The Holy Martyr Pelagia.
Acts 12:12-17; John 8:42-51.
Read Acts 12:12-17
In today’s reading we see the nascent Christian community gathered together in fervent prayer for Peter who has been taken to prison – “he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying”. From this brief scene, we learn something very important. From the earliest times the conviction of Christians has been that when we experience trouble, need, or grief in the community – we all bring it to prayer.
Sometimes we can be tempted to treat prayer as if it were an individual thing. I have my prayer rule, and you have yours. Communal prayer becomes something that we only do when we’re in the Church. What we often forget is that the home is a domestic church – and when we make it a church we experience the effects.
“Do you see the watchful souls?” asks St. John Chrysostom, “With women and children and main servants they sang hymns to God made purer than the sky…nothing was ever more splendid than that Church. Let us imitate these…Let the house be a Church, consisting of men and women..For where two, He says, are gathered together in My name, there I am in the midst of them.” (Homily XXVI on Acts)
St. Cyprian of Carthage also observes that “All of them, with one accord,” says Scripture, ‘joined in constant prayer…They kept praying with one mind, demonstrating both their perseverance and their unity in prayer. For God, who enables people of one mind to dwell peaceably under one roof, will admit into His heavenly eternal home only those who are of one mind in prayer.” (On The Lord’s Prayer)
Those of us who have tried to implement consistent communal prayer in our homes (especially those with young children) might respond by saying that peace isn’t exactly what we experience. There are so many things that draw our attention and make it difficult – busy schedules, fussy children or just the fatigue of the day. Instantaneous results are not expected, nor should we expect to be like these early Christians we read about right away – the key is to persevere. If we do this, little by little we will see the change. Like our whole Christian lives – it’s a process. The process even – theosis.
This week let us try to make our homes true domestic churches – places of prayer. May the merciful God bless our efforts and grant our homes to be places of peace and trust in Him.