Word to the Wise
Tuesday, April 26, 2022 - 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. With great power the Apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all. There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the Apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need. [Acts]
The apostolic community as described by the evangelist Luke in the passage from today's first scripture and earlier (2:42-47) has inspired many different efforts to live communal life in Christian history. Those passages are known to have inspired both Dominic and Francis in their foundation of the Dominican and Franciscan religious orders in the 13th century. The example of Benedctine monasticism existed earlier. As a Dominican friar, I do not own anything of my own (although a lot of "stuff" seems to follow me from assignment to assignment!). When I die, a few keepsakes are given to loved ones and the rest is distributed to the other friars or given to charity. The "private property" aspect is often the focus of interest to many, but communal life means a lot more than property. It means giving of one's self as an act of faith in others!
The two passages about early Christian communal life can be a challenge to us in America and western cultural ways that emphasize individualism and private property. In the gospels, especially the first volume of the evangelist Luke (Acts is his second), Jesus warns against the dangers of wealth as an obstacle to following him. Perhaps the example of the earliest Christian community can challenge us to examine how much of our trust is in what we HAVE rather than in what we BELIEVE as a matter of faith? AMEN