Daily Readings - Tue Apr 28 2020
Acts
51"You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit!52Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him--53you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it."54When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him.55But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.56"Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."57At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him,58dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.59While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."60Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.
John
30So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do?31Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"32Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.33For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."34"Sir," they said, "from now on give us this bread."35Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.
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.