Reading 1
Acts 11:19-26
Those who had been scattered by the persecution
that arose because of Stephen
went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch,
preaching the word to no one but Jews.
There were some Cypriots and Cyrenians among them, however,
who came to Antioch and began to speak to the Greeks as well,
proclaiming the Lord Jesus.
The hand of the Lord was with them
and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.
The news about them reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem,
and they sent Barnabas to go to Antioch.
When he arrived and saw the grace of God,
he rejoiced and encouraged them all
to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart,
for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith.
And a large number of people was added to the Lord.
Then he went to Tarsus to look for Saul,
and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch.
For a whole year they met with the Church
and taught a large number of people,
and it was in Antioch that the disciples
were first called Christians.
Gospel
Jn 10:22-30
The feast of the Dedication was taking place in Jerusalem.
It was winter.
And Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of Solomon.
So the Jews gathered around him and said to him,
“How long are you going to keep us in suspense?
If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe.
The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me.
But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep.
My sheep hear my voice;
I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.
No one can take them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,
and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand.
The Father and I are one.”
Meditation: Acts 11:19-26
A large number of people was added to the Lord. (Acts 11:24)
Sometimes we think of “church” as limited to our own parish or diocese. We know in theory that the church is worldwide, but often we don’t see it. However, if we have traveled to a foreign country, attended a World Youth Day, or simply live in a multicultural area, it becomes clear that our church extends beyond any national, ethnic, or racial boundaries.
How did it get that way? It all goes back to the events described in the Book of Acts. In today’s passage, we see the consequences of the persecution following Stephen’s martyrdom. Those who believed in Jesus fled “as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch.” They told other Jews about Jesus, but it was the men from Cyprus and Cyrene among them, probably newly converted Jews, who arrived in Antioch and proclaimed Jesus to Greek Gentiles as well. Much to everyone’s surprise, “a great number who believed turned to the Lord” (Acts 11:19-21).
It is a sign of the Holy Spirit working—then and now—that we can come together and worship the same Lord, no matter what our age, race, language, or political views. Because the church is universal, it is necessarily diverse. Our unity is found not in cultural or racial similarities but in the Sacrament of Baptism—in the gift of God that makes us all equal members of his family.
The next time you go to Mass, look around and make a point of greeting someone who is different from you. Try to connect with that person with the one thing that you know you have in common—your faith. Perhaps your parish has a sister parish in another country that you can support or even visit. Or maybe you can do some reading about the church in a different location—its gifts, its struggles, and its personality.
What a great God we have! He is at work gathering people “from every tribe and tongue, people and nation” (Revelation 5:9). Day in and day out, he is getting us all ready for heaven, where we will all be one in him, celebrating our unity and honoring our diversity!
“Jesus, as we worship you over space and time, help us to see past our differences so that we see ourselves as we truly are—one body united in you.”
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