(Optional Memorial for Saint
Martin I, Pope and Martyr)
 |
| “The Entombment of St Stephen Martyr” by Juan de Juanes, c. 1560 |
Reading 1: Acts
8:1b-8
There broke out a severe
persecution of the Church in Jerusalem
and all were scattered
throughout the countryside of
Judea and Samaria
except the Apostles.
Devout men buried Stephen and
made a loud lament over him.
Saul, meanwhile, was trying
to destroy the Church;
entering house after house
and dragging out men and women,
he handed them over for
imprisonment.
Now those who had been
scattered went about preaching the word.
Thus Philip went down to the
city of Samaria
and proclaimed the Christ to
them.
With one accord, the crowds
paid attention to what was said by Philip
when they heard it and saw
the signs he was doing.
For unclean spirits, crying
out in a loud voice,
came out of many possessed
people,
and many paralyzed and
crippled people were cured.
There was great joy in that
city.
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Commentary on Acts 8:1b-8
This selection describes the
first concerted effort to eradicate Christianity. Following the death of
St. Stephen, we are told that: “all were scattered […] except
the Apostles.” This is
pointed at by many scholars as implying that it was the Hellenists (Greek) Jews
only who were scattered (recall that St. Stephen and the other deacons were
appointed to minister to that community). It was St. Stephen who had enraged
the Sanhedrin and was buried in this passage.
As the main force in this persecution, Saul (later St.
Paul
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm
66:1-3a, 4-5, 6-7a
R. (1) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Shout joyfully to God, all
the earth,
sing praise to the glory of
his name;
proclaim his glorious praise.
Say to God, "How
tremendous are your deeds!"
R. Let all the earth cry
out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
"Let all on earth
worship and sing praise to you,
sing praise to your
name!"
Come and see the works of
God,
his tremendous deeds among
the children of Adam.
R. Let all the earth cry
out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has changed the sea into
dry land;
through the river they passed
on foot;
therefore let us rejoice in
him.
He rules by his might
forever.
R. Let all the earth cry
out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 66:1-3a, 4-5, 6-7a
Psalm 66 is a
hymn of praise and thanksgiving. In the first part, presented here, the
psalmist praises God for his salvation, recalling the exodus from Egypt and the
great signs he gave the people.
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Gospel: John
6:35-40
Jesus said to the crowds,
"I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will
never hunger,
and whoever believes in me
will never thirst.
But I told you that although
you have seen me,
you do not believe.
Everything that the Father
gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone
who comes to me,
because I came down from
heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who
sent me.
And this is the will of the
one who sent me,
that I should not lose
anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on
the last day.
For this is the will of my
Father,
that everyone who sees the
Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the
last day."
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Commentary on Jn 6:35-40
St. John’s “Bread of Life”
discourse continues with the repetition of the great Eucharistic pronouncement
– “I am the Bread of Life.” The Lord states that in spite of their lack
of belief, his presence with them is part of God’s revelatory plan (“I came
down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me”),
and that all who come to believe in the Son of God, the Bread of Life, will be
welcome (“I will not reject anyone who comes to me”).
The selection concludes with the promise of eternal life for those
who believe in Jesus, the Son of God. They will be raised with him in glory on
the “last day.”
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Reflection:
As we still marvel at the
Easter event, scripture from the Acts of Apostles shows us how God’s plan moves
ahead in unexpected ways. St. Stephen’s martyrdom at the hands of the Jewish community
–
enraged because Stephen, a Greek, had the audacity to tell them they did not
understand Moses and how he pointed to Jesus as the Messiah – precipitates
the first real attempt to blot out Christianity. The Hellenistic Christians are
scattered and driven out of Jerusalem by the members of the Sanhedrin, headed
up by the ultra-conservative Saul.
What took place next must
have confounded the evil one, whose influence can be so clearly seen in these
events. Instead of destroying the work the Son of God began, this scattering
only served to provide the Good News with a broader audience. The Apostles,
unmolested probably because, as Hebrews, they did not represent a “foreign”
threat, must have cheered when news of Philip’s success in Samaria
We look at the Gospel
proclaimed today and see the message these displaced Christians took into the
world. From the great “Bread of Life” discourse we hear God’s promise and gift.
The scattering Christians told anyone they stayed with, their friends,
families, and even strangers about the wonderful promise. Jesus had offered
himself, not just for the Hebrews, but for all. It was he who came to fulfill
all of what God had told them through the Law and the Prophets.
The Lord’s message was that,
through the great love of God for all people, he would accept anyone who came
to him. Jesus would not only accept them, but extend to them the same promise
he offered to all he had met before he rose from the dead and went back to his
Father, our Father. He said,“…this is the will of my
Father, that everyone who sees the Son
and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last
day.”
The promise and the example
of the early Church provides us with new zeal to take the message into the
world as well. We rededicate ourselves to providing the invitation to any we
meet, to come to the Lord. He offers his love, and his body, the Bread of Life.
Pax
[2]
The picture is “The Entombment of St Stephen Martyr” by Juan de Juanes, c. 1560
[3]
The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the
Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for
English in Liturgy (ICEL). This
re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
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