5. Prudence and indulgence. They called these Jews their “brethren”, and for fear of driving them to despair judged their crime leniently, and did what they could to excuse it.
6. Fortitude. The apostles suffered no threats to turn them from the exercise of their apostolic office.
Application. See how zealous the apostles were for God’s glory! Do you rather seek God’s glory than your own? Are you not full of vanity about your capabilities? Suppress every movement of vanity; say nothing in praise of yourself, and often renew this intention in all your actions: “O Jesus, I will do everything for Thee!”
Chapter LXXXVI
THE HOLY LIFE OF THE FIRST CHRISTIANS.— ANANIAS AND SAPHIRA.
[Acts 4, 23 to 5, 11.]
WHEN Peter and John were dismissed by the Council, they returned and related to the disciples all that the chief priests and ancients had said to them. The disciples saw and understood that they were not above the Master, and that the kings of the earth would ever stand up, and the princes assemble together against the Lord and against His Christ. And lifting up their voice to God they prayed: “And now, Lord, behold their threatenings and grant unto Thy servants that with all confidence they may speak Thy word, by stretching forth Thy hand to cures and signs and wonders to be done by the name of Thy Holy Son Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place was moved wherein they were assembled, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost; and they spoke the word of God with confidence.”
“And the multitude of believers had but one heart and one soul.” For they persevered in the doctrine of the apostles, in prayer, and in the breaking of bread[1]; that is, the apostles
- ↑ The breaking of bread. This was the name for the holy Sacrifice of the Mass and Holy Communion, because, when our Lord instituted the Blessed Sacrament, He broke the bread which He changed into His Sacred Body, before giving It to His apostles. The celebration of the Mass took place in the houses of the Christians, but at the stated hours of prayer and praise, the faithful went to the Temple. Of course they took no further interest in the sacrifices which were offered there, because they possessed the spotless and unbloody Sacrifice of which the Jewish sacrifices were but types.
