6th Week of Easter (A) : Tuesday 16th May 2023

The reading from Acts today happened during Paul’s Second Missionary Journey (A.D.49-52) at Philippi. The hostility of the Philippians towards Paul was because he had cast out a spirit from a slave girl, who had “made a lot of money for her masters, as a soothsayer by foretelling the future” (vv 18, 16).

The magistrates had stripped, flogged, and imprisoned Paul and Silas to appease the crowd. The amazing thing was that even though they were physically wounded and uncomfortably fastened to wooden stocks at their feet, the missionaries were “praying and singing God’s praises”(25). Their audience? The other prisoners. They were listening (v 25). Then an earthquake came, and “all the doors flew open, and the chains fell from all the prisoners” (v 26). From here onwards is the jailer’s journey, ‘From Confusion to Conversion’! He attempted suicide until he heard Paul’s voice telling him not to; he fell at the missionaries’ feet, “trembling” (v 29). Saved from suicide and saved from capital punishment, the jailer now asked them, “… what must I do to be saved?” (v 30). They preached to him and his family and baptised the jailer and his household (vv 31-33). The jailer, on his part, washed their wounds, took them home, and fed them. So, the jailer’s journey, ‘From Confusion to Conversion’, ended with ‘Celebration’ (v 34).

Let us be ever alert to opportunities set up by God for us to share the Joy of the Good News.

Lord, in our darkest moments, help us to remember to pray and sing Your praises.