The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to invoke the Holy Spirit in our actions of truth, goodness, and charity and recognize Jesus' participation in our service.
In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Seven are chosen to serve the need for assistants.
* [6:1–7] The Hellenists…the Hebrews: the Hellenists were not necessarily Jews from the diaspora, but were more probably Palestinian Jews who spoke only Greek. The Hebrews were Palestinian Jews who spoke Hebrew or Aramaic and who may also have spoken Greek. Both groups belong to the Jerusalem Jewish Christian community. The conflict between them leads to a restructuring of the community that will better serve the community’s needs. The real purpose of the whole episode, however, is to introduce Stephen as a prominent figure in the community whose long speech and martyrdom will be recounted in Acts 7.
* [6:2–4] The essential function of the Twelve is the “service of the word,” including development of the kerygma by formulation of the teachings of Jesus.
* [6:2] To serve at table: some commentators think that it is not the serving of food that is described here but rather the keeping of the accounts that recorded the distribution of food to the needy members of the community. In any case, after Stephen and the others are chosen, they are never presented carrying out the task for which they were appointed (Acts 6:2–3). Rather, two of their number, Stephen and Philip, are presented as preachers of the Christian message. They, the Hellenist counterpart of the Twelve, are active in the ministry of the word.
* [6:6] They…laid hands on them: the customary Jewish way of designating persons for a task and invoking upon them the divine blessing and power to perform it. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 33 praises the Greatness and Goodness of God.
* [Psalm 33] A hymn in which the just are invited (Ps 33:1–3) to praise God, who by a mere word (Ps 33:4–5) created the three-tiered universe of the heavens, the cosmic waters, and the earth (Ps 33:6–9). Human words, in contrast, effect nothing (Ps 33:10–11). The greatness of human beings consists in God’s choosing them as a special people and their faithful response (Ps 33:12–22). (Psalms, PSALM 33 | USCCB, n.d.)
In the Gospel of John, Jesus walks on the water.
* [6:16–21] The fifth sign is a nature miracle, portraying Jesus sharing Yahweh’s power. Cf. the parallel stories following the multiplication of the loaves in Mk 6:45–52 and Mt 14:22–33.
* [6:19] Walking on the sea: although the Greek (cf. Jn 6:16) could mean “on the seashore” or “by the sea” (cf. Jn 21:1), the parallels, especially Mt 14:25, make clear that Jesus walked upon the water. John may allude to Jb 9:8: God “treads upon the crests of the sea.”
* [6:20] It is I: literally, “I am.” See also notes on Jn 4:26 and Mk 6:50. (John, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)
The Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries was not available at publication time.
Don Schwager quotes “Christ our physician,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"God sent the human race a physician, a savior, One Who healed without charging a fee. Christ also came to reward those who would be healed by Him. Christ heals the sick, and He makes a gift to those whom He heals. And the gift that He makes is Himself!" (excerpt from Sermon 102,2) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Acts 6:1-7 comments that as we minister within the Church or fulfill our role as a spouse, parent, or child, remember those deacons. Their most important qualification was their openness and obedience to the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit can fill you with all that you need to bring the love of Jesus to whatever role you have. He can give you wisdom to know what to do with a troubled child or how to care for an elderly parent. He can fill you with the desire to lead a Bible study or small group to share your faith with other people.
You can be a conduit for the Holy Spirit to move in you and shine forth from you. Rely on him as you go about your daily tasks, and you may be surprised at the way he leads you!
“Holy Spirit, I’m eager to serve in any way you need me.” (Meditation on Acts 6:1-7, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler contrasts some passages in Acts about unity in the community with the decision today to appoint assistants to oversee the fair distribution of food to both Hellenists and Hebrews in the community. The diaconate became a recognized part of the tripartite clery circa 150 CE. Friar Jude reminds us of the dual danger perceived in the Sea of Galilee, storms and the reservoir of evil.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces author Felicia Murrell who invites us to practice knowing and experiencing God’s love. How do we get to the place where this is the God we see, the God we encounter and know, the God who frames our imaginings when we think of God?
For me, Divine Love is unveiled through communion, connection, and acts of living that create openhearted wonder.
Consistent engagement with spiritual practices often invites us into such spaciousness, creating access points for us to become more consciously aware of Divine Love’s kenotic expression in us and through us.
To that end, all spiritual practices have this purpose—to allow us to touch the depths of our inner selves and to live a generous life of participation with Divine Love in absolute openheartedness; to move from what we know in our heads about God to living and moving and having our being in God; to be present in this life, to the world around us, and to Divine Love.
What is true about God? God is Love (1 John 4:16). (Rohr, n.d.)
We have the opportunity in our service, like Jesus, of the needs of others, to encounter the Divine Love and the power of the Spirit.
References
Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 13, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/6?1
John, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 13, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/6?16
Meditation on Acts 6:1-7. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved April 13, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/04/13/935781/
Psalms, PSALM 33 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 13, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/33?1
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Tending the Fire Within: Weekly Summary. CAC Daily Meditations. Retrieved April 13, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/tending-the-fire-within-weekly-summary/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 13, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=apr13
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