Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha
(which translated is Dorcas). 
She was completely occupied with good deeds and almsgiving. 
Now during those days she fell sick and died,
so after washing her, they laid her out in a room upstairs. 
Since Lydda was near Joppa,
the disciples, hearing that Peter was there,
sent two men to him with the request,
“Please come to us without delay.” 
So Peter got up and went with them. 
When he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs
where all the widows came to him weeping
and showing him the tunics and cloaks
that Dorcas had made while she was with them. 
Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed. 
Then he turned to her body and said, “Tabitha, rise up.” 
She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. 
He gave her his hand and raised her up,
and when he had called the holy ones and the widows,
he presented her alive. 
This became known all over Joppa,
and many came to believe in the Lord. 

Acts 9: 36-42

Here are the complete readings for Saturday, May 10, 2025.

(“Sermon on the Mount” Persian Miniature)

God wasn’t finished with Tabitha, and Tabitha wasn’t finished with her mission. I don’t know if any of us will have a near death experience like she did, but it is comforting to process the image of a second act in life in which our lives are no longer focused on what we want, which will never be satisfied, and directed towards the joyful giving of self. Sometimes this self-giving can be found in grand gestures like Tabitha’s ministry to the marginalized, and in other times found in our dispositions in ordinary and extraordinary circumstances. Consider the word “disposition” as how we are disposed or how we present ourselves to others and to the world. Are we present to the people we encounter as Jesus was? Do we savor the moments of quiet, even when we are weary, as living seeds of contemplation? Can we appreciate when we are sad, lonely, or upset, that are hearts are large enough to carry these emotions? Let us rise up like Tabitha to greet the dawn of what is possible today.

The Holy Spirit
does not let Himself be bound
by rules and models
but works where and as He wills.

– The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

God, today we are thankful for gifting us with hope. We do not know how this day will unfold, nor can we assume it will be without discomfort, but here we are, full of hope for what is possible. You feed us and sustain us, O God, on this mysterious and wonderful journey.

Amen