Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia! What a wonderful Easter Season! Although I must admit that the weather needs to catch up with us.One of the delights of this season is the reading of the Acts of the Apostles during the liturgies. This year they came more alive for me as I had the chance to see the movie Paul, Apostle of Christ. It is a wonderful movie and brings to life so much of what was happening in the early Church. I hope you get the opportunity to see it.
What comes across to me in the Acts is the real living out of the Gospel, the following of the Way. But the early Christians were not only followers of Jesus, they were also witnesses to his teachings and way of life. They witnessed in the hard times during persecution and with the danger of being identified. They witnessed to one another by sharing all they had so each one could be cared for. We have so many examples of how early Christian communities gather their resources and share with those who were in more difficult straights. Love was evident in the fact that the Gentile converts were supportive of their Jewish converts. It didn’t make a difference who you were -- trying to follow the way of Jesus was what mattered.
All of this makes me look at my own life. I have definitely chosen to follow Jesus but how effectively do I witness to that message in my life? Am I willing to go the extra mile for someone in need? Am I able to speak the truth when it is necessary? Will I follow my faith life whether convenient or inconvenient? The key word here is witness. Do I witness to that life in the spirit of Jesus?
Each of us should answer that question for ourselves. No one is called to judge. We all know deep in our hearts whether we are living our Christian life to the full witness as the early Christians. May your week be filled with much witnessing!
Till next week,
Sister Theresita
This week’s photo is by Sr. Josephine Garrett, CSFN, and features Sr. Corona Molenda (left) and Sr. Clare Marie Butt (right).
