In today’s first reading, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, Luke provides us with an ideal cameo of the first Christian community that sounds so unreal to us. They held all things in common. The wealthier members of the community would sell their property to assist those in need. Their generosity was rooted in faith. What prompted them to act in this way was the impact the resurrection of Jesus had on them.
While most of us acknowledge the duty to contribute to the community, some of us often find it hard to be truly generous with what we have. Sharing what we have, be it our personal faith or personal possessions can be a real struggle. Yet when you stop to think about it, we are blessed with what we have because someone, often our parents, was willing to initially share something that impacted our lives, nourishing us both physically and spiritually.
Our parish community is what it is today because there are those within our ranks who strive to share what they have of their time, talent and treasure. Our outreach program, for example, is a testimony of their generosity. They see the wisdom that the first Christian community held to help those in need but alas, not everyone who professes to follow Christ is willing to follow their example.
The early Christian community was prompted to act as it did because the resurrection of Jesus opened their eyes to the reality of the fullness of life beyond the threshold of death. Many like Thomas doubted that event initially, but even if they did not personally see the risen Christ, they came to believe and thus could truly say, “My Lord and my God,” just as Thomas did. Regrettably faith alone did not preserve the idealism of the early Church.
Imagine where the world would be today if every believer had acted with the same spirit as the early Christians did, doing what they could to make a difference even if they could not see the end result. Might the world ever have been rid of poverty and injustice? Or are you left thinking that whatever you do would not make any difference? I can’t blame you. After all, in the gospel on Palm Sunday, we heard Jesus tell the disciples, “The poor you will always have with you,” but then he added, “And whenever you wish you can do good to them.”
This is known as Divine Mercy Sunday. The collect opens with the line, “God of everlasting mercy.” In that prayer, we asked God to kindle our faith so that we will understand rightly what is expected of us. And what is expected of us? How are we to live our faith in this secular world that is so opposed to God in so many ways? In his letter, John reminds us that we are to keep God’s commandments, which includes loving one another just as God loves us.
John speaks of love, not as a nice, warm feeling of good will, but a love that demands a commitment to action from every believer to go forth and make a difference in the world we live in, just as the early Christian community did. Following Christ is reflected by the way we set our priorities, make choices, and use our resources. Many Christians live their faith consciously only when they attend their weekly worship. But how do we put into practice our faith the rest of the week when that worship is done?
The model of the early Christian community has been the object of imitation for centuries on the part of religious orders, whose members take vows of poverty, meaning that they would not own anything personally. There is no reason why every one of us could not take a step in that direction of imitating the early Christian community by making a personal commitment to do something for the poor in our midst, no matter how poor we may think we are.
For years, we have sponsored the 3 P’s program to support Good Cheer, our local food bank, with supplies that it cannot afford to purchase: protein products, personal hygiene products, and paper products. Is it asking too much for you to check your pantry and bring a bar of soap, a can of beans, or a roll of toilet paper so that those who come to Good Cheer can be touched by your generosity? This simple yet consistent act of generosity is an act of mercy on our part for those who cannot otherwise afford the basics of life. Our parish has always been generous in reaching out to the poor such as thru the Rice Bowl but imagine what a difference we could make if everyone of us donated a p of some sort every weekend!
We often ask God to be merciful to us but have we ever thought that God is likewise asking us to be merciful toward others? St. Teresa of Avila once said, “Christ has no body but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks with compassion on the world. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”
The readings for Divine Mercy Sunday illustrate the difference that Easter can and should make in our lives, self-understanding, faith and mission. The challenge of Easter is for us to grow in resurrection faith and to recognize more clearly what our Easter faith entails for our identity as Christians and our place and mission in the world. As you can see, Easter means much more than dyed eggs and chocolate bunnies if we along with those in need are to truly experience God’s divine mercy.