May 22, 2009

Acts 18:1-8
1 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, following a decree of the Emperor Claudius which ordered all Jews to leave Rome. 3Paul went to visit them and then stayed and worked with them because they shared the same trade of tentmaking. 4Every Sabbath he held discussions in the synagogue, trying to convince both Jews and Greeks.
5When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was able to give himself wholly to preaching and proving to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. 6One day when they opposed him and insulted him, he shook the dust from his clothes in protest, saying, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. I am not to blame if from now on I go to the non-Jews.”
7So Paul left there and went to the house of a God-fearing man named Titus Justus who lived next door to the synagogue. 8A leading man of the synagogue, Crispus, along with his whole household, believed in the Lord. On hearing Paul, many more Corinthians believed and were baptized.

Commentaries: Corinth, the main port of Greece and capital of the province of Achaia with 600,000 inhabitants, of whom 400,000 are slaves, is a religious, commercial and cultural center. It has countless temples with thousands of prostitutes serving in them. The city is famous for its luxury and its corruption. Paul goes there and remains eighteen months – until the end of the year 52. This date is exact: history tells us that Gallio was governor of Achaia during the year 52.

Aquila and his wife, Priscilla, had just arrived in Corinth. They were perhaps already Christians, but Jewish Christians were not different from others before the decree of the emperor.

Aquila and Priscilla simply place themselves at Paul’s service to help him. They will assist him on other occasions with the natural availability of people who do not feel tied to any city or country.


Psalms 47:2-7
2Clap your hands, all you peoples;
acclaim God with shouts of joy.
3For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared;
he is a great king all over the earth.
4He brings peoples under our dominion
and puts nations under our feet.
5He chose our inheritance for us –
the pride of Jacob whom he loves!
6God ascends amid joyful shouts,
the Lord amid trumpet blasts.
7Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!



Jn 16:20-23

20Truly, I say to you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy. 21A woman in childbirth is in distress because her time is at hand. But after the child is born, she no longer remembers her suffering because of such great joy: a human being is born into the world.
22You feel sorrowful now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice. And no one will take your joy from you. 23When that day comes you will not ask me anything. Truly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my Name, he will give you.