NOTES for Act 13:13-24
13 Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem. |
14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down. |
15 And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on. |
16 Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience. |
17 The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it. |
18 And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness. |
19 And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot. |
20 And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet. |
21 And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years. |
22 And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. |
23 Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus: |
24 When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. |
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Today's Gospel passage can serve as a beautiful illustration of what the Church is, what a community of believers in Christ is. At its center is its Head - Christ Himself. Beside Him the apostles labor - the foundation of the future hierarchy of the Church. They help people by easing and ordering the transmission of God's gift to everyone in need. And nowhere is it said that they also eat; they must also have taken part in this meal, but first of all they are here for service - to help both Christ and the people. And there are thousands of people around Him, all of them hungry in one way or another, all of them needing something from Him.
Of course, Christ can satisfy their hunger "out of nothing." He, God who created heaven and earth, has absolutely no need of our loaves and fish, for He has more of them than we do. And yet He uses them in order to give us what we so deeply desire. He takes what each of us has, and thanks to Him it turns out that our common wealth is far greater than simply everything taken together. God is always ready to work a miracle for us, but we are not always ready to receive it. And He waits for our first step from us - even if it is small, still participation in the work of our salvation: consent.
Readings for 13 May 2026
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