Email Guidelines Guidelines 2nd Week of Easter 2010
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The Book of Acts is very much part of the reflection and prayer during Easter. The Easter experience of the first disciples- apostles led to the beginning of the first Christian community and the urgency or eagerness to spread the Good News to all.
This is what the book of Acts tells us about. Let’s rejoice for it and let’s ask God to renew our Church/ Christian communities in our following of Him. Looking at the situation of Christians in today’s world, perhaps we think that the first Christians had their life easier. But that is not what Acts tells us. In today’s reading, we can see the apostles’ prayer under persecution: “Master, it is You who made sky and earth and sea, and everything in them; it is You who said through the Holy Spirit and speaking through our ancestor David, your servant: ‘why this uproar among the nations?... princes plot together against the Lord and his Anointed.’ This is what has come true... And now, Lord, take note of their threats and help your servants to proclaim your message with all fearlessness, by stretching out your hand to heal and to work miracles and marvels through the name of Jesus...” Accordingly, we see that it wasn’t easy to follow Christ. Nevertheless, they prayed for strength and courage to be guided by the Holy Spirit, who had also helped Christ to be faithful, to love and trust in God’s will till the end, even when he passed through opposition and trials. I invite you to ask God for all those who feel more in desolation and threatened for living and affirming their options of faith in the midst of secular environments, being in their work places, or even in the midst of their friends and families. Lord, strengthen our convictions and help us to fix our eyes in Christ, who also went through many trials. Help us not to be led down by the subtle persecutions we also face. How was the earlier Christian community? "The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul; no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, as everything they owned was held in common." This seems an ideal, a dream. But unity in Community is a consequence of the Resurrection. Why were they so united, despite their differences? why were they so sensitive to the needs of each other and therefore so supportive? They had seen the Risen Lord, the One who has conquered all deaths, who’s Mercy had been shown greater, after they felt devastated by their sins. Now, they believed that Christ was amongst them and out of his mercy and trust, He was entrusting them His mission again. It was through their lives how others would believe in Christ, who loved us and gave his life for our sake. At the end ofan Easter retreat, one of the people shared his testimony, telling that he used to go to Church and go back without wanting to be involved with anyone and with their problems. However, Christ over Easter made him see that His presence in the Church is manifested through everyone. The Church is about everyone recognising their gifts and ministries for the good of all. There’s more joy in being at the service of one another than in living justfor ourselves. Lord, help us to live and to build up our Christian communities looking at the model of the first ones. Reading the gospel of today, it strikes me to see the freedom of those first apostles. "Obedience to God comes before obedience to me." They were free to obey God, free to be guided by the Holy Spirit, free to respond to God’s calling to be witnesses of His Resurrection. Lord, help us to experience the freedom and the joy of obeying You. Free us from wrong ideas that apart us from Your Goodness. © Verbum Dei * 2010MONDAY: ACTS 4:23-31
TUESDAY: ACTS 4:32-37
WEDNESDAY: ACTS 5:17-26
Throughout the whole book of the Acts of the Apostles, we can see and get surprised by the constant courage of the apostles. Nothing stopped them to share the Good News, in other words, to "tell to people about the new Life", as soon as they understood God asked that from them.
I feel it’s so different from our attitude today! We are surrounded and brought up by the wrong idea of respect in such a way that it oppresses the call and the need to spread the Good News. Being with atheists or with Muslims friends, we rather get quite, afraid of being a threat or letting others uncomfortable. Or perhaps we are just insecure of our own faith.
Lord, help us to get to know more our own faith, so we can be more secure in our belief. Help us to bemore courageous and less ashamed of our Christian faith.
THURSDAY: ACTS 5:27-33
God created us free; He wants us to be free. But, which freedom leads us to wholeness and happiness?
If we see the lives of the apostles, we can compare their freedom before and after Christ’s death and resurrection: Before, their free choice relied in denying Jesus, in being indifferent to Him. After, they freely chose to obey Him, being witnesses of His Life and Love. While the fruits of the first attitude were fear, disappointment, the fruits of the second attitude were strength, joy and peace.
FRIDAY: ACTS 5:34-42
"They were glad to have had the honour of suffering humiliation for the sake of the name of Jesus."
This attitude contrasts so much with mine! How many times I feel hard when, speaking about Jesus or doing what I understand His will is for me, there are some difficulties and opposition! As if I was wrong cause not everything is always peaceful!
Yet the apostles give us a wonderful example of what is to be a follower of Christ. To live united to the risen Lord is to live His same life. Then, sufferings and humiliations will be not only part of our human life but also a source of gladness because we are being One with Christ.
Real love for God and for others is purified through humiliations. The majority of communities in the Church have passed through real difficulties and humiliations. However, if they still remain alive, is a sign of their belonging to God.
"If this movement is of human origin it will break up of its own accord; but if it does in fact come from God you will be unable to destroy them. Take care not to find yourselves fighting against God."
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