PSALM 42:2

Our current day is not unlike the early days of the Church. Then the very first Church, formed by the Twelve and others in Jerusalem before they thought of themselves as anything but Jews, was embroiled in controversy with devout Jews of the Temple. Even more than that, they were trying to figure out who they were! Were they Jews who believed that Jesus was the Christ, the Anointed One? Did their ministry to the gentiles imply converting them to Judaism?

In the reading from Acts, Peter makes the first effort to answer this. Typical of Peter, he does this with action directed by faith unencumbered by sophisticated arguments of law. He recognizes that the soul of the Centurion Cornelius was longing for God, and he baptizes him. The Jewish disciples with Peter are shocked by the actions of the Holy Spirit.

Today we are also in missionary times. We are surrounded by people whose souls long for God but seek it in “mindfulness”. Like Peter, we need to speak out bravely in favor of our own Catholic traditions of prayer and meditation and to witness to the peace and joy it brings.

During this Covid-19 crisis, we can best love each other by honoring the Governor’s “Stay Home / Stay Healthy” order. In Washington, we seem to have “flattened the curve”. This is not a good time to relax, however! We need to stay the course and defeat this disease!