Daily Scripture Reflection & Prayer: May 8, 2025

Thursday of the 3rd Week of Easter

Scripture Text:  Acts 8:26-40

The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, "Get up and head south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route." So, he got up and set out.

Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, that is, the queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury, who had come to Jerusalem to worship, and was returning home. Seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit said to Philip, "Go and join up with that chariot." Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?" He replied, "How can I, unless someone instructs me?" So, he invited Philip to get in and sit with him. This was the Scripture passage he was reading:

Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter,

and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,

so he opened not his mouth.

In his humiliation justice was denied him.

Who will tell of his posterity?

For his life is taken from the earth.

Then the eunuch said to Philip in reply, "I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this? About himself, or about someone else?" Then Philip opened his mouth and, beginning with this Scripture passage, he proclaimed Jesus to him. As they traveled along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "Look, there is water. What is to prevent my being baptized?" Then he ordered the chariot to stop, and Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water, and he baptized him. When they came out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but continued on his way rejoicing. Philip came to Azotus and went about proclaiming the good news to all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

Breaking the text open – background and summary:

The first reading for today is taken from the Acts of the Apostles and recounts the Apostle Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch whom he evangelized and baptized.

Meditating on the text with personal questions:

Do I follow the promptings of the LORD? Do I go where I am sent? Do I share my faith and give witness to Christ with those who are seeking?

Praying:

LORD, Jesus Christ, You came to us as one of us. Though You are the Son of God, you assumed our nature, lived among us, revealed the Father’s love to us, and then, according to the will of the Father, selflessly gave your life to redeem us of our sins, though You yourself were without sin. Send your Spirit to stir within us so that we might be more receptive to divine prompting and more willing to go where You are sending us so that we might give witness to You and to the salvation You won for us upon the cross of Calvary. Amen.