***
Acts: 8: 1-8
There broke out a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem,
and all were scattered
throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria,
except the Apostles.
Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him.
Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the Church;
entering house after house and dragging out men and women,
he handed them over for imprisonment.
Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.
Thus Philip went down to the city of Samaria
and proclaimed the Christ to them.
With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip
when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing.
For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice,
came out of many possessed people,
and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured.
There was great joy in that city.
The Word of the Lord
***
***
The Acts of the Apostles, which we’re reading from throughout the Easter Season, describes the life and liturgy of the early Church, answering questions like:
“What did the first Christians do after the resurrection? How did they worship Christ? What were their lives like?”
Often, it wasn’t pleasant.
As we just heard:
“There broke out a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem, and all were scattered throughout the countryside, except the Apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him. Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the Church.”
Life for these early Christians was hard and often dangerous.
***
But we also see responsiveness of the Holy Spirit.
***
Because these Christians were persecuted for their faith, many fled to new, sometimes distant lands. As a result, by the end of the first century, the Gospel message spread as far east as India.
Meanwhile, the Apostles stayed put for the time being as they continued preaching the resurrection in spite of serious threats against their lives.
Their example reminds us that nothing can stop the growth of the Church, which is sustained by the Holy Spirit and the courageous witness of ordinary believers like us.
***
Think of ways we continue to witness to our faith today.
***
Almost every week, I meet people at church who were invited by others to “come and see.”
Plenty of others participate in Bible study, are catechists, soup kitchen cooks and drivers, ministry leads, intercessors, and so on.
May we continue to build upon the tradition of the early Christians, who proclaimed in word and deed, Christ is Risen! Alleluia!
***
***
Image credits: (1) Relevant Community Church (2) Bible Gateway (3) Sharing Horizons