PERSONAL ENCOUNTER, WISDOM AND PERSEVERANCE

Faith rooted in personal encounters with the Lord is fired up in the face of tribulations. Hence, in today’s first reading from Acts 4:13-21, Sts Peter and John, after having been imprisoned and warned not to preach in the name of Jesus, simply replied, “we cannot promise to stop proclaiming what we have seen and heard.”

Here is the thing, we may easily swerve from mere intellectual assent to religious propositions and ethical choices. But it is very hard to simply turn away from a profound experience with the Lord. Personal encounters go deeper, and from it the Christian draws wisdom that dwarfs the wisdom of the world.

So, draw from those tiny and profound experiences with the Lord, and never take them for granted. Then see how the Holy Spirit who enlightens you, like he did the Apostles, will make your wisdom a cause for wonder and astonishment in the face of your adversaries. Lord, help us by your grace, through Christ our Lord. Amen