17/05/2023

St Paul addresses the whole council of the Areopagus. Athens was still the intellectual centre of the Ancient World, although the political centre had shifted west to Rome. There was a Synagogue and as usual there were "God-Fearers". It is this group who arranged for Paul to make his address to the Council.

Paul, who by all accounts was not an immediately prepossessing individual, human beauty was one of the Greek idols, but he was so filled by the Holy Spirit that he was able to hold their attention until he came to "rising from the dead" which he was later to call "a scandal to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks" and he was scoffed at by the Court.

This scene of an "insignificant" person preaching the Gospel to a court of the rich and powerful was to be repeated in Egypt more than a millennium later by little St Francis' preaching to the Sultan. Neither Paul nor Francis had the effect of Daniel, Joseph and Moses in the Old Testament but they were not put to death as was their master the Carpenter's Son. It just occurred to me that Jesus was always treated seriously even to extent of execution, except, of course, by his own relatives.

If our minds are  focused on ourselves and have the self-love that loves self  to the point of Idolatry we have already made the choice to worship the "Prince of this World". If we are so proud of our "being" that we can occupy our life-times in doing the work of Mammon we are using our freedom to deny Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

Dear Lord, I do not have tell you my needs but only for my own sake do I repeat my devotion to all that you have revealed to the whole world. You know how easy it is for me to slip away especially when not in the best of health. Many of your saints have suffered in this world much more than I can imagine. Not least of these was Little Saint Therese whose example was followed by so many in the last century. May Mary and all the Saints who know how difficult life was/is for some of us, especially St Therese implore your Mercy and keep us on earth safe from the wiles of Satan and bring the Holy Souls in Purgatory into the fulness of your grace in heaven.