My Dear People, 

            As we continue during the Easter Season, the Acts of the Apostles are read. They were written by Luke, who was a physician and knew Greek very well. Later, he followed Paul on his missionary journeys. For this reason, the latter part of the Acts of the Apostles has more to do with Paul than the other apostles. 

Towards the beginning of the book, Luke mentions Peter, who is preaching to the people of Jerusalem. He connects with them by mentioning: “The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers.” Then he adds the connection with Jesus, by calling him “servant”, which are the words used by Isaiah when he referred to the Messiah as the “suffering servant”. Peters refers to Jesus as “servant” to connect to the prophecies of Isaiah and others stating that Jesus had to suffer and die. Isaiah's prophecy about the Servant mentions: “Behold, my servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high. As Many were astonished at him—his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the sons of men—so shall he startle many nations” (52:13-15). Peter identifies Jesus as the Servant of God, who because he was a man of suffering and sorrow, the Jews did not identify with the future Messiah. That Messiah, Jesus Christ, combines in his person suffering and victory. 

When St Peter reminded his listeners about their choice to release Barabbas, a murderer, he was referring not only to the physical life but also to spiritual life, the life of grace. Every person sins—sin means the death of the soul. This same choice is being made again. 

The Jewish people acted in ignorance, St. Peter says. Indeed, when he was on the cross, Jesus had prayed, “Father forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Lk 23:34). The people did not know that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God. They let themselves be influenced by their priests and leaders.  God’s pardon is offered to one and all. St. Peter “tells them that Christ’s death was a consequence of God’s will and decree. Yet although the Jewish people had been, without knowing it, the cause of Jesus’ death, that death had been determined by the wisdom and will of God, who used the malice of some of the Jews to fulfill his designs. Peter speaks to them in a gentle way and tells them: “God has thus brought to fulfillment what he had announced beforehand through the mouths of the prophets that his Christ would suffer.”  The suffering and death of Jesus was in the plan of God. St. Peter encourages them to change their lives and turn to God. This also refers to all people, since we are all sinful. God calls us to change our ways (hearts) and turn to Him, to have a strong desire to break away from our sins, to repent and call on God’s mercy. [Passages taken from Navarre Bible]

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Vincent Clemente