The first reading today is about the powerful martyrdom of St. Stephen – a deacon, who was the very first to give his life for the newly inaugurated Christian faith! Configuring his death to that of Christ: giving everything, by means of self-sacrificial love of God the Father and Jesus – Stephen prayed that Jesus receive his spirit; and that he would forgive his executioners.
What was so very interesting is that Saul – who was later chosen by Jesus to be one of the pillars of the Church – at this point, at this time, on this day concurred in the act of killing Stephen, by doing nothing to stop his death by stoning! Paul was still convinced that Jesus was not the true Messiah!
Stephen spoke the truth about how the elders and scribes opposed the Holy Spirit continually as did their ancestors: and just as their forefathers killed the prophets whom they did not understand nor believe – so too would they kill him – but God would be victorious in the end. Jesus, reigning from the right hand of God his Father, would be Lord of all and the object of praise for ever. It would just take some longer to come to realize this!
In the gospel passage Jesus clarifies the "bread from heaven" concept! Moses did not give the ancestors of the Jews bread from the sky to eat when they were physically hungry; it was God who gave it, out of his providential love and concern. This was but a type of the same God and Father giving the world the "bread of life" – his very Son, and his very body and blood – to be food for our souls for all ages – until the end of the world. What a gift!
Jesus and "bread of life" are then one and the same. And so Jesus says so wonderfully and beautifully: I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. Forever!
No comments:
Post a Comment