Lydia truly came to know the Lord that day

A reflection on the daily readings, for the Memorial of St. Philip Neri, priest, by Father Perry.

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

There is a very special moment when someone is treated rudely, or even falsely accused or talked about, and they finally stand erect and say aloud, “Do you know who I am?!”

The room falls silent as the great revelation takes place. In the word today, there is a whole lot of revelation going on!

Lydia, from the city of Thyatira and an entrepreneur who dealt with fine purple cloth, was also a true worshipper.

Paul was speaking, and moved by the Spirit to listen to him, she did just so. And so moved she uttered these words aloud before all —

“If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my home.”

She came to a different place of knowing because she was attentive to the Spirit; led by the Spirit, she became attentive to Paul and his words.

Her new knowledge, fed by Paul’s words, led her closer to the Lord; one could say she truly came to know the Lord that day.

The verse before the Gospel today proclaims aloud —

“The Spirit of truth will testify to me, says the Lord,
and you also will testify.”

Let’s face it, when the Spirit gets involved with us — and if and when we truly open to the Spirit — a whole bunch of knowing can take place. And we can ask one another, as the community called church that we are, “Do you know who he is?”

Saint Philip Neri, priest.

And so Jesus, in the Gospel, speaks about the different person one will become when they truly know the Lord, and know the power of his words, his Gospel. As a result of such knowledge, one might even suffer at the hands of those who do not know and, with such a lack of knowledge, can treat rudely or falsely accuse or talk about those who do know.

These are people who have never known the Lord nor the Father. But we do! And such knowledge is something that grows and grows and grows.

And if you don’t believe me, ask Lydia!