The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace. It was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord, and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit it grew in numbers.
This is how the first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles ends. The Apostles were preaching the Gospel and growing the Church every day – through the consolation of the Holy Spirit. At first glance, the verse seems very positive. The Church was at peace. It was being built up and was growing in numbers. All was good. But that one word, consolation, adds a different aspect to the message. The Church was growing, but there was a cost. Disciples were being persecuted and martyred in the name of Christ, and along the way they were filled with feelings of fear, anxiety, and fighting their own demons. And for every convert, there were numerous people scoffing and mocking them. There were surely disappointments when people would not listen. They were suffering in spreading the Gospel, and the only way they were able to persevere was through the comfort, solace, and consoling of the Holy Spirit.
They were filled with the Holy Spirit, but the Spirit was also in the midst of everything they knew. It was in the very being of the world around them. It was everywhere. It had always been like this, but it is only through Christ and the gift that they were given that they could truly see. They could see the Holy Spirit in good things and in bad. In large things and in small. And so, through all the disappointment and hurdles and doubt they maybe faced, perhaps this is why Luke writes, “the church was at peace.” Through it all, they knew what they were doing was right and that it was Christ’s will, and they were indeed, at peace, no matter how difficult the road was. They were filled with peace and joy amidst their trials.
The Apostles and the rest of the disciples knew that it was through this Spirit that Christ remains in us. John wrote in his first letter,
the way we know that he remains in us is from the Spirit he gave us
This is how we persevere. This is how we work through all those worries and fears, those anxieties and those demons in our head, telling us that it’s OK if we give in to this little temptation, or just tell that little white lie. This is how we fight off those addictions that we are enslaved to. We must remain in Christ. And to remain in Christ, we must be surround by His mercy and grace. How do we remain in Him? We keep pruning our branches so that our fruit grows bigger, so that our flowers grow larger and brighter.
He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
This time of year, after a long hard winter, we prune our plants and flowers, cutting them way down. We do this so that they grow back more full and lush. We prune ourselves in much the same way with His grace through the Sacraments, and we can do this all year long. This is the beauty of our faith, and of our Church. To grow our soul and fight off the things we’re struggling with or work through the things that happen to us, we humble ourselves and sometimes have to take a step back – we must trim the branches. Sometimes we have to take what looks as a step back, and trim ourselves, so that we can remain in Him and grow even bolder, more full, and more vibrant as a person.
We can do nothing without Christ. Sure, we can enjoy the material pleasures of the world, and we can be consumed and with all the negativity about what is happening in society, and worry about all the bad things to come. But there is another world we live in, where the Spirit is all around us. Most people go through their lives not even noticing that other world. They are too preoccupied and distracted. They don’t see God all around them and all that He has done. They don’t see the little moments where God is there, right in front of us in the beauty of this earth and the good of other people. They don’t see the peace that is around them.
They don’t see those moments where they can make a difference in someone else’s life, and serve others. They don’t see the joy of the little girl they pass on the street, just smiling and skipping along, enjoying a nice spring day saying hello as she passes by. They are too busy looking down at their phone or just staring straight ahead, oblivious to what’s around them.
Are you like this? Do you fail to see the Spirit around you and in everything you do? Do you fail to see God in your work and in those you work with, and live with, and worship with, and socialize with? Do you need to prune yourself by going to Confession, or attending a Mass or two during the week? Do you need to pray a little more, in a deeper way, spending more time with Him in adoration? God is all around us, and He remains in us. We need to seek Him and remain in Him in everything we do, and in all we have to deal with and suffer through. We need His superabundant grace through the Sacraments, and we need it often if we are to experience this peace and grace the Apostles did to live in a world such as this. And we need it if we intend to spend our eternal life with Christ and remain in Him forever.
