Daily Readings - Mon May 02 2022

⁸Then Stephen, filled with grace and fortitude, wrought great signs and miracles among the people⁹But certain ones, from the synagogue of the so-called Libertines, and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those who were from Cilicia and Asia rose up and were disputing with Stephen¹⁰But they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking¹¹Then they suborned men who were to claim that they had heard him speaking words of blasphemy against Moses and against God¹²And thus did they stir up the people and the elders and the scribes. And hurrying together, they seized him and brought him to the council¹³And they set up false witnesses, who said: "This man does not cease to speak words against the holy place and the law¹⁴For we have heard him saying that this Jesus the Nazarene will destroy this place and will change the traditions, which Moses handed down to us.¹⁵And all those who were sitting in the council, gazing at him, saw his face, as if it had become the face of an Angel

John

Chapter 6

²²On the next day, the crowd which was standing across the sea saw that there were no other small boats in that place, except one, and that Jesus had not entered into the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had departed alone²³Yet truly, other boats came over from Tiberias, next to the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord gave thanks²⁴Therefore, when the crowd had seen that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they climbed into the small boats, and they went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus²⁵And when they had found him across the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?²⁶Jesus answered them and said: "Amen, amen, I say to you, you seek me, not because you have seen signs, but because you have eaten from the bread and were satisfied²⁷Do not work for food that perishes, but for that which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you. For God the Father has sealed him.²⁸Therefore, they said to him, "What should we do, so that we may labor in the works of God?²⁹Jesus responded and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he sent.

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on faith, perseverance, and the true nature of our spiritual hunger. The first reading from Acts describes Stephen, a man filled with grace and fortitude, who performs miracles and speaks with wisdom. Despite this, he faces fierce opposition from those who cannot accept his message. They falsely accuse him of blasphemy and bring him before the council, where his serene and angelic demeanor in the face of adversity testifies to his deep faith in God. In the Gospel, Jesus addresses a crowd that has followed him, not because they have come to believe in him, but because they are seeking more of the physical bread that satisfied their hunger the day before. Jesus challenges them to look beyond temporal satisfactions and to seek instead the food that endures to eternal life. He reminds them that this eternal life is found in believing in him, the one sent by the Father. When the crowd asks what they must do to labor in the works of God, Jesus responds simply: “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he sent.” These readings remind us that our faith is often tested by the world’s resistance to the truth. Like Stephen, we may face opposition when we stand firm in our beliefs, but our trust in God’s providence should give us the courage to persevere. Like the crowd in the Gospel, we are often tempted to seek comfort and satisfaction in the things of this world. Yet Jesus calls us to a higher hunger—one that yearns for the eternal life and fulfillment that only he can give. Let us ask ourselves today: Are we seeking God for who he is, or are we looking for temporary comforts? May we, like Stephen, radiate grace and peace in the face of challenges, and may we, like the crowd, turn our hearts toward the eternal bread that satisfies our deepest longings.