Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter
(Acts 4:32-37; John 3:7b-15)
Jesus explains to Nicodemus the movement of the Spirit in today’s gospel. He says that it moves the reborn person to act in new ways. She no longer lives for herself but for others. She loves without expecting anything in return. She also takes delight in seeing others growing free, loving, and wise. The Spirit has assured her of God’s infinite love. This kind of person makes up the community of disciples described in the reading from Acts. Each member supports one another. The result is that everyone has all that is necessary to live in peace.
Communal experiences of mutual love are frequently tried and sometimes they last for years. Often they end as members are drawn away by different personal needs. However, monasteries have been able to preserve communal harmony for centuries. They often draw high-minded people who respond well to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
We may not live in communities as mutually supportive as that of the Christians in Jerusalem after the resurrection. Nor are we likely to join a monastery. Nevertheless, we are being moved by the Holy Spirit to live less individualistically, more communally. We feel the urge to share time and material possessions with those in need. We also are prompted to move beyond our fears and desires to assist others. In these ways we show ourselves to be born from above with heaven as likewise our destiny.
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