Saint John Paul II said, “For new evangelization it is necessary to pass from faith based on traditions- even good ones- to a personal enlightened convicted witness.” Without an inner conviction, our efforts to give Jesus to others becomes futile. It is our faith experience based on transformation through grace when you become a new creation by the power of the Holy spirit.

In the first reading we see how the confidence shown by Sts Peter and John, astonished the rulers and scribes. The leadership showed contempt towards them considering them to be uneducated and ignorant but could do nothing in the situation. They forbade them to speak about this miracle. But the person in whose heart Christ is possesses a real dignity that neither academic attainment, nor professional status can give. They were full of the Spirit and were fearless as the Spirit of Jesus was with them.
In St Mark’s Gospel, we see the true call of discipleship to go out into the world and preach the Gospel to all creation. It is the duty of every Christian to tell the good news of our Lord Jesus to those who have not heard it. We can do it in so many ways by being who God meant us to be in the place God has providentially placed us. We can be living witnesses of the miracles we encounter. We see in the Gospel that even the disciples could not believe when Mary Magdalene had encountered the Risen Lord and the disciples on their walk to Emmaus reported how they had seen the Lord at the breaking of the bread. The disciples would not believe until he appeared to them and chided them for their unbelief when they were in a closed room. With the resurrection He now lives within us Sometimes we Christians still do not experience his
presence and the external environment has become so real to us. We need to look, into ourselves to find ourselves. Sister Wendy Beckett a contemplative Carmelite living in England once said, “Because in your heart where you can’t see him Jesus rejoices. He is more you than you are yourself. But the experience of this is exactly back to front, because precisely he is there, so close we see ourselves in all the agonizing truth. How the human heart longs to see beauty and grace in itself- to be ‘as god’ in some way”.

Prayer: Abba Father, we thank you for the power of the Resurrection. Let us continue to be witnesses to the world to this great truth as disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen