The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to contemplate the action prompted by the Holy Spirit to which the Scriptures refer.
Spirit on our path
In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Paul tells of his conversion.
* [22:1–21] Paul’s first defense speech is presented to the Jerusalem crowds. Luke here presents Paul as a devout Jew (Acts 22:3) and zealous persecutor of the Christian community (Acts 22:4–5), and then recounts the conversion of Paul for the second time in Acts (see note on Acts 9:1–19).1
Psalm 117 is a universal call to worship.
* [Psalm 117] This shortest of hymns calls on the nations to acknowledge God’s supremacy. The supremacy of Israel’s God has been demonstrated to them by the people’s secure existence, which is owed entirely to God’s gracious fidelity.2
The Gospel of Mark shares the commissioning of the eleven to proclaim the good news.
* [16:9–20] This passage, termed the Longer Ending to the Marcan gospel by comparison with a much briefer conclusion found in some less important manuscripts, has traditionally been accepted as a canonical part of the gospel and was defined as such by the Council of Trent. Early citations of it by the Fathers indicate that it was composed by the second century, although vocabulary and style indicate that it was written by someone other than Mark. It is a general resume of the material concerning the appearances of the risen Jesus, reflecting, in particular, traditions found in Lk 24 and Jn 20.3
Dennis Hamm, S.J. spells out his reflection in the form of a prayer.
Luke reminded me that Saul/Paul’s expert training, bright as he was, had prepared him also to misjudge the movement of disciples of Jesus of Nazareth that was gaining popularity. Any movement that attributed such authority of a mere layman would have to be wrong and needed to be stopped in its tracks. A suffering Messiah doesn’t sound like a new David. And love of enemies—the leaders represented by the reigning high priest would be suspicious of that. The young scholar obviously needed ‘further training’ and Luke helped me see that the Lord saw that he got it--the example of Peter’s confrontation of Simon’s desire to buy spiritual power, being gracefully called to Christian baptism by Ananias of Damascus. Does my own practice of ministry require such challenges to further my own conversion? Well, in fact, my own physical vulnerability and dependence on others as I age has taught me that any power I may have gleaned from experience and study is entirely dependent on whether that ministry is governed by love and compassionate listening. Luke helped me see that Saul/Paul learned these things early. So help me, God.4
Don Schwager quotes “Our witness is trustworthy if we live accordingly,” by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD).
"For [Paul] truly became a witness to [Jesus], and a witness as one should be, both by what he did and by what he said. We too must be such witnesses and not betray what we have been entrusted. I speak not only of doctrines, but also of our way of life. Look, what he knew, what he heard, he bore witness to this before all, and nothing hindered him. We too have heard that there is a resurrection and ten thousand good things; therefore, we ought to bear witness to this before all. 'We do in fact bear witness,' you say, 'and believe.' How, since we do the opposite? Tell me, if someone should say he was a Christian but should then apostatize and act like a Jew, would his testimony be sufficient? No, not at all; for people would look for testimony through his actions. Likewise, if we say that that there is a resurrection and ten thousand good things but then look down upon them and prefer the things here, who will believe us? For all people pay attention not to what we say but to what we do. 'You will be a witness,' [Christ] says, 'to all' (Acts 1:8). That is, not only to the friends, but also to the unbelievers. For this is what witnesses are for: they persuade not those who know but those who do not. Let us become trustworthy witnesses. How will we become trustworthy? By the life we lead." (excerpt from HOMILIES ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 47)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Acts 22:3-16 comments that becoming conscious of God’s activity around us (and giving him credit for it!) is the beginning of becoming his witness. For example, maybe a friend reached out with a phone call when we needed to unburden some worry we were harboring that day. A small incident, yes, but it showed God’s compassion. Or we might recall how a hymn sung at Mass moved us and made us grateful for God’s love. It was just one song, yes, but it helped us realize how much God loves us.
The more we can see God’s hand in our everyday circumstances, the more natural it becomes to share these small personal “testimonies” about what we have seen and heard with other people. You don’t have to have a dramatic conversion story like Paul’s to be a witness. You just have to be alert to the details in your life! “Lord, help me be a witness to others of your goodness.”6
Friar Jude Winkler discusses particulars in the three accounts of Paul’s conversion in Acts. Jesus suffers when Christians are persecuted. Friar Jude reminds us to be alert to signs of the Spirit.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, understands Jesus’ eating habits as a model for the kind of “open table” fellowship we might practice as Christians. The Christian Eucharist was supposed to model equality and inclusivity, but we turned the Holy Meal into an exclusionary game, a religiously sanctioned declaration and division into groups of the worthy and the unworthy—as if we were worthy!
Eucharist is meant to identify us in a positive, inclusionary way, but we are not yet well-practiced at this. We honestly do not know how to do unity. Many today want to make the Holy Meal into a “prize for the perfect,” as Pope Francis observed. [1] Most Christians still do not know how to receive a positive identity from God—that they belong and are loved by their very nature! The Eucharistic meal is meant to be a microcosmic event, summarizing at one table what is true in the whole macrocosm: we are one, we are equal in dignity, we all eat of the same divine food, and Jesus still and always “eats with sinners,” just as he did when on Earth.7
The Spirit nudges us to contemplate the deeper meaning of our faith practice that calls us to experience and share the Good News.
References
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