In the footprints of the Master

WORD 2day: Tuesday, 3rd week in Easter time 

May 3, 2022: Acts 7:51-8:1a; John 6:30-35

We are given the picture of the martyrdom of Stephen... the height of discipleship, giving one's life up for the sake of truth. The real courage that is exhibited today by Stephen consists in daring to say what he saw and heard, or what he was given to see and hear. The Gospel presents the same courage that was manifested by Jesus, challenging the Scribes and the Pharisees and offering himself as the bread of life; infact, Stephen is presented to us as an ideal disciple who did what Jesus did, who lived the way Jesus lived and who died in the manner his master Jesus died.

The cue is the prayer: "Into your hands I commend my spirit". While Jesus makes that prayer to the Father, Stephen makes it to Jesus: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit". This is the first prayer we see, that was addressed to Jesus. The height of discipleship consists in the courage to imitate the master in every little detail...in our life, our prayer, our convictions and our priorities. 

It was totally natural for the first community to imitate their master and saviour - they lived as a community, as he did with his disciples and friends; he owned nothing for himself and so did they decide to own nothing; he taught them to reach out to the hungry, to the naked, to the sick and to the captives, so did they live as people with one heart and mind, reaching out specially to those who were less fortunate and as a result, as the Acts of the Apostles tells us, there was no one in need among them; and the ultimate was they dared to give their life for the sake of their relationship with Christ, as Christ was ready to do for the sake of his relatioship with his father. 

Question that stands out: how close are we in our lifestyle to Jesus, our Lord and Master?