In the fourth chapter of the Acts of the Apostle, we read that the early Church was of “One Heart and One Soul… there was not a needy person among them…”
Today’s first reading illustrates a huge problem in the first Christian community. Within a gap of three to five years, many problems had arisen in the early Church. What was written in the fourth Chapter was the ideal each community should strive to achieve. What is presented in today’s reading is the actual situation.
The Church is founded on Christ and guided by the Holy Spirit, yet it is made up of human beings. The writer of the Acts of the Apostles beautifully presents the limitations of human nature. He records the discord within that small community with a specific purpose – that the future Church may learn from early church experiences and may find solutions to remain united as one mystical Body of Christ.
The early church was made up of Jews. The Disciples did not proclaim the Word of God to the gentiles until later, when Paul became a follower and then an evangelizer.
In the early church, there were two groups of Jews – those who spoke Hebrew and those who spoke Greek. Hebrew-speaking Jews mostly lived in Palestine. They studied scripture in Hebrew, followed their traditions, accepted the teachings of Rabbis and were attached to their homeland. Although the Hellenists were of Jewish heritage, they had long ago left the homeland and migrated to other lands. Their worldview was much different than that of the native Hebrews. The Hellenists paid less heed to traditions and to the rabbis. Most of the Hellenists did not understand Hebrew at all.
In the early church, Hebrew-speaking Jews were in the majority, while the Hellenists were a minority who felt neglected and discriminated. The Apostles took seriously the complaints of the minority group – a grave scandal, because it went against their traditional ideals. The solution to the problem is a great remedy to every problem that we face in the church.
The Apostles prioritized the essential mission and work of the church. They made sure nothing hindered the work of the proclamation. The Church is alive when it proclaims Christ. Every Christian is a proclaimer of Christ. The church has many different ministries, and all are invited to help the church’s work of proclamation. All Christians must contribute to the building of the mystical body of Christ – the Church.
In the Gospel, Jesus says that the surest way to the Father is to imitate Him, by giving up oneself totally for the service of one’s brothers and sisters. The Christian Community is a big place, and it should have enough “rooms” for everyone to live a peaceful life. Jesus has shown us the ‘way’ through His passion and death. Now we become that ‘way’ to others through our works in the Christian community. Let us prepare a “room” for all others by putting on the attitude of deacons who are ready to serve in the name of Christ (Acts 6: 5-6).
–Fr. Ranjan D’Sa OCD