"The Church Continues to Grow"

Today's Mass Readings

Today’s first reading gives us a glimpse of the life of the earliest of Christian church – its problems and prospects. As the number of disciples began to grow, so did potential problems. Today’s first reading refers to complaints from the Hellenist widows that their needs were being ignored. The important dimension, however, is the manner in which this problem was resolved. The disciples called the community of disciples together and come up with a solution. This precedent will soon become a regular practice in the Church. The Council of Jerusalem in 51 AD would settle the Jewish-Gentile controversy, just as much the II Vatican Council, in 1965, would bring the Church in dialogue with the modern world. So far twenty-one councils have been held. If there is anything we can draw from the readings, it is this – that since the Church, although founded by Christ, is made up of sinful human beings, the Church is a divine-human reality. To this extent it is both sinful and divine. This fact is most reflected in today’s gospel reading. The disciples, even though called by Jesus, are really a frightened, timid group of people. Yet, Christ chooses them to continue his ministry. Filled with the Holy Spirit, they would soon take Christ’s message of love to every corner of the world.

The Church continues to have problems. Perhaps, some of us were deeply disturbed by the child abuse scandal in the Church. Perhaps, we have had an encounter with very unchristian Church personnel. There are two levels on which we can respond to these problems: first, as Catholics we must focus again on the most essential mission of the Church: “devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). Second, we must reflect on our own participation in our Church ministries. How are we involved in the growth of the Church (local parish) in a manner that reflects the mission that is ours by virtue of our baptism?

Commitment to Christ necessarily involves commitment to the Church Christ founded. Commitment to Christ necessarily involves a commitment to the mission of Christ. A mature Christian is the one who realizes that the church is essentially sinful because it is made up of weak human begins, yet remains committed to it precisely because the Church is founded by Christ and is the most real way in which Christ is present to the world.

As a Catholic in the Church that Christ founded, each of us must resolve that every person who encounters us encounters the risen Christ. And if every Christian fulfils this mission then the Church like the early Christian Church will continue to grow. Let us remember – Jesus is alive and he is in our midst.