Thursday of the Third Week of Easter
(Acts 8:26-40; John 6:44-51)
In today’s first reading the Spirit moves the Church to make
its first recognized, non-Jewish convert.
The newly baptized is not only a Black African but also a eunuch. The latter distinction indicates that
Christianity is truly the home of the downtrodden and dispossessed. Eunuchs were not permitted to join a Jewish
congregation.
Despite not being able become a Jew, the Ethiopian shows
interest in the Jewish Scriptures. He is
reading one of the “Servant Songs” from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah when
Philip goes to him. Like the Ethiopian, the
Servant will not have any posterity to remember him. Also like the Servant, whom Christians
associate with Christ, the Ethiopian will be remembered throughout the ages.
We all feel downtrodden or at least threatened at
times. It’s part of the heritage of Adam
and Eve’s sin. Even if we are rich and
famous, we wonder if anyone really loves us.
We share these feelings with the Ethiopian eunuch. Like him we must discover Christ as a friend. He not only loves us but also knows the near
desperation that we experience. We can
rejoice with the Ethiopian for having encountered him.
