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Acts: 16:11-15
We set sail from Troas, making a straight run for Samothrace,
and on the next day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi,
a leading city in that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony.
We spent some time in that city.
On the sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river
where we thought there would be a place of prayer.
We sat and spoke with the women who had gathered there.
One of them, a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth,
from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God, listened,
and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention
to what Paul was saying.
After she and her household had been baptized,
she offered us an invitation,
“If you consider me a believer in the Lord,
come and stay at my home,” and she prevailed on us.
The Word of the Lord.
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Europe is home to some of the oldest and greatest cathedrals in the world, including Saint Peter’s in Rome; Chartres in France; Westminster Abbey in London; and Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.
But Europe’s Christian roots are humble in nature. In fact, the first Masses were likely celebrated inside homes, not in sprawling cathedrals.
When did Christianity in Europe in begin? Our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles gives us a likely answer.
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Saint Paul is traveling with some of his companions throughout Greece, where they encounter a group of women, including someone named Lydia.
We don’t know much about her, other than the fact that she traded fine purple linen – a sign she came from some wealth – and she made Paul an offer he couldn’t refuse:
“If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” Lydia says to him, “then come and stay at my home.” Paul accepted the invitation as Lydia allowed him to stay with her for as long as he needed, likely several weeks or months.
While there, Paul not only baptized her entire household, it’s believed that he also celebrated Mass there. This where some of the first Christians came to believe – and, perhaps, where the earliest Masses in Europe were celebrated – inside someone’s home.
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So, what can Lydia’s story say to us today?
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God’s will often starts with humble beginnings. Think of Christ lying in a manger. Who would’ve thought that child would redeem the world?
Or the calling of the Twelve Apostles. Who would’ve imagined that the Church would grow from twelve ordinary men to nearly 1.4 billion believers?
Or a few baptisms and Masses celebrated inside Lydia’s home. Who could’ve imagined the fruit those seeds would bear, not only leading to the construction of towering cathedrals, but also the conversion of nations.
Never underestimate the power of seeds of faith. God uses them to transform the world.
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Image credits: (1) 4GIVEN (2) Heralds of the Gospel Magazine (3) Hutto Bible Church