This book approaches the Acts of the Apostles, not just as a history book that gives us information about the life and mission of the early Church, but also as a story to engage us at the level of faith and transform us into missionary disciples of Jesus Christ in our own situation.
Luke, the author of Acts, is constantly drawing parallels between the life and mission of the early Church and the life and mission of Jesus in proclaiming and bringing about God’s dream for our world. He is, thus, stimulating us to seek parallels between our own situation today and the situations faced by Jesus and the early Church.
The Acts of the Apostles has been called the Gospel of the Spirit, who continually guides and empowers the Church in its life and mission. Today, the Church is in danger of losing its missionary nerve and becoming too introspective. We face the massive challenge of bringing the life-giving message of Jesus to a world turned upside down by the Covid-19 pandemic. Pope Francis is calling us to be ‘Spirit-filled evangelizers’ in our own place. The Acts of the Apostles will not give us all the answers to the many questions faced by today’s Church, but it will help to point us in the right direction as we seek answers.
Tom O'Reilly is a Columban missionary priest who served in Pakistan, Ireland, and Britain. He holds a degree in Scripture Studies from the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome and has Lectured in St Columban's in Navan, and the Kimmage institute in Dublin.
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