In today’s passage from the Acts of the Apostles, a crowd stones Paul, yet he survives and returns to his mission and continues to strengthen new believers while acknowledging that hardship is part of the journey. In the verse preceding today’s Gospel, Jesus promises the support of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit. In the Gospel itself, Jesus talks of His leaving, but reassures His disciples offering them the promise of an internal peace and urging them not to be afraid.
Today is Cinco de Mayo, a day that recalls a spirit of resistance against overwhelming odds. This is reminiscent of today’s first reading; Paul is stoned and left for dead, yet he doesn’t quit. He gets up and continues his work because he is filled with the Spirit. This speaks to me of a faith that is about an active Spirit that pushes us, as Paul says, “to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” The Spirit doesn’t take away the challenges. the Spirit makes us brave enough to keep advancing the message of Jesus despite the challenges.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” Recalling His promise of the Spirit, I see this peace not as a serene, tranquil absence of conflict, but the support of the Spirit in the middle of the storm. It is the strength to stand up, like Paul, and declare that the power of evil cannot dominate, because there is the Spirit within.
Cinco de Mayo becomes more than a historical remembrance; it serves as a spiritual metaphor. In my trials, I am not abandoned. I have the Advocate. This Spirit can embolden one with a fire in the heart to stand firm in the face of tribulation and can offer a joy that is courageous, persevering, and profoundly hopeful.
My prayer today centers on finding my place within this reality.
Dear Lord, I live in a world that often feels chaotic and uncertain.
Too often, I see decisions driven by self-interest rather than the common good.
I carry concerns and fears about what lies ahead.
Yet I trust that Your Spirit is still at work.
Guide me in my mission, strengthen my resolve,
and help me recognize the gifts that You provide each day.
Mike Cherney
I grew up in Milwaukee and have lived in Madison, St. Paul, Hamburg, Geneva, Omaha and Boston. I taught for 27 years in the Creighton Physics Department. Now I am mostly retired and have returned to the Milwaukee area where my wife recently became President of Mount Mary University. I continue to work with Creighton students on projects in high energy nuclear physics at Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island and at CERN just outside Geneva, Switzerland. We have two sons and three grandchildren who all live in the northern suburbs of Chicago.
I am a person who asks questions. This often leads me down a challenging path.
