What was life like in the early Church? Through Paul's letter to the Romans, we catch a glimpse. When Christians gathered to pray, they met in homes, church buildings did not yet exist. They viewed themselves as "co-workers" in the mission of sharing the Gospel.

Some Christians were imprisoned for their faith - but they continued to believe in Jesus. Even amidst such persecution, the faith kept spreading: the first Christian from the region of Asia was named Epenetus.

Paul then describes a mystery, something previously hidden but now revealed: Jesus is not only calling Jewish people, but all people to salvation. The grace of Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection is being offered to everyone!

Jesus encourages us to stay focused on this wonderful gift from God. In life, the pursuit of money, pleasure or other things can distract us. Jesus tells us we can only have one centre of our lives: "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other" (Lk 16:13). If we find ourselves distracted, we can honestly tell Jesus we are struggling and ask for His grace to stay focused on God.