![]() Every year when I was teaching I would spring the same joke upon one section of freshmen as part of an extra credit question on the test over The Acts of the Apostles. The trick question was this: when the apostles began to spread the word as Jesus had instructed, how did they get from place to place? No one ever got it, even though I would let them get out their Bibles to look it up. The answer is found in Acts 1:14: “All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer….” Thus, in an Accord was the sought after response. They would groan and I would explain that it was another example of ‘evil teacher humor’ which consisted of a number of trick questions, puns, and the like, throughout the year. As corny as it is, I suspect they never forgot the point of the story which is that the apostles, “…together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brothers” were united as one community. Unity is what Jesus prayed for on the night of the Last Supper, praying that His followers would be as much one as He and the Father are one! (John 17:20-23) That is an amazing prayer, but it highlights how important unity is to Jesus. Therefore, it seems the early Christian community, led by the apostles, put the words of Jesus into practice and prayed to be of one mind and one heart, knowing that it is only through God that we can “devote ourselves with one accord.” ![]() At the beginning of Acts, Jesus told the apostles that the Holy Spirit would descend upon them, reminding them to continue to pray in the Upper Room in preparation for this event. Then Jesus blessed them, and lifted up on a cloud, ascended into Heaven. Two “men dressed in white,” (angels), were suddenly present, asking them why they were standing there staring at the sky: “This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen Him going into Heaven.” (AA 1:9-11) The angels’ comments reminded the apostles that there was work to be done. Immediately they returned to the Upper Room in Jerusalem having transitioned from men in hiding to leaders in preparation for action. They “devoted themselves with one accord to prayer” and therefore their first action was to replace Judas, the apostle who had betrayed Jesus and had then taken his own life. Peter reminded them that they needed to be Twelve again, symbolizing the importance of the unity that Jesus desires for His people. Thus they prayed, chose lots, and ultimately trusted that the Spirit led them to Matthias. The most important part of this first chapter in Acts is the emphasis on prayer and unity. It is also a lesson about hope. ![]() Jesus had worked to conquer sin and death giving us the hope that we will one day be released from all the ‘ties that bind’ here; that which weighs us down will no longer have power and thus we will be set free. This means that all the material goods we care for, all our worries, all the obligations we are burdened with, and that to which we have been entrusted here on earth, will be over. Even our brokenness will be gone as we are released from our imperfections into the glory of God in Heaven. The urging of the angels that the apostles stop looking at the sky and ‘get a move on’ seems to indicate that for the Eleven, the time for standing by was over and the time for praying and discerning as a community had begun. It was time to place their hope in the future of the community which would soon be empowered by the Holy Spirit so that they could go about the business of spreading the Good News of salvation. Thus, this first Christian community became the Church on the day of Pentecost, under the leadership of the apostles, and all went forth with a renewed sense of hope in the promise of Jesus who had told them to share the message of love, mercy, and hope with the entire world. This small group of people was unified in the communal life, in the breaking of the bread, in working to help the poor in their city, and mostly, in sharing the message of salvation in Jesus. (Acts 2:42-47) That message remains: all who believe and are baptized will indeed be saved. Sin cannot keep us from God, nor can death, now that Jesus has risen. We share the hope of the first Christian community in the wonder and beauty of being with God in Heaven forever, of every tear being dried, of no more suffering, and only joy. This hope is for everyone who commits themselves to Christ: no matter how badly we suffer in this life, we will not be alone and we will be given the joy of Heaven if we ‘persevere to the end in running the race,’ as St. Paul says. (Paraphrase of 2 Tim 4:7) When I was in religious life, a very wise Sister once gave me an important piece of advice which has become central to my view of discipleship. I was stressed over the work I had been assigned, working as if it all depended on me. She took me aside and said that no one is here to accomplish, but rather to contribute. That is exactly what being in one accord is about: we are to work together as a community to bring about the Kingdom. The work is too large for any one of us, but together we can move mountains. What she said was also about humility, because to contribute means we must acknowledge our own littleness and recognize that we need others, and especially the Lord, in order to do anything at all. And we must remember that the Kingdom of Heaven is a community: Heaven is not a place we go alone, nor would it be Paradise if we were by ourselves. God created a people and intends for us to spend eternity together with Him. ![]() As one Body we can do these things: where we might struggle in forgiving someone, God offers us mercy so that we understand the power of forgiveness. Where we might not be able to do the loving thing in a situation, we can look to a saint for inspiration and recognition that love does not mean ‘like,’ but it means acting in kindness and compassion. Where we might be tempted to hold on to material goods rather than share with the less fortunate, there are organizations within the community that inspire us to be generous. Where we might become self-absorbed or too lazy to reach out and help another, there are Scriptures and inspirational writings which teach us to stretch outside our comfort zone. And when we are not feeling peaceful or do not believe in our own ability to make a difference in the world, there are brothers and sisters in the faith who love us into seeing our own beauty and worth. Therefore, praying and working as one Christian community encourages the hope needed that together we will make a difference in the world, just as Jesus taught His first disciples. And if we are tempted to think this is all some kind of naïve notion that sounds too good to be true, it is not. Along the way we will suffer for the sake of the gospel, which is evident in the lives of the apostles after Pentecost and in the lives of many great saints. But no matter how small our personal efforts may seem, when we are accompanied by others who share in the faith, when we assist a co-worker in Christ when they falter, and when we accept the assistance offered when we flag, we are in fact, one Church just as Jesus prayed we would be, devoted to the gospel with one accord. ![]() We are called to be united in prayer and in action. This is a work of hope, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and should bring us great joy that we have been chosen by God as a son or daughter, which makes us also a brother or sister. We are an Easter people because we have hope in salvation and in everlasting life to come, not in what is passing. But while we are in this life, we are called to work as one people in unity, assisting the lost, feeding and clothing the poor, working for justice in our communities, through our word and deed educating our children and those who do not know Jesus, and praying for the Holy Spirit to come down upon our world anew. If we devote ourselves with one accord, we will be gathered as one people when Christ returns, ready individually and collectively. That is the gift of Easter, the gift of the Ascension, and the gift of those first Christians who did as Jesus instructed so that we might join them on the last day. ![]() May we work as a Christian community to be in one accord in prayer and deed! May we ask the intercession of those who went before us that we may act as One Body of Christ! May we work toward justice and peace so that we might achieve healing of that which divides us so that we may have unity! May we be courageous in living the gospel in a world which is often hostile to our values and faith! May we reach out to a neighbor who is struggling and also accept their help when we might need it! And may we embrace our discipleship, contributing to the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ! Let us meet at the table of the Risen Lord! Alleluia! Peace! ©Michele L. Catanese Note: Next post will be May 21. Images: 1. This is a painting called The Ascension of Christ by Giotto. (1305) It appears in Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy. I chose this because I am particularly taken by the presence of Mary in the midst of the apostles and the two "men in white." I also love that Jesus is reaching toward Heaven and is being greeted by the angels and the holy ones. I also love the usage of lapis lazuli in the background, an element that was extremely expensive when this was painted, but which was the only way to make blue paint. Thus, this is not only a great work of art, but one in which the artist wanted to depict the richness of Christ. 2. This is one of my photos taken in Rocky Mountain National Park in Estes Park, Colorado. I chose this because the lone, prominent cloud spoke to me of the Ascension as if it was rising to Heaven. 3. This is #6 (Violet, Green, & Red) by Mark Rothko. (1959) I chose to use it here because it, too, spoke to me of the Ascension of Jesus. The violet is very full: that is, there is a lot going on within the violet space if one looks intently at the texture and shading. The green, which is seemingly infused with gold seems to speak of the glory of God in creation; the red of the vibrancy of the community of believers who will go forth and share what they have witnessed. These are my reflections; you may have your own insights when spending time with this painting. https://www.kingandmcgaw.com/prints/mark-rothko/no-6-violet-green-red-1951-180661#180661::media:0 4. These are two photos I took at the Gemstone Beach in far southern New Zealand, not far from Invercargill. I chose to contrast the single stone with the group of stones to symbolize the beauty of the one, but the strength of the many. As a community, the many sizes and shapes become a community where all our varied gifts work together. 5. This is also one of my photos: it is the path leading to (and in this case away from) Franz Josef Glazier in New Zealand. As I looked through my photos the people walking on the path reminded me of the apostles on the journey to spread the Good News to the ends of the earth. 6. This is a wonderful painting called Oarsmen by French artist, Gustave Caillebotte. (1848-1894) Oarsmen have to work together or they will go in circles, and these two are clearly in sync as they proceed on their seaside journey. Members of the Christian community have to work together to make progress, of course, which is the point of this entry. You can obtain a copy of this at https://www.gustavcaillebotte.org/Oarsmen.html and if you are interested, there is a short bio of Caillebotte found at https://www.gustavcaillebotte.org/biography.html. 7. This is a new icon by Fr. William Hart McNichols called St. Martha of Bethany. Martha's gift of service is legendary, in the best Christian sense. She is best known for laboring to serve while her sister Mary sat at the feet of Christ. Sometimes she gets criticized for her good intention, and while it is true we need balance between reflective prayer and action, one does lead to the other (in both directions!) You can find this icon, and if desired, can purchase the image in one of many different mediums, at http://frbillmcnichols-sacredimages.com/featured/st-martha-of-bethany-william-hart-mcnichols.html. Comments are closed.
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Heart Speaks to Heart
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