Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter, reflection at daily mass at Mary Gate of Heaven Church
For the past week and a half, we've been following the apostles on their journey after the resurrection. They've been preaching and doing good works in the temple, but today the authorities finally catch up to them and imprison the apostles. But in the darkness of night, an angel comes to free them. And encourages the apostles to take their place in the temple and tell the people everything about this "life."
The apostles didn't preach in the temple about this or that doctrine or dogma, they told them about their lives, which we heard yesterday were marked by generosity, sharing, and love. Even the earliest account of Christians by a Roman emperor says "look at how they love one another." Look at how they care for the poor, even "the Romans'" poor. This kind of selfless love is the reason for our life as Christians because it is the reason for Jesus' coming. Our gospel today tells us that God came into the world not to condemn it, not because our sinfulness had to be corrected, but because God loves us, and God was always going to come into the world whether we sinned or not, because of God's great love.
In our rule as friars, the first way in which we spread the gospel is by living among people, loving them, and not wishing they be better people. As we take our place in the church today, as we share our lives together, let us focus on the light that Jesus has brought into the world and work to be that light to one another.
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