 |
| St. Stephen deacon and martyr the first martyr for the faith. |
This Sunday we hear of Stephen the deacon and the first Christian martyr. (the "protomartyr") "Martyr" mean "witness" and the word has come to mean one who gives up their life for their beliefs. Still, we are all to be martyrs in the original meaning, giving witness to Jesus Christ in what we say and do daily.
Acts 7: 55-60
But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into
heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of
God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened
and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 57 But
they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against
him. 58 Then they dragged him out of the city and
began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young
man named Saul. 59 While they were stoning Stephen,
he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then
he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin
against them.” When he had said this, he died.
1
Peter 2:2-10
Like newborn infants, long for the pure,
spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— 3 if
indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
4 Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals
yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and 5 like
living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a
holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus
Christ. 6 For it stands in scripture:
“See, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious;
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
a cornerstone chosen and precious;
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
7 To you then who believe, he is precious; but for
those who do not believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the very head of the corner,”
has become the very head of the corner,”
8 and
“A stone that makes them stumble,
and a rock that makes them fall.”
and a rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because
they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a
holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty
acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
10 Once you were not a people,
but now you are God’s people;
once you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy.
but now you are God’s people;
once you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy.
John 14:1-14
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in
God, believe also in me. 2 In
my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I
have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I
am, there you may be also. 4 And
you know the way to the place where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him,
“Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am
the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through
me. 7 If
you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and
have seen him.”
8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be
satisfied.” 9 Jesus
said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not
know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the
Father’? 10 Do
you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that
I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his
works. 11 Believe
me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then
believe me because of the works themselves. 12 Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me
will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than
these, because I am going to the Father. 13 I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the
Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If in my name you ask me for anything, I will
do it.
Once again, this Sunday, I'll be leading a brief internet service of Word and Prayer. Here is the link to access that service on Youtube: The Fifth Sunday of Easter - St. John's
No comments:
Post a Comment