And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all.
–Acts 4:31-32
Consider:
The weeks between Easter Sunday and Pentecost Sunday are called Eastertide in our Catholic tradition. One way to interpret the daily readings from the Acts of the Apostles is that they are the diary of how the great tide of Christianity began. Over the next several posts, we will consider the lives of some of the apostles who sacrificed their lives so that God’s justice and mercy would roll down history.
The overriding message of the early Church was its worship, the believer’s unity in purpose, and relentless persecution, and the tide still rolls the same today. Ten of the original disciples/priests were martyred, and one was exiled for The Faith (St. John). Most of the believers in the Early Church were persecuted and martyred! We know very little of persecution for The Faith here in the United States, so sometimes we can forget how great a personal sacrifice it can be to worship the Lord in the Mass. We do well to remember that we aren’t “suffering” to the point of death.
What we don’t observe in the Acts of the Apostles is resistance over the purpose of corporate worship of God and where, when, or how it would occur. In other words, protest against the Apostles was the furthest from their minds; gratitude and thanksgiving for the great favor of God ruled the hearts and minds of our ancestors in The Faith. The disciples would roll over in their graves to observe the dissension and protest that has fractured God’s people. How we got here took about 500 years! Unity and cooperation are essential if we are going to restore the single-minded purpose of The Church–to proclaim the Good News of Christ crucified once and for all people in the worship of the Holy Mass.
Pray:
Father, I am eternally grateful for your sacrificial love for me. Thank you for the blood and water from your Sacred Heart that has flowed down through history to reach me–your divine mercy astounds me! I desire to worship and glorify you with all my heart, mind, and strength. I can become so comfortable in the conveniences of this life that I forget to remember you sacrificed your very life for me! I forget to recognize the privilege I have in our free country to worship you with other believers without fearing for my life. I forget to remember that you have gifted me with (priest’s name) to celebrate you in the source and summit of The Faith. What a privilege, what a beautiful life you have given to me. Forgive me for my apathy about coming together with other believers in the worship of The Mass. When I am tempted to complain, murmur, or protest against The Truth, Goodness, and Beauty of The Faith.
–Amen
The Maiden Warrior 