Today’s Readings – Thursday of Week 4 of Easter - First Reading

Commentary on Acts 13:13-25

Paul and Barnabas continue their first missionary journey.  From Paphos on the north coast of Cyprus, they set off for Perga, the capital of the province of Pamphylia.  Pamphylia was a coastal province in Asia Minor, between provinces of Lydia and Cilicia on the south coast of modern Turkey.  It was 8 km (5 miles) inland, and 20 km (12 miles) east of the important seaport of Attalia.

At this point, John Mark (the cousin of Barnabas), who had originally been one of the party, returned to Jerusalem, from where they had originally brought him.  Later, this will lead to a dispute between Saul and Barnabas.  Why did John Mark turn back? Various suggestions have been made, though none of them are certain:

homesickness for Jerusalem;
an illness of Pau … Continue

Yesterday’s Readings – Saint Matthias, Apostle

There is only one mention of Matthias in the whole of the New Testament and that is in chapter 1 of the Acts of the Apostles, whose author is always understood to have been Luke, the author of the Gospel bearing his name.

According to Acts, after the ascension of Jesus to his Father, th … Continue