My Meditations on St. Paul by Fr. James E. Sullivan

Author:Fr. James E. Sullivan [Sullivan, Fr. James E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Confraternity of the Precious Blood
Published: 2015-01-31T16:00:00+00:00

The Third Missionary Journey

53 A.D.—58 A.D.

Map of the Third Missionary Journey is on page 559

THE THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY—THE VALUE OF THE ORDINARY TASKS

Acts 18:23

PRELUDES

1.Paul and his friends exhorting his old converts in Galatia to faithfulness.

2.The grace, my Lord, never to despise ordinary tasks.

POINTS

1PAUL and his friends spent the Winter in Antioch. It revived him spiritually and physically to be back where he was loved and appreciated so much. He probably met often with Peter and allowed Silas to return to Peter as his confidential secretary. Most likely also he saw a good deal of Barnabas and enjoyed talking to Mark, who had now become a fine missionary.

With the return of Spring, Paul and Timothy made preparations for a new missionary journey. Titus joined them, filling in for Silas. Paul didn't know it then but he was setting out on a mission that would be the greatest and most fruitful period of his life and on a road that would lead to martyrdom.

Paul heard that his enemies were planning a counter-mission in the churches of Southern Galatia. So instead of sailing directly to Ephesus, he headed northwest on foot, again crossed the Taurus mountains through the Cilician Gates and revisited his beloved churches of Derbe, Lystra, Iconium and Antioch of Pisidia. At Derbe, Gaius joined the apostolic band. At Lystra, Timothy was able to visit again his mother and grandmother. They could hardly believe how grown-up and mature he had become. Despite the loneliness of these years, they were very, very proud of him.

The apostles worked tirelessly during these months. They instructed for long hours, reviewed, corrected. They encouraged the slow, counseled the doubtful and confused. They listened by the hour to problems. Carefully they warned against those who would try to enslave them again with the Mosaic Law. It was hard work. But as the members of the little band gathered to talk very late each evening, weary and exhausted, they were at peace, for their work seemed to accomplish a wonderful spiritual renewal in each city.

2DEAR MASTER, there was nothing event-ful in this journey, nothing startling and spectacular. Luke sums it all up in the Acts in one verse. And yet what great results were accomplished for souls! It is always that way, my Lord. The work that accomplishes the most for souls and gives most glory to the Father isn't the spectacular sermons, the outstanding deeds of heroism, the unusual works. What does most for souls is the daily, faithful devoted service—the work that seems humdrum and wearisome—the daily ordinary doing of His Will, which can appear so boring and uneventful.—We're liable to think that we're not accomplishing anything through these daily tasks. They seem too ordinary!—But, Lord, when we do ordinary things cheerfully, with fidelity and love, the love transforms them—and they are ordinary no longer!

3JESUS, my Lord, I live in a world of spectacular things—of amazing discoveries and outstanding inventions. It's no wonder that the everyday chores and humdrum tasks seem so insignificant and unimportant.—Give me Your grace to see that what won the Galatians was the daily, faithful service of the apostles.

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