Clash of Cultures

Hi.  Peace or not peace.

 

Today’s First Reading for this Second Sunday of Easter is taken from the Acts of the Apostles 4:32-45.  You have all heard it before.  I think what got my attention as I prepared for my duty as Lector A for the 7 AM Mass were the words of guidance in our Lector’s Manual.  We, lectors, were cautioned to speak the last verse carefully since there is such a difference in our thinking today as opposed to the days of our Church’s infancy.  The last verse of the reading is, “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 to each according to need.”  Since our government has failed so miserably to ensure security in our retirement, health care, education, and food for all our citizens, would it be so unreasonable for us to take our cue from people who actually lived and breathed the same air as Jesus, who walked with Him, who ate with Him, who learned from Him?  A secular system claims no responsibility to help others.  A Christian system has every responsibility to help others.

 

 

Please pray for your families, your children, our armed forces, our elderly, our sick, the helpless, those who will abuse the helpless today, our Church and all who minister in Jesus’ Name, our special needs – for Alexandra, Billy’s close friend, Aaron, Christie, all who face final exams in the next weeks, and for Barbara.  And, let us give thanks to God for our very life and breath, our homes and possessions, our jobs, our families, answered prayers, everything.

 

 

Father, God, thank you for everything.  We adore you and praise you.  We sing of you to the heavens.  We tend to forget that even our bank accounts, our homes, our cars, our children, our jobs are not from us but from you.  Help us to live and to achieve humbly; remembering always that we are nothing and can accomplish nothing except through you.  May we use our lives and the blessings you lavish upon us in service to all in the Name of Jesus.   Amen.

 

 

Be like Bartimaeus!  Pray!  Trust!  Expect!

 

In Him and in His love,

Lou