Acts 22, 3-16 or Acts 9, 1-22
Mark 16,15-18
From The WORD in other words (2019) by Fr Rudy Horst SVD (Quezon City, Philippines)
Was Jesus not a bit unrealistic when he said, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.”? Who were his listeners? Only twelve minus one apostles and 70 or 72 uneducated disciples who knew nothing about “the whole world” heard His mandate. But wasn’t he right? Didn’t his Divine mind know better than our calculating limited minds?
Look at St Paul whose conversion we commemorate today. He travelled alone or with one or two companions throughout vast areas of the Roman Empire and founded numerous communities. I travelled in the footsteps of St Paul and was amazed with what he did on foot while I was sitting in a tourist bus. Rome, Spain–nothing was too far for him.
And these small beginnings continued in Church history. The beggar Francis of Assisi began his mission alone and without money–four years before his death 5 000 followers spread his ideals throughout the world. St Dominic, St Ignatius, did the same.
The neo-catechumenate movement begun in the 1960 with about 20 people–today there 1 million followers. The Marian Schonstatt movement started in 1914 with 25 schoolboys–today the movement has more than a million followers all over the world. St Mother Teresa began with a small flock–when she died, 5 000 men and women continued her work in 800 religious houses.
Go into the whole world and proclaim the Good News! Be not afraid of a seemingly hostile society. Don’t ask what you can do or don’t consider yourself helpless. Just go and share the Good News. The Lord is with his small flock and never abandons it.
