:: Faith Today: Easter Season ::
USCCB brief reflection
on
this day's Readings,
April 20
http://www.usccb.org/video/
reflections.shtml
Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Today's Mass :: Divine Office :: Divine Mercy :: Saints :: News & Inspiration :: Intentions
Wishing you a Blessed Easter Season
Jesus says: "I am the Bread of Life."
Saint Stephen becomes the first Martyr.
"What Happens at Mass" Today's Mass
Readings: usccb.org/nab/042010.shtml
+ "I am the Bread of Life; whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst."
+ "... 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.'"
+ "Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit."
+ Find a Mass world-wide (MassTimes.org)
+ DailyGospel.org Saintly historical commentary, Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent
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Saint Stephen
holy card
(click to order) FIRST READING: Acts 7:51—8:1a
The Martyrdom of Saint Stephen,
the First Martyr and First Deacon
Saint Stephen, the first Martyr and first Deacon, has been falsely accused before the people, elders, and scribes, accused by those who hate God's Law and Word.
Previously Stephen recounted earlier parts of Salvation History, especially Moses and the Israelites. Stephen goes on to remind the crowd how their ancestors killed the prophets, and how they themselves have opposed the Holy Spirit by betraying and murdering "the righteous one" Jesus Christ. Stephen summarizes, "You received the law as transmitted by angels, but you did not observe it."
Saint Stephen
icon
(click to order)With the crowd already angry, by God's Will Stephen then experiences all Three Persons of the Holy Trinity. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Stephen looks up and sees God the Father and Jesus in Heaven:
... 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.
As the mob of elders and scribes begin stoning him outside the city, Stephen echoes Jesus Christ on the Cross.
Stephen declares that he is placing his spirit in God's Hands. Jesus proclaimed that He was placing His Spirit into God the Father's Hands, Stephen prays to God the Son to receiver his spirit: "As they were stoning Stephen, he called out, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.'"
Stephen further imitates Jesus on the Cross by praying for his murderers. Jesus said from the Cross, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." Stephen prays, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them."
With that, Stephen "fell asleep," entering Eternal Life.
Saul is Present, Stephen Prays for Him and Provides Saintly Example
The Acts of the Apostles goes on to indicate how "Saul" (the Greek name of Saint Paul) is present at the murder. Saul's conversion will come later, when God strikes him from his horse with lightning on the road to Damascus and sets in motion Saint Paul's conversion.
Here we have an example of just how intensely involved Saul had been with the anti-Christian persecution, and just how darkened his understanding and heart had been. In turn, we see how great God's Love and Grace will be to convert Saul into the Apostle to the Gentiles.
We also see how Saul is in a position to witness first-hand, and later recall, the Sancity and Courage of the First Martyr, Stephen's unwavering and fearless testimony to the Truth. Later Saint Paul will have to follow Stephen's lead.
We see Saint Stephen praying for Saul, when he prays for his murderers, at the very moment that Saint Stephen receives the Martyr's Crown.
And, with Saul, we see Stephen bearing witness to an actual vision of Heaven, of Jesus at the Right Hand of God the Father.
Stephen is not only believing, accepting, and proclaiming the Faith. He is actually seeing the reality of God, Jesus' status as the Son of God, and the reality of Heaven.
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible with Revised New Testament © 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C., at times enhanced to provide additional capitalization. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
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"Praying the Psalms
with the Early Christians"
PSALM: 31:3cd-4, 6 and 7b and 8a, 17 and 21ab
Psalm 31 proclaims: "Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit."
The psalmist prays for God to be a Refuge, a fortress, a Stronghold of Safety. He prays for God save him in God's Kindness, to let God's Face Shine upon him.
Jesus, on the Cross, and Saint Stephen, the first Christian Martyr, would pray the verse quoted above as they laid down their lives. We pray it, likewise, each night in the Divine Office during Compline, or Night Prayer.
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"The Gospel of John"
by Dr. Scott Hahn
(click to order) GOSPEL: John 6:30-35
"I am the Bread of Life"
A crowd asks Jesus for a sign. They recall how God fed their ancestors in the desert with manna from Heaven.
Reminding them that it was indeed God the Father who gave them the manna, not Moses, Jesus proclaims :
"I am the Bread of life; whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst."
"The Holy Eucharist:
Our All"
(click to order)In the time of Moses, God the Father sent manna from Heaven to feed the Israelites temporarily. With Christ, God sends His Son from Heaven to be the Bread of Life for us, food for Eternal Life.
As pointed out by a Homilist, this includes the Eucharist, the true Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, which we receive at Mass, and which is contained in the tabernacles of Catholic churches and chapels.
Note how, while the people ask for a sign, the manna had not really been about simply having a sign.
The Israelites in the desert had many signs, such as the plagues in Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea and destruction of the Egyptian chariots, God's Voice thundering from the mountain, and fire and smoke from the mountain, as well as the column of fire and cloud actually accompanying them on their journey.
The manna was about being fed, about being provided for.
In the midst of a difficult journey, in which the Israelites themselves proved weak and unreliable,the manna was about peaceful reassurance. The manna reminded them anew that Someone was watching out for them and helping them, including with their most basic needs.
In this case, the crowd Jesus stands before starts out asking for a sign. But by brining up the manna, they perhaps reveal that the sign they really seek is reassurance and help, the provision of their basic needs, and the peaceful feeling of security that God is, indeed, watching out for them.
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Divine Office (Liturgy of the Hours)
Liturgy of the Hours
Volume II:
Lent-Easter Season
In the final prayer for Night Prayer, a prayer to the Blessed Mother, one of the possible selections during Easter Season is:
Queen of Heaven rejoice, Alleluia.
The Son Whom you merited to bear, alleluia, has Risen as He said, Alleluia.
Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, Alleluia!
For the Lord has truly Risen, Alleluia.
Night Prayer, The Liturgy of the Hours, According to the Roman Rite, Vol. II, Lent - Easter Season, Catholic Book Publishing Co., New York, 1975, at 1648.
In the Office of Readings for this day, Saint Augustine reassures us that God Himself gives us a "short route" to being with Him:
God offers us a short route to the possession of Himself. He cries out: Love Me and you will have Me for you would be unable to love Me if you did not possess Me already.
Saint Augustine exhorts us to sing a new song to the Lord by praising God with our lives:
Sing to the Lord a new song. ... Yes, indeed, you are singing; you are singing clearly, I can hear you. But make sure that your life does not contradict your words. Sing with your voices, your hearts, your lips and your lives ....
* * *
If you desire to praise Him, then live what you express. Live good lives, and you yourselves will be His praise.
Office of Readings, Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter, The Liturgy of the Hours, According to the Roman Rite, Vol. II, Lent - Easter Season, Catholic Book Publishing Co., New York, 1975, at 713 (italics in original).
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Saints of the Day, Saints of April
+ "Saint of the Day" by the USCCB
+ "Saint(s) of the Day," from St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Washington, D.C.
+ "Saint of the Day" by AmericanCatholic.org
(Franciscans; on rare occasions, slightly different than the official feast day)
+ Saints with Feast Days in April
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News & Inspiration
Saint Bonaventure:
The Soul's Journey
into God
(click here to order)
+ Saints News: Saint Bonaventure: A Man of Action and Contemplation - Pope Benedict XVI
+ Lent: Catechism of the Catholic Church
+ Lent: Papal Message for Lent 2010
+
Bioethics: Human Dignity and Natural Moral Law
+ Abide in God and Keep His Commandments: Pope Benedict on John Chapters 15-16
+ Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes: Pope Benedict tells Church to evangelize and care for the sick in body and spirit
+ Saint Anthony of Padua: Example to preachers, one of most popular Saints ― Pope Benedict XVI Audience
News Links
:: USCCB: Bishops Call For Extension Of Trade Preferences For Haiti As Part Of Long-Term Recovery Support
:: USCCB: Bishops Call for Bipartisan Action to Advance Health Care Reform That Protects Human Life and Dignity
:: USCCB: Series of Seminars Slated to Introduce Revised Translation of Roman Missal
:: USCCB: Archbishop O’Brien Speaks At Summit Aimed At Eliminating Nuclear Weapons
:: CNS: Pope expresses sorrow over murder of Christians in Iraq
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Prayer Intentions
Pray for the Holy Father and his intentions: Ecumenical Dialogue, Christian Perseverance in the Face of Persecution ― Pope Benedict XVI's April 2010 Prayer Intentions
April 2010
+ General Intention: ecumenical dialogue - "That every tendency to fundamentalism and extremism may be countered by constant respect, by tolerance and by dialogue among all believers."
+ Mission intention: Chrisitan perseverance in the face of persecution - "That Christians persecuted for the sake of the Gospel may persevere, sustained by the Holy Spirit, in faithfully witnessing to the Love of God for the entire human race"
... and recall that praying for the Holy Father and his intentions also is among the set of conditions when undertaking to earn an indulgence ... along with receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession), receiving the Eucharist, and being free from attachment to sin, along with the other special action for which the indulgence is granted, such as reading Holy Scripture devoutly for at least a half-hour ...
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Additional Faith Central Prayer Intentions
+ For additional support and guidance for the development of Faith Central: Catholic Home on the Web
+ To know and do God's Will
+ For the unemployed to obtain honorable work and a dignified wage sufficient to meet their needs and those they provide for
+ For the elderly and infirmed, their protection by the Blessed Mother, and that they be treated with respect, dignity, and love.
+ For respect for human life and the dignity of the human person, from their creation
prior to conception, to natural death.
+ That God's Will be obeyed by all actions of government and all government-related actions of the populace
+ For an end to the recession, and for all humanity to work together to bear fruit in service to the needs of all
+ For those of means to divert resources to help those in the human family, locally or abroad, who are hungry, starving, or homeless
+ For peace in the world, and the conversion of the hearts of terrorists.
+ For peace in the world in families, especially for women and men facing crisis pregnancies, their preborn children, and those assisting them, especially their relatives and those volunteers and professionals dedicated to prolife work.
+ For the conversion of the hearts of sinners.
+ For the Faithful Departed, especially the relatives of those
praying and those they have met or have known.
+ For the Faithful Departed, especially those with no one praying for
them.
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Keywords: Jesus Christ, Saint Stephen, Martyr, Bread of Life, Catholic, Gospel of John, Psalm 31, Into Your Hands I Commend My Spirit, Divine Office, Saint Augustine, Regina Caeli, Liturgy of the Hours, Daily Readings, Mass, Catholic Faith, Christian, Pope Benedict XVI, Holy Father, Prayer Intentions, Catholic News
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