Saint Athanasius, Bishop, Doctor
Friday of the 2nd week of Eastertide
First Friday: Let’s entrust ourselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
First reading Acts 5:34-42
In Acts 5:34–42, the intervention of Gamaliel, a respected teacher of the law, offers a moment of surprising clarity and wisdom amid growing hostility toward the Apostles. He counsels restraint, suggesting that if their movement is of human origin, it will collapse on its own, but if it is of God, no force can stop it, and opposing it would be to fight against God Himself. This scene is a profound Eastertide reflection: the Resurrection of Christ has set into motion a divine work that cannot be silenced or undone by human resistance. The Apostles, emboldened by the Risen Lord, willingly embrace suffering for the sake of His Name, rejoicing not in triumphalism, but in faithfulness to God’s will. In the face of persecution, they do not retaliate or despair, they persevere in hope, daily proclaiming Jesus as the Christ. Gamaliel’s wisdom, though perhaps cautious and uncommitted, nonetheless speaks a vital truth for every believer: our task is not to control outcomes, but to align ourselves with the will of God and to trust that His purposes, often hidden and unfolding gradually, will prevail. Let’s reflect: Easter is the season in which we celebrate the triumph of God’s will through the Resurrection of Christ, inviting us to live with bold trust in His enduring purpose, even amid trials.
Don Giorgio