The Catholic Weekly 3 May 2020

8 3, May, 2020 F rom the archbishop catholicweekly.com.au Living as witnesses Just as the apostles spoke from first-hand experience, we are called to testify to Christ in this time I f you had to stand up to- day and introduce the Risen Jesus to a crowd, what would you say? A man is given that daunting task today (Acts 2:14-33). Si- mon Johnson, an uneducated fisherman from the country, of vacillating and impetuous character, nicknamed ‘Peter’ or ‘Rocky’ by Jesus, is called Christ is recognised at the breaking of the bread in The Supper at Emmaus , by Caravaggio, painted around 1593 to 1610. PHOTO:WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/PUBLIC DOMAIN A bronze cross given to the young academic Anthony Fisher OP. upon to be the very first Christian preacher. But he doesn’t speak en- tirely unprepared: Simple Simon was chosen by Jesus Himself to lead the post-Res- urrection Church and formed by Him for that task. He has the other apostles with him and the Mother of God. He’s just been graced with an extraordinary out- pouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. And he’s got St Luke to tidy up his homily for the record in the Acts of the Apostles. But for all that natural and supernatural assistance, it was quite a thing to stand and deliver the first ever Christian homily! This morning’s vi- gnette of the κήρυγμα or fun- damental proclamation of the early Church wasn’t record- ed for streaming on demand, but we get a clear impression of who it was first preached on behalf of Christ and the Church. We also see to whom he preached. Peter addresses a diverse group of Jews – from Judea and Persia, the Middle East and North Africa, Asia Minor and Armenia, Greece and Rome – all in Jerusalem for the harvest festival. He calls them “People of Israel” and “brothers”, heirs to the promises to Abraham, Moses and the prophets. In due course he and Paul will proclaim the Gospel to Greeks and Romans, James will ven- ture to Spain, andThomas will go all the way to India. While faithful to the Gos- pel, each tailored his message to his audience, as we might if we were talking to social- ly-distanced self-isolating modern Australians! Since it’s pious Jews he’s talking to, who’d know their Old Testament, Peter quotes the Law, the Psalms, the Patri- archs and Prophets. The new Israel of the Church emerges from the old and will embrace every nation as on that first Pentecost Day. So, it’s clear that the Christian message is for everyone but must be di- rected to particular some- ones. If it is to attract and persuade, we’d better know who we’re talking to and their background understandings. As Jesus met Peter where he was by the lakeside, and talked to him first about fish- ing (Mt 4:19; Lk 5:1-11; cf. Jn 21:1-14), so too must Chris- tians approach others not as potential notches for our conversion belts, but as liv- ing, breathing images of God each with particular hopes and dreams, needs and chal- lenges. Enough about the who and to whom, but what to say? Here again, Peter is our guide: he starts with his deep sense of divine providence. Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP