Daily Readings - Tue Apr 28 2020
Acts
51Stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you ever resist the Holy Spirit. Just as your fathers did, so also do you do52Which of the Prophets have your fathers not persecuted? And they killed those who foretold the advent of the Just One. And you have now become the betrayers and murderers of him53You received the law by the actions of Angels, and yet you have not kept it.54Then, upon hearing these things, they were deeply wounded in their hearts, and they gnashed their teeth at him55But he, being filled with the Holy Spirit, and gazing intently toward heaven, saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.56And he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God."57Then they, crying out with a loud voice, blocked their ears and, with one accord, rushed violently toward him58And driving him out, beyond the city, they stoned him. And witnesses placed their garments beside the feet of a youth, who was called Saul59And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.60Then, having been brought to his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep in the Lord. And Saul was consenting to his murder
John
30And so they said to him: "Then what sign will you do, so that we may see it and believe in you? What will you work31Our fathers ate manna in the desert, just as it has been written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ 32Therefore, Jesus said to them: "Amen, amen, I say to you, Moses did not give you bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven33For the bread of God is he who descends from heaven and gives life to the world.34And so they said to him, "Lord, give us this bread always.35Then Jesus said to them: "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst
Sermon
The readings today present us with powerful lessons about faith, persecution, and the ultimate source of our spiritual nourishment. In the first reading from Acts, we witness the martyrdom of Stephen, one of the first deacons of the early Church. Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, boldly confronts the people for their resistance to God’s truth, just as their ancestors had done. Despite their anger and violence, Stephen forgives his persecutors and entrusts his spirit to the Lord. This moment marks the beginning of a great persecution against the Church in Jerusalem, scattering the believers but also spreading the Gospel to new regions.
The Gospel reading from John complements this narrative by inviting us to reflect on the nature of true faith and spiritual hunger. The people ask Jesus for a sign, referencing the manna their ancestors ate in the desert. Jesus responds by revealing himself as the true bread from heaven, the source of eternal life. He emphasizes that faith in him satisfies a deeper hunger than physical bread ever could. This exchange reminds us that our ultimate fulfillment comes not from the things of this world but from a relationship with Christ.
These readings challenge us to examine our own resistance to God’s will and our openness to the Holy Spirit. Like Stephen, we are called to stand firm in our faith, even in the face of adversity. And like the crowd in the Gospel, we are invited to recognize Jesus as the bread of life, the one who sustains us on our journey. May we, too, trust in God’s providence, forgive those who wrong us, and seek spiritual nourishment in the Eucharist, the true bread from heaven.