Thursday, April 11, 2013

2nd Week of Easter, Friday, 12-04-13

Acts 5:34-42 / John 6:1-15

To serve the Lord is certainly not as easy as it is said. And we must be prepared for what is to come.

Because in serving the Lord we enter into the spiritual realm and we will face opposition from the dark side, besides from people who are used as instruments by the powers of the dark.

In the past few days, we heard the readings from the Acts of the Apostles. One thing was clear - they face opposition after opposition.

It was obvious that the powers of evil were out to destroy them, discourage them or at least to distract them.

Yet, it was also more obvious that God was there to defend them.

In today's 1st reading, one of their defenders came in the person of Gamaliel, who was a member of the Sanhedrin and a Pharisee.

In short he told the Sanhedrin that if what the apostles were doing is of human origin, then it will break up on its own accord; but if it does come from God, then not only will they not be destroyed, but they will be defended by God.

Yes God is the defender of the weak and poor and lowly and helpless, and He will help them in their time of need.

So it was in the gospel. With the help of God, the bread was multiplied and the hungry were fed.

And so it is now.  In serving the Lord, let us be humble and lowly and simple especially in the face of opposition and even persecution.

God will help us, defend us and even fight for us as long as we humble ourselves and entrust ourselves to Him and follow Jesus in love and forgiveness.