Fr Joe writes this short reflection on the reading from Mass on the Seventh Tuesday in Eastertide.
In today’s first reading St Paul meets the elders of Ephesus at Miletus. This occurred around AD 57 just before he set sail for Rome via Jerusalem. Miletus was a prominent trading centre and an important Ionian city in Ancient Greece which today is part of modern day, Turkey.
St Paul makes an emotional farewell to these elders and speaks of his dedication and diligence in preaching the gospel to them publicly and privately. St Paul has been extremely conscientious in guiding and leading them to accept the Good News of God’s grace.
St Paul has reminded them that he has always put God’s purpose before them and never deviated from that calling. St Paul had a style of preaching which was hard hitting, error was error, sin was sin and evil was evil but he corrected with charity, kindness and love and that is why he concludes that his conscience was clear.
St Paul finishes the race and carries out the mission the Lord Jesus gave him. May we also have St Paul’s drive, passion and fidelity in completing what God asks of us.
“The nation doesn’t simply need what we have. It needs what we are.”
–St Teresa Benedicta (Edith Stein)
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