The Fifth Sunday of Easter - 6 May 2012
The Fifth Sunday of Easter - 6 May 2012 Acts 8:26-40 Psalm 22:24-30 I John 4:7-21 St. John 15:1-8 Background: St. Philip This man, born in Bethsaida in Galilee, was one of the apostles chosen by Jesus. His feast day is on 1 May, where he is honored with James “the Less”. Philip brought his friend Nathanael to see Jesus, and was present at the feeding of the 5,000 in the Gospel of John. He is also associated with a group of Greeks who come wishing to see Jesus. In the first lesson for today, we have a rather interesting account of his meeting with an Ethiopian Eunuch. Perhaps Philip’s connection with the Gentiles occasioned this story reported by Luke in the Acts. The eunuch represents not only someone outside of Judaism due to his birth, but also to his status as a eunuch, and Acts seems to rejoice in the number of “outsiders” who are called to walk with Jes