E5A.  Acts of the Apostles 6:1-7.  The Hellenists were Jews who spoke only Greek.  At this point Paul had not yet reached out to the Gentiles.  In the Acts of the Apostles 4:32-35, it states in verse 32 that all temporal possessions were held in common and in verse 35 that those goods were distributed to each according to need.  In today’s first reading the Hellenists complain that in fact the Hellenists “widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.”  The Apostles or “the ‘Twelve’ called together the community of the disciples and said, ‘It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table.”  “Filled with the Spirit and wisdom,” they created an order of service to the community, or what we have always called the diaconate, to be in charge of the proper distribution of goods.  The establishment of deacons is formally constituted by the Apostles’ prayer and the laying on of hands.  The Apostles declare that they shall devote themselves “to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”  However, the deacons are never later mentioned as serving at table but, at least, in the case of Philip and Stephen, as serving in the ministry of the word.  Stephen is not martyred for his serving at table but for his ministry of the word.

In the gospel for this Sunday Jesus declares, “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12)  In the next verses that go just beyond the ones quoted in this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus says, “And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask anything in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:13-14)  I believe the works that Jesus is referring to are the efforts of those who believe in Jesus to bring people to a life of faith in God.  This is testified to in the last sentence of the first reading, “The word of God continued to spread, and the number of the disciples increased greatly; even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith.”

John 14:1-12.  In my practice as a parish priest this reading is the most popular for funerals because of what Jesus said, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.”  The faith that Jesus calls us to is faith in his person, not so much in a set of instructions, or an idea, ideal or general concepts.  When Thomas wants to bring things down to earth or the everyday world, Jesus responds, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”  Only the Son can take us to the Father.  The only way to heaven is to obediently follow the Good Shepherd as humble sheep.  Jesus says, “The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.”  God the Father works through his Son and in turn through those who work in their faith in his Son.  Our faith opens the door to God to enter into us and use us as his instruments or hands to bring the faith to others.

1 Peter 2:4-9.  “Beloved: Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God, and, like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”  Once again it is only through Jesus that we have a way to heaven by offering spiritual sacrifices through obedience to his will within the spiritual house that is the Church which is made of the living stones, all the people who live daily in the Lord.  Peter writes of us, “You are ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises’ of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”  Not to live in Christ is to live in darkness; to live in Christ is to live in the light.  We now are his new chosen priestly people, the new Israel, who offer ourselves and all we do in him as sacrifices to God.

It seems quite appropriate here to quote Ephesians 2:19-22.  “So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.  Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”