John Desing csc –
Readings: Acts 4:32-37; Jn 3:7b-15
It is inspiring and heart-touching to learn that the early disciples of Jesus shared everything they had in common. However, we should be more interested to know what made them so generous and selfless in giving out. Having found something more precious and valuable than material wealth in the person of Jesus, they could let go of things that they formerly considered precious to them. Many of us, especially in today’s materialistic and consumeristic world, consider wealth and possessions as our security and identity.
But that should not be the motive and concern for us Christians who believe in the power and nobility of giving and sharing. We need to contribute not just to nation-building but to the growth of the church without counting the quantity. Sharing became the hallmark of the early Christian community and so it is for us today.
The Gospel reading invites us to begin anew every time we fall away from the grace-filled life. “How is this possible?”, asked Nicodemus and so all of us. This is possible with everyone who allows the spirit to prompt him or her. Through the sacraments, especially Baptism, we are born again as perfect children of God through the Spirit.
Let us allow the Holy Spirit to change our lives from self-centeredness to other-centeredness. Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection teach us that it is in dying to oneself that we gain eternal life.