The passage from the Acts of the Apostles recounts Peter addressing the crowds and their subsequent move to conversion. The Psalm praises God for His gifts and the protection which He provides. The Gospel describes Mary Magdalene’s encounter with the risen Jesus.

Reflecting on today’s readings, I caught myself thinking if only it was as easy as the text makes it sound; I found myself recalling the end of an old Bogart movie, The Left Hand of God. In the final minutes of the movie, a “witness” shares an account of the great success of Bogart’s character, while the first 90 minutes of the film has God influencing the story in much more subtle ways than this “witness” account describes.

I have a sense (and the support of a number of scripture scholars) that the successes of Peter that we find in the first reading were not just the end result of a very fruitful day. My naive feeling is that a sudden change of heart would not have been the reaction to Peter going out on Pentecost Day and telling the crowds who had yelled for Jesus’ crucifixion that they were wrong. (If I imagine myself in the crowd, I see a man, Peter, who seems to take the religion of my early years and change its meaning. I see a man who seems to speak with confidence, but whose loyalty to Jesus of Nazareth might be deemed questionable based on his relatively recent actions.) On a practical level it seems to me that Peter’s path to success was challenged by his lack of authority in the Jewish community, a previous commitment on the part of those in the crowd to the perceived danger of Jesus, and his offering of a spirituality that fundamentally differed from what was widely held. To me these factors make a history of Peter’s success so much more a tribute to his persistence, the truth in his message and the strength of the Spirit. My guess is Peter may have initially found a small following and through his grit and tenacity (as well as the grace of a God who works in subtle ways and the sometimes less subtle gifts of the Holy Spirit) forged the remarkable growth of what would become the early Church.

When I read today’s Gospel, I find myself focused on Mary Magdalene’s inability to recognize the risen Jesus. I can try to imagine Mary’s thoughts. I can try to guess Mary’s expectations when she goes to the tomb. I know what I would rationally anticipate in this situation. From my own experience I know how preconceptions can affect what I initially see. Often it is only with insight (grace?) that I see what the picture truly holds.

I can try to relate this to my own life. My wife and I are in the process of entering a new chapter in our lives. We consider our expectations related to where this next step will take us. We try to rationally weigh the alternatives, but our discernment requires more than that.

Dear Lord,
I would like a clear path, but I know that You work in subtle ways.
Do not allow preconceptions to impede my journey.
Grant me grit and resolve in my mission.
Allow me openness in receiving Your grace.
Share with me the strength of Your Spirit.