Easter III Written by a Dummy for Dummies (Part 1)

Whether you gave up chocolate or not, we’ve made it through another lent.  Whew!

Today is the third of seven Easter Sundays.  A unique feature of this season is that the first reading, usually taken from the Old Testament will come from the Acts of the Apostles. 

I thought it helpful to refresh my knowledge about the Book of Acts as I both select music and prepare for this weekly column.  Here are some ideas gleaned from my reading that might be helpful to you.

·         The Acts of the Apostles is the second part of a two-part volume composition that scholars call Luke-Acts.

·         The Gospel of Luke tells us that Jesus is the prophet sent by God to "visit the people".  The Book of Acts speaks of the apostles and the early church as they carry out Jesus’ mission of "bringing good news to the poor" by performing works of mercy according to his teaching.  (I have a feeling you’ll be hearing more about this in future articles.)

·         Acts continues the story of Jesus into the story of the early church, from its birth at Pentecost to its success among the Gentiles all the way to Rome.

·         The writers’ intention was not so much to give a history narrative but rather to shape a theological vision.  (In other words to share his perspective of who God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are.)

·         An important element of this relationship was that God’s Spirit worked in Jesus as well as in his Apostles.

·         The writer of Acts also wishes to depict and defend God’s continued activity in the world. 

For more on the Book of Acts, go to http://usccb.org/bible/scripture.cfm?bk=Acts&ch= 

Blessed to be serving at St. Mary’s,

Bruce