‘The whole group of believers was UNITED, heart and soul. No one claimed for their own use anything that they had, as everything they owned was held in common.’
Luke’s vision of the Early Church is one which has inspired Christian communities of all types throughout the centuries. Holding things in common (Gk koinonia) is a traditional element of community living. At its best it ensures that everyone has what they need for their work and prayer. There is a sense in which the spiritual and the temporal are entwined.
St Benedict puts great store by his monks living in unity of heart and soul. Throughout his Rule there are small practices which are designed to ensure that the day to day life of the monastery is peaceful and steady. He understands the frailty of his community and suggests small rituals that heal and bind up the community:
‘Assuredly, the celebration of Lauds and Vespers must never pass without the superior reciting the entire Lord’s Prayer at the end for all to hear, because the thorns of contention are likely to spring up. Thus warned by the pledge they make to one another in the very words of this prayer: Forgive us as we forgive (Matt 6:12), they may cleanse themselves of this vice.
Ch 13 The Celebration of Lauds on Ordinary Days
What experience do you have of being united in heart and soul with others?
Thank God for this.
(Acts 4:32-37, Tuesday, Second Week of Eastertide)