Homily: Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter

Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter (Acts 4:32-37) “Share and Share a like.”

The ideals of the first Christians were exemplary. One of the things that was admirable was the way they treated personal property. Jesus spoke of traveling light when on mission. He sent his disciples out without a traveling bag and with just the clothes on their back.

Materialisms seems to be a vice that Jesus railed against. But we probably pay little attention to how we spend our money. We have an idea that owning personal property is a right. In our capitalistic society that is value we adhere to, but the early Christians did not hold that their property was their own.

We read in the Acts of the Apostles that the first Christians held everything in common. When they acquired money, they laid it at the feet of the Apostles. The apostles distributed what was needed to the community.

Religious communities try to live a vow of poverty. The members have few personal possessions. I lived next to a Benedictine monastery for six years. Stories were traded about the poverty practiced by the monks. Some monks took their vow of poverty very seriously while others were less scrupulous.

Whenever a monk would die the other members would go into the cell of the man who died. His property became the property of the community. Brother monks would enter the deceased members room and take what they wanted.

A story was told of a monk who kept his room locked. No one entered. Some of his brothers thought he must have a lot of personal items. When he died, they entered his cell. In it they found a couple changes of work clothes, an extra religious habit and a Bible, nothing else. This monk did not advertise his poverty. He just lived it. He did not want to be admired because of his simplicity. He only wanted to be free from the worry of owning things.

1.    What does Gospel simplicity mean to me? Do I think I own too many things?

2.   Why does pooling resources seldom work? Why did the early Christians succeed in their poverty?

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Dear Parishioners,

             We are having preschool and kindergarten round up at Seton School soon. Do you have children who would benefit from a Catholic education? If our schools are to remain strong, we need pupils. Tell your friends and neighbors that Seton School provides a great education.

            We can have the best marketing with the best WEB page and mailings, but nothing is better than a recommendation from a friend or relative. Please pass the word.

            May Mother Seton pray for us,

            Fr. Mark