Today’s Thoughts: The story of St. Stephen’s death in the Acts of the Apostles make me think about what often happens in our world every day. Stephen is just being a good and faith filled person and a crazy mob comes along and stones him to death. A mob of people not thinking about life, about goodness, about being positive but a mob of people only thinking about themselves. A mob of people focused on selfishness, on fear, on evil.
There are some parallels to our situation today. There are angry crowds who do not see the bigger picture, they do not understand or want to understand the needs of all. They only think of themselves they only listen to the voices of selfishness, fear and hate. They stand in protest with guns, not rocks. They like the people of Stephen’s time want to eliminate all opposition. They want to be the masters. They do not hear God at all. But as we learn, Stephen remained the “bigger person” through his struggle, Stephen remained the faith filled person, Stephen remained the person of life not death. He lives by forgiveness not vengeance and anger. In our world there are many people about life, about hope, about joy, and about all that is good in our culture and our society. Just think of the first responders, the health care professionals, the people who have put their needs to the side to help others during this crisis. They like Stephen often pay the price. Some with their lives, some with the burdens of life and all with what anger, terror and violence can take away from our bodies, our spirits and our souls. Sometimes it is not a mob, it is just one or two miss guided, angry people, who are more about themselves than life, who are about negativity, fear, death and evil. They often think they are about what is good, that they are doing God’s work however they are doing the work of evil and unfortunately as good people we are often reminded by the misguided of how much evil is still present in our world. Like Stephen our challenge is to remain the “bigger person” amid a world of anger, violence and terror. We need to remain faith filled people, we need to remain people of life and not death. We need to remain people of light not darkness. We need to remain people of trust and freedom not fear. We need to remained people of hope not despair. As we journey through this day may we continue to be remained of and to live on the Bread of Life, Jesus who is always in our midst. Have a blessed, holy, safe and healthy Tuesday everyone!
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Fr. Paul R. Fagan, C.P. "Preacher on the Run"Just a few thoughts to help you on your journey through life...let me know from time to time what you think... Archives
May 2023
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