This reading from Peter is so beautiful and very appropriate in the times we are living in today. Many people are scared, have lost hope, and are not sure what the future holds for them. The verse that struck me so much was: “Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.
Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence.”
In difficult times, we know Christ is always with us and that He will not leave us or abandon us, even when we fail. As Catholics, we are blessed to have the love of Christ and His promise of eternal life. Jesus loved us so much that He suffered and died for us and gave us the gift of eternal life. As we go through life, let us spread the message of Christ and be the shining light in darkness.
The original 12 apostles were all scared and unsure of the future when Jesus ascended into heaven, but they trusted in Jesus. Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He told the apostles to go and spread the message of love and hope. We are all apostles of Christ, so we can go and be that friend, neighbor, brother, or sister and show the love of Christ through our acts of kindness and compassion.
As Peter said, “It is better to suffer for doing good if that be the will of God than for doing evil. In these very secular times that we live in, let us stand up for life from conception to natural death, help the poor and needy, and think of others needs over our wants. With Christ by our side, there is always hope.