Word to the Wise
Saturday, May 8, 2010 - Saturday in the Fifth Week of Easter
[Acts 16:1-10 and John 15:8-21]They traveled through the Phrygian and Galatian territory because they had been prevented by the Holy Spirit from preaching the message in the province of Asia. When they came to Mysia, they tried to go on into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not alow them, so they crossed through Mysia and came down to Troas.
Many is the listening ear that deflects from the mind (or else struggles with the lector over) the long lists of places that show up in the descriptions of Paul's Missionary Journeys in the Acts of the Apostles. Unless we have been on one of those cruise tours of the places, it's all ancient geography. But Luke the Evangelist has a definite purpose in mind which we might miss if we "zone out" when these scriptures occur. There are at least two very good reasons why we should pay attention. The first reason has to do with the spread of the gospel geographically, in keeping with the Lord's statement in Acts 1:1-8 [cf Luke 24:47]: You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (We might recall here all the different "tongues" present at the Pentecost event - Acts 2:9-11.) Since it is not likely that the local parish is going to supply us with a map to keep track (nor can I!), one might look in one's bible where there are often maps of Paul's journeys. The second - and probably more important - reason is that Paul's efforts are guided by the Holy Spirit (also called the "Spirit of Jesus" in today's scripture). Thus, even though Paul was not in the "upper room" at the Pentecost event, he too experiences the guidance of the Holy Spirit which will determine where and when he would preach! Although many of us associate this direct experience of the Holy Spirit with charismatic and pentecostal expression, the experience is far more common than we realize in our lives. The preaching or even the reading of the Word of God comes under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I count on it when I preach retreats and parish missions! I count on it when I send out "mailings" to dioceses. The Spirit will determine who contacts me and invites me. It might be helpful to think about our own "missionary journey" - our faith history - and how God's Spirit may have guided us to unexpected places and to say or do challenging things that light up the spark of faith in others. AMEN
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