We Are Searching

This morning's first reading from Acts 8: 26-40 describes the encounter of Philip the Evangelizer and an Ethiopian court official who is passing by in his chariot and reading a selection from Isaiah.  Philip follows the prompting of the Spirit, catches up with the chariot, joins the man, explains the passage he's reading and baptizes him even before they arrive at their destination, for one of the fastest RCIA programs on record.  Evidently the man was searching and Philip's Spirit-directed presence and explanation satisfied his quest.
Last Fall in Lyons, France, at the Basilica of Notre Dame de Fourviere, I was intrigued by the number of young adults who had bicycled to this famous shrine to Mary.  My curiosity got the best of me and I asked one of them why he and his friends were there, for they were obviously not regular Church goers. He said, "We are searching."  His answer set me on a path of prayer for the many "searchers", who, like the Ethiopian do not understand, but are looking for explanations...
Same with the popularity of the TV series, "Thirteen Reasons Why" on the topic of teen suicide.  These kids are looking for something that is missing in their lives.  May we, following the guidance of the Spirit, pray for these searchers and be available to them to guide them in their quest to the Truth that will make them free.
Bro. Rene