Tagged: Daily Reflections

“The place where they were gathered shook as they prayed. They were filled with the Holy Spirit.” —Acts 4:31 When Peter and John were released from jail, they did not ask for: future safety, protection from their enemies, justice after being wrongly arrested, or an easier mission. Rather, they asked to be filled again with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4; 4:31) and thereby receive “complete assurance,” that is, holy boldness in witnessing for the risen Christ (Acts 4:29). Let’s not focus on the immensity of our problems and the human impossibility of dealing with them. It doesn’t make that much...

“A week later, the disciples were once more in the room, and this time Thomas was with them. Despite the locked doors, Jesus came.” —John 20:26 The octave of the first Easter was disappointing and uneventful for the apostles. On the evening of the day of Jesus’ Resurrection, Jesus sent His apostles to proclaim His Gospel (Jn 20:21), but eight days later they were still paralyzed by fear and behind locked doors (see Jn 20:26). You can see why Thomas, not present a week earlier, did not believe that Jesus was risen from the dead. However, the Lord had mercy...

“The questioners were amazed.” —Acts 4:13 People who have met the risen Christ are amazing. “Observing the self-assurance of Peter and John, and realizing that the speakers were uneducated men of no standing, the questioners were amazed” (Acts 4:13). Almost everyone must have been amazed that the risen Jesus “first appeared to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons” (Mk 16:9). How could Peter, who denied Christ three times, stand before thousands of people, preach fearlessly, and lead three thousand people to Christ at one time? Amazing! How could the persecutor Saul change into the Apostle Paul?...

“Jesus came over, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This marked the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after being raised from the dead.” —John 21:13-14 In the Catholic community throughout the world, this coming Sunday is called “Divine Mercy Sunday.” Many people prepare for this special day by praying for nine days beginning Good Friday, the day of ultimate mercy, the day on which we especially focus on Jesus’ saving death. Jesus is “rich in mercy” (Eph 2:4). “His mercy endures forever” (Ps 136:1ff). Jesus is all-merciful. Simon...

“God raised Him from the dead, and we are His witnesses.” —Acts 3:15 If we are not Resurrection-witnesses like Mary Magdalene and the post-Pentecost apostles, we should not make excuses, but rather admit that being a powerful witness for the risen Christ is normal Christianity (see Acts 4:33; 3:15; Lk 24:48-49). To be a Resurrection-witness, we must simply repent, renew our Baptisms, and receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). We may think we have already done this. Yet have we repented and converted by God’s standards? (see Acts 3:19) Most of us know that we must repent of doing things...