Day 2: United in Worship

          Yesterday we considered the unity of the Church under one head, a sometimes difficult teaching, but none the less crucial to our witnessing to the Presence of Christ among us.  Though there is only one head and one body, there are many parts.  We are drawn together in the Church through Sacred Worship, in which in the mystery of sacraments we are transformed – together – into the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church.

            It is the Holy Spirit that enacts this transformation; a Spirit that was sent to us after the Ascension of Our Lord. This Pentecost is vividly retold in the opening chapters of the Acts of the Apostles, where we find “unity” and “worship” joining forces to give birth to the visible Church on earth. They “devoted themselves with one accord to prayer” (Acts 1:14) “When the time of Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together.” (Acts 2:1)  In order to receive this transforming presence of the Holy Spirit it was necessary for the community to come together and to pray, and the same holds true today. 

             After Pentecost, when the first community of believers had been baptized, “every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes.” (Acts 2:46) In this very early period of the Church the people were primarily Jews who continued to live the Mosaic Law, hence they gathered in the temple area to pray the customary prayers. You often see in the Acts the various apostles entering the synagogue to pray, such as when Peter and John go into the temple area for the 3 o’clock prayer (Acts 3).  However, already there was specifically Christian worship, that is the “breaking of the bread”.  The first Masses would have been celebrated in the homes of Christians.  Other sacraments testified to in the Acts of the Apostles include, of course, Baptism – not only of Jews, but also the Gentiles, uniting all nations in Christ. Following baptism came the laying on of hands (Acts 8:16) which imparted a strengthening of the baptismal graces, the gifts of the Holy Spirit in a particular way in the sacrament of Confirmation.

            Intercessory prayers and prayers of thanksgiving are also marks of the Catholic Community.  The Acts of the Apostles calls to mind the importance of praying as one. When Peter and John were arrested for proclaiming Jesus Christ, the community “raised their voices to God with one accord”. 

            Finally, they prayed in order to discern. Even before Pentecost, the apostles prayed to God in choosing a replacement for Judas. Also, before the institution of the deaconate and the subsequent ordination of St. Stephen. (Acts 6:5) As has been noted, for the sake of unity there are authority figures in the Church, but the discernment is one done as a whole Church and by the Power of the Holy Spirit.   Time and time again the community would pray, for unity, protection, discernment, and healing. They worshiped the Lord, gave thanks, repented, and offered praise. Ultimately their prayer not only recognized the apostles' role as shepherds of the flock of Christ, but manifested their desire to give Glory to God.  Such rectitude of intention and common voice ought to mark the worship of the entire Catholic Community.

(Fr. Kolbe Missionaries of the Immaculata)

"Day 2 Many Members in One Body - recalls that the first community united at Pentecost contained within itself many diverse origins, just as the church in Jerusalem today represents a rich diversity of Christian traditions. Our challenge today is to achieve greater visible unity in ways that embrace our differences and traditions."

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