Reading 1
Acts 4:13-21
Observing the boldness of Peter and John
and perceiving them to be uneducated, ordinary men,
the leaders, elders, and scribes were amazed,
and they recognized them as the companions of Jesus.
Then when they saw the man who had been cured standing there with them,
they could say nothing in reply.
So they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin,
and conferred with one another, saying,
“What are we to do with these men?
Everyone living in Jerusalem knows that a remarkable sign
was done through them, and we cannot deny it.
But so that it may not be spread any further among the people,
let us give them a stern warning
never again to speak to anyone in this name.”
So they called them back
and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
Peter and John, however, said to them in reply,
“Whether it is right in the sight of God
for us to obey you rather than God, you be the judges.
It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.”
After threatening them further,
they released them,
finding no way to punish them,
on account of the people who were all praising God
for what had happened.
Ps 118:1 and 14-15ab, 16-18, 19-21
Responsorial PsalmR. (21a)
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
The joyful shout of victory
in the tents of the just.
R. I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me.
or:
R. Alleluia.
“The right hand of the LORD is exalted;
the right hand of the LORD has struck with power.”
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the LORD.
Though the LORD has indeed chastised me,
yet he has not delivered me to death.
R. I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Open to me the gates of justice;
I will enter them and give thanks to the LORD.
This is the gate of the LORD;
the just shall enter it.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.
R. I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel
Mk 16:9-15
When Jesus had risen, early on the first day of the week,
he appeared first to Mary Magdalene,
out of whom he had driven seven demons.
She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping.
When they heard that he was alive
and had been seen by her, they did not believe.
After this he appeared in another form
to two of them walking along on their way to the country.
They returned and told the others;
but they did not believe them either.
But later, as the Eleven were at table, he appeared to them
and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart
because they had not believed those
who saw him after he had been raised.
He said to them, “Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.”
Meditation: Acts 4:13-21
“Observing the boldness of Peter and John and perceiving them to be uneducated, ordinary men, they were amazed.” (Acts 4:13)
When it comes to evangelization, where do we even start? As the apostles knew, the foundation of evangelization is a personal encounter with Jesus. As Pope Benedict XVI has observed, they weren’t just “heralds of an idea, but witnesses of a person.”
In today’s first reading, we find Peter and John fulfilling Jesus’ command to go “into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). While they hadn’t yet reached “the whole world,” they started their mission where they were, with the people around them, making Jesus known to all who would listen.
It’s interesting that at this point in his life, Peter was more of a spitfire fisherman than a deep theologian or trained public speaker. Still, his address to the people was filled with Scripture references and clear, godly reasoning. It’s obvious that Peter didn’t just go out there and wing it. Clearly, he had been studying the Scriptures and building up a database of knowledge about Jesus and God’s plan of salvation.
At the same time, Peter was prayerful and passionate. He wanted to do more than just give a scriptural exposition on healing. He wanted to see people embrace the gospel, and so he relied on the Holy Spirit to pierce the hearts of his hearers.
Peter’s balance between good arguments and trust in the Spirit can be a model for our approach to evangelization. We have the same tools available to us that Peter had—and even more. Not only do we have our Bibles with footnotes and commentaries, we have the Catechism and the witness of countless saints. And of course, we have the same Holy Spirit guiding and empowering us. Like Peter, the closer we stay to Jesus in prayer, the more effective our logic will be when we share his gospel.
So don’t be afraid to tell other people the reason for your hope (1 Peter 3:15). Read, study, learn the gospel so that you can build a solid argument. And pray, pray, pray. You really can make a difference in the people around you!
“Holy Spirit, I ask you to both teach and empower me to be an effective witness to the gospel. Give me the boldness of your first apostles!”
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