Liturgical Note: During the Easter Season the Old
Testament lesson is replaced with a reading from The Acts of the Apostles –
better known as Acts. These readings show us the Early Church and Apostles
testifying about Jesus’ resurrection.
Success and conflict are at the heart of this reading.
The Apostles boldly proclaimed to the crowds that Jesus, the one who had been
crucified, was alive having been raised from the dead. Many believed. However,
the high priest did not really appreciate this since he, himself, had a hand in
having Jesus killed. He had the Apostles arrested and imprisoned. But an angel
of the Lord released them and sent them back to, “speak to the people all the
words of this Life.”
Imagine being imprisoned, miraculously released and then
sent back to preach in the place you were arrested. I suspect that my instinct
would be to bolt. But the Apostles knew the weight of their message. Hadn’t
Peter said while Jesus was still alive, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have
the words of eternal life.”? Now they are the ones proclaiming, “all the words
of this Life.”
Do we ever see our witness about Jesus as a message of
Life? We speak of forgiveness. We speak of morality, right, and wrong. We speak
of salvation. Perhaps it is time to more thoroughly meditate on what it means
for Jesus’ death and resurrection to be a message of life. Sharing this message
is a matter of life and death! Perhaps it is time to recapture some of that
urgency in our mission.
How have you experienced life through Jesus’ death and
resurrection? How might your prayers change is you saw the message of Jesus’
death and resurrection as a matter of life and death?
Father in Heaven,
the Apostles proclaimed Jesus’ resurrection at the Temple and, even after they
were arrested, did not stop proclaiming the Word of Life. Thank you for their
courage and faith to believe that the message of Jesus, crucified and risen,
was a matter of eternal life and thank you for bringing that message to us
today. Forgive us for our lack of courage when it comes to sharing this Word of
Life. Forgive us for not feeling the urgency of this message. Fill us with
faith and help us to feel the weight and importance of your calling to be your
witnesses. Please send your messengers into the world to share the good news,
and, if it be your will, let us be among them for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
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