2 & 3 May 2026, 5th SUNDAY OF EASTER
Today’s first reading reveals an interesting moment in the history of the early Church as recounted by St Luke. A dispute had occurred – basically a complaint of inequality of treatment between those of different backgrounds in the early Christian community (between those who came from a Greek-speaking background versus those who were native Aramaic and Hebrew speakers). The Greek speakers in Jerusalem (called “Hellenists”, who were considered foreigners to a certain extent, most having previously lived elsewhere and had learnt or picked up Greek, the lingua franca of the times) were apparently losing out when the Church was distributing food to the needy. The twelve apostles recognise and accept the inequality and judge that it must be addressed, but they state that it’s not for them to attend to its administration – “it is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables” – and so they designate seven men (we can identify here the beginning of diaconal ministry or ministry of deacons, St Luke using the word diakonia) – to organise justly and efficiently this important function. Whilst, the Twelve say, “we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
This passage shows us some very important things about the Christian community. First, it contains those of diverse backgrounds and different traditions – this is acknowledged (even valued), certainly not criticised. Some, however, should not be the “haves” and some of the “have nots” for (as St Paul says) we “are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28). The very act of distribution, moreover, central to this part of Acts, shows how the works of mercy and service of the needy is not an “add-on” to the Church but expresses her inner reality: “as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” (Matt. 25:40) And (note well) this work should be done efficiently and effectively. Finally, the event manifests the structure or hierarchical nature of the Church. There is the Christian community itself, who by this point are being called simply “the disciples”. “The twelve”, that is the Apostles, have the role of governance and act with authority. St Peter, as Acts up to this point has abundantly made clear, has the first place among them, but “College” of Apostles with him makes the decision in this case. Preaching and prayer are the Apostles’ primary duties; not even the service of the needy must weaken that. So, the diaconal ministry finds its origin; selected by the community, their “ordination” is by the Apostles, showing that they have a divine mandate. All this reflects the divine constitution of the Church. Not all in the one Body of Christ have the same function as St Paul says. The Apostles, and their successors, the bishops, along with the priests, have the primary role of sanctifying God’s people; they are assisted by the diaconal ministry of service for the good of the entire community of Faith.
It is St Peter who in today’s second reading speaks also of the Church of Christ, but of the Mystery of God’s church from a more (let us say) theological point of view. Here we find, however, some very clear parallels with the first reading. Keep in mind hearing this passage the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem which to which (implicitly but clearly) the Church is being compared. The Temple was made of many stones (recall Our Lord’s dramatic prophecy – “there will not be left here one stone upon another, that will not be thrown down” [Matt. 24:2]) and so is the Church. The Church however is not a physical building (even though she worships in buildings) but rather is herself a holy or spiritual temple the “living stones” of which are the members comprising one entire sacred and holy Temple. Jesus Christ is the central or most important stone, the key or corner-stone, upon whom our Christian and spiritual lives are built. But we also find here a second set of images. We are not only the stones of the temple. We are the priests who worship within it (like the Old Testament priests in the Temple who offered daily prayer and sacrifice). By our Baptism we – all of us – have become a “holy priesthood” who “offer spiritual sacrifices” (that is both prayer but also the sacrifice – the offering – of our lives) as active members of the Church of God. But as the Second Vatican Council teaches (cf. Lumen Gentium 10), and as is clear from the first reading, this “common priesthood of the faithful” (Baptismal priesthood) is different from ordained or ministerial priesthood of the bishops and their collaborators, the priests. We see this difference especially in the Holy Mass where the bishop or priest stands in the person of Christ (in persona Christi) in offering the Eucharistic Sacrifice – by uniting themselves with his act the faithful exercise truly their priestly office of prayer and praise.
The first reading described the Church on her earthly pilgrimage and her development and growth at a particular moment of challenge and opportunity. The second reading took a more broad theological view mainly also of the earthly church: our spiritual sacrifice is offered on our earthly sojourn; we are even now those living stones which make up the Temple of God built up upon Christ; we truly exercise here and now our baptismal priesthood. But in stating that God has “called us out of darkness into his marvellous light” St Peter is pointing rather towards our eternal destiny. Recall the expression in his second letter where he calls the Scriptures “a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” (2 Pet. 1:19) St Peter directs us then from the earthly to the heavenly church, of which Our Lord speaks to his future Apostles in the Gospel: “Let not your hearts be troubled … in my father’s house are many rooms”. “I will … prepare a place for you that where I am there you may be also.” The church on earth has her own necessary order and hierarchy for the spiritual and material good of all her members, who offer the sacrifice of prayer and life to God; yet according to that Pauline expression we Christians ultimately look not to the earthly but to “the heavenly Jerusalem, where the millions of angels have gathered for the festival, with the whole Church in which everyone is a first born son and a citizen of heaven.” (Heb. 12:22-23a JB) Amen.