Having completed one missionary circuit through Asia minor
with Barnabas, around the year 50 A.D., Paul set out a second time, this time
joined by a young convert named Timothy.
And this second journey will take the Gospel beyond Asia
minor into Europe. And the reading today contains the story of the first
European convert: a business woman named Lydia. Lydia, was probably a widow who
had taken over her husband's business selling luxurious purple-dyed cloth. She
was a rarity in the 1st century: a business woman in a male dominated world.
The reading from Acts described her as among a group of
women who had gathered for and a "worshiper of God". This suggests
that she was a Gentile who had come to believe in the God of Israel.
Paul sits down with her, and finds her receptive to the
Gospel. Paul attributes her receptiveness to the Lord Jesus himself, who opened
her heart to what Paul was saying.
Sometimes we fear sharing the Gospel with others because we
fear that we will not be able to convert them. But recall, Jesus is the one who
wants to open their hearts. If we are sitting down with a prayerful seeker of
truth, we can trust that grace has already preceded the conversation.
God is at work in the lives and minds and hearts of the
people of this neighborhood, to make them receptive to the Gospel. But we like
Paul have to go to them and sit down with them and share the reasons of our
faith. We must preach the Gospel with deeds and words. Deeds are not enough.
Words are not enough. We must use both. Like our Lord did. Like Paul.
In his great document on evangelizing the modern world, Pope
Paul VI wrote, “It is by her conduct and by her life that the Church will
evangelize the world, in other words, by her living witness of fidelity to the
Lord Jesus—the witness of poverty and detachment, of freedom in the face of the
powers of this world, in short, the witness of sanctity.”
But also, “it is not superfluous to emphasize the importance
and necessity of preaching. "And how are they to believe in him of whom
they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher?... So faith
comes from what is heard and what is heard comes by the preaching of
Christ." This law once laid down by the Apostle Paul maintains its full
force today. Preaching, the verbal proclamation of a message, is indeed always
indispensable.”
There are women like Lydia in this neighborhood, prayerful
women, God fearing women, women with keen minds for business and the like. And
the Lord Jesus wants to open their hearts to his Gospel, through us. May we be
faithful to our call to witness, to testify, to preach for the glory of God and
the salvation of souls.
- - - - - -
That all bishops, priests, catechists, and parents may be faithful in preaching and teaching the saving Gospel of Christ.
For those who do not believe in God and for those who have fallen away from the Church.
For an increase in the gifts of the Holy Spirit among all Christians, and for all who are persecuted for the faith.
For the sick, the suffering, those in nursing homes, hospitals, and hospice care, for the underemployed and unemployed, for the imprisoned, those with addictions, for those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, that the Spirit of Consolation may comfort them.
For the deceased members of our families, friends and parish, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for all those who fought and died for our freedom.
O God, who know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.
No comments:
Post a Comment