4th Sunday of Easter
Pope St Pius V (1504 – 1572)
“Hearing this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the apostles, ‘What must we do, brothers?’ Hearing the speech of Peter and the other Apostles, something has changed in the listeners. The message has reached their heart. Not in the superficial sphere of the heart. But it has gone deep into the heart, so that it is cut. The heart is open and they are ready to do what the Apostles are saying. This is the real effect of the Word of God. It is not just a superficial experience of emotion or sentimentality which passes away very soon. But the message of the Apostles, the message of the Church made their hearts open. Open to conversion, open for baptism, and open to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Apostles talked to them for a long time. They were convinced by their arguments, and they accepted the faith. So, the opening of the heart is the starting point. Open to listen, to understand, to be convinced and to embrace the faith. We must be convinced in our faith to be converted. Let’s reflected: how much we are convinced in our faith when we open our hearts to the Word of God?
Sunday 30 April
