DEACON TOM ANTHONY

Sunday, April 12, 2015






Suggested Reading: Acts 4:32-35

Just as it was with the first Christian Communities we all must be of one mind and one spirit. Everyone needs to be welcomed and loved through our actions and our words.  To be Christian means to live our lives according to Christ and this must be taken seriously. No, we are not perfect. Yes, we are sinners, but that does not excuse ourselves from opening our minds, hearts, and spirit to Jesus Christ. Together we all can become exemplars of the faith; overcoming any obstacle that we are confronted with through prayer, devotion, and love.

Working together without judgment creates the necessary support unit to overcome the influences of Satan and a society that offers too many pathways to sin and destruction. When someone finds themselves in crisis he or she can find the necessary help and love to subvert a moment of weakness to continue forward in their journey of faith. Through a community of believers Christianity becomes a lifestyle instead of a destination one only goes to on a given Sunday. Successes are celebrated while failures are corrected through prayer and hard work. There is no judgment; only assistance and love.

Our faith must become the pinnacle of our existence and needs to influence everything in this life of ours if we are to be truly known as Christian. There can be no limits to our faith set by judging other people or choosing when to help or love someone in need. We must be open and accepting just as Jesus Christ who made it a point to say, “For I did not come to call the righteous but sinners…” We come to him as sinners; each and every one of us. There is no one who is truly righteous. That was the point Jesus was making. Those who think they are righteous are truly blind. Gathering in a community of sinners with each person trying to lift the other one up offers all an opportunity at a better life through Jesus Christ and a better way to live by acting out the Living word of God. To fulfill our duty as Christians we must participate in our community and serve our community as well as be served. It is when we give everything in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ and share in the experience of being unburdened by materialism and the dictates of society that the full revelation of Jesus Christ can be experienced. Living and growing with Jesus is how God wanted us to participate in this gift of life of ours.

We learn of Thomas’ revelation in the Gospel Reading today. Even though his faith was tested by the news of Jesus’ Resurrection, he was the first disciple to recognize Jesus for who he was as he exclaimed, “My Lord my God!” It should be comforting to us all that Thomas, a following of Jesus and one who witnessed most of Jesus’ miracles and teachings can easily lose faith yet gain it once again and be the first to testify to the divinity of Jesus. We all should be able to relate to this through our own life experiences. I feel that we can all talk about times when we have turned away from God
then returned to him broken, bewildered, yet overcome with emotion at the opportunity of redemption.

It is our duty to take these experiences and the wisdom gained from our journey and share them with others within our community. Nothing should remain private. Christianity is not only a personal experience but a community one. It is through the community that we can then build up the Kingdom of God one person at a time.

Deacon Tom




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