It is 7th April 2018. We celebrate the memorial of St. John Baptist De La Salle, priest. The readings are from Acts 4:13-21; and the Gospel from Mark 16:9-15. A personal encounter with the Risen Lord is just like meeting Christ in the Sacred Scripture. One need not necessarily be a Scripture pundit or a scholar to preach about the Risen Lord. In most circumstances, people know the Scripture to the fullest yet have not experienced the Risen Lord. A bookish and scholarly knowledge does not take us closer to Christ all the time rather it makes us to explain than experience in most cases. Our teaching and preaching becomes superiorly meaningful and to have a conviction and eventually to have a principled life with a spiritual character when we have a deep and personal encounter with the Lord Jesus. Faith in the Resurrection of Jesus is the central doctrine to our faith. We cannot experience the Risen Lord unless we are transformed within totally. The teaching and preaching need to happen from that of personal encounter with the Risen Lord is real and trustworthy. The objections and condemnation on the resurrection of Jesus is rising so much. People come up with the innumerable arguments to refute the resurrection of Jesus Christ. No book or an article or a thesis could defend the resurrection of Jesus but the after-effect of the resurrection seen in our lives cannot go unnoticed by many people. In the first reading, we continue to read about the trials of Sts. Peter and John. They were literally silenced by the elders not to speak about the Risen Lord just because they were told that they were just laymen and had no sufficient Scriptural studies. But to proclaim the truth what one has encountered personally cannot be stopped by anyone. “For we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts. 4:20). Even if it costs our lives, we must not be afraid to stand for truth and be bold like the apostles who preached the message that Jesus is alive even today. The responsorial Psalm praises, “I will thank you Lord, for you have given answer.” (Ps.117:21). The Gospel urges us that we need to spread the truth about Jesus as the disciples of the Lord. Since we are all transformed by the waters of Baptism, we have a mandate to ““Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.” (Mk.16:15). What so required of us is the courage and commitment to tell the world boldly that Jesus is alive today and we who have the personal experience in the breaking of the Bread need to share the Good News to the rest of the world. Let nothing stop our enthusiasm and we do not need a formal approval to demonstrate the resurrection of Jesus in our personal life of charity and mercy. May you have a good day.