Tag: Acts 5

• 1 Peter 3:8-22: Salvific Suffering – Part III Thursday, May 11, 2017

  
  

  1 Peter 3:8-22: Salvific Suffering – Part III

  

  Friday, May 10, 2024

  What do we fear . . . and why?

  We reflect on the story of the early apostles (Acts 5) as they remain faithful to Christ while suffering and rejoicing with equal energy and passion. When we open ourselves to God’s generosity, we come away refreshed and encouraged with the news that when we respond to the call to do God’s work, we know that we quickly find God in the obstacles that surround us.  We know that we are Rocks in company with Peter; we know that we can serve as foundations of the living temple; we see that we are able confront corrupt authority; we can rejoice in our suffering to bringing truth and light to the world.

  When we reflect on this story, we understand that a small group of the faithful, through the power and love of the risen Christ, successfully challenges the old guard. We realize that the Sadducees are afraid to order a sentence of death on these Jesus-followers because they fear the people will revolt. They fear the power of the Spirit.

  There is irony in this story. Those who inflict fear on others eventually experience fear themselves. This we see the power of the Spirit unfold, rising from fear to bring us peace. This,we begin to understand, is the gift of salvific suffering.

  And so today we ask ourselves, what do we fear, and why?

  Tomorrow, how do we suffer with Christ?

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  Adapted from a Favorite written in November 10, 2007.

  Image from: http://goossengrapevine.blogspot.com/2006/07/encounters-with-sadducees.html

   

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  May 10, 2024

  Acts 5, fear, fidelity, power, Sadducees, The Spirit

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• 1 Peter 3:8-22: Salvific Suffering – Part II

  
  

  1 Peter 3:8-22: Salvific Suffering – Part II

  Thursday, May 9, 2024

  

  How can we celebrate our mourning?

  When we spend time opening Acts 5, and when we watch and listen to Peter, we discover how we might apply The Word to our lives.

  We watch the apostles slip unseen from their prison, moving through locked gates and past watchful guards.

  Do we ask Christ to open doors and safeguard us? Do we trust the Spirit who calls us?

  The apostles go immediately to the Temple to proclaim the wonderful news that they were able to heal in Jesus’ name, the name of the man whom they taunted a few short weeks before as he hung on the cross.

  Do we share with others the Good News of Christ’s movement in our lives? Do we celebrate our small victories and rejoice in the Spirit’s healing?

  We follow the apostles as they brilliantly and boldly – and in every way like Christ – reply to the Sadducees that they cannot still their tongues or cease healing.  We hear them defy this wealthy group of men who collaborate with the Romans and supervise the rebuilding of the stone Temple.

  Do we react with courage when others accuse us unjustly? Do we trust the Spirit to send us her wisdom and grace?

  We hear the apostles as they witness to Christ when they say – as we all are called to say: Whether it is right in the sight of God, you be the judges.  It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard. 

  Do we speak as these apostles speak? Do we listen as these apostles listen? Do we act as these apostles act?

  Today we spend time with The Word as we learn how to celebrate our mourning.

  Tomorrow, what do we fear . . . and why?

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  Image from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberation_of_Saint_Peter

  Adapted from a Favorite written in November 10, 2007.

   

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  May 9, 2024

  Acts 5, healing, Peter and John, The Sadducees, witnessing

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• 1 Peter 3:8-22: Salvific Suffering – Part I

  
  

  1 Peter 3:8-22: Salvific Suffering – Part I

  Wednesday, May 8, 2024

  

  Why must we suffer?

  This is a beautiful idea that reminds us that we are called to be living stones in the living temple of Christ.  The letters of Peter are full of wonderfully good advice about how to build a Christian community and this is no surprise. Peter is The Rock on whom Christ builds his church. Peter denied Christ three times during the Passion, as Christ himself predicted, but he bridges any gap he had created by following Christ so ardently. Today we examine Peter’s suffering to learn how we might also learn to suffer well.

  Studying The Acts of the Apostles slowly is refreshing if we can give ourselves the space and time to reflect deliberately and carefully on the story of the passion with which the first Christians feel Christ’s presence after his death.  When we believe ourselves to be in dire straits, we really only need turn to this story.  It reveals so much about the hope we called to live joyfully.

  In Chapter 5, Ananais and Sapphira are struck dead by the Lord for withholding the gifts given to them. We hear about the second trial and imprisonment of the apostles, their mystical release by the angel of God, and rabbi Gamaliel’s wise argument to let the apostles go with a flogging – rather than execution – because if their work comes from God, you will be able to destroy them; you may even find yourself fighting against God. 

  At the end of this chapter we see the apostles return to their community and we find them rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.  And all day long, both at the temple and in their homes, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the Messiah, Jesus – even though the authorities warn them to cease healing in Jesus’ name.

  Today we reflect on our opportunities to suffer as early church members did. We examine the zeal with which we carry out our own story of Christ’s hope and resurrection. We explore the choices we see in Acts 5 as we consider the words of Peter. And we begin to understand that we are each free to choose if and how we will suffer well.

  Tomorrow, celebrating as we mourn.

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  Image from: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bartolom%C3%A9_Esteban_Murillo_-_Saint_Peter_in_Tears_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg

  Adapted from a Favorite written in November 10, 2007.

   

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  May 8, 2024

  Acts 5, Ananais and Sapphira, Gamaliel, healing, living temple, Peter the Rock

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