A GREAT MANY CORINTHIANS BECAME BELIEVERS

PRAYER MOMENT             

Thursday, 29 May 2014

A GREAT MANY CORINTHIANS BECAME BELIEVERS

Pause. Be present in Corinth with Paul.

Reading: “A great many Corinthians who had heard him became believers and were baptised.” (Acts 18:1-8)

Reflection. After being frustrated in Athens Paul finds a warm welcome in Corinth. He was to write three letter to them later, though one is lost. And later in the century Clement, one of the early leaders of the Church of Rome, was to write a further lengthy letter to them. So here we have a truly vibrant early community full of joys and quarrels! The enthusiasm and the imperfections of the church through the ages are already present in Corinth. Many groups have broken away from the church over the centuries seeking a “purer” more perfect church but not finding one. There is no escaping the rough edges of our human Christian communities. The great thing is to relish the core which is the presence of Jesus in his church.    

Prayer. Lord, we never cease to thank you for the energy and self-giving of St Paul and the wonders of the early communities on which we are built. Help us to build one another today with kindness and compassion. Amen.

David Harold-Barry SJ