3 May 2026 #transitionsofgrace
My husband (a film buff) and I have been watching the “oldies” during this long 50-days-of-Easter season: Quo Vadis, The Robe, Demitrius and the Gladiator, Ben Hur. All of these films clearly depict the beginning movements of Christianity… the Roman arrogance, violence, oppression, and persecution clearly demarcated against the meekness, love, peace, and joy-filled camaraderie of Christians. It’s fairly easy to tell one from the other.
Our first reading from Acts of the Apostles today is taking place during those early days, within a few years after Jesus taught a new way of living-by-faith, instituted the Eucharist to give us strength and grace for the journey, and “opted us in” for an eternity of Love with Himself, his Father, and the Holy Spirit. The earliest followers of Jesus look, sound, and act completely different from everyone else. Their way of life is incredibly attractive and eager souls, regardless of their spiritual tradition, are drawn to these new communities by the thousands.
The Hellenists in today’s reading are Jews living outside of Jerusalem/Israel in the midst of a very Greek world. Still faithful to Judaism, they adopted some Greek cultural elements (clothing and calendars, for example) and spoke Greek instead of Hebrew or Aramaic. [We aren’t much different; we speak English, dress as Westerners, and have adopted cultural norms like the celebration of the July 4th or President’s Day alongside our spiritual celebrations of Christmas and Easter.] These particular Hellenists were in Jerusalem celebrating the Jewish feast of Passover in 33 AD following Jesus’s resurrection, when the power of the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles and the world was forever changed. They wanted to be in the center of things… “in the room where it happened” [to quote from the musical Hamilton] and decided to relocate to Jerusalem rather than travel back home.
This is where our first reading begins. The Hellenists and Jerusalem Jews are working side-by-side, united by faith in Jesus, when things start to get messy in the massive and sudden expansion of the Church. They are trying to integrate their current faith practices (caring for the widows) with their new way of life (submission to the Apostles, not rabbis).
It’s a time of transition for everyone involved. Transitions can be sometimes painful and murky, but it is precisely at these times of turmoil when clarity and mission become clear.
We have a number of children and adults in a state of sacramental transition. They come from a variety of backgrounds… and sometimes the journey to receive Holy Eucharist and Confirmation has been messy and halting. Sometimes not. But just like the early Church, one thing is clear: all these souls are interested in drawing nearer to Jesus, while at the same time living in their current realities.
That’s a goal we should all have, yes? And in nearing Jesus, drawing strength from the graces in the sacraments Jesus instituted, we ought to look different. Let’s make it easy to tell us Christians apart from everyone else as based on the way we live virtuously, honor Sundays, defend the vulnerable, and Love extravagantly in our professional, personal, and family lives.
#transitionsofgrace