The Holy Spirit will teach you everything
and remind you of all I have said to you. JN 14:26
ACTS 25:13-21
My Soul's Beloved,
The world's political leaders believe that they and not God are in charge. Ignorant of the fact that all power belongs to God alone and that they are merely servants appointed by God and will be held accountable for their decisions and actions, they act with impunity. They enforce unjust laws and have no compassion for the vast majority of the people affected by the consequences of their haughty and insatiable greed for money and power.
The power-hungry leaders who govern the world band together to dictate and decide matters that they are unqualified to judge because they are ignorant about the things of God. St. Luke demonstrates well when he describes how Festus, ignorant about the Jewish faith, consults with King Agrippa, who cares less about it, even though he is a Jew. Neither of them is qualified to judge because one is ignorant and the other is indifferent to the religious sentiments of those who accused St. Paul of teaching doctrine contradictory to the Mosaic laws. Each is stroking the other's ego and looking for political leverage.
But Paul is well aware of all that is taking place around him and uses the circumstances to follow the call of the Holy Spirit, who has already revealed to him that he must go to Rome to preach the Good News. So he, as a Roman citizen, appeals to be sent to Rome to be tried there. God uses Festus to ensure that Paul travels to Rome to continue the mission entrusted to him.
We as Christians ought not to be ignorant of world affairs but use everything, both worldly and spiritual, to our advantage in advancing the work of the Kingdom of God.
King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus. Their visit lasted several days, and Festus put Paul’s case before the king. ‘There is a man here’ he said ‘whom Felix left behind in custody, and while I was in Jerusalem the chief priests and elders of the Jews laid information against him, demanding his condemnation. But I told them that Romans are not in the habit of surrendering any man, until the accused confronts his accusers and is given an opportunity to defend himself against the charge. So they came here with me, and I wasted no time but took my seat on the tribunal the very next day and had the man brought in. When confronted with him, his accusers did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected; but they had some argument or other with him about their own religion and about a dead man called Jesus whom Paul alleged to be alive. Not feeling qualified to deal with questions of this sort, I asked him if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem to be tried there on this issue. But Paul put in an appeal for his case to be reserved for the judgement of the august emperor, so I ordered him to be remanded until I could send him to Caesar.’
PSALM 102(103):1-2,11-12,19-20
The Lord has set his sway in heaven.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord
all my being, bless his holy name.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord
and never forget all his blessings.
For as the heavens are high above the earth
so strong is his love for those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west
so far does he remove our sins.
The Lord has set his sway in heaven
and his kingdom is ruling over all.
Give thanks to the Lord, all his angels,
mighty in power, fulfilling his word.
PSALM 102(103):1-2,11-12,19-20
The Lord has set his sway in heaven.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord
all my being, bless his holy name.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord
and never forget all his blessings.
For as the heavens are high above the earth
so strong is his love for those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west
so far does he remove our sins.
The Lord has set his sway in heaven
and his kingdom is ruling over all.
Give thanks to the Lord, all his angels,
mighty in power, fulfilling his word.
The Lord has set his sway in heaven.
JOHN 21:15-19.’
JOHN 21:15-19.’
