Homily: April 17, 2026, Friday of the second week of Easter (Gamliel)
“Fellow children of Israel, be careful what you are about to do to these men.” These are the words of Gamaliel in today’s first reading. Gamaliel was a Pharisee, a highly respected teacher of the law. People listened to him because his words carried wisdom and authority. He was also the teacher of Saul who later became Paul the Apostle. In today’s reading, we see that his logic was simple but profound: “For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.” And so too, his advice was simple but wise: Be careful. Think. Do not act in haste. I often wonder, “Where was Gamaliel when Jesus was being condemned?” If he was present at the Sanhedrin, could Jesus be spared the death sentence like the Apostles? In any case, from today’s reading, we can conclude that Gamaliel was indeed a man of justice, a man of prudence, a man of wisdom, and a man o...