It is exciting for us to come together today for our commissioning Mass for the Acts retreat that will take place the first weekend in August. Our Scripture readings today speak to us in the context of our Acts retreat. During the Easter season, we hear from the book of Acts, about the formation of the Early Church and their evangelization efforts. We hear today of Paul venturing into Europe, to the city of Philippi in the province of Macedonia. Philippi had been named after Philip II, the Father of Alexander the Great. I love hearing about the growth and development of the early Church as recounted to us in Acts. We know that Paul and his companions were on fire for the faith. And no matter what opposition or challenges or persecution they face, they were never deterred from their evangelization efforts. We hear of the people who were touched by the Gospel message. Lydia was a Gentile who believed in the God of Israel, although she was not a full convert to Jerusalem. She allowed her heart to be open to the message that Paul and his companions preached. She in turn provided a joyful hospitality to them.
Our most recent Popes have challenged us Catholics to be a part of a new evangelization effort rooted in the example we have in those first apostles in the early Church. I see our ACTS retreat as a reflection of this new evangelization. We pray that the Holy Spirit guide the message that we are presenting to the ACTS participants. We pray that like Lydia, their hearts be open to the message of Christ’s Good News. And we pray that Holy Spirit lead them and guide them as to how they are respond. I am thankful for all of you being a part of ACTS and for being a part of the evangelization efforts of our Church and a part of the work of the Holy Spirit. And that important thing is that we are open to the Holy Spirit, to the way he is going to work in our lives and in the lives of all at the retreat. May we trust in the Holy Spirit as we prepare and plan.
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