Tuesday, May 12
In the state where I live, people turn their TV’s on at night to listen to the local governor give a speech. They wait for him to say that the effects of the pandemic are lessening and that the future of our local economy looks bright. Such news, people believe, will strengthen their spirits and help alleviate their feelings of discouragement.
Today we listen to an expert at “strengthening spirits;” it is the Apostle Paul. We find Paul in the region of Lystra where he stirred up such excitement by healing a crippled man that the people wanted to worship him as a god. The excitement was stifled when some men from a neighboring region arrived at Lystra and tried to kill Paul (Acts 14:19-28).
“In those days, some Jews from Antioch and Iconium arrived and won over the crowds. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing he was dead.”
I doubt that being stoned to death is much fun. Imagine the impact of the stones—the bruising and the bleeding! Surely this would break Paul’s spirit, he would learn his lesson, and quit talking about Jesus. The opposite, however, happened.
“But when the disciples gathered around him (Paul), he got up and entered the city. On the following day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.”
Miraculously Paul recovered! He “got up” and walked right back into Lystra. Rather than take a week off to recover from the stoning, this fiery Apostle left “the following day” for a new mission territory. From Derbe he headed back to his home base, Antioch. Instead of avoiding the dangerous territories he went back to them.
“They returned to Lystra and to Iconium…”
What do you think Paul said to the disciples in those cities? Did he preach a message of fear—something like, “You’d better not talk about Jesus or what happened to me might happen to you”? On the contrary:
“They strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying, ‘It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.’”
Rather than preaching what Pope Francis labelled the “spirituality of well being,” Paul reminded them that the path into God’s Kingdom involves undergoing “many hardships.” Jesus taught that the road to life is narrow and rough, and that is why few people travel it. Paul echoed the teaching of his Master. In presenting the truth the disciples, he “strengthened their spirits.”
When he and Barnabas returned to Antioch,
“…they called the Church together and reported what God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.”
Paul continued to strengthen to the Church with reports of good news.
The Church responds to these works of Paul by singing Psalm 145 (10-13, 21).
“Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might. Making known to men your might and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.”
Today we let the story of Paul strengthen our spirits. He reminds us not to be surprised when we face many hardships in our efforts to be faithful to Jesus and promote his kingdom. Rather than be discouraged in spiritual battle, we, like Paul, get up and go back into the city. We ask the Holy Spirit to awaken in us the gift of courage. Our spirits are strengthened not because the pandemic is easing nor because the economy is improving, but because Jesus Christ lives in our hearts and his Kingdom is growing within us each day.9
“Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages and your dominion endures through all generations” (Ps 45:13).
