Saturday, Sixth Week of Easter

During the Covid pandemic when we were unable to gather in church, the church in the home came to the fore much more. Perhaps we came to appreciate a little more that the domestic church is the core of the church. When we gather in our parish church, it is the coming together of all the domestic churches in the parish. Even those who live alone are the church in their home, the domestic church. The early churches gathered in each other’s homes for worship, faith formation, community support. There were no official church buildings until the fourth century. In a sense, the church began as a domestic church. The members of the church ministered to each other within their own homes and families and also beyond their homes. In today’s first reading, a married couple in the church in Ephesus take an interest in a believer called Apollos and gave him further instruction in the faith. They became what we would call today his catechists. As a result, Apollos was able to leave Ephesus to go to the church in Corinth and become a great help and support to the church there. Today’s first reading gives us a little glimpse into how the members of the early church supported one another and built up one another in the faith. That is our calling as members of the church today. The Holy Spirit has gifted everyone in the church to serve others in the faith in some way. In today’s gospel reading, Jesus says to his disciples, ‘Ask and you will receive’. We all need to keep asking the Lord for the wisdom to recognize how he is calling each of us to serve others in the church, and for the courage and generosity to answer his call.