Fr. Mike highlights the importance of prayer and fasting, instructing us how to fast and empty ourselves to feel our spiritual need for Christ. He also discusses faithfulness in vocations and living out the life God has called you to. Today’s readings are from Acts 13, 1 Corinthians 7-8, and Proverbs 28:4-6. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.
Chapter 1: What is the significance of Day 334?
Using the Great Adventure Bible timeline, we'll read all the way from Genesis to Revelation, discovering how the story of salvation unfolds and how we fit into that story today. It is, sorry, I got so excited. Why? Because it's day 334. We're on the last page. I know I've been building this up for the last three days or however long it's been. But you guys, it's kind of significant.
And anyways, that's it. That's all I'm saying. It's significant. Well done. Congratulations. Day 334, reading Acts of the Apostles, chapter 13. We're reading St. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, chapters 7 and 8. as well as the book of Proverbs, chapter 28, verses 4 through 6. As always, the Bible translation I'm reading from is the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition.
Chapter 2: What readings are included in today's episode?
I'm using the Great Adventure Bible from Ascension. If you want to download your own Bible in a year reading plan, and if you did, you know that's on the last sheet. That's all I'm saying. You can visit ascensionpress.com slash Bible in a year. You can also subscribe to this podcast by clicking on subscribe, receiving daily episodes and updates. It's day 334.
We're reading Acts of the Apostles chapter 13, 1 Corinthians chapter 7 and 8, and as well as Proverbs chapter 28 verses 4 through 6. The Acts of the Apostles, chapter 13, Barnabas and Saul commissioned. Now in the church at Antioch, there were prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon, who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manan, a member of the court of Herod the Tetrarch, and Saul.
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. Then after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off. The apostles preach in Cyprus. So being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.
When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. and they had John to assist them. When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. He was with the procouncil, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.
But Elymas, the magician, for that is the meaning of his name, withstood them, seeking to turn away the procouncil from the faith. But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?
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Chapter 3: How do prayer and fasting relate to our spiritual lives?
And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind and unable to see the sun for a time. Immediately, mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord. Paul and Barnabas in Antioch of Pisidia.
Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem. But they passed on from Perga and came to Antioch of Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day, they went into the synagogue and sat down.
After the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it. So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand, said, Men of Israel, and you that fear God, listen.
The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. And for about 40 years he bore with them in the wilderness. And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance for about 450 years.
and after that he gave them judges until samuel the prophet then they asked for a king and god gave them saul the son of kish a man of the tribe of benjamin for forty years and when he had removed him he raised up david to be their king of whom he testified and said i have found in david the son of jesse a man after my heart who will do all my will
Of this man's posterity, God has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus, as he promised. Before his coming, John had preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John was finishing his course, he said, What do you suppose that I am? I am not he, no, but after me, one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.
Brethren, sons of the family of Abraham and those among you that fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. For those who live in Jerusalem and the rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning him.
Though they could charge him with nothing deserving death, yet they asked Pilate to have him killed. And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead. And for many days he appeared to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people.
And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus. As also it is written in the second Psalm, You are my son. Today I have begotten you. And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he spoke in this way, I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.
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Chapter 4: What does the Bible say about marriage?
For if anyone sees you, a man of knowledge, at table in an idol's temple, might he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak man is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.
Therefore, if food is a cause of my brother's failing, I will never eat meat, lest I cause my brother to fall.
The Book of Proverbs Chapter 28 Verses 4-6
Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law strive against them. Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it completely. Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is perverse in his ways.
Father in heaven, we give you praise and glory. We thank you so much for this day.
Thank you for this opportunity once again to hear your word proclaimed, to be able to come to faith and just come to say, okay, Lord, we trust in you and we can see your mighty works. Thank you for letting us live in this time that is called the age of the church. Thank you for giving us your Holy Spirit that we can not just hear about and read about the stories of people like Paul and Barnabas,
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Chapter 5: How should we approach relationships according to Scripture?
but also we can participate in your story that you continue to write. Lord God, as you sent out Paul and Barnabas, please send us out to proclaim your truth, your existence, your love to people who long to hear about your truth and your existence and your love. We ask this in Jesus's name. Amen. In the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
So in the Acts of the Apostles, we have a couple of things. Well, one is Saul and Barnabas are commissioned, the church in Antioch. This is, I think I want to highlight this. It says that they were worshiping the Lord and fasting. And then the Holy Spirit said, set apart Saul and Barnabas for a work which I have called them to.
And then it says that after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off. A couple of things about this is that fasting accompanies prayer. This is standard for Christians. Fasting accompanies prayer. And fasting, yes, I know there are many people who have issues when it comes to food in their life. They have a broken relationship or a wounded relationship with food.
And so fasting does not need to necessarily always involve fasting from food. That's kind of the normal way, but fasting can be anything. Fasting from any kind of thing that we rely upon for comfort, any kind of thing that even we rely upon to function. I mean, we were not meant to hurt our bodies, but fasting from the snooze button is a real thing. Fasting from coffee is a real thing.
Fasting from alcohol is a real thing. That's called abstaining, but you get what I'm saying. The idea behind this is here are the early Christians here. And they're gathered and it seems very, very normal for them to fast and pray. So it's not they're not just praying, they're also fasting. And God's doing something in that.
It's not like fasting coerces God into doing something like we're just going to pray and he doesn't listen. Then you fast also and he really listens. That's not the case. But when we fast, we're doing something really important in aligning our bodies with our spirits. We need God so much. And yet sometimes when our bodies are full, we kind of don't feel that need.
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Chapter 6: What are the implications of living out one's vocation?
But when we empty ourself, when we fast, when we deny ourselves, sometimes we even in our bodies feel the spiritual need. In fact, it sometimes even opens us up even more to what God has in store for us. So I just want to highlight that because it is a common Christian practice going all the way back to Jewish times.
Remember, the disciples of John would fast and the disciples of Jesus didn't fast. And Jesus said, when asked why, he said, well, the bridegroom is with them. They don't fast, but the days are coming when the bridegroom is taken from them and then they will fast. And so keep that in mind that that's a normal part of our existence.
Again, if you have a wounded relationship with food, it doesn't have to be fasting from food. It can be anything else other than that. But moving on, this also, chapter 13, is the first time that we heard of a guy named Paul. Up until now, we've called him Saul. And now he's going to be Paul. I've heard people say that Saul, you know, Shaul, would be his Hebrew name.
And Paul, Paulos, would be more along the lines of his Roman name or his name as he goes to the Gentiles. And this kind of marks that moment here.
even though Peter has already gone to the Gentiles and even though we've already had some of these snapshots, it seems like in Antioch and Pisidia, Paul and Barnabas are saying very clearly that from now on, we'll be going to the Greeks or we're going to the Gentiles. And, um,
That's not like they were exclusive to the Gentiles because the next chapter they go to the Jewish synagogue again in Iconium. And so it's not like they're abandoning the mission to the Jews. That's not at all what they did.
But this switch from Saul to Paul is also kind of an indication of this new evangelistic outreach, this new evangelistic outreach that brings the gospel to those who were not raised Jewish, but to those who, yeah, were not part of the covenant yet. And so that's what we got today. Today also in 1 Corinthians, we have chapters seven and eight concerning marriage.
Hopefully this is an encouraging word. Here's what I think is what St. Paul is really getting at when he's writing to the Corinthians about marriage. He's saying two things, I think. I think he's saying one is be faithful. So if you're married, be faithful. If you're unmarried, be faithful. In whatever state you're in, if you are not a slave, realize that you are a slave of Christ.
If you are a slave, realize that you're free in Christ. So just be faithful to your current state. Be faithful to the promises you've made. Now, another piece of this is I think it's almost like St. Paul saying there's no silver bullet or no magic bullet. Maybe silver bullet's the wrong thing. I think it's werewolves.
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