Tuesday - April 20, 2021
“The reason for our existence is to quench the thirst of Jesus. When he asked for water, the soldier gave him vinegar to drink—but his thirst was for love, for souls, for you and me.”
~Mother Teresa of Calcutta
TODAY'S READINGS
April 20, 2021
Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter
Lectionary: 273
Reading I
Stephen said to the people, the elders, and the scribes:
“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears,
you always oppose the Holy Spirit;
you are just like your ancestors.
Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute?
They put to death those who foretold the coming of the righteous one,
whose betrayers and murderers you have now become.
You received the law as transmitted by angels,
but you did not observe it.”
When they heard this, they were infuriated,
and they ground their teeth at him.
But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit,
looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God
and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
and Stephen said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened
and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
But they cried out in a loud voice,
covered their ears, and rushed upon him together.
They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him.
The witnesses laid down their cloaks
at the feet of a young man named Saul.
As they were stoning Stephen, he called out,
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice,
“Lord, do not hold this sin against them”;
and when he said this, he fell asleep.
Now Saul was consenting to his execution.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (6a) Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety.
You are my rock and my fortress;
for your name’s sake you will lead and guide me.
R. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.
My trust is in the LORD;
I will rejoice and be glad of your mercy.
R. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your kindness.
You hide them in the shelter of your presence
from the plottings of men.
R. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the bread of life, says the Lord;
whoever comes to me will never hunger.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
The crowd said to Jesus:
“What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you?
What can you do?
Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written:
He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”
So Jesus said to them,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven;
my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world.”
So they said to Jesus,
“Sir, give us this bread always.”
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”
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The Courage to Face Persecution
Saint Stephen was the first person to die for Christ. His story, which today's first reading introduces, happened in Jerusalem around the year 35 A.D. He was probably a Greek-speaking Jew, and an enthusiastic member of the "New Way" (as Christianity was called at the time). He was ordained by the Apostles to become one of the first deacons, and he preached the truth about Jesus so boldly that it cost him his life.
His courage to proceed in his ministry no matter what earthly dangers he faced came from staying focused on heaven and on his beloved Savior. Obviously, he overcame his natural desire to protect himself from the wrath of non-believers. His focus on Christ enabled him to love his enemies. Despite the intense pain of being stoned, he prayed, "Lord, forgive them," which impacted a zealous persecutor named Saul.
Not long after that, Saul met Christ and experienced a complete conversion, becoming Saint Paul. As a result of Stephen's courage, Paul traveled extensively to start many churches. When do others see your courage for living and sharing your faith? You're probably underestimating how far-reaching your witness has been.
Relics of Saint Stephen were discovered in the year 415 by a priest named Lucian. The priest was awakened one night by the apparition of a man clothed in white. The vision called him by name and asked him to go to Jerusalem to tell the bishop to open his tomb and the tombs of several other servants of God. This, according to the apparition, would lead many to conversion.
Identifying himself as Gamaliel, "the one who instructed Paul," he told Lucian that the body of St. Stephen would be found outside the city beyond the northern gate. His body had been left exposed a day and a night, he said, without being touched, and then the faithful had carried it away secretly at night to his home in the country. The bodies of Nicodemus and other early believers would also be found.
Lucian feared that the vision was false and that if he made it known he would be ridiculed and persecuted. He prayed that if this message had come from God it would be repeated. So Gamaliel appeared to him again. Still Lucian hesitated, until a third message came. Finally, he obeyed. He found three coffins. Greek engravings identified them as Stephen, Nicodemus, and Abibas. News of the discovery attracted a large number of people, including the bishop. When they opened Stephen's coffin, a sweet fragrance filled the air. Many miracles and conversions occurred there.
Whenever we fear being ridiculed and persecuted, we should proceed, forgive, and pray, as Jesus did on the cross: "Into your hands, O Lord, I entrust my spirit" (from Psalm 31). Then it no longer matters what others do to us or think about us. Our focus is on heaven.
Today's Prayer
Be praised Father, because you gave us Jesus, so that united to Him in Your love, your Glory may reach the hearts of those who wait in You. Amen.
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The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”
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