Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
In the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we hear about what is sometimes anachronistically called, the first ecumenical council. The leaders of the Church come together in Jerusalem to ponder a dilemma facing the early Church. The question before them was–Do Gentiles who become disciples of Jesus need to follow the Mosaic Law to be saved?
After prayerful discussion, the leaders of the Church issue a document that states, “It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us” that Gentile Christians need not adhere to all the prescriptions of the Mosaic Law. The apostles believed that the Holy Spirit was guiding the leaders of the Church and when they spoke in a definitive way, they were speaking on behalf of the Holy Spirit as well.
Jesus, prior to His ascension, had promised to send the Holy Spirit to teach His disciples everything and remind them of all that He told them (Jn 14:26). The Holy Spirit has guided the Church through the centuries. But, the Spirit works, not through perfect human beings, but through men and women prone to sin.
The Church from its earliest days has relied on the prompting of the Holy Spirit to guide the leaders of the Church and to clarify how the Church should respond to challenges not explicitly addressed in Jesus’ teaching while he walked the earth. While there are some commonalities in all human struggles, the challenges of the 21st century are in many ways different from the ones in the 1st century. Jesus established His Church to teach the truth in His name until He returns. It is under the Holy Spirit’s guidance that the truth is preserved.
As faithful Catholics, we should trust the Holy Spirit working through the Church, and we too should call often on the Holy Spirit to guide us in our daily challenges and decisions.
Sincerely yours in Christ Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life,
P.S. I would like to thank everyone who has offered prayers and Masses for my mother, Yvonne. May her soul rest in eternal peace with Christ.