Reading 1
Acts 5:27-33
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.
Ps 34:2 and 9, 17-18, 19-20
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.
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.
The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
Many are the troubles of the just man,
but out of them all the LORD delivers him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel
Jn 3:31-36
The one who comes from above is above all.
The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things.
But the one who comes from heaven is above all.
He testifies to what he has seen and heard,
but no one accepts his testimony.
Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy.
For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God.
He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.
The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,
but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life,
but the wrath of God remains upon him.
Meditation: Acts 5:27-33
“We must obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29)
If you’ve ever watched a court room drama in which an eyewitness is brought in to testify, you’ve prob ably heard the phrase: “I know what I saw!” Usually in such stories, the defense attorney will do his or her best to prove that the witness is mistaken. Human memory is very fallible, and witnesses can be wrong—their testimony can result in the wrongful conviction of an innocent man. But it’s very hard to tell people who are convinced they saw something with their own eyes that it really didn’t happen!
The apostles who stood before the Sanhedrin in today’s reading were just those kind of witnesses. They had been ordered to stop talking about Jesus, but they couldn’t see any reason to comply. They had given up everything to follow him. They knew who he was and why he had come. They had heard the news of his crucifixion, but then they saw him—alive! Nothing could convince them to stop spreading the good news.
What about us? None of us was present at the resurrection. We haven’t seen Jesus with our own eyes. So who is going to believe us? Lots of people! We have a witness to speak for us: the Holy Spirit. He comes to testify to the truth of the gospel. He comes to reveal Jesus as the Son of God. He comes to bear witness “with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8: 16). He is an expert witness we can all rely on!
Like the apostles, we too can say, “I know what I saw!” We can ask the Spirit to open the eyes of our hearts so that we can see Jesus. We don’t have to rely on our own speaking skills or intelligence to share the gospel. Instead, we can relax, act naturally, and share the truth of what the Lord has done in our lives.
So let the Spirit take care of the supernatural part. Let him reveal his presence through you. Don’t be afraid to speak the name of Jesus, for he is always with you—and his love can move mountains!
“Come, Holy Spirit, and make me a vessel for your grace. Teach me how to witness to Jesus in a way that stirs people’s hearts.”
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