Stoned to death, But Glory revealed!!! ( The story of Stephen)
In those days: Stephen said to the people and the d the scribes, "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous one whom you have now betrayed and murdered you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it:' Now when hey heard these things they were enraged, and ground their teeth against him. But he, full of the Holy spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the son of man standing at the right hand of God:' But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together upon him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." And when he had said this, he fell asleep. And Saul was consenting to his death. (Acts 7:51—8:1)
Psalm 31:3bc—4, 6 and 7b—8a, 17 and 21ab
Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a mighty stronghold to save me.
For you are my rock, my stronghold!
Lead me, guide me, for the sake of your name.
Into your hands I commend my spirit.
You will redeem me, O Lord, O faithful God.
As for me, I trust in the Lord.
Let me be glad and rejoice in your mercy.
What Sign that we may see and Believe...
At that time: The people said to Jesus, "Then what sign do you do, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat."' Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world." They said to him, "Lord, give us this bread always." Jesus said to them, "l am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.
What to ponder on
The miracle of the manna wrought by Moses is completed and perfected by Jesus. In late
Judaism Moses was considered the first redeemer; the future Messiah would be the second.
They expected that the manna would come down from heaven once again. To the crow that asks for the bread of life, Jesus affirms in unmistakable terms that he is the bread life that fully and permanently satisfies those who go to him and believe in him. He is t eternal life promised to the human race and is now offered to it. In him the Father gives life. The life of God, given us in Christ, is revealed through faith. And faith is conversion and communion. Conversion is renunciation of one's pride, of the will to dominate, One's security, and the renewal of mind and heart.