For eight days the Church celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead! On this Saturday within the Octave in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles we hear a continuation of the events that took place at the time of Pentecost. We read these accounts now, during the celebration of Easter Day, because the two feasts are intimately tied with one another.
It is becoming clear now to the Jewish leaders that what was unleashed at Pentecost – the power of the Holy Spirit, to proclaim the name of Jesus – is not easily stoppable. And so, the only thing they could do at that time was to give a stern warning to the apostles because so many were praising God for what was being accomplished among them: the formation of a community of faith around the person of the Risen Jesus.
Whenever Peter speaks now he is "filled with the Holy Spirit" – that is, he is not speaking on his own; it is not the fisherman that is speaking; it is the "fisher of men," as Jesus called him, who is speaking with power and content provided by God.
In the gospel passage Jesus rebukes the apostles for not believing in the fact of his resurrection from the dead. Why do you not believe when you see that my resurrection fulfills all the prophecies made about me? Then he tells them – who now recognize him and believe in him – to go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel (the Good News of salvation by means of his death and resurrection) to every creature. This means to all people everywhere in every land; as well as to everything else that inhabits the earth: the cattle, the birds, the fish, the plants, the wind, the sea – for all participate in God's creation; all participate in Christ's redemption; and all will participate in the New Creation when Christ comes again!
And so, not only is St. Francis called upon to preach to all creation: we all are! Let us respond to our commissioning and do so today! For: this is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad – and tell every one and every thing about it!
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