May 7, 2020 Thursday of the 4th week of Easter –A

Acts of the Apostles: 13:13-25

Psalm 89

John 13:16-20

I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will carry out my every wish.  Acts.13:22

Jesus said “whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” John 13:20

Lord, your missionary Paul and his companions were spreading the good news in Pamphylia which is present day Turkey. They were far from the familiar streets of Jerusalem. Yet your word had reached the Jews living there and they were hungry for instruction from Paul and the others. They were a community that was surrounded by hostile nations and pagan idols. But Paul, under the power of the Holy Spirit, proclaimed your resurrection boldly and then went on to the next community.  He assured his audience that you were a descendant of King David who God had chosen over a thousand years before. David was a sinner- an adulterer and murderer yet God saw that deep inside he was in tune with God’s heart. You and the Father were one as you fulfilled the scriptures. At the Last Supper you showed that a King can be a servant too. This was a model your church needed. Lord, help me to be a servant in my family, community, workplace, and parish. While I can’t go to Turkey, I can be a servant right here. I can bloom where you have planted me. I can bear fruit with your grace and the help of the Holy Spirit.  Amen Alleluia