Homily For Tuesday in Second Week of Easter, 18th April, 2023

Readings: Acts.4:32-37; Ps.93; John 3:7-15

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

THE FRATERNAL LIFE OF EARLY CHRISTIANS WERE THAT OF ONE HEART AND SOUL

 

One of the major problems in our world today is individualism, this no doubt is the cause of disunity, greediness and corruption that is really destroying humanity. To overcome this ugly attitude we need to learn from the early Christian community as recorded in our first reading, which gives us an account of how the company of believers were of one heart and soul deeply united with each other.

 

They bear witness to the central element of their faith, that is, loving God with all their hearts and with all their soul and loving their neighbours as themselves. Thereby bearing witness to the teachings of Jesus. They sold their belongs and brought the proceeds together and distributed them to each according to their need.

 

This was possible because the Holy Spirit unite them together. It is the power of this Spirt that Jesus is talking about in our Gospel passage today when he said to Nicodemus: "The wind blows wherever it pleases; you hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. That is how it is with all who are born of the Spirit”.

 

This great gesture demonstrate what fraternal love really means. No one claimed anything as belonging to him/herself; everything was held in common. This shows us the social life of the early Church. But the question is, do we still have such sharing communities in our Church today? Perhaps we may find such communal sharing in some communities of religious life with vows of poverty and total sharing of resources coupled with a life of material simplicity.  Also, there may be other groups of lay people and some families who try to implement this Christian vision and value. But they are very few.

 

Dear friends, how many families are practicing this great Christian fraternal living? How many societies in our churches are willing to maintain this tradition. This should be encouraged especially at this moment when the world is passing through difficult times, and we are fast losing this our great Christian values of communal and fraternal living.

 

There is need for us to also extend it to the societies were these fraternal Communion and charity have been taken over by individualism, selfishness, corruption and greed. How I wish humanity will learn how to live in fraternal charity like the early Christian, then we will see that the world resources will be enough for everyone. Therefore, let us unite again as one family.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as we reflect on the attitudes and virtues of the early Church, give us the grace to imitate them as we cultivate the attitude of sharing our material blessings with those in genuine need in our community especially in this difficult moment in our societies, country and the world at large. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a grace filled day.