Born from Above into Alternative Lifestyle of God's Kingdom
April 9, 2024 - Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter
Acts 4:32-37; Psalm 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5; John 3:7b-15
In his conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus states the condition for seeing the Kingdom of God (John 3:3): we must be born from above. The meaning of this is explained in the first reading. Saint Luke describes the early Christian community in Jerusalem marked by unity and generosity. This ideal community is described as having "one heart and soul," holding their possessions in common, and having no one among them lacking anything. How did they arrive at this kind of life?
Jesus explains to Nicodemus that being born from above means being born "of water and Spirit" (John 3:5). Here, there is a reference to the sacrament of baptism, through which we die to sin and live for God, and in which the Holy Spirit inhabits our hearts. From that moment, we become a new creation capable of creating alternative worlds and communities where greed and selfishness are replaced by unity and sharing. This incredible transformation is the fruit of the Cross, identified by the Fathers of the Church as the Tree of Life. The Crucified Christ heals us from the poison of an egoistic lifestyle that places our ego at the center of the universe and bends all the rules to satisfy our wants.
The alternative lifestyle of the Jerusalem community is a challenge to our consumeristic society, where profit is placed over people and our planet. This alternative lifestyle of the Jerusalem Church is also a challenge to our fragmented and divided universal Church. Thus, we need to meditate on the Crucified Christ more often - only He can bring healing to our hearts. We need to realize the power of the baptismal grace that resides within us - it is a sacrament of freedom. We need to invoke the Holy Spirit daily to come upon us - only He can make us bear the fruits of new life in Christ.
Jesus states that without being born from above, we can neither see nor enter the Kingdom of God. But what is this Kingdom of God about? The answer is found in the responsorial psalm, Psalm 93. The psalmist declares that the Lord is King, clothed with splendor and power, that He established the world, and that His decrees are trustworthy. The Kingdom of God means the rule of God over the universe He created. Scientists prove to us that the physical laws that govern our universe are trustworthy. God's faithful prove to others that the moral laws - the Ten Commandments in particular (see Ex 20:1-17; Deut 5:1-21) - given by God are also trustworthy. They are the signposts in our journey of life that lead us to holiness befitting God’s house, the Church.
The liturgy of the Word calls us to recognize the sovereignty of God in our lives, to seek spiritual rebirth, and to emulate the unity, generosity, and communal care demonstrated by the early believers. May our lives be a testimony to the reign of God, bringing light, hope, and healing to a world in need.