We can freely announce the name of Jesus without fear, without fear, without fear and without the surrender.
“But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, saying, ‘Go talk to the people in the Temple, about all referred to this way of life'” (Acts 5, 19 20).
You know, my brothers, it is important to mention that the preaching of the Gospel not only raises love, affection, tenderness and welcome of persons, in many times, situations and moments preaching the Gospel raised hatred and revolt in people’s hearts. This grew in the heart of many contemporaries of Jesus, and caused His death. During that time, in today’s times and in times to come, there will be those who will always act with anger and wrath because of the proclaiming the Gospel.
The Gospel bothers people and causes reactions! Since no one likes to be disturbed. Many prefer to continue living their life the way it is and they do not like comments on their wrong practices and enslavement, anger is kindled against those who preach and preach the Gospel.
Today, we live difficult situations in many countries and places where the Christian faith is not accepted. Christians are being arrested, imprisoned and sentenced to death by the mere fact of being Christians. Our love, solidarity and prayer to those who are paying with their lives the price of being followers of Jesus!
We often also suffer and are rejected for proclaiming and preaching His name. Persecution, anger, indignation and opposition to the name of Jesus took place around the time of the story after the Resurrection of the Lord. However, this often causes not only reaction in those against us, but also in those who are followers of Christ. When this happens often, our heart is closed by fear, resentment and fear that something will happen and frequently we fall into a total apathy to the preaching of the Word, apathy to announce it.
As the angel rescued Peter and John in jail and freed of them of those chains, today the angel of the Lord also wants to come to our rescue, wants to free us from the chains of the prisons in which we are living so that we can freely proclaim the name of Jesus without fear, and without surrender.
May the angel of the Lord free us of the inner prisons we live in our soul that we will continue boldly to proclaim that only in the name of Jesus is there salvation!
God bless you!
Fr. Roger Araujo