“Now those who had been scattered went about preaching                       the word.” (Acts 8:4)                                                                             

                                                  Judith Schiavo

There is definitely high energy in today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles! We are first met with a burst of negative energy. Stephen, a loyal follower of Jesus’ way, is murdered. Saul is on a rampage to destroy the Church and imprison all who espouse Jesus. We could become discouraged. However, Luke continues to narrate that those who were scattered—the first Christians—went about preaching the word. He further tells us that the people paid attention to Philip and his words about Jesus. These first disciples even had the power to cure people of their physical maladies. The activities in this first paragraph demand a great amount of positive energy to digest!
 
    Our reading of Sacred Scripture is not for entertainment. Perhaps, the Holy Spirit is nudging us to go within our hearts and discern how each of us can spread the Good News of Jesus. I do not think the Spirit requires us to run through the streets, shopping malls (what is left of them!) or crowded highways to preach the Good News. No. We preach the Jesus in the gospel by how we speak to people—beginning with the members of our own families. Trying to appreciate people’s differing viewpoints without altercation is a grace in itself. 
Pope Francis is affording people the opportunity to express themselves about Church matters through the way of Synodality. Showing respect to all people is mirroring what Jesus had done. In other words, let’s take any negative energy within us and transform it into positive energy—interpersonal dialog and action. Of course, we cannot convert these energies on our own. Our time spent with our God gives us the grace to help people deal with their depressions, negative energies, and human hurts.
 
    In today’s gospel, John relates so beautifully how Jesus desires a deep, true, loving relationship with each of us: “Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him up on the last day.” Wow! Talk about energy! Yet, Jesus is not telling us this good news just to make us feel good. Following what Jesus has taught us has nothing to do with feelings. Jesus invites us into a deep encounter through the beatitudes and works of mercy.
     In his book, Quiet Dangers, Dr. Robert Wicks states,
 “In the final chapter of John’s Gospel, we receive a three-fold message that includes the:
·        Invitation to be nourished: ‘Come have breakfast.’
·        Call to be compassionate: ‘Feed my lambs, tend my sheep.’
·        Command to be spiritually radical: ‘Follow me.’”
 
Believing in Jesus and his words takes a special energy. We call that energy “grace.” All of us have received this special gift to preach by our actions—respecting differences; by our silence-- when words might only hurt; and by our prayer— deepening our experience of God.