Transitioning to Church

Armodoxy for Today: Transitioning to Church

During the weeks that follow the Feast of the Resurrection, that is, in the post-Easter season, the Scriptural readings point us to the Book of Acts. This book of the Bible, has as its official name a descriptor title. It is the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. Herein is detailed the founding and formative steps of the early Christian communities, the first-century Church.

The Acts of the Apostles is written by Luke, the same author of the third Gospel. The first paragraph of the Book of Acts is the preface to this second-volume of Christianity, where the first volume chronicled Jesus’ ministry to the Resurrection, and now in this second volume, Luke presents the Church in the post-Resurrection era.

Luke starts the Book of Acts writing, The former account I made… of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,  until the day in which, He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen,  to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

The reference to the 40 day period is the time between Resurrection and Jesus’ Ascension. At the Ascencion, Jesus instructs his disciple, his students, to “Go” into the world and Baptize all nations, and teach what he taught them. With that direction, the disciples became the Apostles. In Armenian, the word is Arakyal, from the verb Arakel, meaning one who is sent.

In the next few days we take an introductory look at the story leading up to the Ascension, to understand the importance the Jesus put on his Holy Church, as the vehicle by which his work and mission would continue.

Today we pray a prayer for understanding in preparation for the days ahead. “Heavenly Father, open my mind and my heart to your word. Allow me to put away my prejudices so I may come to know you in the spirit of the Disciples who greeted the Risen Lord. Amen.”