The Catholic Calendar for Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Acts 11:19-26
Psalm 87:1-7
John 10:22-30
A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:
Just a week ago today in our scripture reading, we heard about the young church's first martyr Stephen. While Stephen died for the glory of his savior and God the Father, one might ask what other good came from such a tragedy. A good man, doing the work of the Lord perishes at a young age at the hands of a mad crowd. Why?
Well, they say our Lord works in mysterious ways and today we find out there was a greater plan involved with Stephen's martyrdom and the subsequent persecution that followed. Our first reading for today tells us that it was because of Stephen's martyrdom and the early persecution that the believers fled to distant cities and spread the Good News of the risen Lord and Savior. The scripture continues and reveals to us that the Word was being given in these far away places not only to Jews, but to gentiles as well. The tragedy of Stephen's death was key to the birth of the church and its eventual migration to all the continents and to all peoples.
It is easy to question why tragic things seem to happen and wonder why. Asking and seeking is well and good -- all we must do is search to find the far larger plan God has in mind in all things, whether they appear to be good or bad.
- Don Claunch, SFO
(dlclaunch at bresnan dot net)
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posted by joachim at 5:18 AM