The readings for the Fifth Sunday of Easter stress that Christ was truly alive in the hearts of His disciples, and His aliveness transformed their hearts and attracted followers.
The first reading tells us: "The Church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace." One of the main reasons that the Church was at peace was that Saul, the persecutor, had become Paul, the evangelizer. That the teachings of Jesus could remove from the community the fear of being persecuted gave tremendous hope.