What Do We Want People to Say About Us?
April 15, 2026
Fr. John Riccardo
They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one’s need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved (Acts 2:42-47).
I have found myself lingering throughout the first few days of this week with this Scripture from Divine Mercy Sunday. It is a moving snapshot of the life of the early Church. Various words have stood out for me as I’ve prayed. “Dedicated.” “Communal life.” “All who believed were together.” “According to one’s need.” “They devoted themselves to meeting together.” “Exultation.” “Sincerity of heart.”
As I’ve been praying with this Scripture, I have found myself repeatedly saying to the Lord, “Where is this community, Lord?” What has happened to us?
A priest friend of mine often speaks about what he calls “the corporatization” of the Church. In other words, it’s not uncommon for parishes and diocesan offices to aspire to look more like Fortune 500 organizations than the family of God and the body of Christ. Now, just to be clear, we shouldn’t want chaos and poorly run parishes or dioceses. Not at all! But the Church isn’t a corporation. It’s a family. It’s God’s family. And our mission as the Church is nothing less than to rescue, renew and transform the human family into the family of God. If that’s the mission – to transform the human family into the family of God – and we aren’t living as family, genuinely loving each other as brothers and sisters, living like this snapshot Luke gives us in Acts, what are we doing? The Church doesn’t exist to get tasks done – though there are tasks to be done. It doesn’t exist to run like a well-oiled machine – though we should be well organized. It exists to proclaim the liberating and life-saving message of God’s love made manifest in the life, death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus. It exists to proclaim and manifest His mercy. It exists to hold out to the world – an increasingly divided world – an inspiring, attractive, joyful example of what God and God alone can do by joining people together who often have only one thing in common with each other: professed loyalty to Jesus.
Throughout these Easter days we soak in Luke’s Acts of the Apostles at Mass, whether during the week or on Sunday. As we do so, we see again the power of the Holy Spirit at work, doing what only He can – breaking down barriers that we, as fallen and sinful men and women, are prone to erect, either out of fear, resentment, insecurity or something else. As we listen to and pray with Acts, and as we look at our current world riddled by violence, hostility, and war, let’s not content ourselves with only praying for peace – though that has to be first. Let’s ask the Spirit to transform our own hearts and our parishes and dioceses, reminding us of our mission and of the urgency of our mission.
“See how they love one another,” was the cry of the pagans in the Roman Empire as they observed the life of the early Church. How can I live so as to help ensure that my own community looks like Luke’s description of the early Church? How can we all live so as to transform our communities so that the world says about us what the Roman Empire said about those first Christians?
ACTS XXIX Prayer Intentions
April 2026
For the Church, rejoicing in the victory of Jesus over sin, death, hell and Satan, that she may be renewed in hope, bold and prophetic in witness, and radiant with the joy of the Resurrection.
For priests going through moments of crisis in their vocation, that they may find accompaniment and that communities may support them with understanding and prayer.
For our time with the presbyterate in the Diocese of Gaylord, that the Holy Spirit would guide our ministry with them, deepen their unity as brothers, and reconfigure us ever more fully to the heart of Jesus for mission.
For our Board of Directors meeting, that the Lord would grant wisdom and clarity so that every decision made may serve His purposes and advance the Kingdom of God.
For all of our planning efforts around The Jesus Conference, that the Lord would go before us, preparing the hearts of those who will gather, and that this event would bear lasting fruit for the renewal and mobilization of the Church.
For our Episcopal Advisory Council, Board of Directors, partners, and all those who faithfully pray for us, that they may be strengthened by the gratitude and communion we share in the family of God.