Divine Mercy Sunday (Acts 2:42-47) “One in the Lord”

​Malinda Perez​

            Humanity needs community.  Human beings are social animals.  We need to network with others.  Jesus came to the world with the Golden Rule.  We are to love our God.  We are to love our neighbor.  Often, people in our world who profess Christianity violate this most basic of Christian teaching. 

                Recent events have reminded us of the importance of the Jesus’ message.  Jesus’ feelings were quite clear when he said in the Gospel of John (17:21-24).  “I pray that they will all be one just as you are in me, Father, and I am in you.  May they be one in us so that the world will believe that you sent me. I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one.”  Our Lord didn’t intend that humanity be divided into competing factions where one nation, for example, seeks total domination.  No, Jesus asked for solidarity. Jesus asked that we always seek the common good.

                The church is supposed to reflect the unity Jesus preached.  When the early church began, there was a sense of idealism. Every year during the Easter Season at every day’s Mass we read from the Acts of the Apostles.  We say that we reflect for fifty days on the fact that Jesus lives.  We might also argue that we contemplate the meaning of church all during Easter season.

                The Acts of the Apostles is like a family photo album of the early church.  When we look at pictures and videos from the past, we clearly see what things were like in bygone days. If the family pictures are from a time before our own, we might get a sense of what life was like for our ancestors too.

                The Acts of the Apostles paints a picture of what the church was like at the very beginning.  What is very apparent is that the early church was unified.  One thing that strengthened that unanimity was the liturgy of the church. People came together to pray.  In that prayer they celebrated Eucharist.  We know that the prayer was sincere because the shared prayer led to action.

                One of the behaviors of the first Christians that proves how much they trusted each other was that they pooled their possessions in support of the Church’s mission. If we make donations to a cause, this shows that we believe that good work is being accomplished.  The church always has needs.  Those who are members of the church must be financially supportive.  Also, the leaders of the church must be good stewards.

                Parishes need parishioners who look to the first Christians as role models.  Sacred Heart uses its resources for its good works.  The ministries are funded by our offertory collection. The primary work of the church is evangelization. Last week we had 19 people receive the sacraments of initiation at our Easter Vigil. In the next couple of months 21 other children will be baptized.  At the end of April, we will have 40 youngsters confirmed.  In May we will have another 40 youngsters receive first communion.  All these children have benefited from catechetical formation.  Over 50 percent of our offertory is used to support our local parochial schools and our religious education programs.  Hundreds of youngsters are educated in the Catholic faith because of your generosity.

                Your donations also help us to send out information to those who belong to the church and those who don’t. In the last year we have begun a new outreach on the internet called Flock Notes. We have sent out newsletters, have broadcasted our Masses on Facebook and continue to find new ways to do primary evangelization. Because you donate generously, all this happens.  The whole church thanks you and asks you if you might consider what you might donate in the upcoming year.

                This week you will receive a mailing from the parish that has information about our His Heart Our Hands program.  You will receive a pledge card along with a brochure.  I would ask you to fill out the card and bring it back for commitment weekend next week. If we all share as the first Christians shared, we will continue to reap a rich harvest that gives glory to God and builds up the Body of Christ in this world and leads many to into the joys of an eternal reward.