NOTES for Act 4:23-31

Before us is an example of the prayer of the first Christians. How open their hearts are to the Lord, how directly they call upon their Creator. And this is possible because they now belong to Jesus and follow Him, leaving everything unclean behind. There is no wall of sin shutting out His light. In our baptism by the Holy Spirit, the Lord also gives us the opportunity to break down this wall with His help, bringing upon it all the joy and exultation of the Resurrection. Yet, in any case, a path follows, and it is a path with obstacles, because “the enemy never sleeps.” And so the apostles, united by the One into one, bring before the Father what is happening around them, asking for “all boldness” to speak the word of God. They ask this not in spite of what He promised: “...do not be anxious how or what you are to speak; for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you,” but precisely because of that promise. In the same way, the Word of God is given to us to guide our prayer and strengthen our faith in His power and mercy.