Today we hear of Paul’s first journey as he arrives in Antioch of Pisidia in Asia Minor, where he spent several years proclaiming the good news, chiefly in synagogues to the large Jewish community. The saga of nascent Christianity and Paul’s preaching about the Risen Jesus depicted in the readings from Acts of the Apostles intrigues me.
From other readings in Acts we learn that early Christianity struggled in numerous ways: oppression from authorities, lack of acceptance in the Jewish community where the followers of the Way first preached, differences among the disciples, especially about the necessity to convert to Judaism.
Just as early Christianity struggled, so we often face obstacles in our own faith life. Bringing faith to fruition is a slow process. The struggle persists not only in the Church, but also on an individual basis. In the midst of this struggle, we must lose neither patience nor belief in the saving message of the death and resurrection of Jesus..
―George Penman Sullivan, Jr. is a Jesuit-educated lay leader who helped found Chicago’s Ignatian Volunteer Corps. He and his wife, Dorothy, live in Wilmette IL, and have four children and three grandchildren.