12 May 2020 – Tuesday of 5th week of Easter – Acts 14:19-28

       Paul’s travels call out to us today as they are described in the Acts of the Apostles.  In some places, In some villages, Paul is welcomed with open arms and he is able to win over many converts for the faith.  Yet, in one place as described in today’s reading, Paul is stoned and dragged to the outskirts of the city and left for dead.  No matter how Paul is treated and no matter what obstacles and challenges stand in his way, he never gives up in spreading the Gospel throughout the land.  He goes from town to town bringing Christ’s message wherever he goes. 
While we on the priests council for the Diocese have been talking about how we are dealing with the reality of our parishes being closed for public masses and public activities during the pandemic, what faces us as we think about phasing in public masses again is that realty differs quite a bit for the parishes in the Diocese.  I think about us in Pearl in the metro-Jackson area with a large number of parishes.  Our reality is different from a small rural parishes with only a couple of dozen of parishioners and only one parish in the whole county.  The area of Humphries and Yazoo counties that I used to cover as a priest when I lived at St Mary in Yazoo City is larger than the entire geographical area of some Diocese here in the United States.  
         I think of the struggles and hardships were are facing in the pandemic.  In some ways, they pale in comparison to the challenges that Paul and his companions faced in their ministry.  Just like Paul, we will have doors opened and door slammed in our face.  But, God’s grace and our faithfulness to the Gospel will see us through, just as God’s grace accompanied Paul and the members of the Early Church on their missionary journeys.