NOTES for Ac 6:1-7

We are accustomed to the fact that in the Church, as in voluntary organizations, anyone willing to assume responsibility soon finds himself responsible for everything at once. People run to priests with every kind of question. Most Christian leaders deal with every problem that arises in their communities. The person in charge is in charge of everything. But the apostles approach the matter quite differently. They know what the Lord has called them to do: to preach the Word of God. They understand that it is unrealistic for them to combine the ministry of the word with “administrative matters.” Therefore they make a choice, choosing what the Lord has called them to do. At the same time, they do not ignore the problem; they simply say that resolving it requires people who will devote themselves specifically to it. The apostles pray for those whom the Church has chosen. It is probably important for each of us to understand that there are tasks to which the Lord calls us and which we must perform, and there are other tasks, also important and necessary, for which the Lord will choose someone else. The most difficult thing, perhaps, is balance. Let us pray that the Lord grant us the wisdom not to do what He has not called us to do, to do what He does call us to do, and, of course, not to demand that priests and leaders accomplish the impossible.