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Theo Tigno•
4/30/2003 8:26 pm
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Tuesday, April 29th, 2003 |
Acts 4: 32-37
The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. With great power the Apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all. There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the Apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need.
Thus Joseph, also named by the Apostles Barnabas (which is translated "son of encouragement"), a Levite, a Cypriot by birth, sold a piece of property that he owned, then brought the money and put it at the feet of the Apostles.
Dawg's Thought:
There is a great temptation to feed our pride. We want to be rich. We want to be witty. We want to be popular. We all have the temptation to elevate ourselves above "the norm."
The apostles knew what it would take to be elevated above "the norm": humility. The problem with pride is that it destroys our ability to love our neighbor as ourselves because we are too busy looking our for ourselves.
I was reminded many times this weekend about a revelation that God placed on my heart:
Ministry is not about results. If you are worried about results, then you are looking only at yourself. You want others to conform to your expectations through your intervention. The only thing that can transform us is the Love of God! We must constantly strive to conform ourselves to God's expectations, and in doing so, allow others to be open to God's love as well. Then, and only then, can they know that God loves them. That is ministry.
Today's reading reminds us that the early Christian community was not concerned with what they had. They were not concerned about their glory. They were concerened about loving their neighbor because they received God's love within their hearts! God is the initiator of love always, and we are the vessels responsible for sharing that love. This can only happen with humility.
I was asked the question yesterday, "How do you die to yourself?" The answers are found throughout the Gospel readings (because it's not an easy answer), but it begins with truly that God loves you. All pain... All mourning... All suffering... we must accept these things as part of our cross to heaven. God wants us to be with Him, and He will do whatever it takes for us to see Him. This requires purifying our hearts, and in purifying our hearts, we die to ourselves. The pure in heart shall see God, and our trials are working on purifying our hearts. Beautiful child of God, accept your cross today, no matter how great or how small, and know that God wants to be with you. Take care and God Bless.
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