The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to ponder the truths that set us free and the trials which often accompany our journey to truth and goodness.
The reading from the Acts of the Apostles describes the trial of the Twelve before the Sanhedrin.
* [5:17–42] A second action against the community is taken by the Sanhedrin in the arrest and trial of the Twelve; cf. Acts 4:1–3. The motive is the jealousy of the religious authorities over the popularity of the apostles (Acts 5:17) who are now charged with the defiance of the Sanhedrin’s previous order to them to abandon their prophetic role (Acts 5:28; cf. Acts 4:18). In this crisis the apostles are favored by a miraculous release from prison (Acts 5:18–24). (For similar incidents involving Peter and Paul, see Acts 12:6–11; 16:25–29.) The real significance of such an event, however, would be manifest only to people of faith, not to unbelievers; since the Sanhedrin already judged the Twelve to be inauthentic prophets, it could disregard reports of their miracles. When the Twelve immediately resumed public teaching, the Sanhedrin determined to invoke upon them the penalty of death (Acts 5:33) prescribed in Dt 13:6–10. Gamaliel’s advice against this course finally prevailed, but it did not save the Twelve from the punishment of scourging (Acts 5:40) in a last endeavor to shake their conviction of their prophetic mission.
* [5:30] Hanging him on a tree: that is, crucifying him (cf. also Gal 3:13).
* [5:31] At his right hand: see note on Acts 2:33. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 5, n.d.)
Psalm 34 offers praise for Deliverance from Trouble.
* [Psalm 34] A thanksgiving in acrostic form, each line beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In this Psalm one letter is missing and two are in reverse order. The psalmist, fresh from the experience of being rescued (Ps 34:5, 7), can teach the “poor,” those who are defenseless, to trust in God alone (Ps 34:4, 12). God will make them powerful (Ps 34:5–11) and give them protection (Ps 34:12–22).
* [34:1] Abimelech: a scribal error for Achish. In 1 Sm 21:13–16, David feigned madness before Achish, not Abimelech. (Psalms, PSALM 34, n.d.)
In the Gospel of John, Jesus is the One Who comes from Heaven.
* [3:31–36] It is uncertain whether these are words by the Baptist, Jesus, or the evangelist. They are reflections on the two preceding scenes.
* [3:34] His gift: of God or to Jesus, perhaps both. This verse echoes Jn 5:8. (John, CHAPTER 3, n.d.)
Tom Purcell asks “Why so many religious celebrations around the date of the equinox?” Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus after the crucifixion. The indigenous people celebrate this date because it marks a time of longer days moving into new growth of forage for horses, better hunting, and the planting seasons. Jews celebrate Passover as freedom from the Egyptian overlords, and the beginning of the journey to the promised land. Ramadan celebrates the gift from God to the prophet Mohammed of the holy book of Quran.
These celebrations of victories, of renewal, of hope can arrive, though, in challenging times. The realities of wars, pestilences, political unrest, repressions of people viewed as the “other,” economic pressures, increases in “us versus them” confrontations, false dichotomies of fairness – all these and more can intrude on our attempts to rejoice in the springs that can dispel our winters of discontent. It is easy to focus on existing grievances (real or perceived) and trivialities, and neglect to bask in the sun of salvation and new beginnings. We tend to ignore the now of the glorious thing that we have been given – salvation – and keep turning our minds and actions back to dwell on past hurts and on the less important temporary realities of daily life. We don’t take the time to be one with the reality around us. In our focus on our beliefs, we can forget that our sisters and brothers have received different revelations of the importance of this annual new beginning. We would do well to learn more about their beliefs so we can more fully appreciate our own spiritual connections to our Creator. (Purcell, 2023)
Don Schwager quotes “Always bless the Lord!” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"When are you to 'bless the Lord?' When he showers blessings on you? When earthly goods are plentiful? When you have a plethora of grain, oil, wine, gold, silver... - while your mortal body remains healthy, uninjured and free from disease; while everything that is born on your estate is growing well, and nothing is snatched away by untimely death; while every kind of happiness floods your home and you have all you want in profusion? Is it only then that you are to bless the Lord? No, but 'at all times.' So you are to bless him equally when from time to time, or because the Lord God wishes to discipline you, these good things let you down or are taken from you, when there are fewer births or the already-born slip away. These things happen, and their consequence is poverty, need, hardship, disappointment and temptation. But you sang, 'I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall be in my mouth always,' so when the Lord gives you these good things, bless him, and when he takes them away, bless him. He it is who gives, and he it is who takes away, but he does not take himself away from anyone who blesses him. (excerpt from EXPOSITIONS OF THE PSALMS 34.3) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Acts 5:27-33 comments that we, too, have received the Holy Spirit, and we have seen the Spirit at work in our lives and in the people around us. And just as he called the apostles, the Spirit calls us to share the good news. We might be fearful of rejection or of offending someone. We might be afraid of saying the wrong thing. But if we step out in faith, we’ll begin to see God working in power. And that will cause our faith to grow, just as it did for the apostles.
Keep asking the Holy Spirit to help you and keep taking those steps, no matter how small, to reach out with the love of God. As you do, you’ll become more confident. Not only that, but like the apostles, you’ll get to see firsthand the power of the Spirit touching people through your words.
“Holy Spirit, give me the courage to spread the good news.” (Meditation on Acts 5:27-33, n.d.)
Peter Edmonds SJ, a tutor in Biblical Studies at Campion Hall, University of Oxford, invites us to spend some time exploring the background and character of the Acts of the Apostles as we attempt to grasp the significance of Easter and deepen the peace, hope and joy which the season offers.
Besides teaching about the identity of God, Luke has much to say about the power of the grace of God and the initiatives God takes in forming witnesses for the mission. The experiences of Peter and Paul demonstrate this most dramatically. When Jesus was on trial, Peter denied three times that he ever knew him, but Jesus did not abandon him. After the resurrection, the Lord appeared to him (Luke 24:34). He resumed his leadership of the Twelve in arranging for the election of Matthias (1:15) and, inspired by the Holy Spirit, spoke out with great effect to the crowds on Pentecost day (2:14-36). Nonetheless he needed a special heavenly vision and voice to persuade him to eat what appeared to be unclean, which led to his acceptance of the Gentile Cornelius. So important are the truths contained in this story that it is told twice (10:9-17; 11:4-10). (Edmonds, 2012)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the response of the Sanhedrin to the accusation of the Apostles that they have Jesus' blood on their hands. The Gospel of John contrasts those things that drag us down, concupiscence, with the spiritual relationship with Jesus. Friar Jude reminds us that full life is initiated as soon as we embrace the Son and that God cannot force us to Love.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that through studying Francis of Assisi, he learned that weeping is a mode of being that relinquishes any need to be in control. After her father’s death, Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie captures the embodied experience of “the weeping mode,” in which no attempts to “fix” or “move on” will do.
Grief is a cruel kind of education. You learn how ungentle mourning can be, how full of anger. You learn how glib condolences can feel. You learn how much grief is about language, the failure of language and the grasping for language. Why are my sides so sore and achy? It’s from crying, I’m told. I did not know that we cry with our muscles. The pain is not surprising, but its physicality is: my tongue is unbearably bitter, as though I ate a loathed meal and forgot to clean my teeth; on my chest, a heavy, awful weight; and inside my body, a sensation of eternal dissolving. My heart—my actual, physical heart, nothing figurative here—is running away from me, has become its own separate thing, beating too fast, its rhythms at odds with mine. This is an affliction not merely of the spirit but of the body, of aches and lagging strength. Flesh, muscles, organs are all compromised. No physical position is comfortable. For weeks, my stomach is in turmoil, tense and tight with foreboding, the ever-present certainty that somebody else will die, that more will be lost. [2] (Rohr, 2023)
When we pause to contemplate our experience of enlightenment by the Spirit, we are grateful for the Love of God.
References
Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 5. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved April 20, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/5?27
Edmonds, P. (2012, May 9). Easter Reading: The Acts of the Apostles. Thinking Faith. Retrieved April 20, 2023, from https://www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/20120509_1.htm
John, CHAPTER 3. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved April 20, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/3?31
Meditation on Acts 5:27-33. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved April 20, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/04/20/660630/
Psalms, PSALM 34. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved April 20, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/34?2
Purcell, T. (2023, April 20). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved April 20, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/042023.html
Rohr, R. (2023, April 20). The Weeping Mode — Center for Action and Contemplation. Daily Meditations Archive: 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-weeping-mode-2023-04-20/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). He Who Believes in the Son Has Eternal Life. Daily Scripture Net. Retrieved April 20, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=apr20
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