Aquila and Priscilla (Prisca) were a Jewish couple and tentmakers by profession. They had migrated from Rome to Corinth in 49 AD when Emperor Claudius ordered the expulsion of all the Jews from Rome. The Acts of the Apostles explicitly state that during his first missionary journey St. Paul had taken up a part-time work under them to earn his living. (Acts.18: 1-3). The Apostle of the Gentiles took the holy couple to Ephesus as co-operators in the task of evangelization. When Aquila and Priscilla discovered that Apollos, a Jewish convert from Alexandria and a powerful preacher of the Gospel, lacked doctrinal knowledge about the sacrament of Baptism, they filled in that gap with timely instruction. On his return to Ephesus, Paul took these co-workers with him to Rome. Subsequently they returned to Ephesus. According to the Roman tradition Aquila and Priscilla were martyred in the Eternal City. Apparently St. Paul had all but canonized these two co-workers for exposing their life to danger for championing the cause of the Gospel.
Reflection: Throughout the centuries the committed life of Aquila and Priscilla have been serving as an inspiring model to hundreds of catholic couples, who preach the Gospel through their words and examples and who serve as co-workers of zealous missionaries.
I send greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow co-workers in the service of Christ Jesus; they risked their lives for me. (Rom.16: 3)
