Tuesday of the
Fourth Week of Easter
(Acts 11:19-26; John 10:22-30)
Calling citizens of the United States “Americans” did not
happen on the first day of the revolution.
It took time for the people to understand themselves in this way. Perhaps the name was secured when George Washington
in his farewell address to the republic wrote, "The name
of American, which belongs to you in your national capacity, must always exalt
the just pride of patriotism more than any appellation." What does
the term convey? The true answer to
this question can only be “different things to different people.” Still Americans are generally recognized for
their freedom to express themselves in the way that each individual thinks
best. In today’s reading from Acts we
hear the story of how Christians attained their identity.
In the Acts of the Apostles the followers of
Christ in Jerusalem retained their Jewish customs. They went to the Temple to pray and adhered
to Jewish dietary laws. As the movement
spread, however, Jewish customs were gradually left behind. When the disciples of Jesus came to Antioch,
they evangelized among pagans as well as Jews. It was impossible to see them
any longer as Jewish so they were called Christians. Later on it was said of Christians, “See how
they love one another.” Love for others
beyond family and close friends became the characteristic mark of Jesus’ followers.
We know that it is often difficult to have
patience with those who frustrate us and to pray for those who persecute the
oppressed. We struggle to tolerate, much less love, everyone. Yet this is the
Christian heritage into which we have been immersed with Baptism.
