Friday in the Octave of Easter
April 14, 2023
Daily Reading from the USCCB: Acts 4:1-12
Peter has explained to the crowd that the cure of the crippled man was not based on human power, but on the power of the risen Jesus.
Now the Jewish religious leaders appear. They are disturbed that the apostles are addressing the people and proclaiming that Jesus is risen from the dead. Next day they subject them to examination, resuming the hostility between official Judaism and the young Church that had previously existed between official Judaism and Jesus. The apostles and what they represented were unacceptable to the religious leaders, even as Jesus had been.
Yet the apostles insist that there is no salvation–no deliverance from evil, no restoration to wholeness for mankind–other than the risen Jesus. It’s still so today.
I think the prodigal son parable in the Gospel is in reference to the dispute between official Judaism and the beginning of the Christian church.
As far as salvation is concerned- and mankind’s subsequent deliverance from evil- well, that’s for each individual human to decide, especially since there are a variety of established religions throughout the world. But yet, we Roman Catholics have an advantage over the other faiths since we know our faith is the true story pertaining to the ultimate reality of our existence here in this world. And people of other faiths? Well, I guess that is their problem, isn’t it? As for us Christians, all we can do is to bear witness, that’s all. So, what do other people of other faiths think when they see us? Probably that they are just as good as we are. And are they? Well, if they are virtuous, they may be. So, then what are we Christians to do? Nothing. It’s all in God’s hands.