Our Father Among the Saints Athanasius the Great (373).
Acts 14:20-27. John 9:39-10:9.
Read Acts 14:20-27
Christ is risen! Truly, He is risen!
In today’s reading, we get a glimpse of the apostles’ ministry. When Paul and Barnabas were preaching in Lystra, Jews from Antioch and Iconium came and persuaded the people to stone Paul. They stoned him and thought he was dead, but Paul survived and “the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe” (Acts 14:20). After preaching in Derbe, he returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch (Acts 14:21). Later they “passed through Pisidia” and “came to Pamphylia” (Acts 14:24). After preaching in Perga, “they went down to Attalia” and “from there they sailed to Antioch” (Acts 14:25-26). In traveling to all these places and others not mentioned here, they not only sought to make new disciples but also to strengthen “the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God’” (Acts 14:22).
Surviving the stoning, Paul immediately continued his ministry the very next day in a different city. Later, he returned to the city in which he was stoned as well as visited the cities where those who called for his stoning were from. When strengthening his fellow Christians, he reminded them that we enter the kingdom of God after enduring many tribulations. He was no stranger to suffering and tribulations.
In his Homily XXXI on Acts XIV, St. John Chrysostom writes of Paul: “He did not hate those who cast stones at him, but after they had dragged him out, he entered again into their city, to be a benefactor to those who had done him such wrongs. If you also endure him who harshly insults you, and has done you wrongs, then you too have been stoned.” What love of neighbor! Preaching the truth and love of Jesus Christ to his enemies, Paul courageously stared death in the face. He was willing to lay down his life in order to love his enemies by preaching Christ Jesus to them. Every time we receive insults and maltreatment because of our faith, metaphorically we experience a “stoning.” Like Paul and the numerous martyrs across the centuries, are we also willing to face tribulations and lay down our lives for the sake of Christ? Let us remember Jesus’ words: “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it” (Mk. 8:35).