Homily for May 5, 2013

Homily for 6 Easter C

Let us prepare ourselves to celebrate the birth of Christianity. 

Our reading from Acts tells the story of the Conversion of Lydia and her household.  This story is set in Paul’s second great missionary journey.  Starting from Caesarea Philippi, he has traveling north to Antioch, then generally northwest through Asia Minor.  He, Silas and Timothy have now arrived at “Troas,” a port on the Aegean Sea.  Now he has a dream, which he understands to contain instructions from God.  “Macedonia” was the Roman province in northern Greece. 

To fully understand the power of this story we must first understand the dramatic cultural differences between us and the society we read about.  In the ancient Greek culture, women were basically treated as property.  In Roman culture, they had a bit more status and someone like Lydia could inherited the business of a dead father or husband who left no male heir.  I point this out because our story today is of the first Christians accepting Lydia as a head of household church.  As the message spread and people were converted, families like Lydia’s were the starting point from which a local church grew; centered around the first family who embraced Christ.  She is being embraced as the head one of these house churches.  This story is another tiny glimpse into how strongly our predecessors held their equality in Christ; symbolized in images like the “Mystical Body of Christ.”  The first Christians were dramatically different from the world around them. 

Also, the “purple” Lydia trades in is an extremely valuable commodity.  The dye is made from a small mollusk; it takes thousands of them to produce enough dye for a moderate sized garment.  Only the wealthiest people could afford it.  It was such a mark of status that Roman law dictated who could wear purple and how much they could wear.  Lydia’s business put her in contact with the households (servants, etc.) of the most influential people of her day.  Further, the trade network she was part of positioned her to pass on the Word through extensive web of relationships. 

In our reading from Revelations, John continues describing the heavenly city established as God’s thrown in the recreated world.  He dramatizes God’s glory by describing it as all the sunlight the city needs.  In his dream John is carried by an angel into the desert to see a decaying “Babylon,” i.e. Rome.  His next vision is the glorified Church, i.e., the new “holy city of Jerusalem.”  The height of the city “wall” is minuscule compared to what would be expected.  This City fears no enemies. 

Our gospel reading is from John’s account of the Last Supper.  Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit after he arrives in heaven.  He also warns that the Holy Spirit “will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said.”  The implication is that more teachings (or revelations) are to come.  There is an old monastic saying that is draw from this admonition: “Be attentive to the Holy Spirit!” 

We are now in that part of the Easter Season where we look toward Christ’s Ascension and the birth of the Christian Church on Pentecost.  Today we remembered the promise of the Holy Spirit and Jesus admonition that we actually listen to it….  We are further reminded of the promised perfected world to come in the reunion of Heaven and Earth. 

Christianity has both a spiritual and practical side.  We have talked much lately about that practical side: loving one’s neighbor, sharing our faith with others and so on.  We must not neglect the spiritual.  It is important that we pray for the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  This is important because the act of making such prayers opens our hearts and minds for the Spirit’s guidance.  It also helps us be ready to accept its gift of passionate spiritual love.  That fiery part of the Pentecost story.  Let us prayerfully make ourselves ready to celebrate the birth of the Church!