Acts 4:32-37/Psalm 92:1-2,5/John 3:7b-15

 The first reading from Acts of the Apostles speaks about the life of the early Christian community, in which members were filled with love and compassion for one another, as they shared their goods, properties and blessings with those who had less on them so that none among them lived in want or misery. The way of life of the early Christians truly highlights what it means to be followers and disciples of Christ.

They did not take away property, but were indifferent to material possessions. They did not call what they had their own, in a way of pride and vainglory or trusting in it. They did not call what they had as their own, because they had an affection and abandoning everything for the sake of Christ, and were continually expecting to be stripped of all for their adherence to him.

Dear Friends we call nothing our own but sin. What we have in the world is more of God’s own than our ours; we have it from Him and we must use it for Him and must be accountable for it to Him. From the readings, we heard that, those that had estates were not solicitous to lay it up, but were very willing to lay out and would straiten themselves to help their brethren. As it is said “When God blesses you financially, don’t raise your standard of living, rather raise your standard of giving”. They early Christians were abounded in charity, so that, in effect, they had all things in common; there was not any among them who lacked.

Let’s take note that they had an intense sense of responsibility for each other. This really awoke in them a real desire to share all they had.  We must note one thing above all–this sharing was not the result of legislation; it was utterly spontaneous.  It is not when the law compels us to share but when the heart moves us to share to society is really Christian.

They loved the Lord and placed Him at the centre of their community and their lives, and they also loved one another and cared for the needs of those around them, instead of selfishly seeking only to satisfy themselves. They are our role models and examples in how we should live our own lives in this world, and all of us should indeed make good use of the time and opportunities presented to us so that we may also live our lives worthily of the Lord.

 From the gospel, we heard how the Lord Jesus told Nicodemus that everything which He had revealed to the latter was in fact the revelation of the Spirit, and in order for one to truly believe in what He has spoken, then he or she would have to allow the Spirit to perform His works within them, transforming and guiding them to the path of truth. For our calling is to surrender to the movement of the Spirit in our lives and to allow the Spirit to shape and mould us. The Spirit may be mysterious but when the Spirit takes shape in a human life, we recognize the Spirit’s attractiveness. Therefore friends, let us open ourselves to the Lord and His Spirit to guide us in our path and way of life. For when this happens, our lives will give expression to God’s personal love for the world.