“I have made you a light to the Gentiles, that you may be an instrument of salvation to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 13:47)
In Antioch of Pisidia, Paul and Barnabas preached boldly in the synagogue. Many listeners were drawn to their message, but opposition quickly arose from some Jewish leaders. Undeterred, the apostles responded with prophetic clarity: the Gospel was first offered to the Jews, but now, since they rejected it, the Good News would go to the Gentiles. Paul quoted Isaiah’s prophecy, revealing their divine commission—to be “a light to the Gentiles.” The Gentiles rejoiced, the Word spread, but persecution intensified. The apostles, shaking the dust from their feet, left the city. And what remained? A community “filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.”
There’s a moment in every disciple’s life when the mission becomes personal—when it’s no longer just a story we hear in church, but a fire in our bones. For Paul and Barnabas, that moment came when they faced rejection and realized: the mission doesn’t stop here. We go where the Spirit leads. We go to the peripheries.
Pope Francis calls this very movement the heart of evangelization: a Church that “goes forth” (Evangelii Gaudium, 20). We are not meant to sit still. The Spirit is always pushing us outward—beyond what’s comfortable, beyond cultural lines, beyond resistance—to the ones still waiting to hear: “You are loved. You are not forgotten. Jesus died and rose for you, too.”
In his Catechesis on Acts, Pope Francis says, “The Word of God is not chained but is ready to be spread.” Even in rejection, the Gospel moves forward. It is, as he describes, dynamic like dynamite- breaking walls and opening hearts.
Bishop Ruggieri reminds us that our parishes are meant to reflect this same Spirit-filled dynamism. Sunday is not the finish line- it’s the launchpad! When we receive the Eucharist, we receive the very life of Christ, not to hold it in but to pour it out—to shine as lights in dark places, to become instruments of salvation for others.
Who are the “Gentiles” in your life? Maybe it’s the coworker who’s never been invited to Mass. Maybe it’s the neighbor struggling with addiction. Maybe it’s the family member who walked away from the Church years ago. God is still writing stories of redemption- and He wants to use you as a witness.
The apostles faced resistance with joy. That’s the paradox of mission: it may cost you something, but it fills you with something greater. The joy of the Gospel is too good to keep to ourselves. Let’s carry it—not just to the pews—but to the ends of the earth, starting right where we are.
Come, Holy Spirit, and ignite in us the fire of mission. Let our Sundays be a source of joy that sends us to be light in every corner of the world.