As preachers, we should perhaps have a special attachment to the Acts of the Apostles. Is there a better guidebook for us? In Acts 4: 1-12 we find Peter and John causing a scene in the temple. Their actions of healing a crippled man in the name of Jesus has attracted the attention of the religious authorities. The apostles were teaching the gathered crowd and preaching about the resurrection of the dead. The Sadducees, a religious sect within Judaism, did not believe in life after death, and were also what one could call “sola scriptura” adherents. And despite being a smaller sect, many were in positions of power and authority.
Peter and John were arrested to be held over to the next day for questioning. That next day they were questioned about what they were doing and by whose authority. And Peter “filled with the Holy Spirit” boldly proclaim that Christ is the stone that was rejected but was now the corner stone. He is quoting from Psalm 114. And he stresses that there is no salvation except through Jesus. It is important to note that the Sadducees were concerned about them teaching the people about the resurrection of the dead, not so much about the healing of a crippled person. When questioned, we are told that Peter was “filled with the Holy Spirit”. What are we to make of this?
In John 21: 1-14 we have another example of the resurrected Jesus not being immediately recognized. After the crucifixion, and even after the resurrection, the tendency for his followers was to return to their former ways of life. However, their former ways don’t seem to bear fruit any longer. They fish all night for naught. A man on the shore bids them to throw their nets on the other side of the boat and they have a massive catch. 153 fish to be exact. St. Jerome holds that the zoologists of the day had catalogued 153 species of fish, and so this was symbolic of Christ’s words that Peter would be a fisher of men. The boat as the church would catch men from every nation. Well and good, but what should we as preachers, going deeper, pull from this? I think it is just this: We have become members of the Dominican order. Our old lives are in some way permanently changed and returning to our old ways will not bear fruit. And while in our busy daily routines it can be difficult to recognize Jesus when he is standing there right in front of us, he is there. Always. He sent his Holy Spirit to be with us to the end of days and aid us in our apostolate. When we preach, Christ is there with us. We will be challenged by the authorities of this world. Preach anyway.