Reading 1
Acts 5:17-26
The high priest rose up and all his companions,
that is, the party of the Sadducees,
and, filled with jealousy,
laid hands upon the Apostles and put them in the public jail.
But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison,
led them out, and said,
“Go and take your place in the temple area,
and tell the people everything about this life.”
When they heard this,
they went to the temple early in the morning and taught.
When the high priest and his companions arrived,
they convened the Sanhedrin,
the full senate of the children of Israel,
and sent to the jail to have them brought in.
But the court officers who went did not find them in the prison,
so they came back and reported,
“We found the jail securely locked
and the guards stationed outside the doors,
but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”
When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this report,
they were at a loss about them,
as to what this would come to.
Then someone came in and reported to them,
“The men whom you put in prison are in the temple area
and are teaching the people.”
Then the captain and the court officers went and brought them,
but without force,
because they were afraid of being stoned by the people.
Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
Responsorial Psalm R. (7a)
The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel
Jn 3:16-21
God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.
And this is the verdict,
that the light came into the world,
but people preferred darkness to light,
because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light
and does not come toward the light,
so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light,
so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.
Meditation: John 3:16-21
” Light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light.” (John 3:19)
At first, the light was just too bright for Nicodemus. When we first meet him in John’s Gospel, he is coming to Jesus “at night” to do a little private investigation. A Pharisee, Nicodemus was intrigued by Jesus, but he was also reluctant to associate himself publicly with this teacher from Galilee. Jesus, “the light,” had come into the world, but Nicodemus wasn’t ready yet to come into that light. We can only guess why. Maybe he was afraid of change. Maybe he was concerned about the reaction from some of his fellow Pharisees.
But slowly and steadily, this respected teacher of the Jews let the light dawn. When some of Israel’s leaders wanted to have Jesus arrested, Nicodemus openly defended him (John 7:50-51). And after Jesus was crucified, Nicodemus bravely stepped forward, bringing costly spices to help prepare Jesus’ body for burial. He was coming into the light! The Holy Spirit was working in his heart, freeing him from fear.
Nicodemus shows us that it’s never too late to come to the Lord. Sometimes we may be hesitant to step into his light, especially if it means confessing our sins. Sometimes we feel more comfortable approaching Jesus during the “night” with a guarded heart. And that’s okay, so long as we keep taking steps closer to the light, even small steps. After all, that’s how Nicodemus began, and look how his story ended. He had the privilege of ministering to the broken body of Christ—the body that would be raised to glory three days later!
So take courage, and try to come a little more fully into the light of Christ. You don’t have to carry around shame over past sins. All you have to do is take them to Jesus and ask him to set you free. Let the light of his mercy melt away your guilt and fill you with joy and peace instead. Let him show you the freedom that he won for you on the cross. It may take a while, like Nicodemus, but we can all become a new creation this Easter season!
“Thank you, Jesus, for shining the light of your truth and love into my life. Thank you for the gift of your freedom.”
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