Saturday within the Octave of the Feast of the Holy Trinity
Posted on June 1, 2024 by under
Scripture: Acts 16:9-15 (NKJV)
16:9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.
11 Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. 14 Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.
Devotion
The Lord called St. Paul and company to preach the Gospel to the people in Macedonia. The testimony of Lydia shows that God worked in her according to His Holy Spirit. He made her able to hear, believe, and obey the things that Paul taught. She manifested humility, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord…” This faithfulness stands in contrast to the incident in the following verses where St. Paul cast a spirit out of a girl who was making a twisted confession that was not according to God’s Spirit.
God shows us in the Trinity what love and holy service looks like. The Son does the will of the Father, the Spirit is sent to help others and testify about the Son’s work, and the Father directs us to hear His beloved Son. Paul and the other faithful servants of the Church did not come to just bring idle words and sentiments about loving the Lord. They baptized and taught the people in connection with prayer and true worship. These saints were taught to observe the works of service to the Lord, for which St. Paul would later be condemned by sinners. Thanks be to God that He still sends His Gospel and Sacraments through His Church so that we continue to be blessed in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!
Collect: Almighty and Everlasting God, Who hast given unto us, Thy servants, grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity: We beseech Thee, that Thou wouldst keep us steadfast in this faith, and evermore defend us from all adversities; Who livest and reignest, One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
