Reading From Acts

In Chapter Two of the Acts of the Apostles, we have the dramatic story of Pentecost Day. The Holy Spirit comes upon Jesus disciples in a manifest and dramatic way. From this point on, something new and wonderful has begun; the Church is born.

The chapter ends with a description of how life looks in this new church. It tells us that they devoted themselves ... 

... to the teaching of the apostles	Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
... to the communal life,	All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one’s need
... to the breaking of bread	Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes
... to the prayers	They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying favor with all the people

(Acts 2:42-47)

We might call these the four marks of the infant Church. Also, we might draw on them to create a model for our spiritual life.

1.

Teaching of the Apostles: Ultimately, what we be is a revelation, not a construct from a consensus of what we think is true. This is the apostolic tradition, which the Church has received, incorporates, and hands on to each subsequent generation of believers. We believe what the Church believes and holds to be true.

Our spiritual life must be rooted in the teaching of the Church. Because of this, a pattern of study of the Church's teaching must be incorporated our spiritual life.

2.

Communal Life: A true spiritual life is not lived out in the privacy of one's own thoughts, detached from responsibility toward the world and those in their midst. To Cain's reply to God in Genesis, "Am I my Brother's keeper", the answer is yes. 

Our spiritual life must be lived out in true fraternal bonds with others; our natural family, our parish and Church family, our family relationship in the society in which we live.

3.

Breaking of Bread: "Do this in remembrance of me". The life force of the spiritual life is the Holy Spirit. It is a communion in the life of God. This "Life" is a work of God, breathed into us by the Spirit. "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst." (Mtt. 18:20)

The sacramental life of the Church is the preeminent source for our communion in the life of God, with the Eucharist our "daily bread of life."

4.

 Prayer and Praise: Our spiritual life forms and shapes our whole life, who we are and the way we live. Because we have but one life, the life of the Spirit, it must necessarily be seen by others. "Let your light shine before others ... " (Mtt:5:16)

Our spiritual life is a witness to all the world of God's saving grace, transforming us, filling us with hope. It is the incarnation of God's love for all the world to see, that they too may come to faith in Christ. We are the Body of Christ, the Church, the city built on the top of the hill.

Second Sunday of Easter

Homily Notes for the Second Sunday of Easter

As you know, today is still Easter day in the sacred liturgy. The Church celebrates that one day for a whole week and for the liturgy of the Word, the Gospel texts are taken from all four gospel writers and their accounts of resurrection of Jesus. Following the close of this day, the Easter season will continue for fifty days – ending with the celebration of the Ascension and Pentecost.

As a preparation for Pentecost, the first reading of the liturgy of the word will be taken from the book of the Acts of Apostles, and continue reading through the whole book. Acts of Apostles is the second part of Luke’s gospel. It takes us through the unfolding history of the first generation of the Church. This is our story – it is who we are – where we came from – how we got here and why we have gathered in this way to celebrate the sacred mysteries.

There are also a couple other things that make this weekend special. It is Divine Mercy Sunday, established by pope John Paul ll on this day in the year 2000. And on this very Sunday, Pope John XXlll and Pope John Paul ll will be canonized, Saints of the Church.

I find all this quite significant for us at this time in the history of the Church. It is not uncommon to hear it suggested that the Church is in decline and no longer relevant; that perhaps the Church might even disappear, braking into fragmented pieces, replaced by rational thought and technology.

It is because we are surrounded by such a cloud of doubt, that this time in Church is so important for us, and why we must make reading the Acts of the Apostles a central part of our personal faith life, just as the Church makes it so in the liturgy of the Word.

When we turn to Acts and the story of Pentecost, we quickly see that our Church was not made up by the design of a group of people, a work of human enterprise. It comes from God, and is empowered by the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ followers were not great revolutionaries, rather they were a group of frightened and confused and very ordinary people. Then comes Pentecost Day and all is changed in a dramatic moment.

On that very first day, Pentecost day, Acts shows us clearly, that the Church comes under attack. The joyful and exuberant faith of these Spirit-filled people is written off as nothing more than a product of too much alcohol, they are a bunch of drunks. From that first day up to today, the Church is constantly attacked and discredited. This is our constant history.

Acts also shows us how the members of this new Church will be, “a-work-in-progress”, made up of frail humans being, sinners now saved, learning and growing under the constant presence of the Holy Spirit.

So here we are today, the latest additions to this long history. I strongly encourage you to take up your scriptures and read and study the book of the Acts of the Apostles. May these Easter days be as powerful days of healing and building of your faith as they were for that first generation of believers we celebrate through these Easter days.

Voices of Easter - Four

These posts contain the voices spoken in the scripture text of Easter. As you pray, listen carefully to these and see how much they echo your own thoughts on the Resurrection of Jesus.

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews,

Jesus came and stood in their midst

and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.

The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.

As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, 

“Receive the Holy Spirit.

Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,

and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,

was not with them when Jesus came.

So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”

But he said to them,

“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands

and put my finger into the nailmarks

and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

Now a week later his disciples were again inside

and Thomas was with them.

Jesus came, although the doors were locked,

and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”

Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples

that are not written in this book.

But these are written that you may come to believe

that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,

and that through this belief you may have life in his name. Jn. 20:19-31

Voices of Easter - Three

The following posts contain the voices spoken in the scripture text of Easter. As you pray, listen carefully to these and see how much they echo your own thoughts on the Resurrection of Jesus.

That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus’ disciples were going

to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.

And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.

He asked them,

“What are you discussing as you walk along?”

They stopped, looking downcast.

One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,

“Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem

who does not know of the things

that have taken place there in these days?”

And he replied to them, “What sort of things?”

They said to him,

“The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,

who was a prophet mighty in deed and word

before God and all the people,

how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over

to a sentence of death and crucified him.

But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;

and besides all this,

it is now the third day since this took place.

Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:

they were at the tomb early in the morning

and did not find his Body;

they came back and reported

that they had indeed seen a vision of angels

who announced that he was alive.

Then some of those with us went to the tomb

and found things just as the women had described,

but him they did not see.”

And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are!

How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”

Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,

he interpreted to them what referred to him

in all the Scriptures.

As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther.

But they urged him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” 

So he went in to stay with them.

And it happened that, while he was with them at table,

he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, 
and gave it to them.

With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight.

Then they said to each other,

“Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”

So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem

where they found gathered together

the Eleven and those with them who were saying,

“The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!”

Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread. Lk. 24:13-35