Daily Retreat 04/24/06

2006 Apr 24 Mon: Easter Weekday/ Fidelis of Sigmaringen, p, mt

Acts 4: 23-31/ Ps 2: 1-3. 4-7a. 7b-9/ Jn 3: 1-8

From today’s readings: "As they prayed, the place where they were gathered shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.... Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.... The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit...."

Speak the Word of God with Boldness

At the Easter Vigil in my parish a few years ago, an 8-year-old Hispanic boy (providentially named Jesús) was among those baptized. Before receiving the sacrament, he and the other elect were asked to profess their faith by giving a response ("I do!") to fundamental questions about the Christian faith, such as "Do you reject sin?" "Do you believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth?" etc.

Before the mass, I explained to Jesús and the others why these questions would be asked, and how important was their enthusiastic response. Little Jesús really took it seriously - each time I asked a question, he thundered back "I DO!" with all his might, and with a glowing grin on his face which attested to his share of true Easter joy. After the baptisms, the Easter Vigil rite calls for the renewal of everyone’s baptism promises, so I posed the same questions to the whole congregation, and inspired by that boy’s whole-hearted responses, everyone in the church joined in echoing passionate answers of "I DO!"

That boldness of faith expression is meant to be the norm, not the exception! The Acts of the Apostles testifies to the boldness of the preaching and profession of faith by early believers. The place where they were gathered shook, not because of the mere volume of their prayers, but because their enthusiastic faith resonated perfectly with the mighty wind of the Holy Spirit, and the prayers which we raise together every day of the Lord can, and ought to, thunder with the same mighty Spirit!