“WALK DAILY WITH JESUS”, 16/04/26, (Thursday, Easter week 2 in Year A).

COLLECT: “O GOD, WHO FOR THE SALVATION OF THE WORLD BROUGHT ABOUT THE PASCHAL SACRIFICE, BE FAVORABLE TO THE SUPPLICATIONS OF YOUR PEOPLE, SO THAT CHRIST OUR HIGH PRIEST, INTERCEDING ON OUR BEHALF, MAY BY HIS LIKENESS TO OURSELVES BRING US RECONCILIATION, AND BY HIS EQUALITY WITH YOU FREE US FROM OUR SINS. THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOUR SON, WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU IN THE UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOD, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN”.

Acts 5:27-33; Ps 33:2,9,17-20 and Jn 3:31-36.

Today’s passage from Acts continues the ordeal which the apostles had to go through for preaching the resurrected Christ. Today they are brought by the court officers and made to stand before the Sanhedrin and they are questioned by the high priest. In response, the apostles tell them that “We must obey God rather than men”. This made the Sanhedrin and the high priest infuriated, and they wanted to put them to death. The passage from the gospel of John is a continuation and the last bit of Jesus’ discourse with Nicodemus. Jesus declares that “The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him”. ‘Jesus speaks the words of God. He does not ration his gift of the Spirit. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life and whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him’.

One, among the many lessons we can learn from these scripture passages, is some people’s inability to accept responsibility for their wrong and evil actions which can easily lead to unrest, disturbance and wrangling in our families, workplaces and communities. The Sanhedrin and the high priest did not want to be responsible for the death of Jesus, who, however resurrected from the dead, and who gave the Spirit to the apostles and as a result, all these wonders and miracles were happening through them. That was why they gave the apostles strict orders to stop teaching in the name of Jesus.

Some people are not ready to be responsible for their evil and wrong actions and therefore, they keep passing the buck for many reasons. They are afraid of losing their companions, they are also afraid of being punished, disgraced and humiliated. Sometimes this attitude is also caused by fear of losing favours, privileges, positions, authority, etc. in the family, workplace or in the community. These and other reasons account for the fact that people do wrong and evil things but blame other people for their evil actions. Sometimes when some people are not able to pass the buck or to blame it on another person, they blame it on the evil one, Satan; thus, the common or popular statements that “Satan entered me” or “Satan is the cause”.

All believers who have actually received the gift of the Spirit that Jesus lavishly gives will always accept responsibility for their actions, whether good or evil. They will not pass the buck or blame it on another person or on Satan. Even if I accept responsibility for my actions and I am punished for that, my family, community or workplace will experience peace. There will also be no suspicion in the family, workplace or in the community.

Let us learn from the apostles to always ‘obey God rather than men and the world’ in doing what is right, honorable and truthful, as well as always accept being responsible for our actions. Filled with the Spirit of Christ, nothing should deter us from doing this. Stay blessed by the Risen Lord.

WE MEDITATE TODAY, THURSDAY, ON THE MYSTERIES OF LIGHT: ‘THE BAPTISM OF JESUS, THE WEDDING AT CANA, THE PROCLAMATION OF THE KINGDOM, THE TRANSFIGURATION, AND THE INSTITUTION OF THE EUCHARIST’. (WE PRAY FOR OPENNESS TO THE HOLY SPIRIT, PRAY TO JESUS THROUGH MARY, FOR REPENTANCE AND TRUST IN GOD, THE DESIRE FOR HOLINESS, AND WE PRAY FOR THE SPIRIT OF ADORATION) “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen”.

PRAYER: “ALMIGHTY EVER-LIVING GOD, WHO RESTORE US TO ETERNAL LIFE IN THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST, INCREASE IN US, WE PRAY, THE FRUITS OF THIS PASCHAL SACRAMENT AND POUR INTO OUR HEARTS THE STRENGTH OF THIS SAVING FOOD. THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN”.

Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.