Good morning good people! May the Risen Lord give you peace and blessings on this Easter Octave.
It is 26th April 2025. We reflect on Acts 4:13–21 and Mark 16:9–15.
“Preaching without experience,” Pope Francis warns, “is not only unconvincing—it’s un-Christian.” In the days following Easter, the flame of the Resurrection burns quietly but steadily.
It is not about expressions—it is about experience. Without a personal and profound encounter with the Risen Lord, our preaching will ring hollow.
Peter and John, once simple fishermen, now stand boldly before the authorities. When told to be silent, they answer with unshakable clarity: “We cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20)
When Jorge Mario Bergoglio was a young seminarian, he once confessed his sins to an elderly priest who, after hearing him, simply whispered: “Do not be afraid. Jesus is looking at you with love.” Years later, Pope Francis would say that this moment—simple, gentle, and deeply personal—was when he truly met the Lord. It changed his path forever.
Their boldness flows not from eloquence, but from encounter. They had seen the empty tomb. They had heard His voice. They had touched the hands of the Risen One.
In the Gospel, the Risen Christ commissions His followers with divine urgency: “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.” (Mark 16:15)
Each of us received that same call on the day of our baptism. But how serious are we about this sacred duty? To proclaim without experience is like echoing words in an empty hall.
We need to remain with the Lord, heart to heart, until His love spills into every word and action of ours. Let us then make space for such encounters—in prayer, in the sacraments, and in one another.
For when we have truly seen Him, we too will not be able to stay silent. Do people feel the Risen Christ in us? Have we lingered long enough at His feet to carry His fragrance into the world?
Have a lovely day. God bless you richly.