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From: Acts 2:42-47
The Baptisms (Continuation)
The Early Christians
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Commentary:
42-47. This is the first of the three summaries contained in the early chapters of Acts (cf. 4:32-35 and 5:12-16).. In simple words it describes the key elements in the ascetical and liturgical-sacramental life of the first Christians. It gives a vivid spiritual profile of the community which now—after Pentecost—extends beyond the Cenacle, a contemplative community, more and more involved in the world around it.
42. “The sacred writer”, St. John Chrysostom observes, “draws attention to two virtues in particular—perseverance and fellowship and tells us that the Apostles spent a long period instructing the disciples” (”Hom. on Acts”, 7).
“The Apostles’ teaching”: the instruction normally given new converts. This is not the proclamation of the Gospel to non-Christians but a type of “catechesis” (which became more structured and systematic as time went on) aimed at explaining to the disciples the Christian meaning of Sacred Scripture and the basic truths of faith (out of this grew the Credal statements of the Church) which they had to believe and practise in order to attain salvation.
Catechesis—an ongoing preaching and explanation of the Gospel within the Church—is a phenomenon to be found even in the very early days of Christianity. “An evangelizer, the Church begins by evangelizing itself. A community of believers, a community of hope practised and transmitted, a community of fraternal love, it has a need to listen unceasingly to what it must believe, to the reasons
for its hope, to the new commandment of love” ([Pope] Paul VI, “Evangelii Nuntiandi”, 15).
If catechesis is something which converts and in general all Christians need, obviously pastors have a grave duty to provide it. “The whole of the book of the Acts of the Apostles is a witness that they were faithful to their vocation and to the mission they had received. The members of the first Christian community are seen in it as ‘devoted to the Apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayers’. Without any doubt we find in that a lasting image of the Church being born of and continually nourished by the word of the Lord, thanks to the teaching of the Apostles, celebrating that word in the Eucharistic Sacrifice and bearing witness to it before the world in the sign of charity” (John Paul II, “Catechesi Tradendae”, 10).
The “fellowship” referred to in this verse is that union of hearts brought about by the Holy Spirit. This profound solidarity among the disciples resulted from their practice of the faith and their appreciation of it as a peerless treasure which they all shared, a gift to them from God the Father through Jesus Christ. Their mutual affection enabled them to be detached from material things and to give up their possessions to help those in need.
The “breaking of bread” refers to the Blessed Eucharist and not just to an ordinary meal. This was a special way the early Christians had of referring to the making and distribution of the Sacrament containing the Lord’s Body. This expression, connected with the idea of banquet, was soon replaced by that of the “Eucharist”, which emphasizes the idea of thanksgiving (cf. “Didache”, IX, 1). From Pentecost onwards the Mass and Eucharistic communion form the center of Christian worship. ‘From that time onwards the Church has never failed to come together to celebrate the Paschal Mystery, reading those things ‘which were in all the Scriptures concerning Him’ (Luke 24:27), celebrating the Eucharist in which ‘the victory and triumph of His death are again made present’ (Council of Trent, “De SS. Eucharista”, Chapter 5), and at the same time giving thanks to God” (Vatican II, “Sacrosanctum Concilium”, 6).
By receiving the Eucharist with a pure heart and clear conscience the disciples obtain the nourishment needed to follow the new life of the Gospel and to be in the world without being worldly. This connection between the Eucharist and Christian living was something Pope John Paul II vigorously reminded Catholics about when he said in Dublin, “It is from the Eucharist that all of us receive the
grace and strength for daily living—to live real Christian lives, in the joy of knowing that God loves us, that Christ died for us, and that the Holy Spirit lives in us.
“Our full participation in the Eucharist is the real source of the Christian spirit that we wish to see in our personal lives and in all aspects of society. Whether we serve in politics, in the economic, cultural, social or scientific fields—no matter what our occupation is—the Eucharist is a challenge to our daily lives..
“Our union with Christ in the Eucharist must be expressed in the truth of our lives today—in our actions, in our behavior, in our lifestyle, and in our relationships with others. For each one of us the Eucharist is a call to ever greater effort, so that we may live as true followers of Jesus: truthful in our speech, generous in our deeds, concerned, respectful of the dignity and rights of all persons, whatever their rank or income, self-sacrificing, fair and just, kind, considerate, compassionate and self-controlled. [...] The truth of our union with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist is tested by whether or not we really love our fellow men and women; it is tested by
how we treat others, especially our families. [...] It is tested by whether or not we try to be reconciled with our enemies, on whether or not we forgive those who hurt us or offend us” (”Homily in Phoenix Park”, 29 September 1979).
43. The fear referred to here is the religious awe the disciples felt when they saw the miracles and other supernatural signs which the Lord worked through His Apostles. A healthy type of fear, denoting respect and reverence for holy things, it can cause a great change of attitude and behavior in those who experience it.
An outstanding example of this sense of awe is St. Peter’s reaction at the miraculous catch of fish: “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord”: as St. Luke explains, “he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of the fish they had taken” (Luke 5:9).
44. Charity and union of hearts lead the disciples to sacrifice their own interest to meet the material needs of their poorer brothers and sisters. The sharing of possessions referred to here was not a permanent, “communistic” kind of system. The more well-to-do Christians freely provided for those in need. Each of the disciples retained ownership of such property as he or she had: by handing
it over to the community they showed their charity.
“This voluntary poverty and detachment”, Chrysostom comments, “cut at the selfish root of many evils, and the new disciples showed that they had understood the Gospel teaching.
“This was not recklessness of the kind shown by certain philosophers, of whom some gave up their inheritance and others cast their gold into the sea: that was no contempt of riches, but folly and madness. For the devil has always made it his endeavor to disparage the things God has created, as if it were impossible to make good use of riches” (”Hom. on Acts”, 7).
A spendthrift who wastes his resources does not have the virtue of detachment; nor can someone be called selfish because he retains his property, provided that he uses it generously when the need arises. “Rather than in not having, true poverty consists in being detached, in voluntarily renouncing one’s dominion over things.
“That is why there are poor who are really rich. And vice-versa” ([St] J. Escriva, “The Way”, 632).
46. In the early days of the Church the temple was a center of Christian prayer and liturgy. The first Christians regarded it as God’s house, the House of the Father of Jesus Christ. Although Christianity involved obvious differences from Judaism, they also realized that Christ’s message was an extension of Judaism; for a while, it was quite natural for them to maintain certain external aspects of
the religion of their forefathers.
In addition to this legitimate religious instinct to venerate the one, true, loving God, whom Jews and Christians adore, St. Jerome suggests that prudence may have dictated this practice: “Because the early Church was made up of Jews,” he says, “the Apostles were very careful not to introduce any innovations, in order to avoid any possible scandal to believers” (”Epistle”, 26, 2).
However, the temple was not the only place in the holy city where Christians met for prayer and worship. The reference to “breaking bread in their homes” reminds us that the Christian community in Jerusalem, as also the communities later founded by St. Paul, did not yet have a building specially reserved for liturgical functions. They met in private houses—presumably in suitable rooms specially prepared. For financial as well as policy reasons (persecutions, etc.) it was not until the third century that buildings designed solely for liturgical purposes began to be erected.