Set free

"Let it be known to you therefore, my brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you; by this Jesus everyone who believes is set free from all those sins from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses." – Acts 13: 38-39

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Dear friends in Christ Jesus, the context of today's passage is that St. Paul, along with his companion Barnabas, is preaching to the Jews in Antioch at the synagogue. St. Paul is trying to convince the crowd in the synagogue about the greatness of the person of Jesus.  Jesus is greater than their ancestors David and Moses.  King David after his death experienced corruption, but Jesus did not. God raised Jesus without experiencing corruption. The laws given through Prophet Moses by God for the people could not set them free from all sins but Jesus could.

St. Paul makes it very clear that those who believe in the person of Jesus; there is forgiveness of sins. Jesus has the power to forgive our sins however big they may be. There is hope in the person of Jesus. The love of Jesus has no limitations. The only condition St. Paul is giving us to believe in Jesus and trust in him. As human beings we know how fragile and weak we are and at times we fail to have hope. The hope that we have is that Jesus can set us free from any clutches of sin.

St. Paul also tells the Jews that it is not easy to believe, but those who believe will see the miracles. Dear friends, let us also believe in the person of Jesus and see the miracles in our lives. Only Jesus can set us free.  We have only one Savior. Let us also ask Jesus to forgive us all our sins and set us free from all the bondages of sin.

 

Reflection on the Acts of the Apostles 13: 36-43 by Fr. George Joseph SVD

Lumen gentium | Instrument of Light

I have made you a light to the Gentiles that you may be an instrument of salvation to the ends of the earth - Acts 13:47.

The Second Vatican Council in 1965 reaffirmed the need for the missionary activity of the Church. Its decree Ad gentes says that evangelization is one of the fundamental missions. This document calls for the formation of strong Christian communities and strong relations with the Christians.

As the Bible Sharing Group, we preach the Good News around the world. As one community of Christians from many countries, we keep sharing our reflections on the Word of God. We fulfill this ministry because we care for other Christians and for one another. 

The divine Word encourages us to be a light to our brothers and sisters. We want to become a light for Jesus every day as B.F. Sims wrote in his hymn. So we keep our lamps burning so that all may see and hear about our love towards Jesus Christ. We pray for the world not to be in darkness but in the light of the Gospel.  Through our ministry, we make this light shine all the world around us (see: www.hymnary.org). 

In this way, we also become an instrument in the hands of our Lord as Paul and Barnabas were in ancient times. Our goal is to gather the whole world to hear God's word. So we do not give up but invite new friends to join us and share their reflections. Although many people do not care about the Scriptures and our ministry, some are delighted when they read our blog Sacer esto, and listen to our podcast Vox Verbi Divini on Spotify and other platforms. 

Consequently, the ends of the earth can get the Good News and glorify our Lord Jesus Christ. They are destined for eternal life through the love of the divine Word. Therefore, we are filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. 

Reflection on Acts 13: 44-52 by Józef

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