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Stephen's death resembles the death of Jesus. In the Gospels, we see
how Jesus' enemies tried to get people to bear witness against him that
he had committed blasphemy. The same is true of Stephen. People
witnessed against Jesus saying he had threatened to demolish the Temple, and
Stephen is accused of preaching that Jesus said this. Like Jesus, Stephen
was tried by the Sanhedrin. Luke apparently wants us to see that the significance of a martyr's death lies in its similarity to the death of Jesus. He may have intended us to see that this is true of every Christian death. What is true of death is true of life: we must be conformed to Christ both in life and in death. We must live lives that bear witness to the truth of faith. St John records Jesus telling us that the first and best work which we can do for God is to believe. Faith is God's gift but every gift we receive is a task into which we must enter wholeheartedly. God gives me the gift of faith, but it is I who must reach out to accept that gift and to lead my life accordingly. Lord, may our lives be a witness to the faith in Jesus which You have given us. |
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P R A Y I N G W I T H T H E C H U R C H
| INTENTION : |
That consecrated people, answering the call of their
particular vocation, may radiate the spirit of the Gospel beatitudes in the
present-day world
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In the world of today there is a widespread search for joy, happiness,
serenity, liberty. That is why the consecrated religious is called on
to remind every person that the life of a human being comes from God.
Religious give outstanding and striking testimony that the world cannot
be transformed and offered to God without the spirit of the Beatitudes
which proposes a way of living and for people to relate to each other.
The consecrated life is for all the faithful a luminous sign of the
common vocation to holiness, a model on which to draw inspiration and
courage. Besides, the religious community based on motivations of faith,
on mutual love and on sharing presents itself as a call to the constant
reform of ecclesial communities. The commitment asked of consecrated people needs the support, awareness and prayer of the entire Christian community, so that human weakness may not prevail but may always allow itself to be led and transformed by God's action. In fact, the attitudes indicated by the Beatitudes not only point a sure way towards fulfilment and charity, but also lead directly to the Person of Christ who came so that men and women not only might have life but have it to the full. | |
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