you have been with me from the beginning.
I tell you all this to keep you from stumbling and falling away. They will put you out of the
synagogue. Still more, the hour is coming, when anyone who kills you will claim to be
serving God; they will do this, because they have not known the Father or me. I tell you
all these things now so that, when the time comes, you may remember that I told you
about them. I did not tell you about this in the beginning, because I was with you.
Reflect
When I read the story of Lydia, I am reminded of a woman I met years ago when I gave
a retreat for people who were being received into the Church at the Easter Vigil. This
woman chose Lydia as her confirmation name in honor of her mother. Like Lydia, her
mother was a welcoming person. Growing up, this woman knew that she could always
bring someone home for a meal or a visit. The door was always open and there was
always room for one more.
Our willingness to open our doors and our hearts to those in need and those on the
margins is a sign of our faith. The world tells us to close our doors and protect our
own, to look out for ourselves without regard for others. But the Spirit of truth calls
us to give witness to the fact that we are one in Christ Jesus, called to union with God
and with each other.
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