Daily Catholic Lectio. Sat, 11 April 2026. They were with Jesus

Daily Catholic Lectio

Sat, 11 April 2026

Easter Octave – Saturday

Acts 4:13-21. Mark 16:9-15

They were with Jesus

Today’s Word of God offers us a quiet but powerful identity: they were with Jesus. It is not a title given, but a recognition discovered. Peter and John stand before the very council that had condemned Jesus. The story, it seemed, had ended with His death. And yet, something continues. A man has been healed. Not in their own name, but in the name of Jesus. The name they tried to silence has now become a source of life. They can question the men, threaten them, even try to stop them—but they cannot stop the spread of the name.

What unsettles the leaders most is not the miracle alone, but the men themselves. They are ordinary, untrained, without formal learning. Yet they speak with courage. They stand without fear. There is a clarity in them that cannot be explained by education or status. And so, the leaders arrive at a deeper insight: these men have been with Jesus. Something of Jesus remains in them—His boldness, His freedom, His authority.

This becomes the first invitation for us. To be with Jesus is not simply to know about Him, but to be transformed by Him. His presence leaves a mark. It shapes our words, our attitudes, our responses. The world may not read the Gospel, but it reads our lives. And through what it sees in us, it asks a silent question: has this person been with Jesus?

The Gospel, however, takes us deeper. Mark presents the disciples in a very human light. Even after the resurrection, they struggle to believe. They hesitate. They resist the testimony of those who have seen the Lord. Their hearts are described as hardened. This is striking. They had lived with Jesus, walked with Him, listened to Him—and yet faith does not come easily.

Here we discover an important truth. Being with Jesus outwardly is not enough. Faith is a gift, but it also calls for a response. It asks for openness, humility, and trust. The disciples had proximity, but not yet full surrender. They had memories, but not yet conviction. And so Jesus challenges them—not to reject them, but to awaken them.

Then comes the surprising turn. These same disciples, slow to believe, are now entrusted with the mission: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel.” Mission is not given to the perfect, but to the transformed. It is not built on our strength, but on His grace. Those who struggled are now sent. Those who doubted are now witnesses.

This movement is important. To be with Jesus leads to believing in Him. And believing in Him leads to being sent by Him. The Christian life cannot remain at the level of closeness alone. It must move toward conviction, and from conviction toward mission.

Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi

Archdiocese of Madurai

Missionary of Mercy