One of the stories in the New Testament takes place during Pentecost. It was a very special day, a celebration of the harvest and the Covenant between God and his people. This is the day the Spirit, whom Jesus had promised to send, descended on the gathered apostles and disciples. Filled with new-found courage, Peter spoke to the Jews who had come from all over to celebrate Pentecost. He bore witness to the death and resurrection of Jesus. Everyone present was able to understand him in their native language! Nothing could stop the disciples from sharing the Good News that day, not
even threats from the authorities. They were bound together by the same faith, the same community: the Church.

Little by little the group of Christians grew. The first communities developed guidelines that would allow them to carry out their mission: together they prayed, went to the temple, listened to the teachings and testimonies of the apostles, broke bread and shared their worldly goods (Acts 2:42). The Eucharist, in memory of Jesus' death and resurrection, united them and created community among them.

The young adults who attended WYD 2000 in Rome lived a similar experience of community. Many bore witness. Let us listen to what two of them had to say:

Our participation in WYD 2000 allowed us to expand our vision of the Church. We
no longer see the Church as just a place to pray, but as a sharing, helping, generous
community willing to reach out to the world.

Our vision of the Church has changed a lot! We discovered a worldwide community of faith in Jesus Christ. The presence of so many young people at WYD 2000 showed us that the Church is alive and well, contrary to what many people think. Furthermore, young adults dare to affirm their faith out loud~! We dream of an even more human Church, one that is even more accessible and closer to people's lives. We also dream of a Church that is more open to new realities. We dream of a Church that trusts youth, and a Church that many will come back to freely. Finally, we dream of a Church that is open to all religions proclaiming that every human being has the potential to become better. -G.A. and P.C.

FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION

. Compare your vision of the Church to the one described above. What are the similarities? What are the differences?

A MISSION

The first disciples had a huge mission: to bring out the best in each man and woman. To do this, they tried to live as Jesus taught them:

• To prefer service over glory (Mark 9:35)
• To give priority to the poorest among them (Matthew 10:17)
• To gather in prayer (Matthew 10:6)
• To not fear persecution (Matthew 18:19)
• To forgive each other (Matthew 18:23)

This was and is the Church’s mission! Then, as now, these values went against the mainstream, which was more concerned with prestige, social status, and power struggles.

Today's disciples follow the very same Jesus, who died and rose again. Filled with the Spirit, they form the new "people of God", where everyone has a unique role to play. They want to free humanity distress and being hope. They follow the path of believers who, throughout the ages, worked for the same goals: Francis of Assisi, Claire of Assisi, Benedict, Vincent de Paul, John Bosco, Marguerite Bourgeoys, Marguerite d'Youville, Jeanne Mance, and many, many more.

FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION

• Can you think of a pressing need in your area that the local Christian community could meet?

• Would you be willing to participate in such an activity?

CONSTANT ADJUSTMENTS

Over the centuries, the Church has certainly had to make changes and deal with tensions and even conflicts. In the earliest Christian communities, the mixing of different cultures led to dissension: Christians of Jewish origin lived side by side with Christians of Greek origin, and crises loomed. For example, in order to discuss whether non-Jews needed to be circumcised, Peter called the first council, in Jerusalem. This gives an idea of how important this question was to the early Church. They decided that circumcision was not obligatory. Since then, other councils have been called to discuss current issues and respond to them in the best way possible for that time. The last council met from 1962 to 1965 in Rome at the invitation of Pope John XXIII. It was called "Vatican II" because it was the second council held in the Vatican. Vatican II brought about important changes in the Church.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

As Jesus taught us (Matthew 20:25), authority does not grant superiority. Authority is a way to serve other. In the early Church, a growing number of disciples forced the twelve apostles to get organized in order to spread the Good News more efficiently. There were many different roles, as there are today, even if some of the names have fallen out of use: elders (1Timothy 4:14), prophets (1Corinthians 12:27), catechists (Acts 2:42), doctors (1Corinthians 12:27), bishops (1Timothy 3:1- 5), and deacons (1Timothy 3:8-12).

It is also worth noting that women had an important place in the early Church, given the mentality of the time: Phoebe was a deaconess (Romans 16:1-12), Prisca collaborated with Paul (Romans 16:3), Mary devoted herself to prayer and to the service of the Word (Romans 6:6), and Junias was referred to as an apostle by Paul (Romans 16:7).

In the Church today, like the early Church, it is defined by diversity and unity, in one faith.

Eastern churches provide us with one of the greatest illustrations of "diversity in unity". In order for the Church to work as a cohesive unit, it has been necessary to establish structures and functions over the centuries. The Pope is the most visible function in the Church. He is responsible for the "authenticity of the faith", or ensuring that the Church conforms to the testimonies of the earliest Christian communities and Jesus' message. One day Jesus said to Peter:

“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Mt 16:18-19)

John Paul II was heir to this task and now Benedict is serving the communion between local churches.

FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION

. How can you serve the Church and the world? What vocation will you choose for this service?

. Consider the origins of the Church. What aspects of the early Church can help the Church today to fulfill its mission?

from Joyce Hansen, Detroit USA
youthmin@passionist.org