Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator
As we do every Easter Season, we will be reading from the Acts of the Apostles at every Mass, both weekdays and Sundays. The book is the second volume of St. Luke's two volume work. When one considers both books together, it becomes clear that St. Luke is responsible for 25% of the Christian Scriptures. The second volume has a threefold purpose: to illustrate the community life of the early Christians, to record the witness and preaching of the apostles, and to record the growth of the community. The witness of Peter and Paul consumes much of the book.
The reading for Tuesday of the 2nd Week of Easter is an example of the first purpose, to illustrate the community life of the early Christians.
There is great parallelism evident in these volumes. Much of what Jesus does in the Gospel of St. Luke is repeated or mirrored in the Acts of the Apostles. For instance, this past Sunday we read that people placed the sick on mats and cots in the streets of Jerusalem so that the shadow of Peter might touch them as he made his way to the Temple. This mirrors the incident in the Gospel concerning the woman who suffered from a hemorrhage. She believed that by touching the hem of Jesus' garment she would be cured.
As we read this important book of the Christian Scriptures, it is important to remember that we are not meant to imitate the apostles. Rather, like them, we are to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.