Acts 12:12-17 (5/18)
Apostle for Monday of the Fifth Week of Pascha
Living The Apostolic Life: Acts 12:12-17 (include vss. 18-24),
especially vs. 12: "So, when [Peter] had considered this, he came to the
house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many
were gathered together praying."
We regularly asks Christ to heed the intercessions of the Apostles.
What a privilege to seek the prayers of the great Saint Peter, "...head
of the honored Apostles and rock of the Faith!" May his manner of life,
the quality of his spirit, and his intimate communion with the Lord
Jesus encourage us to beseech him to seek the salvation of our souls.
This passage from Acts further encourages us to imitate his actions,
that we might acquire something of his great virtues; for the Blessed
Chief Apostle reveals those basic apostolic traits which ought to mark
every Christian's manner of living: prudent reasoning, submission to one
another in love, and solicitude for the Church.
Consider St. Peter's situation described at the beginning of the present
reading. Without warning in the middle of the night, an angel left the
chief Apostle standing alone in the midst of a city with a hostile
population. He had to act; not being able to remain where he was -
around the corner from the prison out of which the angel had just
released him. "Where to go? What to do?" These questions had to be
sorted out. Once before, when he had been released supernaturally,
another angel had told him to show himself publicly in the Temple (Acts
5:20). That event had happened almost a decade earlier. Since then,
social and political conditions had changed and become much more ominous
for him. This time the angel gave him no instructions.
Take special note of Peter's deliberations in verses 11 and 12, and you
will see that his chief concern was God's will, yet he also used his own
prudent reasoning. He considered the facts (vs. 12): God had delivered
him from death at the hands of King Agrippa (vs. 11), the king who
already had murdered the Apostle James, son of Zebedee - to ingratiate
himself with the enemies of the Church (Acts 12:3). He himself had been
slated for death. Thus, where should he go now? He chose the home of
Mary, mother of John Mark (the future Evangelist Mark).
>From Mary's home he would be able to alert the head of the Jerusalem
Church, James "the Brother of the Lord," without going in person and
jeopardizing him if the authorities should go there! And observe that
"...many were gathered together praying..." (vs. 12). Note that Peter
stopped only briefly at this Christian gathering place.
Peter made an effort to contact James; but did so co-operatively, not
unilaterally. He arranged for messengers to inform James what he was
doing, perhaps even where he was going. How well he fit the admonition
of another Apostle, to be submitted "...to one another in the fear of
God" (Eph. 5:21)! The "chief" of the Apostles manifests humility,
obedience, and cooperation - the marks of true life in the Church. He
lived out the commandment of the Lord to you and all of us: "But he who
is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself
will be humbled; and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Mt. 23:11,
12).
Finally, notice how carefully Peter protected the little community. He
came to the door and knocked. When Rhoda ran to tell the others, he did
not raise his voice at being left outside, but quietly persisted in
knocking. He needed care for his safety, the little gathering, and.
James. Thus, when the Faithful came to the door, he did not go in, but
gave the message and left. Out of great solicitude, he left the city
altogether so as to place no unnecessary risk on anyone.
O Lord our God, grant that we may glorify Thee in the manner of Thy Holy
Apostles: by prudent reasoning illumined by Thy Holy Spirit, by
submitting ourselves to one another in love, and by solicitude for the
well-being of Thy Holy Church.
Apostle for Monday of the Fifth Week of Pascha
Living The Apostolic Life: Acts 12:12-17 (include vss. 18-24),
especially vs. 12: "So, when [Peter] had considered this, he came to the
house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many
were gathered together praying."
We regularly asks Christ to heed the intercessions of the Apostles.
What a privilege to seek the prayers of the great Saint Peter, "...head
of the honored Apostles and rock of the Faith!" May his manner of life,
the quality of his spirit, and his intimate communion with the Lord
Jesus encourage us to beseech him to seek the salvation of our souls.
This passage from Acts further encourages us to imitate his actions,
that we might acquire something of his great virtues; for the Blessed
Chief Apostle reveals those basic apostolic traits which ought to mark
every Christian's manner of living: prudent reasoning, submission to one
another in love, and solicitude for the Church.
Consider St. Peter's situation described at the beginning of the present
reading. Without warning in the middle of the night, an angel left the
chief Apostle standing alone in the midst of a city with a hostile
population. He had to act; not being able to remain where he was -
around the corner from the prison out of which the angel had just
released him. "Where to go? What to do?" These questions had to be
sorted out. Once before, when he had been released supernaturally,
another angel had told him to show himself publicly in the Temple (Acts
5:20). That event had happened almost a decade earlier. Since then,
social and political conditions had changed and become much more ominous
for him. This time the angel gave him no instructions.
Take special note of Peter's deliberations in verses 11 and 12, and you
will see that his chief concern was God's will, yet he also used his own
prudent reasoning. He considered the facts (vs. 12): God had delivered
him from death at the hands of King Agrippa (vs. 11), the king who
already had murdered the Apostle James, son of Zebedee - to ingratiate
himself with the enemies of the Church (Acts 12:3). He himself had been
slated for death. Thus, where should he go now? He chose the home of
Mary, mother of John Mark (the future Evangelist Mark).
>From Mary's home he would be able to alert the head of the Jerusalem
Church, James "the Brother of the Lord," without going in person and
jeopardizing him if the authorities should go there! And observe that
"...many were gathered together praying..." (vs. 12). Note that Peter
stopped only briefly at this Christian gathering place.
Peter made an effort to contact James; but did so co-operatively, not
unilaterally. He arranged for messengers to inform James what he was
doing, perhaps even where he was going. How well he fit the admonition
of another Apostle, to be submitted "...to one another in the fear of
God" (Eph. 5:21)! The "chief" of the Apostles manifests humility,
obedience, and cooperation - the marks of true life in the Church. He
lived out the commandment of the Lord to you and all of us: "But he who
is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself
will be humbled; and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Mt. 23:11,
12).
Finally, notice how carefully Peter protected the little community. He
came to the door and knocked. When Rhoda ran to tell the others, he did
not raise his voice at being left outside, but quietly persisted in
knocking. He needed care for his safety, the little gathering, and.
James. Thus, when the Faithful came to the door, he did not go in, but
gave the message and left. Out of great solicitude, he left the city
altogether so as to place no unnecessary risk on anyone.
O Lord our God, grant that we may glorify Thee in the manner of Thy Holy
Apostles: by prudent reasoning illumined by Thy Holy Spirit, by
submitting ourselves to one another in love, and by solicitude for the
well-being of Thy Holy Church.
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