Fifth Sunday of Easter

Dear brothers and sisters!

Today’s reflection will be on the first reading, taken from the Acts of the Apostles. It describes human tensions, forces of division and at the same time the unifying power of God which overcomes these tensions! 

The linguistic and cultural tensions are already present within the earliest Church community. But at the same time, the power of the Word of God authoritatively proclaimed by the Apostles and received in faith, creates a unity which transcends the divisions arising from our human weaknesses. This is a fundamental truth: that the Church’s unity has no other basis than the Word of God, made flesh in Christ Jesus our Lord. All external signs of identity, all structures and programs ultimately exist to support and enhance the deeper unity. What should we do?? Live “the obedience of faith” (Rom 1:5; see Acts 6:7).

It’s simple, the condition for spiritual unity is “obedience”. We might feel it’s like a “stumbling stone”, something against my personal freedom. But in the Gospel the Lord teaches us that the freedom of the children of God is found only in the self-surrender to Him who is infinite love, infinite freedom, infinite life. He is our peace. 

In obedience to Him, your family, group of friends, your community, etc, becomes a stronghold, and you become a “living stone” in that temple.

Fr Remi