CT - Catholic Telegraph

What makes the church one community?

Second Sunday of Easter (B), Acts of the Apostles 4:32-35.

The first readings' overview of salvation history that began with the first Sunday of Lent continues in these Sundays of Easter time but with a difference. The first readings in Lent were from the Old Testament and dealt with God's relationship with humanity before the coming of Christ. In Easter time, the readings are from the New Testament and deal with the Christian covenant, the relationship with God instituted by Christ that would last for the rest of human history and persist into eternity.

However, the readings for these Easter weeks do not provide a full history of the people of the new covenant. They only deal with its beginnings. They are selections from the first half of the Acts of the Apostles.

There is quite a bit more about Christian salvation history contained in Acts that the liturgical readings do not present to us. For that matter, there are many other aspects of the Spirit's work in the early church in the other books of the New Testament that are not set forth in this Easter series of first readings.

It's not, therefore, the whole history of the young church that the lectionary intends to give us during these weeks, but only the initial trajectory, a taste of how things were at the beginning.

Each year, the second Sunday of Easter gives us an overview of the young church. The next two Sundays provide samples of apostolic preaching. The fifth Sundays deal with the call to Christian service, while the sixth describe the growth of the church. The seventh Sunday of Easter time (where the Ascension is celebrated on Thursday) deals in various ways with the sending of the Spirit.

This Sunday's reading from Acts is one of the three summary passages that Acts gives us. (The other two are Acts 2:42-47 and 5:12-16). These passages describe the chief characteristics of the Jerusalem community. They are initial progress reports on the life of the early church.

Our reading from chapter four is about unity. The Greek of the first sentence stresses "one": "The heart and soul of the multitude of the believers was one." The text goes on to describe two elements of this unity.

One was the community of possessions. It is not the case that all private ownership was renounced in the early church, but that individual possessiveness was seen as incompatible with Christian faith. The needs of the brothers and sisters were more important than personal resources.

The other element of unity that our passage highlights is the central authority of the apostles. Peter and John have just defended their faith in the presence of the Sanhedrin. Now we see them bearing witness through miracles ("with great power") in the midst of the community. The material gifts brought to the community were placed at their feet, a gesture that acknowledged their power and authority. The apostles were in charge. They oversaw the oneness of the community.

The church community of today is still one. The pope and the bishops extend the ministry of the apostles. Their teaching and their leadership hold the community together.

But the generosity of the faithful contributes to the unity of the church, too. The continued care of one believer for another, the willingness, indeed, the necessity that people experience to be of service to those members of the community who are in need are manifestations of the same Spirit of Christ that enlivened the infant church in Jerusalem.

One of the most encouraging factors of Catholic Church life in our time is the growth of stewardship. Catholics continue to learn that support of the church is not just a matter of paying the bills. It is a matter of sharing ourselves, our time, our talent, our economic resources, with others because we are called to be Christ for one another. In the practice of stewardship, Christ looks after Christ. It is the one Lord who inspires and directs the giver and the same Lord who is acknowledged in the needs of the receiver. Stewardship is an acknowledgment of the oneness of the risen Lord and of the oneness of the Lord's community of faith.

Apostolic faith and consistent sharing: Today God's word teaches us that these are what makes the church one.

For reflection and discussion

How do I experience the unity of the church?

What threats to the unity of the church am I aware of?