Brothers and Sisters,
The Resurrection of our Lord which we celebrated two weeks ago, and continue to celebrate, is a reminder and assurance that we will live forever. Jesus also confirms that this eternal life will be not only for our spirit but in our entirety – for our resurrected bodies. Could there be more promising news for us? It is no surprise that the Church loudly sings “Alleluia” and calls us to be joyful – truly joyful. The Lord’s resurrection is of such magnitude that the Church celebrates the feast for eight days (the Octave of Easter), and extends it for 50 days until the Descent of the Holy Spirit – Pentecost Sunday, which we will celebrate on May 24 this year.
During this period, the Church reads from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles extensively during Masses. This Book depicts the beginning missionary work of the Church. It was this Church that was established by Jesus Christ himself and destined to spread the Good News to every corner of the world.
In the Acts of the Apostles, we see extraordinarily wise and bold actions of the Apostles and their collaborators who hid their initial fears under the set-aside stone of Jesus’ empty grave. As we read in today’s first reading, the Apostle “Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed” boldly the message of salvation. Later, we see him and others who asked God to enable them to speak God’s word “with all boldness.” Even though beaten and persecuted, they strongly confirmed the unshaken allegiance to the truth: “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).
Through the centuries and millennia, the Church was a strong compass showing a sure and clear direction in times of tumult, unrest, industrial revolution, moral challenges and wars. People were looking for the voice from the Vatican to find wisdom and confirmation of what God has already been telling them through their conscience. Even non-Christians and atheists recognized the authority of the Holy See in a world which was without clear, moral navigation.
Pope Leo XIV, a successor of St. Peter, clearly understands his obligation as a Defender of the Faith and the Conscience of the World. He did not hesitate to stand for the truth when he repeated the message of St. John Paul II: “No more war!” Pope Leo called to build “a Kingdom in which there is no sword, no drone, no vengeance, no trivialization of evil, no unjust profit, but only dignity, understanding and forgiveness.” The Pope also warned against the “delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive” and protested against using God for the justification of war. The voice of Leo XIV resounded powerfully across the globe giving hope to millions of people who suffer and encouraged all people to work hard to stop the “madness of war.”
As I write this, the Pope is in Africa on his Apostolic Pilgrimage to four countries and is spreading the message of salvation and the message of peace. Let us pray for him
In the Risen Lord,
Fr. Mark Jurzyk