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Acts 20: 28-38
At Miletus, Paul spoke to the presbyters of the Church of Ephesus:
“Keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock
of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers,
in which you tend the Church of God
that he acquired with his own Blood.
I know that after my departure savage wolves will come among you,
and they will not spare the flock.
And from your own group, men will come forward perverting the truth
to draw the disciples away after them.
So be vigilant and remember that for three years, night and day,
I unceasingly admonished each of you with tears.
And now I commend you to God
and to that gracious word of his that can build you up
and give you the inheritance among all who are consecrated.
I have never wanted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.
You know well that these very hands
have served my needs and my companions.
In every way I have shown you that by hard work of that sort
we must help the weak,
and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said,
‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
When he had finished speaking
he knelt down and prayed with them all.
They were all weeping loudly
as they threw their arms around Paul and kissed him,
for they were deeply distressed that he had said
that they would never see his face again.
Then they escorted him to the ship.
The Word of the Lord.
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Mark Twain once said, “The two most important days in your life are the day you were born…and the day you know why.”
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On Sunday, I’ll celebrate my 6th anniversary as a priest. Each year I’m reminded in a particular way why the Lord created me, to be his servant and to draw others closer to God.
It’s the same reason why he created Saint Paul, whom we listen to in our first reading.
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Paul’s reached the end of his journey. He’s run the race of life and kept the faith.
Knowing his death is imminent, he gives a final sermon to the Church in Ephesus, exhorting them to remain faithful to the Gospel he preached.
He also warns them against false preachers, whom he knows will arise in their midst, against disunity, and spiritual malaise; things we must still be weary of today.
But Paul’s competed well. He’s done his part. Now he entrusts his flock to his successors.
This gesture of handing on the faith has happened over the last two millennia, some 100 generations, which includes us today.
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The two most important days in your life are the day you were born…and the day you know why.
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As Christians, we might add a third day to Twain’s famous line: the day you were born, the day you know why…
…and the day you go home.
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Saint Paul’s done his part to hand on our faith. Now’s he’s heading home, trusting we’ll continue to share the Gospel.
Regardless of who we are, or what roads we travel in life, this is part of the “why” we are here, to share our Christian faith.
How will I do that today?
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Image credits: (1) Quotestolove.com (2) Saint Paul the Apostle, by Giuseppe Franchi (3) Pastor Darryl Baker