(Optional Memorial for Saint Joseph the Worker)
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| “St. Stephen the Martyr” by Vincenzo Foppa, 1480s |
Commentary:
Reading 1: Acts 6:8-15
Commentary on Acts 6:8-15
The first deacon, St. Stephen, through his zeal had angered the Jewish community in Jerusalem (as if the Apostles were not enough). The witnesses testified that Stephen placed Jesus above Moses which was, in fact, true and there would have been no defense possible. There were two other charges: Stephen also disputed the centrality of the Temple (“…saying things against this holy place “), including its destruction. He also reminded them that through Jesus’ revelation, Mosaic customs would be transformed. With the introduction of false witnesses, St. Luke draws a parallel between St. Stephen and the fate of Jesus in the hands of the Sanhedrin.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 119:23-24, 26-27, 29-30
R. (1ab) Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
Commentary on Ps 119:23-24, 26-27, 29-30
This psalm extols those who follow the Law of Moses. The response praises those who are steadfast in its observance. Psalm 119 takes the form of an acrostic poem. (Each of the eight verses of the first strophe begins with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet (aleph). Each verse of the second strophe begins with the second letter (beth) and so on.) The psalm is one of the longest, and while its genre is somewhat mixed between wisdom, hymn, and lament, the entire work is in praise of the Law. In this instance, that is ironic as in the reading from Acts, St. Stephen has just pointed to the fact that Jesus redefines the Law.
CCC: Ps119:30 2465
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Gospel: John 6:22-29
Commentary on Jn 6:22-29
This dialogue with the people begins St. John’s great discourse on the bread of life. In this selection Jesus begins by telling the crowd, which had just been witness to the feeding of the multitude with the barley loaves, that they should focus on spiritual food rather than filling their stomachs. The use of the word “bread” in this entire section is a metaphor for “doctrine.” His reference here is that through their belief in him as the Son of God, they are doing God’s will.
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Reflection:
The Acts of the Apostles speak of the ministry of St. Stephen, the first Deacon (and first Martyr of the Church). He is doing more than he was ordained to do if you will remember earlier. His initial call was to make sure the widows and orphans of the Greek Christians were getting what they needed. Yet, here he is, filled with grace and power, working great wonders and signs among the people. It is instructive that the actions he performed on behalf of those widows and orphans should feed his spirit and cause him to appear suddenly, filled with the Spirit, performing signs among the people.
As we have seen in other parts of scripture, Christians must believe that faith without action is empty. “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror. He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like.” (James 1: 23-24) We believe that true faith must manifest itself in the world through the actions of believing individuals and a believing community. These actions not only do good things for others, but also proclaim our belief in the Father. We are instructed to do this by Christ in St. John’s Gospel as he tells us: “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.”
As we see in St. Stephen, deep faith in Christ, coupled with the gift of the Holy Spirit, is a powerful thing. It cannot be hidden or contained. It must shine forth in various ways. In many cases, the person in whom this Spirit resides, and in which it shines out, does not even realize that suddenly they are a beacon. We see this also in St. Stanislaus whose memorial we celebrate today.
Discerning what God wants us to do and be is a lifelong process. Many holy people have recommended that if we do the simple, inwardly focused building of our own faith, those actions which glorify the Father naturally result.
Just in case a person new to the faith reads these words and thinks, “Gosh, that’s easy enough,” watch carefully what happens next to St. Stephen. There are people in his story that do not appreciate what he is doing and saying, even if it is coming from God. Like our Lord, all but one of the Apostles discovers that being filled with faith is not a safe road for our earthly bodies.
Pax
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