29 April 2014
Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor
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…
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 each according to need.
What is described above is not some utopian, communistic vision, but the manner in which the early Christian Church lived and interacted with one another. And it seemed to work very well.
Personally, I could probably come up with forty-seven or more excuses and explanations as to why that way of life could not work in this country in 2014, and perhaps a good many of them would be valid.
Maybe an inroad, then, to a prayerful consideration of this passage from Acts of the Apostles can be a reflection on the many gifts with which you personally have been blessed. And with God right with you in your prayer, demonstrating His love for you in these many gifts, consider what your response might be to Him.
Filled with the sure knowledge of God’s faithful gifting to you, day after day and your whole life through, one perfectly beautiful response, at least, is gratitude.