My dear brothers and sisters, the Lord give you peace. In today’s first reading, we have a great opportunity to reflect on the powerful and profound narrative found in the book of Acts, chapter 4:23-31. This passage invites us into the very heart of the early Church, a community that faced threats and persecution yet responded with unwavering unity and bold faith. After being released from imprisonment, Peter and John returned to their fellow believers, not with fear or despair, but with a report that ignited a collective response: a prayer to the Sovereign Lord.
Their prayer is significant. They acknowledge God's sovereignty as the Maker of heaven and earth, directly linking their situation with the prophetic words in the second Psalm. The early Christians remind themselves of the enduring truth that despite the raging of nations and the conspired plots of rulers, it is God’s ultimate plan that prevails. We are inspired by their courage, especially in this our own day when so many of our governments have become self-serving and anti-God in their modern and secular worldviews. There is now a widespread persecution of many Catholics around the world, punished for the faith they profess. The early Christians recognize that the events surrounding Jesus' crucifixion, which seemed so tragic, and their own turmoil united to his, were all part of God's divine will.
This unity in prayer becomes a catalyst for divine action. As they prayed, the very place where they gathered shook, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit, Who empowers them to speak the divine word with boldness. This is amazing to behold. Their response to adversity was not one of retreat, but of communal strength rooted in prayer and the assurance of the Holy Spirit. This moment reveals to us that when we face trials and tribulations, we, too, must turn to prayer as a first response, remembering that the strength we need always comes from God.
The psalmist echoes this same theme of divine sovereignty in the second Psalm. He depicts the futility of the raging nations and their efforts to resist God's authority. This is an important spiritual truth to keep in mind going into this period of preparation for the upcoming conclave to choose the next successor to Saint Peter, given the hint of cozying up to world systems and governments in this latest administration at the Holy See. Psalm 2 offers a counter-narrative—the laughter and derision of the Lord at those who think they can thwart His plans. It reminds us that we are part of a grander story, a narrative woven through history that ultimately leads to God’s triumph through Christ and I believe we are continually seeing it unfold before our eyes.
In the Gospel of John, we encounter Nicodemus, a figure shrouded in his own doubts and questions. He approaches Jesus by night, symbolizing the darkness of misunderstanding. Jesus tells him that to enter the Kingdom of God, one must be "born from above." This concept may baffle us, as it did Nicodemus. Yet, it challenges us to look beyond what is earthly and grasp the spiritual transformation that God desires for us, individually and collectively as the Body of Christ. Jesus illustrates that our rebirth is not of flesh but of Spirit, reminding us that the Kingdom of God operates in ways that often defy human logic, and so ought the Church. Jesus’ truth transcended his current age, but was eternal. So too, the Church, although keeping in mind the current events which effect the faithful, must always place these within the scrutiny of God’s immutable and eternal Word. Any light that is eventually shed on the interpretation of that Word, must always be faithful to the spirit of our Lord who knew that the truth he spoke would inevitably rattle the authorities.
Moving forward in these days, we give it all to God, and we thank him for allowing us to witness his beautiful, and eternally unfolding plan for us, his beloved children. Let us keep the cardinals gathered in Rome in our daily prayers, so that the Lord truly illuminates their hearts and minds, and that the purity of doing God’s will, that the Lord asks of all of us, may be preserved.
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