13/04/2024

The appointment of Stephen and the other Deacons was the beginning of the Hierarchy that continues to prevail in the human institution that Jesus' foundation on Peter began. We cannot deny that that Early Church in Jerusalem was complying with the Mission that had been completed by the Resurrection. They were choosing to become God's agents on Earth but had soon started to squabble and became divided into natural linguistic and cultural parties.

I don't suppose that even the Apostles did not consider that they were anything other than Jews and they still followed the "Law" but but both Aramaic and Greek speakers  also knew that the "Resurrection" was "something greater than Moses". 

They did not, at first, develop a public liturgy but attended the daily prayers in the Temple and studied the Torah trying to find in Scripture a way to understand their experience of living with and being taught by Jesus. Many priests, who were steeped in the Old Testament, had recognised Jesus as the "Suffering Servant" of Isaiah and joined the Apostles and in some cases became an alternative focus to the Apostles.

The first Community who had in their enthusiasm been able to share all their worldly goods in their anticipation of the imminent return of Jesus was unable to maintain its commitment to material equality and this distributive of goods, social aspect of the Way, the Truth and the Life became formalised by putting it  into the hands of Stephen and his colleagues.

Jesus has in his reply to Martha told us for all time that our first duty is to kneel at his feet in prayer. The Good Samaritan tells us not to ignore our duty to care for others as we, ourselves, would wish to be cared for. If we choose to live with the first and second commandments as our foundation for living we will definitely, by God's grace, avoid sin and reveal his Glory to others.

Dear Lord you know that I cannot maintain these daily beginnings focused on Your Word. My daily tasks soon interfere with prayer and it is long since that I put myself out to care for another person. I do have too many earthly goods and I am not rich. Help me to behave as you did on Earth both in prayer and deed, May my prayers join with Mary's and all the Saints to praise you and really follow your will in my earthly freedom. May all sinners here on earth and in Purgatory receive the gift of your Mercy which is a never-ending good and help me to be sinless this day.