By God’s goodness and compassion, the doors of His kingdom have been opened to all who have faith, Jew or Gentile.
That’s the good news Paul and Barnabas proclaim in today’s First Reading. With the coming of the Church—the new Jerusalem John sees in today’s Second Reading—God is “making all things new.”
In His Church, the “old order” of death is passing away and God for all time is making His dwelling with the human race, so that all peoples “will be His people and God Himself will always be with them.” In this the promises made through His prophets are accomplished (see Ezekiel 37:27; Isaiah 25:8; 35:10).
The Church is “the kingdom for all ages” that we sing of in today’s Psalm. That’s why we see the Apostles, under the guidance of the Spirit, ordaining “presbyters” or priests (see 1 Timothy 4:14; Titus 1:5).
Anointed priests and bishops will be the Apostles’ successors, ensuring that the Church’s “dominion endures through all generations” (see Philippians 1:1, note that the New American Bible translates episcopois, the Greek word for bishops, as “overseers”).
Until the end of time, the Church will declare to the world God’s mighty deeds, blessing His holy name and giving Him thanks, singing of the glories of His kingdom.
In His Church, we know ourselves as His “faithful ones,” as those Jesus calls “My little children” in today’s Gospel. We live by the new law, the “new commandment” that He gave in His final hours.
The love He commands of us is no human love but a supernatural love. We love each other as Jesus loved us in suffering and dying for us. We love in imitation of His love.
This kind of love is only made possible by the Spirit poured into our hearts at Baptism (see Romans 5:5), renewed in the sacrifice His priests offer in every Mass.
By our love we glorify the Father. And by our love all peoples will know that we are His people, that He is our God.
How much do we love one another as Jesus loved us? He loved us so much He was willing to sacrifice Himself by laying His life down for us? Are we will ever willing to do likewise for one another? For community? Our Church? For the love of our God?
What are you willing to sacrifice?
If you called to be a lector do you spend hours dwelling on the word that you are proclaiming? Yes proclaiming not reading out loud! Do you practice over and over making sure your diction and pronunciation is spot on? So that from your lips to the ears of those listening the Lord our God is glorified?
If you are a communion minister do you simply dispense with the communion hosts each mass? Or have you prepared your body, mind and spirit each time dwelling in His presence falling deeply in love with our Eucharistic Lord so that each time you raise the host up reverently and high enough for the communicant to see and respond to “The Body of Christ” they receive Him through the hands of a disciple?
If you are a warden, hospitality minister is your job simply to usher the parishioners to their seats? To ensure smooth parking? To ensure the safety of those you serve? Or are you the stewards of the banquet leading them all, the lame, the poor, the blind into the heavenly banquet of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ? Serving them with humility, patience and above all love!
Are you willing to sacrifice your time, to love those in your community by your presence? To break the word with your sisters and brothers in Christ, to share in His love and to lift one another up who are struggling with faith, challenges and trials. To be there to pray for one another and to lead one another into greater worship? Or have you simply been absent?
Let me be a servant to my brethren after Your own heart Lord, may I love them as You have loved me. Amen
First reading
Acts 1:15-17,20-26 ·
‘Let someone else take his office’
One day Peter stood up to speak to the brothers – there were about a hundred and twenty persons in the congregation: ‘Brothers, the passage of scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit, speaking through David, foretells the fate of Judas, who offered himself as a guide to the men who arrested Jesus – after having been one of our number and actually sharing this ministry of ours. Now in the Book of Psalms it says:
Let his camp be reduced to ruin,
Let there be no one to live in it.
And again:
Let someone else take his office.
‘We must therefore choose someone who has been with us the whole time that the Lord Jesus was travelling round with us, someone who was with us right from the time when John was baptising until the day when he was taken up from us – and he can act with us as a witness to his resurrection.’
Having nominated two candidates, Joseph known as Barsabbas, whose surname was Justus, and Matthias, they prayed, ‘Lord, you can read everyone’s heart; show us therefore which of these two you have chosen to take over this ministry and apostolate, which Judas abandoned to go to his proper place.’ They then drew lots for them, and as the lot fell to Matthias, he was listed as one of the twelve apostles.
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