In today’s Gospel reading, which takes place at the last supper, Jesus tells His disciples “Do not let your hearts be troubled…where I am going you know the way.”  The disciples don’t understand; Thomas tells Jesus that they don’t know where He’s going, so how can they possibly know the way to get there?  Jesus tries to clarify, but it’s still not clear that they get the point.  With time, they will understand, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, they will make it clear to everyone who is willing to listen.  What, then, is this “way” that Jesus told them they already knew?

The answer lies in serving others just as Jesus did, an example of which is found in today’s reading from Acts.  As the number of disciples continued to grow, the “Twelve” found themselves unable to do everything that needed doing.  Therefore, they selected “seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom” to help with the practical things that needed to be done while the “Twelve” focused on the   ministry of the word.  Not everyone had the same job, but working together, “the number of disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly.”  St. Peter, in his first letter, goes on to say that we, (that is, Jesus’ followers) are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of His own...”

As part of God’s “royal priesthood”, we too are called to serve.  Just as was the case two thousand years ago, the jobs vary.  Some of us are called to ordained ministry, but most of us are the lay church, called to handle the more “practical” things.  We are not all called to serve in the same manner, but we are all called to serve.  As we continue to celebrate Easter and look forward to Pentecost, perhaps we can ask the Holy Spirit to guide us towards new ways to serve.

Reflection by Parishioner John Ceglarek