Homily: Fifth Tuesday of Easter

Fifth Tuesday of Easter (Acts 14:19-28) “An Ancient Travel Log”

The Acts of the Apostles reads like a travel log. We read of Paul and Barnabas’ first missionary journey today. We can be confused. If we were talking about Rock Island and Chicago and Peoria, we would understand time and distance right away. But we are talking about Lystra, Iconium and Antioch (really there were two Antioch’s one in Syria and one in Turkey).

Barnabas and Paul made a circle. They started in Antioch in Syria and ended there. Some of their journey was by sea and some of it was by land. They crossed over the island of Cypress on the way. If we traveled this distance by car and boat now it would probably just take a few days. In the first century it took a lot longer.

Travel was treacherous. The Apostles would have had to deal with traveling on the sea. There were no cabins on the small ships they boarded. Travelers slept on the deck exposed to the elements. If a storm came up, they had to hang on for dear life. On land the Apostles had to be constantly worried about robbers and other hazards. Paul and Barnabas would have walked everywhere. They were not wealthy enough to own horses.

The whole trip took about eighteen months. We might ask why it took so long. The reason it took time is that the Apostles were not simply walking they were doing evangelization and starting churches. They were not like evangelists today who come and spend a few days in a town and then move on. No, they had to set up church structures and train leaders who they would ordain. It took time. They wanted to set firm foundations so the Gospel would take root and last.

They did solid work, and the church did last. Some of the churches Paul and Barnabas established are still there today. The Apostles built up relationships that they nurtured from afar with letters and messages. The zeal they had can inspire us. The task they had was much harder than we must do in our parish today.

Reflection Questions

1. Could I be a missionary? What would be the hardest part living in this way?
2. Were the Apostles optimists when they went out to spread the Gospel? What qualities did they need?

 Dear Parishioners,

           I went and visited with a boyhood friend today who is in hospice. Dave has suffered from pancreatic cancer for the last three years. He has had a long road. He converted to the faith when he got married and he became a wonderful Catholic who loved to be active in the church. In his own way he was a missionary in the world.

          He tried to be an Apostle like Paul. In his retirement he was volunteering to take elderly people and physically challenged people to their medical appointments. Little did he know that he would spend the last three years of his life relying on others for his care as he traveled from medical appointment to medical appointment. Life is full of strange ironies. But life is full of many graces. When we exude good Karma, we will receive it. Dave was an example of that principle. He had many wonderful caretakers who tried to help him.

          May Our Lady watch over all of us today.

          Fr. Mark