It’s not usually my style, but I chose to follow this route as I began my weekend reflection with some beautiful and meaningful words drawn from today’s first reading. My short but meaningful starter derives from the powerful interactions between Paul, Barnabas, and the early Christian community members.
The Scripture says that after Paul and Barnabas returned from their trip, “they gathered the Church together and reported all that God had done with them” (Acts 14:21–27). I paused after reading those words, and reflected on who precisely “the Church” was.
On that question, I guess some of us might point to this beautiful structure we occasionally visit to pray and commune, and you wouldn’t be wrong, but that’s not the whole picture. The Church is much more. The Church encompasses the physical structure we see, and may have contributed in building, to include you and me. As today’s second liturgical reading reminds us, the Church is “God’s dwelling among the human race, but it extends to our hearts as God’s special dwelling place.” The Church is where God lives among us, where we become His people, and He becomes our Father (Revelation 21:15).
So when Paul and Barnabas invited the Church, they went beyond the physical structure to the people, just like you, to come together and hear about their mission and the work God had done through them. In doing so, they modeled something significant: we may call it “accountability.” They invited the congregation, and before them, they accounted for their stewardship. Similarly, we are all stewards of God’s love and are responsible to one another for our words and every action.
Together, the first reading and the Gospel remind us that the Church’s mission is far from over. It is just beginning. Through us, through you, God desires to renew the world. As we heard in Revelation, God says: “Behold, I make all things new” (Revelation 21:5). He wants your hands to be His hands, your eyes to see with His compassion, and your feet to walk in His path. God wants to be glorified through your life.
And how do we do that? Jesus clarifies in the Gospel: “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:31–35). That’s the new commandment. That’s the sign by which the world will know we are His disciples, by the love we show one another.
So today, if we hear God speaking these words to us, and I believe we do, let’s respond, and not harden our hearts. We must cooperate with His Spirit. We must be the Church that loves, serves, and renews the world, and this summons is for us to start right here, right now.
Great reminder for the wise.