"Imitation of Christ"

Today's Mass Readings

Today’s first reading gives us the account of the first martyrdom in the early Christian Church. Stephen challenged the religious authorities to separate themselves from the line of those ancestors who persecuted the righteous prophets of their times. Jeremiah, for example, was one such presecuted prophet. But Stephen’s fiery speech only infuriated them further. This attitude of disbelief is not new in the New Testament. For example, in today’s gospel reading, people asked Jesus for a sign. This demand is ironical because Jesus had just multiplies bread and fish to feed five thousand people. If they needed a sign it was already present. As we will see in the coming days in the Bread of Life discourse (this entire week’s reading come from John 6), people’s hearts will only be hardened and some will even stop following Jesus. At the end of Chapter 6 and the beginning of Chapter 7 people would already be looking for ways to kill Jesus. Thus what Stephen proclaimed to the religious authorities of his time was anything but the truth. Pride and Arrogance would lead the religious authorities to persecute and kill thier prophets. However, by putting himself in line with those Biblical figures who spoke the truth, Stephen invites the wrath of the scribes and elders.

Notice the similarity drawn between the death of Stephen and Jesus’ death. Stephen forgives his murderers in the same fashion that Jesus did and repeats the words “receive my spirit” in the same manner Jesus did. In fact, one of the values that early Christians strived for was the imitation of Christ. Martyrdom was considered as the ultimate imitation of Jesus. I have no doubts that Stephen was able to be so courageous because he believed what Jesus says in today’s gospel reading, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

Each Eucharist ends with the community being sent forth. Stephen is a good example of what participation in the Eucharist should make of us. Each Eucharist should lead us to the imitation of Jesus. Each Eucharist should make us an even more powerful witness of Jesus. Today, just today let our lives be an imitation of the life of Jesus.