Church of the
Annunciation

“I’ll have another.” I am not asking for a second doughnut or drink. “I’ll Have Another” is the name of the horse that won the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. A long shot. If you bet on this horse, you won a bundle. Turn the clock back. I wonder would anyone gamble on the church surviving even one generation after coming together after the death and resurrection of Jesus? In our first reading from Acts of the Apostles, St. Luke, the author, tells us that Paul, persecutor of the community, arrives in Jerusalem with the unbelievable tale that he is a convert to the way! Among the disciples there is suspicion. Barnabas takes Paul under his wing and introduces him to the Apostles to see if the dramatic change is sincere and if Paul holds to the true faith. Soon Paul gets into debate with “Hellenists” and has to flee for his life. Not an auspicious beginning. Yet, we learn that the church is at peace and growing in numbers. What or who can account for this unity and peace amid internal conflict and external persecution? In faith we know: the abiding presence of the Risen Lord and the movement of the Holy Spirit.

In the Gospel according to John, Jesus uses the metaphor of “vine and branches” to describe the life of God the Father flowing in and through him into the beloved community. Some branches will be cut off and more will be pruned to bear more fruit. Apart from the vine, the church does not exist; does not endure. We look at our Church (universal and local) and are scandalized by failure of leadership in Philadelphia addressing child abuse by clergy. Some are dismayed by the Vatican reprimand of Religious Women in America. Disheartened, we may long for an earlier time and place when such discord was not so apparent. The time and place cannot be found. The believing community always falls short of the ideals set by Jesus. There will always be both unity and tension binding the local churches to the one universal church in Christ. Examples are readily found in Scripture. Paul seeks out the apostles in Jerusalem to make sure what he proposes to undertake (i.e. the Gentile mission) is in keeping with the teaching of Jesus. Paul will also disagree publicly with Peter who is the acknowledge leader and 1^st among the 12.