The apostle Paul and John the Gospel writer both give us a wonderful example of persistence in witnessing to Jesus. Fr Richard reflects on today’s readings from Mass.
Readings for Saturday of the 7th week of Easter can be found here.
To mark her Diamond Jubilee in 2012 the BBC made a fly-on-the wall documentary which followed the late Queen for a year. In one scene she was at a diplomatic function, dutifully greeting guests, shaking hands, and thinking of questions to ask. Her schedule was running late but she wasn’t aware. The voiceover said something like: “unless someone intervenes, the Queen will simply carry on meeting and greeting for ever.”
This indefatigability in a given task is evident in the life and ministry of Paul the Apostle in relation to him witnessing to Jesus. He simply will not stop, no matter what is thrown at him. Today’s reading is the very end of the book of Acts. After a period of time in custody in Jerusalem and then Caesarea, he is now in Rome, having appealed to the Emperor. He appears to be under a form of house arrest. No sooner has he arrived in Rome than he calls the local leaders of the Jews to him to explain his message. Then we are told he spent the next two years “proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness.” In a similar way, the Gospel writer John, coming to the end of his work, declares this his purpose in writing was “bearing witness about these things”, namely the things of Jesus.
We could do worse than to follow the example of Paul and John in our own day and age. Like them, and like the late Queen at her receiving line, let us be unstoppable and indefatigable in our witness to Jesus, knowing that he always strengthens us with his grace to simply carry on.
Mass today is in St Mary’s at 11.30am (preceded by morning prayer at 10.50 and the rosary at 11).
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