Saints Charles Lwanga and his Companions, Martyrs
Tuesday of the 7th week of Eastertide
First reading Acts 20:17-27
The time between the Ascension and Pentecost is a sacred interval marked by both anticipation and interior preparation, a moment when the Church, like the apostles, gathers in prayerful stillness, waiting to be clothed with power from on high. In the reading from Acts 20:17–27, we encounter the figure of Saint Paul, who, guided by the Holy Spirit, journeys forward in humility, fully aware of the trials that await him yet unwavering in his commitment to the mission the Lord Jesus entrusted to him. Paul’s words to the elders of Ephesus are not merely a farewell, but a testimony of a life poured out—he has not withheld anything that would build up the People of God, offering both his teaching and his very self with apostolic courage. This is a time to deepen our surrender, to ask not for comfort but for the boldness to serve with humility, to be faithful stewards of the Gospel, and to prepare our hearts for the fire of Pentecost, which transforms waiting into witness and prayer into power. Paul’s example challenges us during this liturgical waiting: are we, too, ready to be led by the Spirit into the unknown, to live with open hands and fearless hearts, to speak the truth in love, and to carry out the mission of Christ without compromise?
Don Giorgio