Daily Catholic Lectio
Wed, 8 May 2024
Sixth Week of Easter – Wednesday
Acts 17:15, 22 – 18:1. John 16:12-15
Groping for God
The first reading brings before us Paul’s speech at Athens, the city that cradled Greek philosophy. The Greek philosophers, such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, were the stalwarts.
Luke presents the people of Athens as learned, welcoming, listening, encouraging, and accepting. We could adopt these qualities as well.
Paul, as presented in the narrative, teaches us three lessons:
(a) Paul’s intelligence
Paul might have been fluent in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, Syriac, and Latin. He was well versed in Law and theology. He might have been aware of his contemporary philosophy and literature. He was able to quote from different authors and poets. His skills offered Paul self-esteem and self-confidence. The skills that we learn will come in handy one day. We shall develop as many skills as possible and practice them till they become our second nature.
(b) Paul’s courage
Paul was alone in Athens. His co-workers, with his permission, had departed from him. Paul’s courage to face the crowds alone comes from his union with God. Our relationship with God makes us face any human individual or group.
(c) Paul’s presence of mind
Paul began his discourse with what he saw around the temple. He began with the ground realities of people. He started the speech with something tangible – ‘an altar dedicated to an unknown’God”—which people saw, touched, and felt every day.
As a result, people were hanging on Paul’s lips.
Paul’s way of proclamation offers us yet another lesson. Paul teaches us how to know God. We come to know God not through discovery or invention, but through revelation.
The revelation of God comes to us when we start looking for him. Even when we groped for him, we would find him. The image of groping for God brings to mind our own search for matches and candles when electricity goes off. When we find them, we are filled with joy. When we realise that those objects are within our arm’s reach, our joy is doubled. The line, ‘in him we live and move and have our being’ shows Paul’s deep faith in God.
In the gospel reading, Jesus says to his disciples, “But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth.” We, the believers, need not grope for God. The Holy Spirit takes our hand on his own and leads us towards God, the truth. With him, we are not alone. Our God stands closer to us through the Holy Spirit.
What we need to do is letting the Holy Spirit take us by hand.
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How do we encounter a new place, a new person, and a new job? To those like Paul, who know their goal, being, and dynamism, every place, every person, and every job are the same. (Jubilee A. D. 2025, bite 92)
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
# Be M.er.cy.Fool
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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