Acts 28:16-20, 30-31; Ps 11:4, 5 and 7; John 21:20-25
This Saturday precedes the feast of Pentecost. The first reading concludes the Acts of the Apostles with the statement that Saint Paul, although under house arrest, proclaimed in Rome "the Kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 28:31). Today, we also conclude our journey through the Gospel of John, which has accompanied us for most of the Easter season. It ends with the final testimony of its author: “there are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25). Between these two readings, we encounter Psalm 11, with a statement that the Lord is just and "the upright shall see His face" (Ps. 11:7).
When a good book ends, I always feel a bit disappointed; I would like it to continue. That is also my feeling regarding the Acts of the Apostles and John's Gospel. So many more things could be written both about Jesus and about the lives of the apostles, and yet it all ends without a proper ending. What happened to Paul? Was he released from that prison, as the ancient tradition of the Church tells us, or was he sentenced to death, as some contemporary scholars insist? How did Peter and John fare? The first parts of the Acts of the Apostles provide us with some information, but then both of them disappear from the story at a certain moment.
But, perhaps, it was all intended. To some extent, the tradition of the Church can satisfy our curiosity. Paul was released from the Roman prison and continued to preach the Gospel until his second Roman imprisonment and martyrdom. Peter also died as a martyr in Rome, and John died in old age in Ephesus. But some contemporary scholars and historians challenge that ancient tradition and come out with their own speculations. And so perhaps, we shall never fully know what happened to those heroes of our faith.
Instead of trying to satisfy our curiosity, we should think about how to emulate their faith in our times. Jesus did not satisfy Peter's curiosity about the fate of John. Instead, He commanded him: "You follow me" (see John 21:22). And that is the heart of Christianity. We are called to follow Christ, who can lead us to the capitals or to the villages of the world, to martyrdom or an old age. Moreover, in order to fulfill Christ's mission, each one of us has received a unique vocation in the Church.
As we come to the end of the Acts of the Apostles and the Gospel of John, let us remind ourselves of their beginning. In the Gospel of John, it all began with two of the disciples of John the Baptist following Jesus. In the Acts of the Apostles, a group of Christ's believers gathered in the upper room and prayed for nine days for the coming of the Holy Spirit. That is the message that comes from today's liturgy of the Word. We leave everything behind to follow Jesus and, transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, proclaim God's kingdom in our times. And when the time is up, like Peter, John, and Paul, we shall see the face of Christ.