Every now and then a word in scripture can give you a slap. For example, in Peter’s sermon from the Acts he tells those who had persecuted Jesus: Now I know, brothers and sisters, that you acted out of ignorance, just as your leaders did. This, of course, echoes the words of Jesus from the cross: “Father, Forgive them for they know not what they do.” In other words, we are capable of doing horrible things (and what could be more horrible that murdering the Son of God!) out of our ignorance. The problem with ignorance is that we don’t know what we don’t know. The challenge before us, therefore, is to do what we can to know what we need to know. For example, we need to recognize that every single individual is infinitely valuable and precious. We need to discover how the earth, “our common home” in the words of Pope Francis, needs to be cared for and not exploited for the benefit of the few. We need to learn to see the new thing God is doing. The Risen Jesus challenged his followers to acquire a fresh way of thinking after the Resurrection. In our prayer we should open ourselves up to grow in awareness of how God is present in our lives.
