It is 23rd April 2020. The readings are from Acts 5:27-33; and the Gospel from John 3:31-36. Leonard Cohen once said, “There are crakes in everything, and that’s how light gets in.” Unless we become the witness to the Risen Lord, we cannot taste the eternal life. But we live in a world where the believers are looked down upon as the intruders, interferers with the government policies, demonstrators of values and virtues. In today’s world, truth is accepted by noise of the crowd and the powerful not by the voices of the authentic consciences and the poor. In order to be a witness to the Word, one needs to have transformation within that influences the entire formation of our living. The credibility of the witness is in question in the absence of the Holy Spirit. To bear witness one has to be prepared to face it all including death. Surrendering to God without being sufficiently submitting to the humanity contradicts of intention and purpose of the giver. The most healthy, protective and providing space is our families; even such sacred places could be highly stressful, secluded, secretive and overly sensitive when divorce, promiscuity, drug consumption, euthanasia, abortion, adoption, surrogate motherhood and Satanism have the final say. Time and time again, the Church points out, prompts, promotes and protects the welfare of the family when the collective conscience has chosen to remain silent. Without personal prayer and the guidance of the Holy Spirit we cannot rightly discern to obey appropriately. “We must obey God rather than any human authority.” (Acts.5:29). To obey means to be led by the clear conscience and promptings of the Holy Spirit. We cannot disobey the human authorities under the pretext of obeying God. Our obedience to God cannot contradicts the faith in the humanity. More likely, our obedience to God never excludes the obedience to human agents. “And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.” (Acts.5:32). To believe is to obey. Obedience to God is not a matter of choice but surely it is the matter of conscience. “He testifies to what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his testimony. Whoever has accepted his testimony has certified this, that God is true.” (Jn3:32). Jesus became Christ by His irrefutable obedience to the Father; human beings become humane only by consistent obedience to God. “Whoever disobeys the Son will not see life” (Jn.3:36). The refusal to accept or deny the testimony and witness to the truth by the powerful and the famous never reduce its validity and veracity of the truth anyway. Truth will remain as the itchy spot of a lying and denying humanity. “In him was life, and the life was the light of all people.” (Jn.1:4). May you have a good day. May God bless you.