Sunday Reflection

     Yesterday (Sunday) got away from me ... sorry for no post.  But there is much to blog about.  I thought this morning I would share a Scripture Reflection that I did for the Second Sunday of Easter for the Diocese of Greensburg web site.  Here is what I had to say:

               They were a threat, these followers of Jesus.  They were ordinary people who
followed an extraordinary teacher and rabbi, preacher and friend.  They listened to him and learned from him.  They were a threat to the status quo, to the survival of a way of faith in the midst of a hostile occupying force called Rome.  Their teacher made claims that bordered on heresy for those who vision was narrow and whose hearts were limited.  They were a threat in Jerusalem and to the nations of Israel and Judea.
               In Rome these followers of the Jewish teacher, Jesus, were a threat to a
society that was individualistic and centered on pleasure and self gratification.  The way of life that Rome considered normal stood in sharp contrast to this small but growing sect.  If left alone, they could spell trouble.  They could not be allowed to co-exist ... not even exist.
               And what was this subversive teaching, this threatening way of life of this
group that would later be called Christians?  Why did their ways spread, their
numbers grow?
               On this Second Sunday of Easter, this Mercy Sunday, our readings give us a
clue.  Faith in a loving God, manifested in a relationship with God's Son, the risen
Lord Jesus, was their foundation.   This relationship is rooted in the amazing love
that God has for everyone, from least to greatest, a love that is experienced
through God's Spirit.   This Faith is lived out in a communal setting - it is never
God and me, me and God.   This Faith can only be found in the Body of Christ,
in the community of believers, in that entity that came to be called Church.
This Faith leads to peace, the great gift of Jesus to his friends.
               Acts today tells us how this community lived.  They gathered in the Temple
to honor the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  They gathered around the table in their homes to break the bread and share their stories of their friend Jesus and to pray.  They shared all things in common, taking care of the needs of everyone before their own needs.  They held as their standard the virtues of Love and Peace.  Why did they do this?  Because this is what Jesus would do, in fact, it is what he commanded them to do.  Why did they do this?  Because they were wise beyond their years and in touch with the amazing grace of the God of their ancestors.   Why did they do this?  Because they needed to in order to live and be holy.
               So, if they could do this, then why not you and me?  Are we too sophisticated,
too mature, too important to live the simple life of Faith?  I hope not.  The challenge is placed before us.  Do we believe his word?