Word to the Wise
Tuesday, April 14, 2015 - 2nd Week of Easter - Tues
[Acts 4:32-37 and John 3:7b-15]The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common...[Acts]
The Acts of the Apostles (which some consider simply to be volume two of the Gospel of Luke) attempts to capture the early years of the Christian community. It begins with Jesus' ascension and the Pentecost experience and ends with St. Paul in Rome, where he was martyred during Nero's reign in the mid-60's AD. During the Easter season, the church reflects on these early experiences and the preaching that St. Luke records (or composed from accounts that he had on hand). The description of the life of the community of believers, quoted above (and also in Acts 2:42), was highly influential in the foundation of the Dominican Order [the Order of Preachers]. St. Dominic wanted to match the Albigensian heretics' lifestyle, which sought to emulate the early Christian community, with sound doctrinal preaching.
How would the description be received today? I suspect many would say that it is too idealized and really didn't happen that way. Or others would say that it is something that people in religious orders can do (not without some struggle, I assure you) but not required for the rest. Private property is engrained in human nature, it would be said, and the church has defended that concept. I think it is a good thing for anyone to look at the role of material possessions in their life and ask what relationship these "things" have to faith. We might recall Jesus' challenge to the rich young man in Matthew 19. If we think the early community is a bit too good to be true, perhaps we need to look at the reasons why we think so! AMEN
config
view
logs
3840.0 KB
81 ms
4
