Monday of the Third Week of Easter

Today's Mass Readings

As we begin this Third Week of Easter, we are called to keep in mind the resurrected Lord and continue to live in the Easter joy – the knowledge of our salvation through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. As we have done all Easter season, we continue to follow the stories of the early apostles as contained in the biblical book called the Acts of the Apostles. This is the sequel to our gospel stories, providing us with some kind of sense of how Jesus’ disciples lived the Christian life after Jesus’ death and resurrection. This week Stephen will feature prominently in the narrative contained in Acts.
Today’s scene from the sixth chapter opens with Stephen performing great wonders and signs, as well as debating with people. Possibly for reasons of jealousy, Stephen is brought before the Sanhedrin court and prosecuted with fake accusations. This intense scrutiny of Stephen does not upset him; rather those who looked upon him “saw that his face was like that of an angel” (Acts 6:15). In the adventures of the early apostles, then, Stephen appears as one, who – like Jesus – is falsely accused, on account of his signs, wonders, and debate skills. What we might take from this, then, is that being an apostle is being LIKE JESUS.

Of course, it is a little daunting to think of our life as disciples being in imitation of Christ, especially if that involves healing people, handling public debates, and performing great wonders. Today’s gospel passage from John begins with the mention that Jesus has fed 5,000 men with only a few loaves and a couple of fish, followed by a stroll across the sea. To we who read this passage, we might ask ourselves, how can we, as disciples, possibly be like Jesus? We are fairly certain that we can’t multiply food or walk on water.

Well, the good news is that we don’t have to do this. During this season, our attention is turned on Jesus’ saving resurrection. And life in this resurrected Christ is what makes it possible for us to live as Christians, in imitation of Christ. The real work of God, as Jesus tells us in the last line of today’s gospel passage, is to “believe in the one He sent” (Jn.6:29). God’s not asking us to walk on water or multiply food. He’s asking us to believe in Jesus and form our lives around this belief.

This, in fact, is what Stephen has done. His imitation of Jesus happens to extend to performing miracles and debating. But the real witness of Stephen’s life is made possible by the fact that he is “filled with grace and power” (6:8). He lives in the Holy Spirit. Yes, this grace and power and wisdom are evidence of the presence of the risen Lord in Stephen’s life. But Stephen’s real witness comes not in his ministry or in his being falsely accused. It comes in his dying for his Christian belief. This is grace, and power, and wisdom, and life in the Holy Spirit: to die for Christ, that we may rise with Christ.

Again, it may seem a hard example to follow. In this time of Easter joy, however, our focus is not on our own failings and inability to imitate Christ. Rather, we celebrate that grace, power, wisdom, and the Holy Spirit are ours for the taking. They are gifts freely given to us in Christ’s dying and rising to new life. Our job is to receive, to be filled with the food that endures for eternal life, namely Christ’s body offered to us in the Eucharist. By filling ourselves with Christ’s own body and blood, we enable ourselves to accept the grace, power, wisdom, and Spirit of the Christian life.

In this time of Easter, let us bask in the gift of resurrection given to us! Let us celebrate as we joyfully receive Jesus’ body and blood! Let us be filled with the enduring food that we, like Stephen, may gratefully and enthusiastically live the Christian life as followers of Jesus.

-Maria Morrow