National Catholic Reporter  The Independent News Source  Fourth
Sunday of Easter   |  The Peace Pulpit  When we begin to listen
to the scriptures deeply this morning, we must try to put
ourselves in the situation of those Jewish people who heard that
sermon of St. Peter on that feast of Pentecost. It was the feast
that the Jewish people [celebrated] 50 days after Passover.
Those who had dispersed to other parts of the world would come
back to celebrate the feast at their temple in Jerusalem, so
they were there from various parts of the world.  Peter was
trying to explain to them what had happened when the Holy Spirit
descended upon that upper room where the disciples themselves
were gathered, and they were filled with that Spirit and went
out into the streets and began to proclaim about Jesus, who had
died, had been crucified, but had risen from the dead. Those
people listened to what Peter said, but it was very difficult
because they were people who had heard about Jesus.  They were
from Jerusalem, the Holy