Hey, everybody. This is Father John Ricardo with Acts 29. And in the middle of all the craziness

and the uncertainty that's going on right now, it seems from our perspective as a team that it's

worth using these days to reflect in a more deliberate way on the scriptures every day, which

for many of us now is the only spiritual food that we're receiving. And so we're going to do a special podcast series simply entitled,

Be Not Afraid, God's Word in Uncertain Times.

And we'll try to post something every day, usually reflecting on the scriptures,

so that we can listen in on what God is trying to say to us in these days.

One line from Saturday's first reading in the Acts of the Apostles that I keep going back to,

what were the apostles doing during those 40 days between the resurrection of Jesus and his ascension?

And how can that help us right now in these days of social distancing and

the fallout from the COVID-19, the pandemic that we're living through? Those are the three things

on my mind as I look out my window and watch the snowfall on April 21st in Metro Detroit. Thank you, Jesus,

for the gift of snow. All right. So first, the line

that I keep going back to. So last Saturday, we heard this passage of John and Peter, after they

had healed in the name of Jesus, the crippled man, being hauled in front of Caiaphas and Anas, names that should be very familiar to us, because these are the two people who were responsible for exercising the high priesthood at the time of Jesus' execution and his trial.

And they warn Peter and John to no longer talk about Jesus to the people. And Peter and

John said in verse 19, whether it's right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God,

you must judge. And then here's the line I keep going back to, verse 20 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen

and heard so I mentioned I think Saturday as I was reflecting on this what jumped out at me on

Saturday was that second part not just what they've seen, but what they'd heard. And for my own

prayer, I just keep going back to this. So these 40 days, huh, between Jesus's resurrection on Easter

Sunday and his ascension, it's not like there were just a couple of quick appearances,

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