During the Sundays after Easter, tradition substitutes readings from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles for the “ordinary” Old Testament lessons. This lends itself to a guided and intentional study of the Early Church as it formed and spread; and to the post-Easter activities of the Holy Spirit, just in case we think that God’s done after Resurrection.
When we saw Peter last, he was breathless from running to the empty garden tomb. Recently a man of the shadows, he appears in Acts 5 as very confidently standing up to the high priest: “We must obey God rather than any human authority.” (v.29) What changed? Our sole clue is the Resurrection, which announced a New Day and a new way of doing things. If this reading can bring some Holy Audacity to the People of the Church, it’s well worth the insertion into the day’s liturgy!
The Epistle reading is from the opening chapter of the always-mysterious Revelation. I especially like verse 6: “…and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. AMEN.” Another word of encouragement to the uncertain Church, cowering before the wave of secularism which was then and still is now. In the light of the Cross & Tomb, who are we? “A kingdom of priests”!
And of course the traditional Doubting Thomas story: Thomas, who dared speak for the rest of us about needing something tangible.(John 20:19-29) The Jesus Bunch were in lock-down, afraid of “the Jews” (read “establishment, system, business as usual”), but Jesus shows up anyway. Again, the preaching- point is to ennoble the Church to come out of our locked rooms, for we are the Resurrection People! “BLESSED are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”
This Sunday after Easter is called “Low Sunday” (clergy say that it refers to the attendance) because the Disciples were feelin’ mighty low. Discouraged, hiding, confused, they were paralyzed as the People of Jesus. Can the Church be still catatonic, having been to and through Easter?
God Bless Us, Every One H B King
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