Acts 20:17-23. Although he passes by Ephesus as he is hurrying to reach Jerusalem, Paul calls the elders of the Ephesian church to him when he stops in Miletus. There he gives them a goodbye speech and encourages their perseverance. He begins by reminding them how he lived among them - "serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials". He did not shrink from teaching them anything profitable, but both in public and even house to house, he testified of repentance and of faith in Jesus to the Greeks and the Jews. Now he is going to Jerusalem "bound in the Spirit", not knowing what will befall him there, only knowing that the Holy Spirit has made known to him that imprisonment and afflictions await him in every city.

This is a change in style of the description of Paul's travels in Acts. Up until now, the story has been almost completely narrative - telling of his journeys and his trials, but not diving deeply into his words and teachings (probably because we have his letters to give us those). But here we have a lengthy speech of Paul given to the Ephesians elders. In this first part of the speech he reminds the elders of how he behaved when he lived among them, and reveals that he has a feeling he may be in for some hard times in Jerusalem. He is preparing them for what is to come and calling on them to remember his actions so that they can behave the same way.

It strikes me that Paul says he sometimes went house to house in proclaiming the Gospel! Could you imagine if we did that today? I suppose the parish priests' yearly visits to the homes of their parishioners are one way of doing this, but those have not given me the sense of evangelization over the years - more pastoral care. I think we are in a time when evangelization is necessary, even to the flock!

People have been isolated for a long time and while in that isolation were fed a pack of lies through the media, both social and legacy. They don't even realize how badly they have been led astray, in fact they often fight mightily to defend the lies. This is the work of the devil, ultimately. He has had his way for far too long and has corrupted many. The only thing that will work now, I believe, is proclaiming the truth in individual circumstances to individual people. It is tricky, given the animosity that the devil has bred along with his lies, but we must try.

We can speak the truth in charity, trying to stay in relationship with those we love who are in error. We may suffer for it, we probably will (many already have), but that was promised us, just as it was promised to Paul. That shouldn't stop us, we should emulate the way Paul behaved among the Ephesians, and take to heart his encouragement.