During the fifty days of Easter the first reading is taken from the Acts of the Apostles as testimony to how the Risen Jesus transformed his followers in the power flowing from the Resurrection. St. Luke paints an idealized picture of the first generation of believers: The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. Hearing that story reminded me of starting off in Lent with great intentions of all the spiritual practices I will observe during the season. Gradually, as the weeks progress, the practices slip bit by bit. Anyone who has resolved to go on a diet or inaugurate an exercise routine can relate as well to the fact that the initial enthusiasm of those first Christians waned. Pretty soon they were arguing about who got more than me! A vivid illustration of the fact that when we don’t live up to high ideals we should not give up. Rather we should do what we can realistically do, even if it doesn’t seem like much, to become more kind, more compassionate, more forgiving, more loving.
