preach wherever he went. Over time, Philip grew in his spiritual gifts and senses, and began to perform miracles, heal people, and cast out evil spirits. It’s not as if Philip was magically infused one day with the power to evangelize. No, he was willing to do the hard work of learning how to cooperate with the Spirit.
Maybe all you need is a little practice too. Do you know someone who needs to hear about the Lord? Just a simple question will do: “Do you know that God loves you?” Try it. Don’t be afraid to make an attempt to brighten someone’s day. In the worst case, it was just a good idea. But in the best case, you could be starting that person on a great adventure.
“God, give me faith that you are directing my steps. I trust that you will prepare the hearts of your people, and all I need are a few simple words. Help me to take steps in boldness, to share the good news with others.”
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