When the court officers had brought the Apostles inand made them stand before the Sanhedrin,the high priest questioned them,“We gave you strict orders did we not,to stop teaching in that name.Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teachingand want to bring this man’s blood upon us.”But Peter and the Apostles said in reply,“We must obey God rather than men. The God of our ancestors raised Jesus,though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree.God exalted him at his right hand as leader and saviorto grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.We are witnesses of these things,as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”
When they heard this,they became infuriated and wanted to put them to death.
REFLECTION: "We gave you strict orders did we not, to stop teaching in that name."
What a conundrum from the Jewish authorities.
They plotted and sent Jesus to His death on the cross, and saw His disciples scatter and hide in fear for their lives.
Then, all of the sudden Peter and the other disciples appear in very public places and start preaching about Jesus: His resurrection and salvation.
And no mater how much they chastise them, they keep preaching and converting people by the hundreds.
The Holy Spirit worked wonders in these men who originally thought they could do anything by their own accord. But when Jesus was killed, they cowered and disappeared from the public eye for fear of their own lives.
We read in the Acts of the Apostles what different men they were after receiving the gifts of the Holy Spirit. They didn't stop anymore but shared the message of Our Lord with everybody they met.
Back in those days there were physical public spaces like markets and Temples where people could preach and be listened.
Today we have some restricted movement, and rely more and more on social media.
For seven days, YouTube blocked the content that would have allowed Spanish speaking people from being able to watch the Holy Triduum services from the Vatican via that medium.
How many other channels/people does social media now ban/censor when they don't agree with the culture of death agenda?
A few months ago, people started running to different communication platforms that would ensure their privacy and their rights, and then all of a sudden, the company that owned the servers that host such platforms simply shut them down.
EWTN and other entities are preparing an anti-discrimination lawsuit against YouTube because they have been told to stop airing ProLife content.
So what are we to do? What would the apostles do if they were in our place?
We are in the middle of a spiritual battle. And we cannot fight this fight by our own wit.
As we prepare for Pentecost, let us pray the Prayer to the Holy Spirit so justice and true liberty prevail in our country.
And pray the Breathing Jesus prayer everyday, so He also fills our hearts, and we can act with love and wisdom in these post-truth times.
