20260411 UNEASINESS IN SHARING FAITH TODAY
11 April 2026, Easter Saturday
First reading | Acts 4:13-21 |
We cannot promise to stop proclaiming what we have seen and heard
The rulers, elders and scribes were astonished at the assurance shown by Peter and John, considering they were uneducated laymen; and they recognised them as associates of Jesus; but when they saw the man who had been cured standing by their side, they could find no answer. So they ordered them to stand outside while the Sanhedrin had a private discussion. ‘What are we going to do with these men?’ they asked. ‘It is obvious to everybody in Jerusalem that a miracle has been worked through them in public, and we cannot deny it. But to stop the whole thing spreading any further among the people, let us caution them never to speak to anyone in this name again.’
So they called them in and gave them a warning on no account to make statements or to teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John retorted, ‘You must judge whether in God’s eyes it is right to listen to you and not to God. We cannot promise to stop proclaiming what we have seen and heard.’ The court repeated the warnings and then released them; they could not think of any way to punish them, since all the people were giving glory to God for what had happened.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 117(118):1,14-21 |
I will thank you, Lord, for you have given answer.
or
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good,
for his love has no end.
The Lord is my strength and my song;
he was my saviour.
There are shouts of joy and victory
in the tents of the just.
I will thank you, Lord, for you have given answer.
or
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
The Lord’s right hand has triumphed;
his right hand raised me up.
I shall not die, I shall live
and recount his deeds.
I was punished, I was punished by the Lord,
but not doomed to die.
I will thank you, Lord, for you have given answer.
or
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Open to me the gates of holiness:
I will enter and give thanks.
This is the Lord’s own gate
where the just may enter.
I will thank you for you have answered
and you are my saviour.
I will thank you, Lord, for you have given answer.
or
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Sequence |
Victimae Paschali Laudes
Christians, to the Paschal Victim
offer sacrifice and praise.
The sheep are ransomed by the Lamb;
and Christ, the undefiled,
hath sinners to his Father reconciled.
Death with life contended:
combat strangely ended!
Life’s own Champion, slain,
yet lives to reign.
Tell us, Mary:
say what thou didst see
upon the way.
The tomb the Living did enclose;
I saw Christ’s glory as he rose!
The angels there attesting;
shroud with grave-clothes resting.
Christ, my hope, has risen:
he goes before you into Galilee.
That Christ is truly risen
from the dead we know.
Victorious king, thy mercy show!
Gospel Acclamation | Ps117:24 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
This day was made by the Lord:
we rejoice and are glad.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Mark 16:9-15 |
Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News
Having risen in the morning on the first day of the week, Jesus appeared first to Mary of Magdala from whom he had cast out seven devils. She then went to those who had been his companions, and who were mourning and in tears, and told them. But they did not believe her when they heard her say that he was alive and that she had seen him.
After this, he showed himself under another form to two of them as they were on their way into the country. These went back and told the others, who did not believe them either.
Lastly, he showed himself to the Eleven themselves while they were at table. He reproached them for their incredulity and obstinacy, because they had refused to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. And he said to them, ‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation.’
UNEASINESS IN SHARING FAITH TODAY
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ACTS 4:13-21; PS 118:1, 14-21; MARK 16:9-15]
In our increasingly secular world, it is considered improper to share our faith openly in public. Today, if a public figure or anyone giving a public lecture were to mention anything about his or her faith, he or she would be frowned upon. This is rather paradoxical, given that at least 80% of the global population identifies as religious – and even among the 20% who profess humanism, agnosticism, or atheism, many still maintain a sense of the sacred.
Until recently, a political leader’s public reverence for God was considered a distinct advantage. In the United States, this is even enshrined on the currency with the motto, “In God we trust.” Letting people know our faith was considered something not just appropriate but edifying – a sign of a moral compass that inspired public confidence. Indeed, it was generally presumed that believers, being ‘God-fearing’, would live lives in accordance with the ethical tenets of their faith, since all true religions teach us to do good, be just, and live a righteous life.
How did secularism and humanism – despite being minority views – come to dictate the conduct of public life to a religious majority? The shift from a deeply religious society to a secularised world stems from a subtle but effective strategy: exploiting interreligious disharmony to justify secularism. Under the guise of neutrality, secularism has removed religion from the public square, effectively favouring only atheists and humanists. In this sense, our own internal quarrels have unwittingly paved the way for secularism to succeed. We cannot blame secularists for our current state; they have simply utilised our divisions to strengthen and promote their own position. In this conflict, every faith loses – only the secularists win.
This attempt to suppress public speaking in the name of Jesus is not a modern phenomenon; it was also true in the case of the early Church. In the first reading, we have the Sanhedrin warning Peter and John not to preach in the name of Jesus. They were told that they might continue with their works of healing, but not in Jesus’ name. This is precisely the compromise the modern world demands of us. There are many attempts by secularists to prevent religions from speaking and sharing about their faith. They do not mind religions doing good works, but they do not want us to display our faith and belief in God while doing what we do. Today, religious freedom is increasingly redefined as a purely private matter – to be exercised at home or in church, among friends and religious communities, but silenced in the public square. In many countries around the world, religious imagery is banned from public buildings, even those originally established by religious organisations to serve the community.
We are not allowed to express our views on ethical, social, and moral issues that affect our families and the larger society because we are deemed to be putting pressure on society and political leaders, as if they are people without faith. Can one dichotomise and compartmentalise one’s faith from one’s view of life, whether in the areas of business, economics, politics, healthcare, family life, sexual identity, or the purpose of life? Whether we like it or not, the way we perceive life is influenced by our beliefs. Even the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was based on a Christian perspective of freedom and the dignity of the human person. The only difference is that, over the years, Christianity has lost her influence, and because of secularism, the Christian principles of human rights and freedom have been stretched beyond what was intended by the original legislators of human rights.
This has led to an over exaggeration of human freedom and dignity at the expense of the rights of others. Personal freedom has become so absolute that it no longer takes into consideration the larger community. The freedom of expression and of speech now includes the right to insult others, spread fake news, and even distort and abuse the religious beliefs of others. Freedom of religion today even means one’s right to subscribe to any form of worship, even if it teaches evil and causes disharmony in society. This is why the world has become so fragmented. Family and society are breaking apart even with the advancement of social and mass communication. The right to life is being reinterpreted as a right to end life–whether through suicide, euthanasia, or abortion–under the premise that a birth might infringe upon personal autonomy. In certain sectors of society, this elevation of absolute freedom has reached a point that many find fundamentally illogical
This situation has also come about because of the intolerance among religions. This is what we see in today’s first reading. The religious leaders were incensed by the preaching of Peter and John about the resurrection of Jesus, the man whom they had just crucified. They were pressured by their guilt because of what they had done on one hand, and on the other hand, they were threatened by the healing miracle performed in the name of the man whom they had crucified. “They recognised them as associates of Jesus; but when they saw the man who had been cured standing by their side, they could find no answer.” Furthermore, they could not explain how the miracle happened. “‘What are we going to do with these men?’ they asked. ‘It is obvious to everybody in Jerusalem that a miracle has been worked through them in public, and we cannot deny it.'” Furthermore, they could not explain how Peter and John, who were uneducated laymen, could preach so convincingly. Last but not least, the only reason they did not take action was the fear of losing popularity, because “they could not think of any way to punish them, since all the people were giving glory to God for what had happened.”
Instead of investigating and studying the phenomenon objectively and seeking the truth of the matter, they became defensive.They wanted to protect their interests. They should have been humble and continued to observe whether the phenomenon and the claims of the disciples were true. Instead, they reacted by trying to stop it. They concluded, “But to stop the whole thing spreading any further among the people, let us caution them never to speak to anyone in this name again.” What was of great importance to them was that Peter and John be stopped from speaking about Jesus, to whom they attributed the healing of the crippled man. They were not concerned about the validity of the claims for fear that they would have to change their views. They were simply being defensive.
Indeed, in light of how religions have played into the hands of secularists, it is important that if we want to reclaim society for God, believers–regardless of their religion–must come together for a common purpose: to serve God together. Religions may have different views, but all share a common purpose, which is to serve our fellowmen, promote truth and love, help one another, safeguard morality, protect family life, and not allow people to become selfish, individualistic, and materialistic. All religions call their followers to be kind, respectful, hospitable, and tolerant of people of other faiths; some would even go further to encourage appreciation of the beliefs and practices of others and to learn from one another.
Today, the Gospel invites us to be receptive. Even if we do not agree, we must be open to the testimonies of others. Jesus reprimanded the apostles for being incredulous and obstinate when the women and the disciples of Emmaus testified that they had seen the Risen Lord. Sharing our testimonies of faith is not imposing our faith on others. We depend on God’s grace for faith to arise from these testimonies. But arrogance and scepticism do us no good. As for those who have encountered God, Peter and John said, “We cannot promise to stop proclaiming what we have seen and heard.” So, too, the Lord commands us, “Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation.” So let us be witnesses of His life and love.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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