It is 27th April 2017. The readings are from Acts 5:27-33; and the Gospel from John 3:31-36. The first reading describes the unshakable faith of the Apostles in the Risen Lord Jesus before the tribunal. The authorities wanted to do away with them but they could not do it. “When God is on our side, who can be against us?” (Rom.8.31). Our obedience to God needs to be seen in our willingness to suffer for the Lord and submitting ourselves to the leaders God has given. We need to be careful that under the pretext of obeying, we must not resist or oppose any human authority that leads to disunity and disorderliness. Obeying is the act of humility and it is not by one’s choice and preferences. We discern the ways of God through the insights from the other however hard it may look. The Spirit of God is the spiritual power behind our obedience to God. Total obedience aims at the common good and the good of all not for oneself. Obedience to God cannot be reduced to opposing the State and existing moral order of a given society. It is the pride and fake excuse not to obey human and selectively and preferable choosing to obey God. Our obedience is itself the witness to Christ and the society that we are willing to be led by the other. “And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.” (Acts.5:33). The responsorial Psalm prays, “This poor man called and the Lord heard him.” (Ps.33:7). The Gospel testifies through John the Baptist that the knowledge and the truth of God, we each one of us are seeking is found in Jesus Christ. When we believe, and profess and to become the witnesses to Jesus is to love God himself. Our witnessing needs to be shown in our humble service to the humanity. The eternal life is to know, to love, to obey God in Jesus through the Holy Spirit. (Jn.17:3). The uniqueness of Jesus is that He wants us to know and love God through Him. We all can enjoy the benefits and blessings of the eternal life only through the obedience of faith in Jesus. May you have a day full of blessings.