3rd Week of Easter 2019 - Monday - The Pattern of Jesus' Life

Today’s first reading sees the arrest of St Stephen for proclaiming the message of Christ and the Gospel.  In fact, St. Luke reports many similarities between Stephen’s arrest, trial, and martyrdom, and Jesus’ own arrest, trial, and crucifixion.

First we heard how Stephen was filled with grace and power and working great wonders and signs.  St. Luke records this point to emphasize that the pattern of Jesus’ life is reproduced in his disciples. Just as Jesus performed miracles, so we read in the book of Acts how many disciples, especially the Apostles perform miracles for the building up of the Church. The Apostles fulfill the Lord’s words: “Whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I am doing. He will do even greater things than these”

Secondly, just as Jesus’ teachings could not be refuted, Stephen, when debating members of the synagogue, could not be refuted: “they could not withstand the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke.”  Though the Gospel is not always what the world wants to hear, doesn’t mean it’s false. In fact, we can be confident that the moral and doctrinal truths of Christianity are true, because they come from God.

Thirdly, when the Jews of the Synagogue become frustrated in arguing with Stephen, they resort to false witnesses, just as occurred in Jesus’ trial.

The powerful witness of the newly ordained deacon Stephen reminds us that successes in Christian ministry, especially in defending the faith against outsider’s attacks, can lead to persecution.  Yet, the Spirit fills us, like Stephen, with grace and power and wisdom and courage, to witness to the truth of the Gospel.

Stephen closely imitated our Lord in proclaiming the Gospel and being rejected and suffering for the prophetic ministry.  Jesus lives with, in, and through those who are united to him in faith. May such faith increase in us, that the pattern of Jesus’ life may be recreated in us for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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Filled with Paschal joy, let us turn earnestly to God, to graciously hear our prayers and supplications.

For the shepherds of our souls, that they may have the strength to govern wisely the flock entrusted to them by the Good Shepherd.

Through the intercession of St. Stephen, that the deacons of the Church, especially those newly ordained for our diocese this weekend, may be true heralds of the Gospel in their ministry and service.

For the whole world, that it may truly know the peace of the Risen Christ, especially for all victims of religious violence.

For our parish, that we may bear witness with great confidence to the Resurrection of Christ.
For our brothers and sisters who suffer, that their sorrow may be turned to gladness through the Christian faith.

That all of our beloved dead and all the souls in purgatory may come to the glory of the Resurrection.
O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the desires of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our lord.

5th Week of Lent 2019 - Friday - A pattern emerges

Just one week from Good Friday, our daily readings have grown more ominous. Particularly today, though, we detect striking similarities between Jesus and the prophet Jeremiah. Both Jeremiah and Jesus are denounced, criticized, abandoned by friends, and persecuted.

Jeremiah was sent by God to the Jews of Jerusalem who had allowed much corruption to enter into their religious life. Jesus was quoting Jeremiah when he cleansed the temple, condemning the religious leaders for making the temple into a “den of thieves”. For speaking against the corrupt religious authorities, Jeremiah was scourged. Like Jesus, Israel’s leaders similarly schemed against Jeremiah.  “Come they said, let us contrive a plot against Jeremiah…let us destroy him by his own tongue; let us carefully watch his every word.”

Like Jesus in the Gospel today, Jeremiah is often found appealing to his divine mission and to the works he is performing: that in hardening your heart against his call to conversion, you are hardening your heart toward God.

In the reading today Jeremiah said, not only his enemies, but his friends were watching him intensely just looking for an opportunity to denounce him. This reminds us of the apostle Judas, who Jesus had called “his friend”, who next week goes looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus. And also how the scribes and Pharisees, his fellow Jews plotted and conspired to bring Jesus to death. In today’s Gospel, things have reached such a fervor that they have rocks in their hands, ready to stone him to death.

These similarities between Jeremiah and Jesus show us that there is a pattern to how God works. He calls sinners to repentance. And our readings should increase our conviction that, like Jeremiah, Jesus is the one sent by God for our redemption. But today’s readings also show us that there is a pattern to how evil works as well. Evil hardens our hearts against the call to conversion, it criticizes what is good, what is from God, it leads people to conspire against God’s prophets, it ignores and even encourages corruption in God’s temple in the Church.

Let us ensure that as we enter into Holy Week, we’ve acknowledged and repented of the times when we have silenced the word of God speaking to us, calling us to conversion, perhaps even times when we have called evil “good” and good “evil”. By pondering the word of God may we grow attuned to those holy inspirations from God’s Spirit. And through our final Lenten penances, may we console Jesus as he prepares to endure tremendous suffering for our redemption, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the Church will experience the graces of profound renewal during this season of Lent.  That we may grow in our eagerness in spreading the Gospel of Christ.

That all Christian families will recommit themselves to putting Christ at the center of their family life, so as to grow in faith, hope, and love.  We pray to the Lord.

For an end to abortion and for the reverence and protection of human life.  We pray to the Lord.
For the young people of our Church. May they be strengthened to be witnesses to the Gospel of mercy and work for a future that embodies a genuine culture of life.

For those preparing to enter the Church at Easter: that they will be profoundly blessed in their preparation for full initiation into the Body of Christ.  We pray to the Lord.

For the needs of the poor, the hungry, the homeless, those who are sick, unemployed, or suffering from addiction, mental, or physical illness, imprisoned, and those most in need: that the Lord in his goodness will be close to them in their trials.  We pray to the Lord.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.