The Easter season is the time that we hear the readings from the Acts of the Apostles in our daily masses, as we hear about how the Early Church started and spread the Gospel throughout the world. Today, we hear about Paul being stoned by the people of Antioch and Iconium and even being left for dead. The people of this region so feared the word of God and were so resistant to its message that they were wanting to kill the person that brought this message to them. Today, we see a similar resistance to the word of God and to organized religion throughout the word, and even right here in America. In a similar way, so many people in our modern world don’t see God’s word as being relevant to their lives anymore. It is up to us to continue to preach and live the word that Jesus preached, to have it make an effect in our lives, to have it infuse our very beings. Yet, later in the first reading, we hear that other people from that same region give words of encouragement to Paul in his efforts of evangelization. I mentioned to you last Sunday that the apostle James the Greater went to Spain to help evangelize the people there, but returned to Jerusalem because his efforts at evangelization were not successful. However, now, almost 2000 years later, thousands of pilgrims from throughout the world arrive at James’ tombs in the city of Santiago de Compostela after walking many miles along the pilgrimage route as a symbol of faith and in gratitude for James and what his faith represents to us. There are signs of encouragement in the world today that God gives us, may signs of encouragement if we would only look and recognize them. As we continue on our journey of faith during this glorious Easter season, may we carry the message of the risen Christ in our hearts, and may we be heartened and encouraged as we live out God’s word and as we bring it to others.
Monday, May 7, 2012
5/8/2012 – Tuesday of fifth week of Easter – Acts 14:19-28
The Easter season is the time that we hear the readings from the Acts of the Apostles in our daily masses, as we hear about how the Early Church started and spread the Gospel throughout the world. Today, we hear about Paul being stoned by the people of Antioch and Iconium and even being left for dead. The people of this region so feared the word of God and were so resistant to its message that they were wanting to kill the person that brought this message to them. Today, we see a similar resistance to the word of God and to organized religion throughout the word, and even right here in America. In a similar way, so many people in our modern world don’t see God’s word as being relevant to their lives anymore. It is up to us to continue to preach and live the word that Jesus preached, to have it make an effect in our lives, to have it infuse our very beings. Yet, later in the first reading, we hear that other people from that same region give words of encouragement to Paul in his efforts of evangelization. I mentioned to you last Sunday that the apostle James the Greater went to Spain to help evangelize the people there, but returned to Jerusalem because his efforts at evangelization were not successful. However, now, almost 2000 years later, thousands of pilgrims from throughout the world arrive at James’ tombs in the city of Santiago de Compostela after walking many miles along the pilgrimage route as a symbol of faith and in gratitude for James and what his faith represents to us. There are signs of encouragement in the world today that God gives us, may signs of encouragement if we would only look and recognize them. As we continue on our journey of faith during this glorious Easter season, may we carry the message of the risen Christ in our hearts, and may we be heartened and encouraged as we live out God’s word and as we bring it to others.
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