Unimaginable

As we make our way through the Acts of the Apostles, we see many miracles. But some are easy to overlook, like the one in today’s gospel.  

After Peter and John are released they go back and report what had been said, and then scripture tells us 

they raised their voices to God with one accord (homothumadon, in unison)

This may at first not look like a miracle, but think about it.  When was the last time you heard the Church or even some particular parish either speak or act in unison. The closest most churches come is singing a hymn on Sunday and even then, how many people simply opt out. 

For far too many,  Church is “spiritual restaurant” where I go to be spiritually fed, rather than the place we gather to raise our voices as one to give God the worship that we owe. We choose our restaurant based on which one offers the menu that best suits our taste. And churches often struggle to offer larger and larger menus so they can have something for every taste. 

Our Catholic concept of parish has always been based on the idea that we should gather to worship with the same people who live right around us, rich or poor, black, white or brown, Republican or Democrat. The State of Louisiana still uses that model for its civil jurisdictions. 

The Church should be the place where when we approach the doors, we leave outside all of the labels that divide us. The door to the Church is baptism and when we walk through those doors the only identity we should take with us is the one we receive at baptism, member of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church established by Christ.   

The unanimity demonstrated by the Church in the first reading is difficult because it requires sacrifice. It requires that each individual set aside their wants for the common good. Most of all it requires each of us to sacrifice  the idea that “I am right.”  It requires a willingness to sacrifice the I for the We. 

I refer to it as a miracle because it is not something that we humans are capable of doing on our own.  It requires the presence of the Holy Spirit. 

This virus has in effect kicked us out of our church’s and perhaps we deserved to be kicked out. Let us pray in this Easter Season that when we are finally able to come back into our church buildings that we will come back, not as the squabbling children that we were, but we will come back as the humble loving disciples we are call to be. 

Is that so unimaginable?

 

Allowing the week to be Holy

Today is Monday, the second day of Holy Week. But in what way will this week be different. 

Certainly, it will be different because of COVID-19, but how will it be Holy? 

Today’s first reading offers us a strangely serene image of leadership.

Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, Upon whom I have put my Spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations, Not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street. A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, 

In the midst of pandemic where can we find such serenity? In prayer.

Not the pray of petition, telling God what we want, but the prayer of surrender, the prayer of Jesus in the Garden. 

Holiness comes from unity with the divine, and that unity comes from total abandonment, total surrender. On this Monday of Holy Week, can we surrender ourselves into the hands of our loving Father?