Word to the Wise
Tuesday, May 18, 2010 - Tuesday in the Seventh Week of Easter
[Acts 20:17-27 and John 17:1-11a]Yet I consider life of no importance to me, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to bear witness to the gospel of God's grace.
Today we hear a touching "farewell address" by Paul to the Elders of the Community at Ephesus. He has summoned them to the port of Miletus because he has heard of possible problems in the community and he wants to give a final pep talk because he "knows" this will likely be the last time he will ever see them. He has been warned that his return to Jerusalem will be dangerous and probably result in his death. It does, in an indirect way. Paul's determination to be in Jerusalem in time for the Passover resembles Jesus' own determination which is noted by the same author in the Gospel of Luke [9:51] and now, for Paul, in Acts. Paul's journey to the end, however, begins in Jerusalem and ends in Rome - which is the basic schema of the Acts of the Apostles in regard to the preaching of the gospel!!! Today the Church reflects only on the first part of Paul's address. The remainder comes tomorrow. His basic points are, first, that he is aware that the way ahead is dangerous, but he is determined to see it through. Second, he has done all he can to preach the gospel to them in its fullness and no one can say that he has failed in his duty. Third, he knows that there are internal dissensions and that when he is gone, others, from outside and inside the community, will try to undo his work, so he exhorts the Elders to stand firm in the faith they have received. He is not beyond reminding them of his credentials - that his ministry is something that he "received from the Lord Jesus." Words said long ago can have their impact in our own time. We know the power of the language of some of our great civil documents (The Declaration of Independence or the Gettysburg Address) to inspire. St. Paul's address to the Ephesian Elders at Miletus can serve as a reminder to us that it takes effort to remain together as a community profession "one Lord, one faith, one baptism." The history of the Church is filled with the stories of men and women who have given their lives for this. Surely we can draw inspiration from Paul's "farewell address" to strengthen our own resolve! AMEN
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