THEY WERE ENRAGED…

Acts 5:27-33

27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”
29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.
30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you killed by hanging him on a tree.
31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.” 33 When they heard this they were enraged and wanted to kill them.

John 3:31-36

31 He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth belongs to the earth, and of the earth he speaks; he who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony; 33 he who receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true.
34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for it is not by measure that he gives the Spirit; 35 the Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand. 36 He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him.  

MEDITATION

THE FIRST READING: The apostles are brought before the temple officials, who took umbridge at Peter the Apostolic leader, who was at the forefront; defying their restrictive mandates and false propositions!These officials tried to silence Peter for laying the blame of Christ’s death at the door of the Council that they lord over!Peter, repeated his accusation and qualified his statement; adding, that they personally witnessed that Christ won victory over death and is seated at the right hand of God!

The preeminance of Peter is very pulpable; in so far as he is in the fireing line, having to deal with accusatory questions whilst he defended Christs ressurection and clarifying that Christ is indeed the Savior of the Israelites. 

JOHN THE APOSTLE recount the words of John the Baptist who dispelled the prevailing false notion that he is the Christ. Moreover he defer that preiminant accolade by pointing the people to Christ. John received this revelation and moral formation, when he was a mere babe in the womb of his mother Elizabeth, on the day when Mary visited his family. 

John the Baptist much like Peter the apostle, were upright two-fisted honest to goodness leaders, who were less concerned about their status, or self preservation, but more committed to live a virtuous life modelled on the person of Christ Jesus. Tradition teaches that both St John and St Peter were brutally murdered by the Roman regime, for obeying the Son of God and defending truth.

It is said, that the more things change, the more they stay the same. We live during a time where certain political social groups are in a rage and hell bound to cancel objective truths, be it about the human origin or our God given nature. We are called to hold on and preserve that which is good, honest and true, even if it comes at the cost of personal suffering and pain!

Catec1958 The natural law is immutable and permanent throughout the variations of history; it subsists under the flux of ideas and customs and supports their progress. The rules that express it remain substantially valid. Even when it is rejected in its very principles, it cannot be destroyed or removed from the heart of man. It always rises again in the life of individuals and societies:

LET US PRAY: Psalms 34:2,9,17-20
2 My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and be glad.
9 O fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no want!
17 When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the LORD delivers him out of them all.20 He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.

Commentary. Henry R SYLVESTER Note: The daily scripture readings are taken from the Roman Missal which the Catholic Church use in the daily Celebration of the Holy Eucharist throughout the world.Some weekly readings may differ because of the celebration of local feast days.