When the court officers had brought the Apostles in
and 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 teaching
and 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 savior
to 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 must obey God rather than men."
The Apostles had been forewarned by the Sanhedrin not to preach about Jesus. However, they still did.
Nowadays, are we forbidden to express our religious beliefs without fear of retaliation?
I am not even talking about preaching at school or work. How about in social media, with members of our own family, even with members of our own Church?
Following Jesus can sometimes be a lonely road. That's why it is important to be under the guidance of a good spiritual director and/or confessor. To have friends that also want to follow Jesus and go to Heaven, so we can help each other get there. And to share this gift with others.
Our 21st century challenge is how to do this without looking like some kind of religious fanatic.
Sometimes, we need to learn from St. Joseph, be silent, and act.
We don't need to take a picture of ourselves handing a beggar money and then posting it in Instagram. When we are asked for help, smile, go, help whoever asked us, clean after ourselves, and leave.
This Sunday May Day will be celebrated in many communist countries. This same day is the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker.
Let's ask Jesus' foster father for the fortitude to do good works without looking for recognition. And for these works to be fruitful for the glory of God.
