"How to be a mother for the Church?"

A certain woman...

The honorary title of Mother of the Church usually is given to St. Mary, the Mother of Jesus, because it was through her that the Church came into being.

Today, however, I’d like to talk about another woman who over the centuries has taught how to be a Mother for the Church, for it was through Lydia of Thyatira that the Church in Europe came into being – and thus, probably it was through her ministry that the Gospel got traction not only in Europe but well beyond – even to our shores!

As our Second Lesson tells us, the story begins with Paul having a dream about a man asking him to come across the sea from Asia to Grecia.  The Scripture doesn’t say what kind of help was needed, other that St. Paul knew that he had to answer the call for help.

Now, as a note of interest, it is here that Luke joins Paul in his ministry.

Anyway, as they arrived in Philippi, they had no idea were to go or whom to contact.  Having no further guidance, Paul and his companions roamed through the city, trying to find out who called them, but without any success.

Eventually, on the Sabath day, Paul decided to go to a prayer meeting.  There, Paul began to preach the good news.  And so it happened that, after listening to the Gospel of Jesus, “A Certain Woman” received the good news.  After, she and her household were baptized, and Lydia became the first believer in Europe.

I wonder what Paul and his companions might have been thinking.  “Did I get it right?”  “I saw a Macedonian man asking for help but here is the first Christian in Europe and it is a woman – Lydia of Thyatira.”

And being so touched by the Good News of grace and love, that Lydia decided, right then and there, to invite Paul and his companions to come and lodge at her home.  As St Luke tells us, Paul and his friends accepted the invitation and, as it is often said, the rest is history.

But before addressing Lydia and what she can teach us, let me briefly consider Paul.

St Paul responded to the call of a man, and I wonder whether he would have responded at all if it was a woman who had been calling. 

So, a good question to ask ourselves at this point is “Are my conventions and values a help or a hindrance in hearing what God may have to say?”  “Am I attached so much to my own beliefs and understandings that God must use a roundabout way to get me going?”

But let’s talk about Lydia, for she is at the heart of the story.

Now, Lydia had a business to run.  She had to keep track of the raw wool or linen, and she had to secure the tint, which was very expensive. 

(For at the time, purple coloring was extracted from a variety of sea snails.  Extracting the dye involved thousands of snails and plentiful manual labor.  Starting from those who collected the snails to those who prepared the dye and all the way to the merchants selling it.) 

So, Lydia could not leave everything behind.  She had to make sure her laborers collected all the raw and tinted cloth, all the tools, and the precious tint.  So, she had every good reason to mind her own business rather than take care of the visitors.

But for Lydia there was no need of a vision.  Her own heart told her what to do.  And rather than following her commitments and priorities in life, Lydia followed her heart – and Jesus.

But it was more than her business that was on the line.  There was a risk in inviting Paul and his companions to come home.  What her neighbors were going to say?  For her act of kindness was not without its challenges—offering shelter to a group whose message was both radical and potentially divisive could have attracted scrutiny, if not outright hostility, from her town folk.  Not to say anything about her personal reputation!

So, today’s lesson captures a significant turning point, not only in the life of Paul and his companions, but also in the life of Lydia, her household, and the church which would be born out of such commitment and generosity of spirit.

And, as one can read from the St Paul’s letter, his affection for Lydia and the people of Philippi would become enduring.

But let me suggest that Lydia's conversion was not merely an isolated event; her willingness to embrace and share her faith laid the foundation for the Church’s growth in Europe.  As a woman of influence and a seller of purple cloth, her role extended beyond the spiritual realm.  In fact, she became a vital supporter of Paul’s ministry, offering her home as a gathering place for believers in Philippi.

The story began as a dream of a man who turned up to being a woman.  It continued as the story of a woman who risked her business for the sake of the gospel and whose hospitality turned a casual dinner into the seeds of a fledging church.

It is fascinating to consider how Lydia’s faith, generosity, and courage exemplified in a simple invitation to dinner would, eventually ripple across places and generations.  Lydia’s story invites us to reflect on the unseen ways through which individuals – people like any one of us – can plant seeds of transformation, fostering the development of communities of enticing hope. 

Indeed, Lydia’s story prompts us to consider the ways in which our own acts of generosity and faith might serve as building blocks for something far greater that we could ever imagine and which could last far beyond our lifetime.

As we remember Lydia today, at this time let me call to memory the many Lydias and Pauls whose dedication and labor over the years made possible and continue making possible for us to gather here at St. David’s.

Now, may it please God to accept our humble acts of service and multiply them for the harvest of the kingdom.  Amen.

Fr. Gustavo