As a young priest I was in charge of the youth group of the parish. We used to stage a mock trial: is there enough evidence to convict you of being a Christian? We had a prosecutor, defense attorney, judge and jury who would pronounce a verdict. What was fascinating was how the trial progressed. They didn’t ask the defendents if they went to church, said their prayers or knew the catechism. Inevitably the prosecutor would ask questions like: are you kind to others? do you reach out to those who are hurting? have you forgiven those who hurt you? are you attentive to those who are in need? The Acts of the Apostles suggests that the reason the Church grew so rapidly was because the first Christians were kind, compassionate, forgiving. The community of believers was of one heart and mind. The lesson we should take from this? If we want to Church to grow we must live out the works of mercy today.
APRIL92024
By Church Staff
