During Eastertide, till the Ascension, the daily Mass readings are invariably taken from the Acts of the Apostles. Some of these acts are amazing. This is how biblical scholars describe this compilation.
It is usually attributed to Luke, a non-Jewish Syrian from Antioch, as both this and his gospel are addressed to one Theophilus. It was written circa 70 AD as it refers to the imprisonment of Paul in 61-63 AD. Exegetes say that its “excellent documentation gives Acts a unique historical worth”.
This period has some distinct features: proclamation of the Word, persecution, powerful signs or miracles, repeated manifestations of the Holy Spirit, and exponential growth of the church. The church of today seems unrecognizable compared to apostolic times. Is the “honeymoon period” with the Holy Spirit over? Has the modern day church been reduced to one of mundane, ineffective, repetitive acts? We need to ask ourselves “What is the Spirit saying to the churches?” (Rev 3:22). The word is used in plural, so applicable to all who profess to be Christian.
There are seven specific Acts that drew my attention: 1. The Pentecostal outpouring 2. The curing of the lame man 3. The appointment of Deacons 4. The Martyrdom of Stephen 5. The encounter with Cornelius 6. The Council of Jerusalem and 7. The Temple in Athens. Are you surprised that I have not mentioned the conversion of Paul? Read on. Let us address these events one at a time.
1. PENTECOST (Acts 2:1-12): It was an earth shattering event. A powerful manifestation of the Holy Spirit where people from different nations and continents got to hear a universal message. It is often described as “speaking in tongues”. I would rather describe it as communicating a clear and effective message that touched the hearts of those present. St Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit Order, and the master of spiritual discernment, tells us about the coming of the Holy Spirit. For a soul disposed it is like a drop of water on a sponge – hardly any external manifestation, but quietly interiorized. For those unprepared it is like drops of rain battering a tin roof. The first Pentecost was like the latter. That sea of humanity was not prepared for the coming of the Holy Spirit. In contrast we have the Annunciation. The outside world had no inkling about what had transpired inside the womb of Mary. Hence my first take away from Acts is that we need to internally prepare ourselves for the coming of the Holy Spirit instead of expecting big bang events.
2. LAME MAN (Acts 3:1-8): This is the second epiphany in Acts. A lame beggar at the entrance to the Temple asks Peter and John for alms. Peter’s reply is classic “Silver and gold I have none. In the name of Jesus rise and walk”. Then there is the possibly apocryphal story of a pope showing the Vatican museum’s treasures to a Marxist friend. He says, “Like Peter I cannot say silver and gold I have none”, to which came the Marxist riposte “That is also why you cannot say – In the name of Jesus get up and walk”! That’s take two.
3. DEACONS (Acts 6:2-3): This is another mazing development. The apostles are getting bogged down with secondary work like food distribution; detracting from their primary task of proclaiming the gospel. They have their priorities. Proclamation could not be compromised, even for “good works”. Diaconia was different from kerygma. So deacons (those who serve) were chosen as distinct from those who proclaim. Today’s emphasis is almost entirely on diaconia, not kerygma and the role of the deacon has been subsumed in that of the ordained clergy. That’s take three.
4. MARTYDOM OF STEPHEN (Acts 7:60): We do have martyrs for the faith today too and bow in homage before them. What was unique about Stephen’s martyrdom was his spontaneous forgiveness of his killers. The most recent replication of that was Gladys Staines forgiving the murderers of her husband and minor sons. The first instance happened before Saul, the religious zealot, and resulted in his conversion. Gladys’ witness was no less. Years later, Sudarshan Hansda, one of the killers, after serving his prison term, became a Christian in the very same church of Staines. The power of forgiveness. That’s take four.
5. THE CORNELIUS ENCOUNTER (Acts 10:1-33): This was a turning point from sectarian Judaism to universal Christianity. Until then the apostles, with their limited geographical exposure, believed that Jesus had come to save only the Jews. They now realized the larger dimension of Jesus’ salvific work – for all mankind. It also broke the shackles of the Mosaic Laws. Thirdly, when Cornelius fell at the feet of Peter he raised him up immediately, saying that he too was just a man. Hence this encounter has three take aways – the catholicity (universality) of Jesus’ mission, the end of external ritualism and the acknowledgement that the apostles were not superior beings before whom one should bow.
6. THE SYNOD OF JERUSALEM (Acts 11:1-18): Today there is so much talk of synodality (walking together and dialoguing). Jerusalem was the prime example in conflict resolution and consensus making. The disciples sat together, they discussed the issues arising, prayed, and found a way forward. Over the centuries this people’s approach has been replaced by the priestly/ papal approach, where the clergyman knows and decides everything. This concentration of power has weakened the church. In the Catholic Church the diocesan bishop even has a veto power over who a person may marry! If such a person chooses to marry one who is not a Catholic/ Christian then he/she must apply for “dispensation” from the bishop before the marriage may be solemnized in a Catholic Church (cf Canon 1124/25). This is degrading, more so in today’s multi-racial society. That’s take away six.
7. ATHENIAN TEMPLE (Acts 17:24): When Paul visited Athens he came across a statue of the Unknown God. While appreciating the Greek desire to seek the unknown Paul said top them that God does not dwell in temples made by men! Shouldn’t this send alarm bells ringing? Over the centuries we have tried to restrict God’s presence to just such temples, human structures. Some Catholics have gone a step further, overemphasizing God’s presence in a guild tabernacle. Did God make us or have we now made a god cut down to our size? This is my seventh take away from Acts.
In the light of the above facts from the Acts we need to do some serious introspection. Why is there no powerful manifestation of the Holy Spirit today? Where is the exponential growth? Has Christianity plateaued out? Do modern humans no longer feel the need for God or institutionalized religion? Earlier when there was no rain people turned to God in prayer. Now they just turn on the tube well. Do self-reliant humans no longer need God?
Granted that the world has moved on and we can’t turn the clock back to apostolic times. In any case the events described in Acts were in a limited time frame of about 30 years and an even more limited geographical region of West Asia or the eastern Mediterranean; hence cannot be taken as a yardstick for all time. But there are still many manmade factors that have diluted or diminished the working of the Holy Spirit. As we approach the great feast of Pentecost it is worth a thought.
I have identified six factors, though the list is far from exhaustive. They are Institutionalization, Ritualization, Colonization, Romanization, Clericalization and Criminalization.
INSTITUTIONALIZATION: As in Athens, we have placed Christianity in a box or building that we call churches or tabernacles. This has been a fatal error. As Jesus said to Nicodemus, those born of the Spirit are like the wind, you don’t know where it is coming from or where it is going (cf Jn 3:8). We cannot shut the Holy Spirit in to an airtight container of our own making.
RITUALIZATION: Jesus said that the Sabbath was made for manand not the other way around (cf Mk 2:27). Now we have replaced the Mosaic Laws with a plethora of Canon Laws, rules and regulations, do’s and dont’s, rituals and sacramental acts. They can be suffocating.
COLONIZATION: This was an extension of the pharisaic belief of being superior beings. It treated non-European culture with contempt. They were idol worshippers, pagans or unlettered natives.
ROMANIZATION: This was an accident of history that need not be perpetuated. Vatican II saw a paradigm shift in favour of a local church, language and culture. But after the first flush I see a gradual return to Roman moorings. A ship that is moored or a watch dog on a chain is ineffective.
CLERICALIZATION: This was another nail in the coffin. The cleric (clerk) was the lettered one. The layous (laity) were ignorant. The print, industrial and now IT/ AI revolutions have blurred the lines of intellectual superiority, but the vast majority of the laity still believes that it is divinely ordained to be subservient to the omniscient, almighty, ordained clergy.
CRIMINALIZATION: It is a direct consequence of unbridled Clericalization. In France the 32 page report of the Sauve Commission identified 50,000 cases of pedophilia in the Catholic Church between 1970 and 2020. In the USA several dioceses went bankrupt paying compensation to victims of clerical sexual abuse. Recently the Camden Diocese in New Jersey paid out a hefty 180 million US$ for settling sex abuse lawsuits. These are mind boggling numbers, not just stray instances.
As we approach the Feast of Pentecost let this not be just one more ritual. Let’s make it truly spiritual (Spirit filled).
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