Hello I’m Jeff Cavins today we’re looking at the readings for the seventh Sunday of Easter today’s readings come from Acts, chapter seven and we see the story of really the first adult martyr in the church Stephen and how he really copies our Lord in offering himself up as a complete sacrifice the scripture says but he Stephen full of the Holy Spirit gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God that’s the Ascension and he said behold I see the heavens opened and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God but they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together upon him and they cast him out of the city and they stoned him and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul and as they were stoning Stephen he prayed Lord Jesus receive my spirit and he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice Lord do not hold this sin against them and when he had said this he fell asleep it’s an amazing story the first martyr of the church Stephen we find that as he gave up his life he really copied the Lord in every single way.
I want to bring up one point about this week’s readings that sometimes I don’t think we really think about and that is there was a young man by the name of Saul who was watching that day you never know who’s watching you never know who’s witnessing your life when you’re going through struggles when you’re suffering or is in Stevens case giving up his entire life at that location you don’t know who’s watching and that day there was a young man by the name of Saul we know Saul because he’s the great Apostle Paul later on but this had a profound impact on Saul as he grew up and I don’t think that he ever forgot and every time he talks about suffering every time he talks about how we have been crucified with Christ and it’s no longer we who live but Christ who lives in us I don’t think you could get this scene out of his mind and out of his heart he saw a living example of what it means to pick up your cross and to follow Jesus he saw an example of pouring out your life and really loving you know it’s what Stephen said I’m sure that had an impact on Paul but even more than that it was what Stephen did and he loved as Jesus loved and he was watching love in action.
In the Gospel reading for today in John, chapter 17, Jesus prays in the great high priestly prayer; he says I do not pray for those only but also for those who believe in me through their word that they may all be one even as you, Father are in me and I in you and so in the story of the stoning of Stephen we see Stephen really fulfilling this I do not pray for those only but also for those who believe in me through their word way back in John 17 Jesus was praying even for Stephen who would be a witness and offer up his life.
So I want to encourage you this week: if you’re going through difficult times, you’re struggling, maybe physical pain or suffering, or maybe things just aren’t working out in your life this week, I want to remind you someone’s watching might be your kids might be your spouse, it might be colleagues at work, but somebody’s watching you live, and you can live your life in such a way where you witness the Christ is in you you are one with the Lord.
Video Source
- Title: Encountering the Word
- Author: Jeff Cavins
- Source: YouTube: Sundays with Ascension
- Aired: May 3, 2016
- AscensionPress.com
Saint Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church 