Acts 28:16-20, 30-31

Acts 28:16-20, 30-31

When he entered Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself,

with the soldier who was guarding him.

Three days later he called together the leaders of the Jews.

When they had gathered he said to them, “My brothers,

although I had done nothing against our people

or our ancestral customs,

I was handed over to the Romans as a prisoner from Jerusalem.

After trying my case the Romans wanted to release me,

because they found nothing against me deserving the death penalty.

But when the Jews objected, I was obliged to appeal to Caesar,

even though I had no accusation to make against my own nation.

This is the reason, then, I have requested to see you

and to speak with you, for it is on account of the hope of Israel

that I wear these chains.”

He remained for two full years in his lodgings.

He received all who came to him, and with complete assurance

and without hindrance he proclaimed the Kingdom of God

and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Opening Prayer: Lord God, throughout the season of Easter, I have been meditating almost daily on your Word in the Acts of the Apostles. I have seen the struggles the early Church faced, the persecutions your people endured, and how you cared for your people through the ministries of Peter, John, Stephen, Philip, Paul, Aquila and Priscilla, Barnabas, Timothy, Silas, John Mark, and Luke. Help me today to understand my role in your plan of salvation and how I can help my brothers and sisters come to know and love you in your Church.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Preaching the Gospel: The Gospel was handed on to us orally and in writing: orally by the apostles who handed on what they received from the lips of Christ or at the prompting of the Holy Spirit; in writing by the apostles and others associated with the apostles who, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, committed the message of salvation to writing (CCC, 76). Sacred Scripture, then, is the speech of God as it is put down in writing under the breath of the Holy Spirit (Dei Verbum, 9). We welcome God’s Revelation and respond to God in faith. Our faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ (Romans 10:17). This is why Paul asks in the Letter to the Romans: “How can we hear this word without a preacher and how can we preach without being sent?” In the First Reading, we see Paul use every opportunity to preach the Gospel of Christ. Before his journey to Rome, Paul defended himself before the Roman Governor Festus and King Herod Agrippa II, and, during his defense, he challenged the king to respond to his message that Jesus was the Christ. Paul pointed out that Herod already believed in the prophets and asked him to see their true fulfillment in Jesus Christ. When Herod dodged the question about whether Jesus was the Messiah, Paul said that he would pray to God for him to become a believer in Christ, for Paul desires the salvation of all who hear him.

2. Paul’s Journey to Rome: Having granted Paul’s appeal to Caesar, the Roman Governor Festus placed Paul in the custody of a centurion along with other prisoners with orders that they be transported to Rome (Acts 27:1). “Thus commenced a remarkable and nearly disastrous voyage by sea that powerfully exemplifies God’s providence to the eyes of faith. Although Paul and his companions came very close to death, God so guided the course of events that all of them were safely delivered. No miraculous interventions occurred during the sea voyage, yet through prayer and fortitude Paul eventually came to safety on land” (Pimentel, Envoy of the Messiah, 77). After a very eventful trip, involving hurricane-force winds and a shipwreck on the Island of Malta, Paul arrived in Rome, where he was able to give witness to Christ for over two years.

3. Paul in Rome: In Rome, Paul was under house arrest during the first two years but could receive visitors. He first encountered the Jewish leaders and explained why they should listen to him: “first, he remains a loyal Jew, having done nothing against his people or their ancestral customs; second, he is not a criminal by Roman standards, and for this reason the Romans wanted to release him; third, it was only because of objections to his release by Jews in Jerusalem that he was forced to appeal to Caesar” (Kurz, Acts of the Apostles, 382). Paul spends all day bearing witness to the Kingdom of God and trying to convince the Jews about Jesus. He shows how Jesus fulfills the entire Old Testament – the law of Moses and the Prophets. Some Jews were convinced; others were not. After preaching first to the Jews, Paul once again turns his attention to the Gentiles: “Let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.” During those two years under house arrest, Paul proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught all who came to him about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, your Apostles proclaimed your Gospel to the ends of the earth. They were faithful and endured persecution. They believed in you, hoped in your promises, and lived your charity. Help me to imitate them, proclaim the Gospel, and endure trials and suffering for the sake of your name.

Living the Word of God: As the Easter Season comes to an end, we thank God for all he has done for us through his Son, Jesus Christ. We were poor and miserable and enslaved by sin. Now, our high priest, the Lamb of God, has released us and bestowed divine sonship and eternal life upon us. He intercedes for us in heaven before the Father and prepares a place for us in the Father’s house. Each day, we are called to grow in our knowledge of God and love for him. We grow to the degree we allow God to reign in us and work in us and through us.