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April 14, 2024On this Second Sunday of Easter, the question is: what type of community are we in the Risen Christ? Have we allowed the Risen Christ to transform our community with His Holy Spirit? How can we ascertain we truly are a community risen with the Lord? There are several signs and most of them are shown in the early church community. Many may say, that was then, now is different, however the same Holy Spirit is guiding the Church. The first reading states the community of believers, that is a good starting point and a reflection can be done with these words alone. In a world of individualism, and with many people busy with their lives, there is no longer a sense of coming together as a community and less of believing in God. And when people do come together, there are many opinions, many ideas, and not all of them concur. The first sign of a Risen Christ
community is a sense of belonging. Being part of the community not just passively, but actively with involvement in parish ministries. The second sign of this new life in Christ in the community is not claiming to own the church, but knowing it is a shared space. The church belongs not to me and my group, the church belongs to all and yet there is an administration.
Perhaps the difficulty that arises with this second sign is a sense of
entitlement. I deserve this space, this room. I have been here for many years, so I have precedence. The early church community reminds us that no one claimed precedence, but they had everything in common. No one claimed to possess anything but were willing to share the little or much they had. A third sign for a community to strive in the Risen Christ is with “great power bear witness.” So much depression is happening in the world, but also, so much discouragement happening in church communities. Are we languishing rather than striving? All may have a “bone to pick” with father, but is that going to prevent us from witnessing? This call to witness is not timid nor lukewarm but with great power and conviction. Bearing witness is to come out of one’s comfort zone, getting the proper formation, and proclaiming to gospel to the outside world beyond the parish boundaries. The fourth sign of new life of a church in the Risen Christ is being open: Open for correction, Open for formation, Open to others. In the Gospel reading it mentions as the disciples gathered and both times Jesus appeared to them the doors were locked. Are we a welcoming parish that swings their doors open to the others so they can come in to encounter the Risen Lord? Or are we a close-door community who only welcomes a
select few? Do we open the doors for newcomers perhaps from a different culture or a different country? Are we willing to go out of our way to meet and greet others? Sometimes like the disciples, out of fear of the unknown, we close our hearts and the doors of our church. Another sign, the fifth sign of a community of the Risen Christ, is to help those in need. Going back to the first reading, it states, “there was no needy person.” A more generous and compassionate community to help the poor far and near shows the mark of the Risen Christ. When a community becomes open, instead of focusing only on itself, then it starts to see the great need there is to help those around so no one will be lacking or needing something. This sign ties in with the previous sign of being open. When the doors start to open, no longer locked, then the many needs of the community at large will start to show. Instead of closing in because of my complaint, the church
community is asked to look beyond the doors. The signs continue, if only we could implement some! The sixth sign is found in the second reading, follow the commandments and do so in a joyful way not begrudgingly. Follow the commandments, live a moral life, and do not find them a burden, but a joy to be united with Christ in conquering the world of sin. And lastly, a true community of the Risen Christ is a community that has learned obedience. This ties together again with the previous sign namely following the commandments. It is so difficult to be obedient to them, to break them is easier, to follow them harder. This obedience is to the commandments, but also the teachings of the church. In the first reading it mentions the early community put everything at the feet of the apostles. What a wonderful act of humility that today happens less
frequent! This is an act also of total surrender, an act of total confidence. There needs to be more healing in our communities so there is not so much distrust, but perhaps openness to learn from the priests what the church teaches. As we are in this Easter season, may we start to live some of these signs to allow the Risen Christ to transform our community and so it may become truly alive as well in His resurrection
