HOW DOES OUR PARISH COMPARE WITH THE EARLY CHURCH?
As a reminder that we, the whole Church community, are teachers of Catechumens through our example and witness to the teachings of Christ through His Church, we look to our beginnings to evaluate our ways in comparison to those of the first Christians.
Early Christians focused, among other things, on four main principles in the practice of the faith – Word, Community, Worship and Witness.
IN WORD:
In sharing the Word, the first Christians shared stories of Christ and the teachings of the Apostles.
THROUGH COMMUNITY:
The first Christians spent time with their companions in faith – their faith was integrated into their everyday lives.
IN WORSHIP:
The faithful participated in rituals and prayers, both public and private. They gathered on the Sabbath and celebrated in much the same way gather today in celebration of the Eucharist.
THROUGH WITNESS:
The first Christians showed their love to each other and to those in need.
Can you look at each of these practices and recognize the ways in which we at Blessed Sacrament carry on our heritage to this day? How do we share the Word, the stories of Christ and those given to us by Him; how do we spend time together as companions on our shared journey; how do we worship as a family, reverently and in awe of the gift of the Eucharist given to us by Christ, and how do we show our love for each other and those in need by integrating that love into our everyday lives? In many ways, we do follow in these footsteps here at Blessed Sacrament – can you identify some of the ways in which we continue in the ways of the early Church – of how many are you aware?