In the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles Peter and the apostles tell the leaders who had given them orders to stop preaching about Jesus that they could not but preach about the Lord Jesus: “Better for us to obey God rather than any human authority.” Before he ascended back to his heavenly Father, Jesus instructed them to preach the Good News, “Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation.” (Mk16:15) No one can stop them from sharing the Good News with others, Jew or Gentile, male or female.

In the Gospel reading John whose role was to prepare for the coming of the Lord as Messiah informs his listeners that the One to come represents God and will speak for God. Indeed when Jesus came, he not only spoke for God his Father. He entrusted himself completely to the Father and the Father’s will: at his agony in the garden, “Father, if it is your will, remove this cup from me; still not my will but yours be done.” (Lk 22: 42) And his dying prayer, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” (Lk 23: 46)

Following Jesus, are we able to live out what we pray in the Our Father, “Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven”?