19 Apr
Mon
3rd Week of Easter
Acts 6:8-15
Ps. 118(119): 23-24,26-27,29-30
Jn. 6:22-29
(Ps Wk III)
How To Pray With Shalom
Home Page of Shalom
Index of This Month
 

The martyrdom of Stephen was a major event in the growth of the Church. It brought home to the early Christians the truth of Jesus' teaching about suffering and persecution. In writing the account of the trial and death of Stephen, St Luke underlines the similarity with the trial and death of Jesus. We do not know whether this was Luke's own interpretation or whether it came to him from the tradition of the Church. What is important is that this way of understanding the trial and death of Stephen reveals quite a deep theology: the suffering and death of a Christian, especially that of a martyr, is moulded to the pattern of Jesus' suffering and death, as St Paul teaches (cf. Philippians 3:10)

Though the early Church knew of the importance of the virtue of hope, and spoke often of "faith, hope and love", there was no developed theological reflection on the nature of hope. Instead, the Church recounted the stories of the martyrs as examples of hope overcoming all fear of suffering and death.



Father in heaven, strengthen our hope so that we may respond to all Your invitations, even when we cannot see what lies ahead.

DAILY OFFERING
Eternal Father, I offer You everything I do this day; my thoughts, words, joys and sufferings. Grant that, vivified by the Holy Spirit and united to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, my life this day may be of service to You and to others. I also pray that all those preparing for marriage discover in Sacrament the source of Christ's grace for living a fithful and fruitful love. Amen.

PRAYING WITH THE CHURCH
INTENTION
That every tendency to fundamentalism and extremism may be countered by respect, tolerance, and dialogue among believers.
Elaboration

- END -


© Copyright Shalom 2010. All rights reserved.