SAINT PIUS V, POPE (OPTIONAL MEMORIAL)
They spent no little time with the disciples.
Paul had been stoned and left for dead. “But when the disciples gathered around him,” he was able to get back up (Acts 14:20). Surely the presence and prayers of his fellow believers helped him to recover and enabled him to continue his missionary journey with Barnabas. Then, strengthened by this show of love and support, he traveled to Antioch, where he, in turn, “strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith” (14:22).
What an example of how God wants us to love and support one another! And it’s not an isolated example, either. Paul likely relied on the encouragement of his fellow believers everywhere he went, just as they relied on him.
This is what God desires for all his people. We can’t go it alone. We need brothers and sisters in Christ who can cheer us on, pray for us, and care for us in difficult times. And they need us to do the same for them.
The early Christian communities were small and close-knit; they had to depend on one another in a hostile world just to survive. But even if our church communities today are larger, we still need to make the effort to draw close to one another. We, too, live in a culture that often doesn’t understand or support our faith. We need people around us who do!
It can be tempting to attend Mass but not get to know the people who are worshipping right next to us. Shyness, lack of time, or even indifference can keep us from reaching out to them. Yet what if the first disciples didn’t invest time and effort into their relationships with other Christians in their faith communities? The Church would never have grown or flourished as it did!
If you have brothers or sisters who help you live your faith, stay close to them. Make time to meet together, pray together, and help one another in practical ways. If you don’t, reach out by joining a Bible study or some other small group where you can get to know other Christians. Someone needs you, and you need that person. Trust the Lord to help you find them!
“Lord, thank you for the brothers and sisters you have put in my life.”
Acts 14:19-28
Psalm 145:10-13, 21
John 14:27-31
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