Friday of the 3rd Week of Easter
Acts 9:1-20; Psalm 116:1,2; John 6:52-59
Today’s reading centers around surprises, from the blinding bolt from the blue that felled Saul on the road to Damascus, to the shock and fear of his companions upon hearing the Lord’s thundering voice but seeing nothing, to Ananias’ reaction to the Lord’s command: “You want me to heal who?!?!”, to Paul’s swift and total conversion to Jesus.
I too am surprised…that I lasted this long. I confess that I had serious doubts in the first days of my daily reflection “marathon”, and it often takes a couple of hours and more than a few household interruptions before completing each day’s blog. It is surprisingly fun, though, to read daily scripture and ponder the layers of meaning therein, not the dreary task that I’d initially feared.
Now all I need to do is improve the content of my reflections. As the song goes, “One day at a time, Sweet Jesus!”
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
If you’re wondering why today’s title looks vaguely familiar, it recalls one of my favorite childhood TV shows, The Six Million Dollar Man (1974). Indeed, there are surprising parallels with the titular character Steve Austin, as this rewrite of the famous opening sequence makes clear:
Saul of Tarsus, persecutor. A man barely alive. I can rebuild him. I have the Power. I have the capability to make the world’s first apostle to the Gentiles. Saul of Tarsus will be that man. Better than he was before. Braver…stronger…persuader.
Lord, let the scales fall from our eyes, so that we can clearly see the path that leads to You. Send us the Holy Spirit to imbue us with the confidence to share your gospel message with others and, in so doing, lead them to Your Kingdom, for You are the Way, the Truth and the Life. Amen.